Work is underway behind the scenes: will Suzuki soon be back in the Motocross World Championship?

A very exciting rumour has emerged in the Belgian scene: according to reports, Suzuki is planning a return to the Motocross World Championship. The potential comeback is reportedly targeted for the 2028 season – with five-time world champion Joel Smets as project manager. The 57-year-old Belgian recently announced his departure from Red Bull KTM as team manager . Smets himself rode for Suzuki in the MXGP towards the end of his career, but did not win a world title for the Japanese manufacturer. A potential Suzuki involvement may have been the reason for his surprise departure from the Mattighofen-based team.

Suzuki withdrew from the Motocross World Championship at the end of 2017. At the time, Swiss MX2 rider Jeremy Seewer, amongst others, had to look for a new team. After the 2022 season, the plug was also pulled from the MotoGP World Championship for financial reasons.

There is even talk circulating about a potential technical partnership involving the Kemea infrastructure run by entrepreneur Hans Corvers. This would make sense of Kemea’s departure from Yamaha Factory Racing at the end of 2026.

In the US, Suzuki is slowly stepping up its involvement again

In the US, HEP rider Ken Roczen has impressively demonstrated in recent years that the Suzuki RM-Z remains competitive. Initial approaches have been made, and Suzuki sent engineers from Japan to the US to test the Thuringia-born rider. So far, there are no concrete indications that this involvement is set to be extended to Europe. The RM-Z is getting on in years and a new model is not in sight. This raises the question of whether Suzuki is genuinely aiming to field a works team in the future.

Suzuki’s return would be a major boon not only for the fans but also for the promoter, Infront Moto Racing – an iconic brand in motocross. In 2026, the manufacturers Beta, Ducati, Fantic, Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM and Yamaha all had factory teams in the MXGP category. With Triumph and TM, two further brands are competing in the MX2 class, whilst two Chinese manufacturers, ZX Moto and Kove, are considering entering the World Championship.

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