Dorna ‘reminds’ Suzuki of MotoGP contract amid exit speculation

Dorna Sports has ‘reminded’ Suzuki of its contractual obligations after reports in the last 24 hours that it is headed for a MotoGP exit.

Speculation is rife that the Hamamatsu manufacturer will quit the category at the end of the season in what would represent a major shock.

It had only appointed Livio Suppo as team manager in February, after a full season without a dedicated person in that role, and, at last month’s Portuguese Grand Prix, rider Alex Rins said he had already had informal talks about his future.

Furthermore, this season is just the first out of five of the current participation cycle.

While Suzuki itself is yet to make comment on the reports, Dorna has now issued a statement referring to its participation agreement, and noting that it has ‘reminded’ the manufacturer of its contractual obligations.

That statement reads, in full, “Following recent rumours of Suzuki departing MotoGP at the end of 2022, Dorna Sports has officially contacted the factory in order to remind them that the conditions of their contract to race in MotoGP do not allow for them to take this decision unilaterally.

“However, should Suzuki depart following an agreement between both parties, Dorna will decide on the ideal number of riders and teams racing in the MotoGP class from 2023.

“Dorna continues to receive high levels of interest from a number of both official factories and Independent Teams looking to join the MotoGP grid as the sport continues to set a global example of close competition, innovation and entertainment, reaching hundreds of millions of fans around the world.

“Interest from these parties has been re-confirmed in the past 24 hours.”

The current incarnation of the Suzuki MotoGP team won the 2020 riders’ championship courtesy of Joan Mir, who remains at the squad today but had already been linked to a move to Honda for 2023.