Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Motorsport
Motorsport
Sport
Lewis Duncan

"Harmony" in Suzuki MotoGP team not same since exit decision

Suzuki, which clinched the 2020 title double with Mir, has endured a torrid season since it made its decision to quit MotoGP at the end of 2022 following the Spanish Grand Prix.  

At the French GP, both riders crashed out of strong positions, while last weekend at Mugello Alex Rins was taken out after a collision with Takaaki Nakagamiwhom he branded as “dangerous” in a fiery outburst – while Mir slid out the grand prix moments later as he struggled with front-end of his GSX-RR.  

After his disappointing Italian GP, Mir told the media that it has become clear to him that the atmosphere within the team is not as it was a few races ago.  

“It’s not the first time I’ve had problems outside of sport, and I think I know how to separate things,” Mir said. 

“But it’s clear that there isn’t the harmony in the team that there was before [Suzuki’s decision to quit MotoGP]. 

“We have to do something, because spending a year like this can be very long.” 

Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP (Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images)

Suzuki’s bombshell announcement has put two high-profile riders in Mir and Rins on the rider market for 2023.  

Mir’s manager told Motorsport.com during the French GP that his first offer from Suzuki in Portimao was “unacceptable”, but that the team was confident of improving the offer during talks at Jerez.  

Now Mir looks likely to go to Honda alongside Marc Marquez in 2023, though Pol Espargaro branded this as “fake news” when asked about it at Le Mans.  

When asked when a decision of his future was likely, Mir said: “I hope to announce it soon. 

“I hope to be able to tell you things quickly, because it is very important for anyone to have their future secured.  

“But right now, I can’t talk about this.” 

Teammate Alex Rins revealed during the Le Mans weekend that his management had been in talks with KTM about a switch, with Ducati’s Jack Miller also linked to the Austrian manufacturer.  

At Mugello, Miguel Oliveira confirmed that KTM had offered him a move back to Tech 3 for 2023. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.