Suzuki’s history in motorcycle Grand Prix racing dates back to 1960 when it debuted at the Isle of Man TT when the event was world champion.
Over the next 40 years, Suzuki won six premier class titles with Barry Sheene (1976-1977), Marco Lucchinelli (1981), Franco Uncini (1982), Kevin Schwantz (1993) and Kenny Roberts Jr. (2000).
Suzuki pulled out of the premier class for financial reasons at the end of the 2011 season before staging a full-time factory return in 2015.
Suzuki was again Grand Prix winner in its second season and was led to its first world title in two decades last year when Joan Mir stormed to his first MotoGP championship, with Alex Rins in third place overall.
Suzuki is the fifth manufacturer to sign MotoGP promoter’s new five-year deal, Dorna, with Aprilia being the only brand left to commit – although this is expected to continue into 2022.
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“As Suzuki Motor Corporation, we are proud to continue competing in the MotoGP World Championship as we all share the ambitious ambition to compete with the best motorcycle competitions in the world,” said Suzuki Project Leader Shinichi Sahara.
“We started this new journey in 2015 and in just six years we achieved the driver’s world title together with the team title and we are still hungry for further successes.
“For these reasons we have extended our contract with Dorna, with the hope and commitment to further develop the technical and racing side of the company.”
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta added: “We are very excited about the renewal of the agreement with Suzuki, a factory with which we have competed in the World Cup for years and enjoy a great collaboration.
“Her return to MotoGP in 2015 was an instant success and was confirmed with the climax of the world title in 2020 with Joan Mir. We are proud to expand this partnership and hope to continue setting milestones with this iconic brand. “
After three laps, I am currently in fifth place in the overall standings after taking his first podium of the campaign last weekend in Portugal, while team-mate Rins is in seventh place after falling from the leadership battle in Portimao.
Suzuki had to revise its management structure before the 2021 season when long-time team boss Davide Brivio switched to Alpine in Formula 1.
Suzuki is voting against a direct replacement and is now chaired by a management committee made up of seven high-profile figures from the team.