Suzuki set to announce shock exit from MotoGP at end of 2022 season

Suzuki is preparing to confirm shock speculation that it is about to exit MotoGP at the end of the 2022 season just two years after clinching its first World Championship title in two decades.

The rumours emerged in the wake of the Spanish MotoGP at Jerez on Sunday, with Suzuki arguably speaking volumes by staying silent on the talk during Monday’s in-season one-day test rather than move to deny them.

While this would be the second time Suzuki has withdrawn from MotoGP in the last decade after a three-year hiatus (2012-2014) it comes despite the manufacturer having penned a new MotoGP contract with Dorna to the end of 2026. 

Moreover, it has only just signed Davide Brivio as team manager, while riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins were expected to sign new 2023 MotoGP deals imminently.

Indeed, while Suzuki’s exit in 2011 was largely motivated due to the economic downturn and waning competitiveness, it has enjoyed one of its strongest periods in GP racing recently, anchored by Mir’s shock run to the 2020 MotoGP World Championship title.

However, even then Suzuki has only achieved a handful of race wins since its return with Mir, Rins and Maverick Vinales its only riders to step atop the podium over the last seven years.

With the news expected to be formally confirmed this week, Suzuki’s exit will likely overhaul a rider market still simmering, with only four seats on the 2023 MotoGP grid confirmed as yet. 

Mir was linked with Honda at the start of the year, but both riders had otherwise been expected to remain at Suzuki for 2023. As such, Mir could put a struggling Pol Espargaro’s seat under fresh pressure, while Rins - whose form has improved this season after a tough 2021 - represents an attractive option too.