Suzuki Wants to Rejoin MotoGP, But It Has to Figure Out Some Things First

So you're saying there's a chance?

By: Jonathon Klein

Dec 2, 2024 at 9:28am ET

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As much as I believe the racing in MotoGP has been absolutely awesome to behold in recent years, the fact that Ducati is just always winning, either from the works team or its satellites, gets a bit boring. Yay, another Ducati on the podium!

That's sarcasm, folks.

Sure, there are other manufacturers, as KTM has fought Ducati (though that could come to a halt pretty soon) and Honda and Yamaha are also there, as well as Aprilia. But there are just not enough manufacturers in the series to make everything somewhat more competitive. Chiefly, Suzuki ain't in the mix anymore and hasn't been since 2022.

But that could be changing and the brand could be returning to the series in the near future, at least if you're to believe the company's president's latest statements. I mean, if you're going to believe someone, it might be best to believe the man whose last name is Suzuki.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Toshihiro Suzuki wants the company to return to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, stating, "We will return to the race and we will do it to win." But he added a caveat to that statement, saying, "But for that, We must first solve our problems in the market. If we don't have a complete range and detailed models to offer to our customers, being in MotoGP does not make sense."

As for what he means about a "complete range," I'm not quite sure as Suzuki has a lineup of solid sportbikes, adventure bikes, and other motorcycles to satiate the public. If the man who bears the company's name means a motorcycle that could compete at the level of Ducati's V4s, KTM's V4s, Yamaha's upcoming V4s, and something it could sell to a public that wants a race-inspired motorcycle, I'd get that. But the GSX-R1000 still exists.

What do you think?

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It hasn't been updated in god knows how long, but it's there.

My assumption on Suzuki's comments would be that he'd want the company to have something new, something proper in the lineup to point toward before they return to MotoGP. And that'll likely only happen once the new regs come into place in 2026. So the company has some time to build something awesome. The only bad news is that we'll have to wait and see what happens, but I suspect we'll see Suzuki back on the grid in the next few years.