Leopard Racing, which has won numerous Moto3 world championships, has said that it is “highly interested” in taking over for Suzuki when the Japanese manufacturer retires from MotoGP at the end of 2022.
Suzuki announced its retirement from MotoGP at the end of the season on Monday, a choice it only informed the cycling team about the same day at the post-race test in Jerez.
On Tuesday, a public statement was anticipated, but it never came.
However, MotoGP owners Dorna Sports publicly stated Suzuki could not opt to leave the championship on its own because it is locked to a deal with the other of the manufacturers until the completion of 2026.
Independent teams and official factories have expressed “interest in participating” the grid if the chance presents, according to Dorna.
Leopard, who won the Moto3 championship with Danny Kent in 2015, Joan Mir in 2017, and Lorenzo Dalla Porta in 2019, has expressed interest in joining the MotoGP grid previously, and did so again to Autosport on Thursday at a private Moto3 and Moto2 test in Barcelona.
“We will see how the situation evolves, there is a contract involved and I don’t think Suzuki can leave just like that because it has a signed contract until 2026,” Leopard boss Christian Lundberg said.
“We’ll see, but if a seat is freed up and God willing, they [Dorna] give it to us, we’ll be very happy.
“The whole paddock knows that we are absolutely interested and that we would try to take that step, but there’s still a long way to go before it can happen.”
If Leopard is given the green light to compete in MotoGP, Lundberg thinks it will do so in collaboration with Aprilia.
“I think the only option would be to do it with Aprilia because, in my opinion, Dorna has to reward in one way or another the only constructor on the grid that only has two bikes, and today all the bikes are very competitive,” he added.
“So, it would be very good for us to work with Aprilia, plus we are a half-Italian team and it would be easier than working with the Japanese, I think it would be the best option.”
Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola told Motorsport.com during the Spanish Grand Prix week that the company was ready to launching a satellite squad if the right deal came up.
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