Ken Roczen faces perhaps the toughest decision of his career
Ken Roczen still doesn't know if he'll continue in 2027. He doesn't lack a motorcycle or competitiveness. The real question now is: Does he want to commit to everything that a full season demands again?
In a conversation with Jonny Hopper before the SMX final, Roczen spoke unusually openly about precisely this question. Retirement wasn't a thought that had only arisen in recent weeks. The topic had been with him for years. There had been repeated periods when he struggled with himself and didn't feel well. Then the thought of quitting became something very real.
And yet he continued. For another year. And another.
Roczen understands why the discussion about his future might seem sudden from the outside. Internally, however, the matter has been on his mind for considerably longer.
2026 hasn't exactly made the decision any easier.
Because Roczen achieved something very important to him at a particularly crucial stage in his career: a title. He describes a moment from recent years when he was talking to his wife about how it would feel to become champion again.
At the time, this goal seemed far away to him. "I thought: If I could wake up tomorrow, it would all be over and I had this title, then I would probably be done. I've worked so long for this."
He now holds this title.
Roczen says that a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Actually, this could be the perfect time to stop. At the same time, however, there's still Ken Roczen the racing driver.
And he apparently can't just carry on a little bit.
A few races? Not a real option for Roczen.
From the outside, a reduced program sounds quite appealing. A few select Supercross races, perhaps individual starts, and otherwise significantly less strain.
Roczen doesn't think much of it.
"Either I go all the way or not at all."
He says he would prepare just as intensively for one or two races as for a full season. Simply showing up and participating doesn't meet his standards.
This also explains why the decision is so difficult for him. Anyone who reduces Roczen's statements to just the question of whether he's still fast enough misses the crucial point.
He knows what another year means.
It's not about 17 Saturdays of Supercross or individual race weekends. The decision for 2027 involves months of preparation, testing, training, travel, and the constant ambition to be at the front. Roczen himself says he's currently struggling with this long-term commitment.
"Once you decide to do it, you're in for months and months. It's not just about a weekend, two races, or a few events."
Therefore, he wanted to compete in the three SMX races before making a decision. But even just before the final, the answer is apparently still pending. Roczen says he's currently taking it one day at a time and only wants to commit when he's absolutely sure.
Suzuki is also waiting
Roczen can't postpone the decision indefinitely, though. He knows that himself.
Because his decision doesn't just affect him. HEP Suzuki also has to plan for 2027. The rider, budget, testing program, and preparation for the new season all depend on whether the number 1 will be on the Suzuki again.
Roczen himself addresses this very point. "I know this question is real because the team needs to plan. I need to have a plan too, somehow. And honestly, I've been avoiding this question."
That doesn't sound like a driver who has already mentally quit and is just looking for the right moment to announce it.
But it also doesn't sound like someone who's already decided to be back at the gate in January. And perhaps that's precisely the difference.
It's not the speed that matters.
When a driver is nearing the end of his career, the question of whether he's still fast enough is often raised. With Roczen, that doesn't seem to be the main issue at the moment.
He continues to drive at a level where he can compete with the best. What seems far more important is whether he is prepared to dedicate his entire life to motorsport once again.
He doesn't do things halfway.
This also makes the often-mentioned option of a farewell year with a reduced program difficult. A little Supercross, a few selected races, and otherwise a gradual winding-down – Roczen practically rules out precisely this model in his statements.
Either do it properly one more time, or that's it.
After the SMX final, one argument that Roczen had been able to use to postpone the decision has also disappeared. He wanted to ride these three races and then see how it felt.
Now he has driven her.
So it's not just Suzuki waiting for his answer. Roczen himself has to decide whether the 2026 title was the end of an extraordinary career – or the reason to bring the number 1 back to the starting gate next year.