Suzuki confirms discussions with Dorna over quitting MotoGP

Last Monday, following the post-Spanish Grand Prix test at Jerez, Autosport revealed Suzuki management had gathered the MotoGP race team that afternoon and informed it of its decision to quit the series at the end of the current campaign.

This decision from Suzuki, who only returned to MotoGP in 2015, came completely out of the blue and left the team in shock.

In response, Dorna Sports issued a statement which said the marque could not quit MotoGP on its own accord.

All manufacturers on the current grid are locked into a contract with Dorna to compete in MotoGP through to the end of 2026, with Suzuki’s shock decision bringing with it legal and economic ramifications.

PLUS: The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki’s decision to leave MotoGP

But, in a press release issued on Thursday ahead of the French Grand Prix, Suzuki confirmed financial pressures caused by the COVID pandemic and further hindered by the war in Ukraine has forced it into discussions with Dorna about quitting MotoGP.

“Suzuki Motor Corporation is in discussions with Dorna regarding the possibility of ending its participation in MotoGP at the end of 2022,” the statement read.

“Unfortunately, the current economical situation and the need to concentrate its effort on the big changes that the automotive world is facing in these years, are forcing Suzuki to shift costs and human resources to develop new technologies.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our Suzuki Ecstar Team, to all those who have supported Suzuki’s motorcycle racing activities for many years and to all Suzuki fans who have given us their enthusiastic support.”

Dorna revealed it has “high levels” of interest from independent teams and official factories to join MotoGP in Suzuki’s absence.

Suzuki previously quit MotoGP at the end of the 2011 season, having raced full-time in the premier class since 1974. In that time, it won world championships…