Suzuki out of MotoGP
The Jerez MotoGP Test also set the scene for a fresh wave of rumours that strongly suggest Suzuki are expected to pull out of MotoGP Racing at the end of this season. A decision has apparently been made strictly for financial reasons by the senior management bean-counters back at Hamamatsu. These rumours were officially confirmed by this statement issued Thursday evening.
Suzuki Statement
Suzuki Motor Corporation is in discussions with Dorna regarding the possibility of ending its participation in MotoGP at the end of 2022.
Unfortunately, the current economical situation and the need to concentrate its effort on the big changes that the Automotive world is facing in these years, are forcing Suzuki to shift costs and human resources to develop new technologies.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our Suzuki Ecstar Team, to all those who have supported Suzuki’s motorcycle racing activities for many years and to all Suzuki fans who have given us their enthusiastic support.
It was Golden Week in Japan, a collection of four national holidays within seven days that is one of the primary holiday seasons for the Japanese people, thus it would perhaps seem a strange time for the news to break but it does appear to be true. This might have been the Japanese version of dropping bad news late on a Friday afternoon scenario…
Only a couple of weeks ago Suzuki celebrated their 500th podium in Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing.
In 2020 Suzuki Motor Corporation marked its 100th anniversary and 60 years in racing, the same year that Joan Mir dominated the top class and took the MotoGP crown. And now, two years later, another important moment is marked in Suzuki’s history books.
The story started on June 4th 1962 when Ernst Degner took the brand’s first podium, riding the RM62 in the 50cc class at the Isle of Man (which in those times was a World Championship round).
Just three years later the Hamamatsu factory hit 100 podiums in Finland with Hugh Anderson and, fittingly, the 200th podium was taken by a Finn; Teuvo ‘Tepi’ Lansivuori in 1975.
In the next decade Italy’s Marco Lucchinelli made it 300, and in 1993 it was Kevin Schwantz who secured Suzuki’s 400th podium.
Suzuki Wins & Podiums
| Total Wins | 160 |
| 50 cc | 30 |
| 125 cc | 35 |
| 500/MotoGP | 95 |
| Total Podiums | 500 |
| 50 cc | 84 |
| 125 cc | 93 |
| 250 cc | 7 |
| 500/MotoGP | 315 |
In between these major milestones, a number of very talented riders and champions have added to the tally; the likes of Barry Sheene, Randy Mamola, Kenny Roberts Jnr along with our own Daryl Beattie and Chris Vermeulen.
Suzuki’s most successful class in terms of podiums is 500cc/ MotoGP, 316 in total, and the rider with the most podiums for the brand is Kevin Schwantz – a brilliant 51 rostrums for the American on the RGV500.
Schwantz was present in Austin to witness Alex Rins taking the 500th podium, and he was joined by other former Suzuki podium-sitters; Randy Mamola, Maverick Viñales, Franco Uncini and John Hopkins as they all toasted the success together with Team Suzuki Ecstar.
In recent years, Joan Mir and Alex Rins have been star performers for Suzuki on their GSX-RR machines, taking a total of 28 podiums between them.
Suzuki riders with most wins
| Rider | 500/MotoGP | 125 | 50 |
| Kevin Schwantz | 25 | ||
| Hugh Anderson | Â | 17 | 8 |
| Barry Sheene | 18 | 3 | |
| Ernst Degner | Â | 3 | 7 |
| Kenny Roberts | 8 | ||
| Alex Rins | 3 | ||
| Daryl Beattie | 2 | ||
| Chris Vermeulen | 1 | ||
| Joan Mir | 1 |
Suzuki riders with most podiums
| Rider | 500/MotoGP | 125 | 50 | Total |
| Kevin Schwantz | 51 | 51 | ||
| Hugh Anderson | 25 | 22 | 47 | |
| Barry Sheene | 31 | 10 | 41 | |
| Ernst Degner | 8 | 15 | 23 | |
| Randy Mamola | 21 | 21 | ||
| Kenny Roberts | 20 | 20 | ||
| Hans-Georg Anscheidt | 4 | 14 | 18 | |
| Marco Lucchinelli | 17 | 17 | ||
| Alex Rins | 15 | 15 | ||
| Joan Mir | 13 | 13 | ||
| Daryl Beattie | 9 | 9 | ||
| Chris Vermeulen | 7 | 7 |
Suzuki podium milestones
| Pod. Number | Rider | Cat. | Location | Date |
| 1 | Ernst Degner | 50 cc | IoM | June 4, 1962 |
| 100 | Hugh Anderson | 125 cc | Finland | Aug 22, 1965 |
| 200 | Teuvo Lansivuori | 500 cc | W Germany | May 11, 1975 |
| 300 | Marci Lucchinelli | 500 cc | Spain | May 18, 1980 |
| 400 | Kevin Schwantz | 500 cc | Spain | May 2, 1993 |
| 500 | Alex Rins | MotoGP | America | April 10, 2022 |
