How to bring Suzuki and Kawasaki back to MotoGP: Stoner's solution

Suzuki's farewell

The 2023 season saw the same manufacturers on track as the previous year, with the exception of just one: the Suzuki. The Japanese manufacturer had been the protagonist of two victories with Alex Rins in Australia and Valencia, the latter being particularly touching from a sporting point of view as it was the final test of the 2022 championship and, consequently, also of Suzuki in MotoGP.

Another Japanese girl in the past

Previously, another Japanese company had abandoned the premier class of the MotoGP, although it is now present in another top-tier series such as Superbike: the Kawasaki. Having returned just over twenty years ago after a past experience, the Akashi house remained until 2009, without however achieving any significant results. In that historical period, moreover, Casey Stoner he won the first of the two world titles won in his career in 2007, and then retired from competitions in 2012 as reigning champion.

The remedy for Stoner

The 38 year old Australian, interviewed by TNT Sportswould also be in favor of a return of highly prestigious manufacturers such as Suzuki and Kawasaki, considering this return to the top series possible with a more constant financial regulation that could allow the manufacturers to face less severe challenges from a cost point of view: “We continue to think that this progression cannot be stopped, but it is possible, especially in a prototype championship – has explained – we don't need these bikes on the streets, and therefore we can regulate what we do. We need a set of rules that last 10 years. Builders come in and know what they can realistically set aside as a budget. Bring back Suzuki, Kawasaki, or other manufacturers. They know that the regulations are the same for 10 years and they won't find themselves constantly saying: “Now we don't have a budget for that.” This year there hasn't been a single race with all the riders in the saddle, and that means there's too much at stake. It seems to me that we are constantly trying to emulate Formula 1except that we have a lot more electronics.”

MotoGP distant from F1

In an attempt to imitate F1, Stoner gave the example of the introduction of Sprint raceswhich in his opinion should be eliminated: “We don't need to emulate Formula 1 – he added – we are the ones who create the races, because our bikes are one and a half meters wide and eight bikes can be inserted in a single curve, but we can do without it. It's not possible to do that in F1, and we shouldn't try to imitate them with Sprints. Leave them for what they are. There would be the same drivers in place every week.”