Suzuki planning new parts assessment at Sepang 2

Suzuki is expected to try new upgrades on its new 1000cc MotoGP project when the MotoGP winter testing campaign resumes at the Sepang track in Malaysia this week.

The recent opening test in Malaysia saw Suzuki test rider Randy de Puniet focus exclusively on trying to set the Japanese factory’s Mitsubishi electronics software with the new standard Magneti Marelli ECU.

The bike de Puniet rode earlier this month was a combination of the best parts he’d tested throughout 2013, but there was no revamped 2014 engine and chassis spec at the first test.

That could change though this week, as Suzuki continues to prepare for a full-time return to MotoGP competition in 2015.

Former factory Kawasaki rider de Puniet finished the first Sepang showdown in a lowly 17th, but he said with more time on the new Magneti Marelli hardware and Mitsubishi software that he could have been challenging for a top 10.

Suzuki boss Davide Brivio told MCN: “Maybe at the next test we can bring some new development parts. One of our problems is we need to find more grip to make the tyre work better and also we need to improve the performance of the engine. Our top speed is not yet where it should be. We also need better stability on braking. The chassis and engine we tested (at Sepang 1) is not so much different to last year. Last year we tested different engine and chassis specs and we tried to bring together the best package based on those tests.”