Rumor: Suzuki to quit MotoGP (Update)

This rumor is upgraded to ‘fact’ today.

Suzuki will leave MotoGP at the end of the 2022 season after reaching an agreement with promoters Dorna.

The Japanese manufacturer indicated its desire to withdraw from the sport in May, citing economic challenges.

The company was contracted to MotoGP until 2026 but president Toshihiro Suzuki said on Wednesday both sides had negotiated an early termination.

Suzuki will also leave the World Endurance Championship, which includes the Le Mans 24 Hour race.

In a statement, Suzuki said the decision to leave was due to “the need to reallocate resources on other initiatives for sustainability.”

Suzuki is preparing to end its participation in MotoGP after the 2022 campaign is through, according to a report published by Autosport Monday. A mainstay of grand prix motorcycle racing, Suzuki left the premier class championship in 2011 before returning in 2015.

Five years later, Joan Mir won the riders title on a Suzuki — the first time that had happened since Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000. And two years after that, the blue team will be calling it quits once again.

The news apparently comes as a surprise not only to fans but the team itself. Suzuki executives gathered team personnel on Monday to make the announcement, Autosport reported, and employees didn’t see it coming.