22' MotoGP/WSBK/MotoAmerica discussion thread **SPOILER ALERT**

[The Black Knight]

Rumor around the mill is that Suzuki is about to call it quits in the championship at the end of 2022. That would see Mir with Marc at Honda and Rins in the air for a seat for 2022 given both their contracts are up this season and makes perfect sense why they've waited so long to sign them given that Mir won in 2020. Must be in some serious financial straits or something to make such a drastic decision given not too long ago they had signed until 2026 with the championship if memory serves me right... Definitely will be interesting to see how this story develops in the next few weeks as Dorna actually reached out to Suzuki directly given the rumors.

That's what I've been reading. Is that it is a done deal, they are just waiting for Suzuki to make it official. The team has already been notified at yesterday's test at Jerez. So they know what is coming and what to expect. Can't believe Suzuki is having financial problems, especially after winning the title in 2020. You'd think they could milk some of that for awhile being a MotoGP championship winning team. Granted they lost the constructors title that year but did with the rider and I think team championship(that may have gone to Yamaha) but who knows.

[madvlad]

That's what I've been reading. Is that it is a done deal, they are just waiting for Suzuki to make it official. The team has already been notified at yesterday's test at Jerez. So they know what is coming and what to expect. Can't believe Suzuki is having financial problems, especially after winning the title in 2020. You'd think they could milk some of that for awhile being a MotoGP championship winning team. Granted they lost the constructors title that year but did with the rider and I think team championship(that may have gone to Yamaha) but who knows.

Yeah it definitely poses the question if they've lost sponsors or what given they were champions not too long ago and teams like Aprilia and even Yamaha that have the same if not less spending caps so really makes you wonder what truly happened, it's crazy and they've been far more successful than Aprilia since coming back into the championship. Damn shame honestly because it was cool having them in the mix.

[The Black Knight]

Yeah it definitely poses the question if they've lost sponsors or what given they were champions not too long ago and teams like Aprilia and even Yamaha that have the same if not less spending caps so really makes you wonder what truly happened, it's crazy and they've been far more successful than Aprilia since coming back into the championship. Damn shame honestly because it was cool having them in the mix.

It is odd, if you just compare them to Yamaha. Two bikes that are similar in nature with the agile chassis and ability to be nimble. Yet, Yamaha has been stagnant and Suzuki for the most part have moved forward. Especially for this season, they found some much need hp's and are right there in the mix. It always makes you wonder if some else is not the cause as well. Could be financial issues, but could be some sort of politicking going in behind the scenes. Suzuki being the smallest manufacture and always have been, may have succumbed to pressure for outside forces.

It's almost like they don't want this many competitive teams in MotoGP. Really we are in a very special time with MotoGP. Every manufacture have the ability to win on any given Sunday. KTM have their tracks, Aprilia have made a huge step, Suzuki are more than capable of winning at several tracks and even bigger tracks. Yamaha with FQ are always a threat, and Ducati are the ones stacking things in their favor with all the bikes on the grid. Honda seems to be the weakest of the bunch at the moment.

Maybe Suzuki are looking to bow out of MotoGP and focus on more Superbike classes. Since those were the classes that brought Suzuki a lot of success. Suzuki dominated the AMA for years, and even had a stranglehold on WSBK during the Troy Corser years. Even their MotoGP success has always been there. Going way back to Kenny Roberts Jr. and then during the Vermulen and Hopkins days. They were certainly better than Kawasaki in many regards.

Unfortunately, MotoGP is following the way of Formula 1 and it really has too because MotoGP is the top for two wheels. But it is becoming more about money than ever before. I think you get more pure racing for the sake of racing in the Superbike categories of all regions.

It is a shame, because I'm a Suzuki guy through and through. If I ever threw a leg over another sportbike it would be some old Gixxer of days gone by. And it sucks to see my manufacture leave the most prestigious of sports.