Suzuki will no longer support MotoGP and FIM EWC projects, but in the World Endurance Championship the situation is different: here are the solutions.
About Alessio Piana de Motoracing
Suzuki's withdrawal from MotoGP will extend to all other “Factory” sports programs of the parent company and therefore also to the World Endurance Championship. The announcement, expected in the coming days, will shed light on Hamamatsu's new vision of the future, effectively putting aside the company's presence in motorcycle sport in the big S. However, with regard to the FIM EWC, this disengagement could open up new scenarios, in some unexpected ways.
Over the years, Suzuki left all the major motorcycle championships in which it was officially entered. From the Motocross World Championship (in 2017) to the AMA Supercross, including the Superbike World Championship. The only programs considered “Factory” remain MotoGP, FIM EWC and JMX (Japanese Motocross). From 2023, unless there are contraindications, Suzuki will no longer invest in racing, for internal reprogramming, embracing the ecological transition of its entire sector.
Suzuki and the Yoshimura case
If a little light is expected in this sense for MotoGP, the situation is more fluid in the World Endurance Championship. Over the past two years, Suzuki has already gradually limited its commitment. Since the retirement of Dominique Méliand in 2019, the SERT (formerly Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, now Sarthe Endurance Racing Team) stands on its own two feet. The budget was gradually reduced, with Yoshimura coming into play in the last two years. Under the Yoshimura SERT Motul banner, the queen team of the specialty has won everything: the 2021 title, a double at Le Mans (2021 and 2022) plus the overwhelming victory last September at the Bol d'Or.
Yoshimura joined the “new” SERT, covering almost the entire necessary budget (more than a million euros) for a season in FIM EWC. An independent and solid reality, although linked to Suzuki since the 70s, “Yoshi” autonomously takes charge of his sporting and business projects, regardless of Hamamatsu's decisions. Alone, Yoshimura could continue to invest in Endurance, despite the criticality represented by a GSX-R 1000 which has remained stationary since 2017. The SERT itself, why not, could attach itself to a new manufacturer, since it is not more directly dependent on Suzuki. By the 24 Hours of Spa on June 4-5, the situation will be defined with a view to 2023.
