Suzuki keen to understand performance against MotoGP opposition

Suzuki will get a clear understanding of the size of the task it faces to be a competitive force in MotoGP again when it pitches its new 1000cc MotoGP contender against Honda and Yamaha in Spain next week.

Randy de Puniet completed a successful shakedown of the new bike in Japan recently and Suzuki is poised to kick off a series of European tests, commencing with back-to-back sessions in Catalunya and Motorland Aragon next week.

It is then that the new Suzuki can be directly compared to Honda’s RC213V and Yamaha’s YZR-M1 and Davide Brivio, who will run the Japanese factory’s testing project, told MCN: “It is very interesting and stimulating and a big motivation to start something from new.

But the target is not to be ready in Catalunya. It will be important to understand the level of the bike and what needs to be done for the future. We have to see how big or small the gap is and then understand what we need to do.

The competitors are very strong and with the electronics especially there has been a big improvement and Honda has created a high standard with engine development. The level is very high and it will take time to get close to them, but we have to start somewhere.”

Brivio, who will run Suzuki’s new MotoGP effort if the Japanese manufacturer commits to a full-time return in 2014, said Suzuki had not contemplated racing its new 1000cc machine later in the current campaign to understand its performance in full-blown competition.

Brivio denied the new bike would be raced as a wild card in October’s Japanese round at the Twin Ring Motegi and he added: “This has not been considered at the moment.”