Suzuki’s MotoGP Exit Might Open Doors for Motocross

The majority of such queries are unlikely to be answered. Why, for example, is a valid question. Why would Suzuki, with arguably the best bike on the MotoGP grid, one of the best team managers in the sport in Livio Suppo, and arguably the strongest rider line-up in the championship in Joan Mir and Alex Rins, decide to leave a championship it won 18 months ago and has a good chance of winning this year?

Steve Matthes said, “I got a text, from someone that would know, that said that Suzuki went hard after AC (Adam Cianciarulo) for next year, and they are putting money back into [motocross] racing.”

Suzuki’s attempts to lure Cianciarulo away from Kawasaki clearly failed, as Cianciarulo is rumoured to have re-signed to ride a KX450 for the 2023 season. However, the fact that an attempt was made indicates that Suzuki may be making a genuine push to return to motocross.

Suzuki retired from the Motocross World Championship as a factory effort in 2018, and the closure of the JGRMX team at the end of 2020 signalled the end of any factory Suzuki effort in the United States, with the Twisted Tea HEP Suzuki team taking over as the primary US Suzuki team since 2021. Suzuki’s objectives must be genuine if they are making efforts for a prominent name like Cianciarulo.

However, if it saves money in the long run, Suzuki may be willing to invest the savings in other areas, such as superbike racing or motocross. Suzuki could be able to support both superbikes and motocross competitively while still saving money on the costs of competing in MotoGP. If that’s the case, Suzuki’s MotoGP exit may have more beneficial consequences than just a reinvigorated factory motocross push.

And, while there has been talk of a US-based revitalization of Suzuki’s motocross operations, there has been no mention of a European counterpart. If it comes down to cost, America is likely to be the more profitable market, thus Suzuki may continue to be absent from MXGP. It’s also conceivable to take the stance that “no news is good news.”

Suzuki has never been the most powerful manufacturer in MotoGP, and their premier class victory in 2020 will be remembered as one of the best examples of ‘punching above your weight.’ It will be fascinating to watch what the Hamamatsu brand does next, and if it means returning to factory status in motocross, then at the very least, their MotoGP exit may be seen positively.