The MotoGP World Championship has lost Suzuki, a historic manufacturer. Is it a right move? Some people definitely think not…
No one expected that Suzuki wanted to leave MotoGP. It was the bolt from the blue of the 2022 season, so much so that even Dorna remained surprise of the decision. So much to try to look for a substitute of the Hamamatsu manufacturer to fill the place that would remain vacant by the end of the year. Now we know that Suzuki will not have replacements, but one of the hypotheses had been Triumph, already present in Moto2 but only as an engine supplier. Indeed, the British brand was aidea previously, together with BMW and Kawasaki. The answer might surprise you.
No to MotoGP
Triumph will not be in the premier class in 2023. Of course it was one strong temptationbut that is not the primary objective of the UK house. “It’s not a matter of budget. But at the moment we are concentrate on Moto2 and Supersport, and we are headed towards Motocross and Enduro” explained the product manager Steve Sargent at Crash.net. In other words, the commitment in the world championship continues but only in the intermediate class. The place abandoned by Suzuki therefore it will not be occupied by any new entry. If we want something new, it’s there and it’s called GasGas, a house born in Spain and which will join Herve Poncharal’s Tech3 team. But motorcycles don’t change, since it’s always about KTM RC16: all therefore linked to the Austrian brand, which took over the Spanish manufacturer some time ago.
The dig at Suzuki
But certainly a Triumph we do not mind maintaining the same commitment until 2024, as agreed. The reason is soon explained. “In countries where MotoGP is a lot popularknowledge of Triumph has increased” Sargent pointed out. Not being in premier class so it’s not really a problem. “The presence in Moto2 is very positive, not only in terms of motorcycle sales but also in terms of engineers. Many ask us to come and work for us because they saw us in Moto2 or offroad, they are fans of racing and they want to be part of it.” To make it even shorter, “Competitions attract people.“ The reference is inevitably to Suzuki, who instead inexplicably wanted to abandon racing, and not only in MotoGP. Thus losing one luxury showcasewhile Triumph certainly does not want to leave such a place of prominence. And it could be a decidedly wrong move for Suzuki, given the current situation prestige which involve motorcycle racing for a brand…
