Suzuki president shows interest in returning to MotoGP

Suzuki has expressed a desire to return to MotoGP in the future, but stressed that it needs to create the necessary conditions in the company to warrant a comeback.

The Japanese manufacturer quit MotoGP at the end of the 2022 season, violating a four-year agreement it had signed with series’ promoter Dorna.

Suzuki was still competitive in MotoGP in its final years, having clinched the 2020 title with Joan Mir and won its last-ever race in Valencia in 2022 with Alex Rins.

But just over two years after it pulled the plug on its grand prix programme, company president Toshihiro Suzuki has sent a first signal about a potential return to the premier class.

However, the Suzuki boss warned that his priority was to ensure the company had the right product line-up of road bikes before it could think about greenlighting a top-line motorsport programme.

“The MotoGP victories were obviously very important for us,” Toshihiro Suzuki told Corriere dello Sport. “But it’s no use to us if we don’t have a complete and varied range of models for all motorcycle enthusiasts. And I don’t think we’re in that situation at the moment.

“It is important that we quickly offer a complete product range that satisfies today’s riders. If everything goes well, we will then return to racing – and win again.”

Suzuki’s comments follow KTM entering self-administration as it seeks to find the necessary funding to drive itself out of its current crisis.

KTM has reiterated its commitment to MotoGP on several occasions, but has been forced to pause the development of the RC16 over the winter due to a lack of funds.

Dorna has found it hard to attract new entrants to the championship, with no manufacturer having joined the series since Suzuki departed.

Suzuki’s renewed interest in MotoGP is a positive sign, but a return to the series is not expected anytime soon. MotoGP will enter a new era in 2027, with both chassis and engine regulations overhauled, leaving little time for a newcomer to develop a competitive package.

Suzuki pulled out of MotoGP at the end of 2022 and would have to start all over from scratch if it decides to enter grand prix racing again. There have also been reports about it having sold data from its erstwhile MotoGP programme to BMW.

Another hurdle would be a lack of space on the grid if all current manufacturers remain in the series. Dorna has made it clear that it wants to keep only 22 spots in MotoGP, meaning any new manufacturer would have to join forces with one of the existing satellite teams: Pramac, Tech 3, LCR, Gresini, VR46 and Trackhouse.

All these teams have close ties to the factories they are associated with, although Pramac’s decision to end its long-term partnership with Ducati in favour of Yamaha shows they are not wedded to a single manufacturer.