Suzuki Open To Return To MotoGP Race

JAKARTA - A Japanese manufacturer, Suzuki, has begun to open the possibility of returning to the MotoGP race even though there are no careful plans at this time.

Suzuki's president, Toshihiro Suzuki, in an interview with Corriere dello Sport hinted at the possibility.

"If everything goes well, we will return to racing and win again," he said as quoted by Crash.

Suzuki surprisingly left MotoGP at the end of the 2022 season. They made the decision when they just signed a contract with Dorna Sports to stay in this event for five years.

At that time, this brand called financial pressure and changes in market trends the main reason. As a result, they also dispersed the world champion team with Joan Mir in 2020.

Not only leaving the world's most prestigious motorcycle race, but Suzuki also withdrew all manufacturers' efforts in other motorcycle races.

In recent years, Dorna has explicitly allowed Suzuki's empty grid slots to be available for manufacturers. Rumors are that BMW's interest is circulating, but so far it's been nil.

However, last August the CEO of Dorna Sport, Carlos Ezpeleta, said that this would no longer happen. He emphasized that any manufacturer who wants to join the grid must join the existing team.

This will lead to arrangements similar to Aprilia's return to MotoGP in 2015, whose factory venture runs in Gresini's garage until the end of 2021.

In April last year, International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) president Jorge Viegas told media at the World Superbike event in Assen and claimed he had discussed with Suzuki.

"They said they would invest all the money they have in new types of machines. I think they will come back. They can't sell motorbikes if they don't compete," he said.

In its history, Suzuki has left the MotoGP race in the modern era since 2002 twice. The brand's last MotoGP race is currently at the Valencia 2022 GP.