Huge shock for MotoGP: One of the biggest stables announces its departure!

For MotoGP fans, the Japanese constructor’s decision comes as a bit of a shock. The Suzuki Ecstar team has announced that it will leave the world of MotoGP at the end of this season, but Dorna himself may be against it due to a contract that is not easily cancelled.

Suzuki returned to the premier class seven years ago, winning the riders’ championship in 2020 when Joan Mir became world champion.

Meanwhile, the Japanese team is clearly one of the biggest and best-known MotoGP teams, with Suzuki having won 16 championships to date, with names such as Barry Sheene, Marco Lucchinelli, Franco Uncini, Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr.

Moreover, the legendary team has already withdrawn from MotoGP once, namely at the end of the 2011 season due to financial difficulties. After that, the Japanese stable came up with a completely “rebuilt” concept and returned to MotoGP in 2015 as a factory brand.

Suzuki scored its first win after a spectacular comeback at the 2016 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Maverick Viñales drove to first place then.

But now it looks like another break, although the Spanish company called Dorna, which owns the MotoGP series, doesn’t like the decision.

And it is this company that has reminded the Suzuki team that the MotoGP contract does not allow the Japanese stable to make a unilateral decision. This is because the contract is valid until 2026.

So, at the moment, Suzuki needs Dorna’s approval and an agreement must be reached for the Japanese constructor to leave MotoGP at the end of the 2022 season.

And if that scenario does indeed occur, what then will happen to the riders currently defending Suzuki colours? According to Motorsport, the 2020 world champion could move to Honda’s Repsol factory team.

That’s where he could replace Pol Espargar, with Honda building a strong driver line-up. Mir would become a teammate of Marc Márquez.

However, question marks are currently hanging over the future of Suzuki’s second rider, Alex Rins. It is Mir and Rins who are only under contract with Suzuki until the end of this season, with the former recently expressing his interest in continuing with the Japanese marque.

It should be noted that Rins had the same plans. But now both riders will have to rethink their plans considerably.

Sources: MotoGP, Motorsport