After the Spanish Grand Prix, Suzuki announced the cancellation of its MotoGP project and confirmed its absence from the championship for 2023. Weeks after the media commotion caused by the announcement of its departure, the Japanese team assured during a press conference in Assen, that “there is no chance” that Suzuki will appear on the grid next season.
During the media meeting, Suzuki team manager Livio Suppo bluntly stated that there is no option for the manufacturer to participate as a structure in the premier class. However, he confirmed that he is waiting for the consequences to be assumed by Dorna.
“Suzuki has already officially confirmed that he will not compete next year. So, what is ongoing is the negotiation with Dorna [regarding the relevant penalty], which is something that is not my job. But,” he insisted, “we repeat that there is no chance that Suzuki will be here next year.”
Suzuki ‘s surprising departure cut short the future of Joan Mir and her teammate Alex Rins, as well as putting an entire racing team out of work for the coming year. Faced with this situation, Suppo stated that he has been working to help find a solution to this problem.
“I want to thank all the staff of the team, because despite the news, they did not give up,” he said. “They kept a good mood and of course I’m trying to help the team find solutions for next year.”
“But the important thing is that, apart from the shock and the commotion of the first hours [after the official announcement], they had a very correct reaction.”
Given this situation, both Joan Mir and Álex Rins appear ready to join Honda in 2023, with Mir joining Marc Márquez in the factory team, and Rins close to reaching an agreement to join the factory satellite team in Replacement of Alex Marquez.
