'Suzuki wants to quit MotoGP, but can't decide that unilaterally'

Suzuki shocked friend and foe alike on Monday night with the news that the manufacturer intends to drop out of MotoGP. No official statement has yet come from the team, but that presumably has to do with the reaction of Dorna, the rights holder of MotoGP.

Indeed, Dorna argues that Suzuki cannot make that decision unilaterally at all. The factory team has an agreement that runs until the end of 2026, so it cannot just walk out of it.

Dorna has therefore officially contacted the team "to remind them that the terms of the contract to race in MotoGP do not allow them to make this decision unilaterally," the statement on MotoGP.com.

Suzuki may have to reconsider its decision, which hit like a bomb. Since its return in 2015 the team has shown a strong growth, culminating in Joan Mir winning the riders' title in 2020.

So, should Dorna find the reasons for the planned departure serious enough, Mir and teammate Alex Rins will have to look for a new employer. Mir has already been linked with the Repsol Honda team, where he might become the new teammate of eight-time world champion Marc Marquez.