A little over two years ago, Suzuki unexpectedly announced the end of its MotoGP program at the close of the 2022 season. At that time, the Hamamatsu-based constructor was capable of competing for victories, having secured the riders’ championship with Joan Mir in 2020.
The project appeared solid, with the experienced Livio Suppo at the helm as team manager, having been hired just months before the surprising and radical decision.
The reasons for Suzuki’s departure were never fully clarified at the time, and even today, they remain unexplained. Marco Lucchinelli, who was the 500cc champion with Suzuki in 1981, admitted to GPOne.com that he continues to lament and not understand the end of the MotoGP project when it happened:
– It’s a shame because when Suzuki makes an effort, they always do things well, they are very good. When they decided to stop in MotoGP, it was at a time when they had a bike capable of winning the World Championship, and that bothered me a lot. Even now, I don’t know what the real reason is, because I see it as very strange. They were at their peak, so I honestly don’t understand.