Suzuki To Withdraw From MotoGP At End Of 2022 Season

By David Emmett |

As the paddock packed up after the Jerez test on Monday, held after the Spanish GP at the circuit, the bombshell news emerged that Suzuki is to withdraw from MotoGP at the end of the current season. Motorsport.com's Oriol Puigdemont was the first to break the news, which I have since had confirmed by multiple sources in the MotoGP paddock. The team were told on Monday morning, before the test, with an official announcement expected on Tuesday.

The decision was a financial one. GPOne.com published a story citing sources that say that Suzuki's decision was based on financial grounds, with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine depressing the global economy. Paddock rumor suggests that one of the things Livio Suppo had been brought into Suzuki to do was to make budget cuts where possible, but nobody, not even Suppo, could have expected this decision, which came down from Suzuki's board of directors.

The timing of the withdrawal is bizarre, at least when viewed from a sporting perspective. The factory won a world title in 2020 with Joan Mir, and have two riders widely regarded as among the most talented on the grid. Alex Rins is currently fourth in the championship, 20 points behind the leader Fabio Quartararo, while Joan Mir is sixth, trailing Quartararo by 33 points. The Suzuki GSX-RR is one of the best bikes on the grid, especially since Suzuki's engineers found more horsepower and more torque for the 2022 season. Mir and Rins can be expected to be in the title hunt for 2022, only to be dropped at the end of the season.

The economic costs could be high as well. Suzuki signed a five-year contract with Dorna in April last year, promising to compete in MotoGP from 2022 to 2026. Dorna has bolstered their contracts after Kawasaki withdrew at the end of 2008, during the global financial crisis which followed in the wake of the Lehmann Brothers collapse. The board of directors of Dorna will be meeting to discuss how to address the withdrawal, and a statement will surely follow the announcement by Suzuki.

Suzuki's withdrawal is unlikely to see the grid reduced from 24 to 22 bikes. Instead, the two slots are likely to be taken by an Aprilia satellite team. Aprilia have been trying to convince several satellite teams to switch to Aprilia, as the Noale factory believes the time is right to expand their efforts and to create a space where they can park young talent to be nurtured.

The withdrawal of Suzuki also opens the question of where Alex Rins and Joan Mir will end up. Suzuki's exit blows the rider market open wide, at least behind Fabio Quartararo. Mir is now almost certain to end up at Repsol Honda, the 2020 world champion taking the place of Pol Espargaro alongside Marc Marquez. Alex Rins will be a highly prized rider, especially for a factory like Yamaha who have a very similar bike.

The press release is expected tomorrow. But this is a story which is likely to develop very fast. There are plenty more twists in the road.

MotoGP
Suzuki
Alex Rins
Joan Mir
↑Back to top

Comments

We are going to grieve this loss.

Abbreviated, this is a harbinger of our next economic downturn, not caused by the pandemic but entry steepened by it. These are tough times. Suzuki obviously has to lean out Its budget immediately, understandable. They don't thrive on motorcycle sales and barely have a presence outside MotoGP. It makes me appreciative of other manufacturers steeped in racing bikes. May they persevere.

So now do I wear a Suzuki MotoGP shirt in memoriam? I will want to have it when what is on offer is a Chinese MotoE team jersey.

This Suzuki GP bike is a precious work of art from an unlikely source. My favorite motorcycle. Huge loss.

Hi my name is Tony and I loved Suzuki too. Seriously, I have owned three Suzukis and loved each of them, even the insane 250X7, which was just a mad bullet with wheels. My all time favourite was the GSX400F , the best bike I ever owned. The thing was that in that era Suzuki were innovating. Now each new model is just an iteration of an old, sometimes very old set of components without design or technology flair. (Like those car companies that are installing 25 year old engines in 'new' cars.) Haven't bought a Suzuki for almost 30 years. That the board are taking a reductive view of the one project they have that makes the brand look relevant, dynamic and competitive, is just plain dumb. They are also going to alienate the most persuasive demographic in motorcycling along the way. I accept that there might be compelling financial circumstances, but they must be dire to shelve this halo project. Is it that the sports bike sector is now only small consideration and adding a perception of tech currency in that sector is still not enough make you competitive in the face of competition from Ducati, KTM etc? Vale Suzuki Team!

The biggest transfer of wealth from the middle-class to the elite in human history. Lockdowns pushing Bezo's wealth through the roof and big pharma (and now a "food crisis") giving Gates a big injection of greenery straight into his arm instead of the vax. As they shift back to pushing the "climate crisis" in the media, the worlds richest African American cleans up. The cost of living heading to the stratosphere, and Putin instead of American policy being the scapegoat for it.



What a shit fight.



For me, some PMs and majority in Real Estate. I still hold too much cash but it might not be a stupid move whilst this all shakes out over the coming year or so. I've done a 3x in RE this past decade, most of it during the pandemic. Sinking it into a sideways move to a bigger farm is looking better and better every passing day.



Edit:



Silver ends the Fed!

You mean to tell me that paying people government benefits not to produce goods and services is actually an elaborate ruse executed by the world’s elite to raise aggregate price and crush the hapless artisan classes? I’m shocked! Next you’ll probably tell me that the world’s education systems teach students to believe that this masochistic economic arrangement is actually a compassionate moral imperative and the sign of an evolved culture.

So glad humanity is not dumb enough to fall for that!

I can't put into words how shocked and sad I am to hear this. I've rooted for Suzuki since I started watching MotoGP. When they left the first time there was always that "oh they'll come back" feeling. This feels different. 

The most balanced bike on the grid is to rest its wheels at the end of the year. Or maybe not. I am looking forward to seeing the influence of all these mechanics, when engaged by the remaining factories. Ducati and Honda and KTM would kill for Suzuki's frame, Yamaha and Aprilia for the engine's (allegedly) 30 newfound ponies --from a 4 cylinder inline no less!

 

With all the development of the bikes they have done. The success they have had....just stunned.  They always showed that they could break up the Ducati, Honda, Yamaha wins and put themselves in there in a way that alot of people would not predict.  They will be missed. 

Such a great team - how sad to have the rug pulled out from under them. I honestly expected things to go the other way (extra 2 Suzis) and thought RNF team might pick up a second pair of blue and silver bikes. 

Small picture, Suzuki's withdrawal is a stunning development. Suzuki are competing well, and appeared to be focused on the long term and rider development. 

Big picture, Suzuki's withdrawal was predictable. Suzuki doesn't have sponsor connections like Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, and KTM. Suzuki have never run a satellite outfit, even when they are competitive. Plus, MotoGP doesn't make sense. The manufacturers are having their products outlawed by emissions regulations, but they are playing around with active suspension and aerodynamic downforce, while doing zilch to develop and market the powertrains that will allow sportsbikes to exist in the 21st century. Dorna needed to counterbalance the MSMA during the financial crisis, when the manufacturers nearly killed MotoGP, but 15 years of bore-limited racing is crazy considering the direction of transportation regulations. Soon the manufacturers will be spending millions to alter their engines to use biofuels that are not publicly available.  

Dorna and the FIM have put motorcycle racing in a precarious position. From an entertainment standpoint, GP and SBK are nearly identical (but the headlight stickers!). MotoGP is technologically irrelevant. SBK is struggling to balance the homologated bikes, which has compounding economic drawbacks for uncompetitive manufacturers, now that most of the national series are following the WSBK paradigm.

Someone needs to fix this mess. Based upon recent interviews, Dorna are still congratulating themselves for constructing the illusion of stability. Maybe this will be a wake up call (yeah right). 

The championship that was won by Mir in 2020 by only winning 1 race (also Rins won just 1 race that season), made Suzuki look like a proper bike to finish races but not the best bike out there even though they also won the team championship but not constructor.

As a result it was not the most attractive team still to sponsor, lacking air time on tv during races. I guess the money of just 2 sponsors they attracted in the wake of a rider + team championship was lower than anticipated, probably combined with a lack of effect in sales. While the board wants to win the constructor title, it's the rider championship that sells the bikes as they say. Their marketability and attractiveness was at his highest after 2020, so the board probably doesn't see any results better than 2020 with the competitive field there is out there (Yamaha, Honda, Aprilia and Ducati as top 5 contenders each week / Yamaha, Honda, Ducati and KTM as strong marketing machines)

Could it be the fact the championship now has to many rounds? The overheads and costs being just to much- only a thought 

A cynic could say that this is a simple calculation. I no longer ride bikes myself and my perception is that, over the last 2 or 3 decades you saw less and less suzi’s on the road, they were eclipsed by other brands. A shrewd board member might say, we’ve proved that our company can still match anything else out there so that’s us sorted for another 10 years; why spend shed loads of money to now be pummelled into the ground by Ducati, Honda, maybe even Aprilia. Possibly even by all of them. There are no bad, slow bikes anymore, just projects that sooner or later are going to come good.

All the same, it’s quite a loss and quite a shock.

Thinking forward, there would either be those two grid spots to a new team likely running Aprilias, or a brief patched together "Hayate" running this Suzuki first.

Not sure which big team from below is poised to jump, because they haven't known they could. Watch someone like Ajo stir up a plan quickly. Marc VDS again? Italtrans maybe since Aprilia is Italian? Or Pons.

Rins to Aprilia?

This is all just weird. Bumpy ride so far this season.

Well that's some terrible Monday news. I didn't think they'd stick around "forever" but it has not felt long at all, and especially with recent results! I believe the bean counters, but Suzuki makes Yamaha look small when it comes to money. Suzuki Motor Corp had a 2020 revenue of 3.5 trillion yen; Yamaha Corp (not just motors, ALL of Yamaha) had a 2017 revenue of 408 billion yen. I know it's different years, but that's a difference in revenue of 850%!! Yet Yamaha still has the money.... weird.

Take some time to review the financials that suzuki publishes...  Interesting Notes From Suzuki’s Annual Report – SuperbikePlanet

Suzuki sold but 153,000 motorcycles globally last year.  Suzuki sales 2010-2019 dropped 36%. Then sales fell another 10% in fiscal 2020.

Without a very significant team sponsor, it is hard for me to imagine trying to fund an entire MotoGP effort of two riders plus equipment and costs and on and on and on to support marketing of motorcycle sales of 150,000 which are 6% of over-all sales.

Yeah I was being a bit too reductionist just by looking at overall corporate revenue. Different colors of money and all that, I'm all too familiar with that kind of bureaucracy. Other parts of the company don't exist to fund something as frivilous as racing, but I'm still rightly upset!

Yamaha Corporation and Yamaha Motors are separate companies. Yamaha Corp only have a small 9.9% stake in Yamaha Motors. Hopefully there isn't a domino effect with Yamaha Motors also pulling out of Motogp.

It will take big money, millions of euros a season to get Quartararo to stay at Yamaha. Plus a decent amount of money resources to produce a more powerful engine Quartararo demands if he's to stay!

 

If I was factory Ducati I would be going all out to get Quartararo. Or if not possible then alternatively Mir for the next two seasons. Martin is too hot and cold mistakes and crashes, Bastianini will likely get a Pramac seat for 2023.

Honda always taylor the bike towards Marquez riding style. If I was Mir I would choose Ducati or even Aprilia over joining Honda. 

 

Politics, conspiracies, end of the day this is the most likely explanation.  Even large companies tightening the belt.  An expensive racing program for a part of the company that, relatively speaking, is a drop in the bucket has to look like an easy money saver for some accountant back in corporate.

Total sales was 1.535.000 units globally (just a typo, or what?), while the 10% decrease is cited correctly in the article.

That still counts for (only) 6.5% of the total revenue of the company, but that's still way more than the reported figures for Marine division.

Further Dean states "Suzuki’s new “Mid-term Management Plan” does not even mention motorcycles", which actually isn't correct (just check the report).

Just sayin....

When Suzuki last dropped out of Moto GP MCN published an article titled The thirty year train wreck. It was a series of pretty scathing interviews from European members of Suzuki's GP team over the years. They painted a picture of a hugely factional culture in Japan, with the race team little more than the plaything of the various warring tribes. Finance, engineers and equipment coming and going depending on who was 'in' at the time, years long projects spirited away to Japan and cut up because someone on the board didn't like it, or to spite the person who approved it. Succeeding proving just as dangerous as failure because it meant you made someone upstairs look bad and so on.

Looks like nothing at Hamamatsu's changed in the year's since. No doubt Brivio and Suppo will have a lot say a few years from now.

The Japanese make a de facto withdrawal from MotoGP, and they make superbike great again? Series production is the strength of the Japanese manufacturers. The world would benefit if that's where they focused their resources. 

Utterly saddened. The most beautiful bike. How bad must that corporate leadership be? Now we will just have memories and old clips. And what's the best of this Suzuki era? Mav getting the first win and Mir getting his crown in 2020 are great but Rins over Marquez at Silverstone in 19 is one of the greatest finishes I've ever seen. Here's to Rins taking the crown this year on their way out.

Also isn't Morbidelli one of the few that have a contract next season? So guess Rins will have to go to Yamaha satellite and replace Dovi if he wants to remain on an inline 4. 

Ditto the April fools joke flashback. And right when normality was seeming to creep into the picture. The mind soaked up the heavy news and body had to lie down for a nap. Then came clarity (which might be someone else's fuzzy). Financial matters will come up with its own reasoning, but it makes perfect sense from the perspective of coincidental opposition - the day after Aprilia accrue their sixth concession point and the collective consciousness of the Motogp World is buzzing about six manus fighting strong, the closeness of competitiveness, what an incredible era of tech and...blammo. Blindsided by the dark humor of spirit. Could sustainability in the world of forms be illusory? Not what is sustaining the forms, but the forms themselves. Maybe believing in sustainability of any form is a part of human folly.

Racing motorcycles is a very dangerous activity, and not just for the riders. On the bright side, gp riders have dodged some errant bullets recently. The Moto2 carnage in Portimao last weekend, and that Austrian melee when the factory Yamaha riders were almost beheaded by large chunks of M1 motoshrapnel. Forms died on those days, just not human forms. Now, the Suzuki Motogp Factory effort's death has been foretold, and that form will transform into something else. The printed word says the president of Suzuki didn't want to do it, but the board of directors said it must happen. Who knows the truth? But it seriously is a bummer to imagine not seeing Rins pass other riders around the outside next year at COTA. At least, not on a Suzuki. What would make it all even more weird is if Rins wins the championship this year. How fitting? And not one Motomutterer picked him for the top five. That scenario is almost laughable. It helps to laugh in the face whatever i'm looking at. I don't know what it is. 

Suppo BTFO.



What a blindside to everyone involved and so many jobs just vapourised into thin air. It looks like they're intent on burning all of their bridges on the way out too. Contract broken with Dorna, hire and fire of Suppo, dangling cheques to Mir and Rins then whammo - gone. If it was an impulsive trigger pull as rumoured, whoa boy, what a terrible look.



The Busa is off my list. It can stay in the realm of teenage wet dreams for good.

 

Are the only reliable motorcycle players IMHO. Timing is questionable for Suzuki, but not more so than when Honda decided to exit F1 in 2008ish and left the whole factory and car to Ross Brawn. The car was genius with its blown diffuser and Jensen Button won the world title even without development over the course of the year. And since I'm on F1, how about Honda's reentry as an engine manufacturer a few years back, massive investment and high profile failures leading to an exit announcement last year that coincided with their achieving (not winning but that's another story and nothing to do with them) the title by year's end.

Bottom line, I would be surprised only if Honda and Yamaha leave. Hell, if I ran Ducati I would have been out long ago. Audi haven't taught them enough. Find a series who's rules you can exploit. Win a title or two and before the others catch up, exit. Best bang for the buck. Maybe they think their doing that with the moto-e efforts. Just turns me off but whatever, I ride stuff that's cheap to fix when I wad it up so I'm not really their market.

Of course we are lucky that we live in an era where race teams are running like SPACs. Will be interesting to see if rising rates, higher inflation, and global uncertainties make Suzuki just the first shoe to drop. When the tide goes out you find out who's not wearing any clothes.

I'm sure this decision was a very difficult one to make considering how well the Suzuki package was performing with two VERY talented riders. Things must be really bad financially for Suzuki to pull out of such a high profile series with a global appeal. I feel there is more to this story that will come out sooner then later. Such a shame for the sport. Having so many different manufacturers compete so closely is very impressive. I'm sure they will have to pay some type of fine to Dorna for pulling out so abruptly, on the first year of the renewed contract. Maybe this leaves a spot open for a new manufacturer to step in, but to develop a competitive motogp machine is a very tall order. BMW have deep pockets but can't compete in WSBK. I'm curious what the Japanese executives are going to say or not say. In any regard, there isn't a better motorsport on the planet today. #motogp

Despite all the great buzz from the docu-series and winning the championship in 2020, the Suzuki folks decided the ever-increasing expense (and perhaps the uselessness of a lot of the technology on motos they sell to regular old Joe Kickstand) of MOTOGP is no longer worth it when it comes to ...well....making money? Will DORNA and/or MSMA get their heads out of their.......well...the sand and do something? I doubt it...DORNA's in this simply for the money and will squeeze every drop out of it as fast as they can for as long as they can while the MSMA will think "Subarashi/fantastico/toll...one less competitor to deal with...if we can keep this up we'll own MOTOGP!"

Not so fair. They have history in this department. The grids were dying after the crunch. They guided it back to life and we have enjoyed the fruits for the last 10 years. If it goes awol Dorna and the msma can hopefully work together once again for the good of the sport as they have in the past...IF it goes bad, at the moment it's two bikes.

Heartbreaking news. Prettiest bike on the grid by a margin. Suzuki exemplified the kiss principle and were thankfully devoid of garish sponsor decals. Perhaps they are telling the truth that financially it no longer makes sense to compete in motogp. The aero and shape shifting technologies are an expensive distraction with no road relevance and raise speeds dangerously. However they did develop a success vvt system now used on their road going superbike. This is a wake-up call for dorna and the msma that the rules have got out of hand and with the recession it's hard to justify competing.

Some rebalancing of the rules urgently required.

Wednesday 27th April Governments of Germany, Italy and Hungary issued warrants to search Suzuki, in those counties, due to VW style devices fitted to vehicles to get around emission testing.

It's going to be very expensive for Suzuki, probably even asking Mir and Rins to search down the back of the couch for change. MotoGP isn't going to be a priority, keeping the company afloat will be a problem with the fines coming their way.

 

 

Got it, thanks.

I was thinking about motorcycles, not cars. Suzuki automobiles has a near non-existent presence here in the States, I never think of them when I think of Suzuki. I just couldn't imagine going through that for bikes, that was why I was so curious!

 

Mark 

It was probably about 10 years or so ago that Suzuki left North America, they quit here in Canada as there was no point without the U.S. market. It's a shame, their products were excellent, I know a couple of people who've been driving their little jeep-things for 20 years with no problems. They've always had a big auto presence in India, SE Asia, and at least a reasonable presence in Europe and Japan.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a18743309/suzuki-ends-u-s-car-sales-w…

I've got a mate still driving his Sierra hard-top as a work commuter that he had on his P's back in 1997. They're a great little 4x4 and run on the sniff of an oily rag.

Drove a 2007 VW Tdi diesel (model immediately preceding "diesel gate"). Good car! Ready for AWD instead.

Replaced it w a 2010 Suzuki SX4 AWD hatchback (gas, the diesel was preferred but not sold here). I love it, simple enough I can fix it myself. Collab w Fiat (also sold as Fiat Sedici). 

When I get my next car, maybe it should be a Honda? I will warn you so you can sell their stock. 

;)

-- Eagerly awaiting news. The grid spots will get filled. Two more Aprilias is ok. Keeping Suzuki is much better. Not prepared for anything else. --

When Raz announced dropping Moto2 and Moto3, saving money w the MotoGP staff, ALL those employees immediately went knocking elsewhere for jobs. KTM took some. This happens. It also happens to suck. 

What seems most likely is one of a small handful of strong Moto2 teams moving up (like Aqua did) and leasing Aprilias. They bring some staff (esp management) and piece the rest together. Many of those Suzuki employees may well go there. Neither Aprilia nor Gresini have many to spare, but a few from either team may get a promotion in the new team if they stand out.

Everything is going to be ok. (Speaking aloud to myself, holding a pillow and rewatching races).

Share news if you see it eh? Grazi!

How much of this do you think has contributed to the decision?

It's expensive and has no core value to your mainstream products.

First Kawasaki, now Suzuki and I feel others are heading down this road. However, in 2006 was when it began it's never-ending lowside, with Bridgeport equity firm taking the ownership and subsequently making Ezpeleta the frontman - although he was there previously. From that point onwards, Dorna/Ezpeleta, seeing no opposition from Bridgeport, have pretty much made a disaster of once was a rich, competitive and elite series. For several years following Carmen's rise to the cameras, where the series was supported by the Rossi/Marquez drama, there came fewer and fewer international riders - and therefor, international interest, and one would be easily forgiven if they thought MotoGP was a Spanish/Italian championship if not for the likes of Crutchlow and Miller; leaving the more international flavor for WSBK, (although still lacking). From the Bridgeport takeover, Dorna appeared only interested in promoting Spanish interests and appeared contingent, (as they seems litigious now), with the others who were not aligned with their interests - even pushing out Italian riders to the point that Rossi seemed compelled to build his own entrance door into the series with the VR Riding Academy. More recently I believe Bridgeport saw the writing on the walls, (unsurprisingly with the deterioration of Marquez's support), and began to push Carmen to expand their viewership by the behind-the-scenes support of more international talent such as the Binders, Quartarraro, Zarco, and Gardner. Moto2 was obviously stepped up as well with the hopeful coming of international talents of Dixon, Beaubier, Kelly, Roberts, Ogura, Baltus, Chantra, Bendsneyder and others outside of the Spanish and Italian world.

In short, this is on the shoulders of how Dorna has been run in the last couple of decades; pushing politics instead of real racing. I was recently at the COTA race and I was amazed at how it felt so average - no vendors present other than Ducati, it was surreal. I mean you could feel it in the air MotoGP was falling. Fast.

In the end, it will get worse before it gets better. I expect they will conglomerate WSBK and MotoGP to some more sensible and hopefully more well thought out series. And something more sustainable as well. I mean, it's unforgiveable that with the potential they have had, that it has come to this, Covid and wars notwithstanding.

To think that MotoGP was essentially bought for 80 million a few years back when, on a daily basis, we see purchases of billions of dollars of international corporations that don't bat an eye, is a real head scratcher. I expect Yamaha will balk next and then Honda, all you will have is a Ducati/Aprillia series left. KTM will leave it to the end - Red Bull and all. Or just give it to the people, and we will fix it.

Covid has produced record sales for motorcycles, bicycles and RV's! Go look at any local dealership and you'll find little inventory. Suzuki must have had a leadership change since they just re-entered MotoGP a short time ago. The new guys apparently just don't see any value in motorsports. There is a reason that Suzuki is well behind Honda and Yamaha in scale. They offer stale products... To me that is all management philosophy. Rather than innovate like Yamaha and Honda, Suzuki seems to simply milk what they created decades ago. Even Kawasaki does a better job of product innovation. 

I’m old enough to remember when that was recent history. And to remember when Honda was the world’s most successful motorcycle company and also dropped out of GP racing (about 1968 to 1979). Still, as a Suzuki owner, and a fan of Mir and Rins, this is sad news … but perhaps not yet final. Maybe Kawasaki will come back. Or BMW?

It is has been reported that over 22,000 vehicles are involved. Around 11 million vehicles were involved in VW Dieselgate - five hundred times as many. Also, it has been reported that Suzuki already admitted to the infraction back in '18 or '19. In Italy, Marelli is also being investigated.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/16252-suzuki-related-premises-in-europe-…