Breaking news

MotoGP Qatar March testing

Suzuki already testing 2022 MotoGP engine in Qatar

Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli has revealed the Japanese marque has already been testing its 2022 MotoGP engine during Qatar pre-season running

Lewis Duncan

Edited: Mar 8, 2021, 1:02 AM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP

As part of COVID-19 cost-saving measures introduced at the height of the pandemic last year, all engine development for non-concession manufacturers (Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, Ducati and KTM) has been outlawed for 2021, and 2020 engines must carry over.

KTM must observe the same development ban but has been allowed to build a new engine for homologation as the original rule was written while it was still a concession manufacturer.

Suzuki has new 2021 parts it has been trying in Qatar, including a new chassis and swingarm, but has also taken the opportunity with test riders Guintoli and Takuya Tsuda to begin testing its 2022 engine.

“We’ve started straight away testing quite a lot of new items,” Guintoli said on Saturday.

“We have a new engine spec, this is for 2022. So, we’ve been working on that already.

“And today [Saturday] we also did some more work with chassis. So, a new chassis, new swingarm, a different suspension as well.

“We’ve done quite a lot of work already today, which is very interesting. So, that’s it, flatout straight away and I haven’t ridden in five months. So, I’m feeling it!

“We’re looking for some improvements already in the philosophy that we’ve got, because obviously it’s not working too bad at the moment, the 2020/2021 spec.

“Obviously, the inline-four is missing a little bit of top speed, so we’re trying to compensate a little bit in that way as well.

“At the moment, because the engine is already very good, it’s not going to be some huge step.”

Read Also:

When asked if developing a 2022 engine could have a negative impact on the race riders, who have just five days of testing available to them before the 2021 season gets underway, Guintoli noted the unpredictable nature of the COVID pandemic meant Suzuki had to use the opportunity presented by the current engine freeze to begin its 2022 work early.

“This year with the frozen engine spec, this kind of allows us work for 2022,” he explained.

“I think that was a very good thing to do, because considering this situation with COVID it’s so difficult.

“I can’t go to Japan to test. So, there’s been some testing there but it’s not the same.

"The few tests we had last year, we tried to use the time as good as possible but working already for the future is really important now because we don’t know what this year is going to be made of as well. We don’t know how many opportunities we’re going to get.

"We need to get stuck in straight away, make the most of our time, be efficient with the track time we have.

“An engine spec is not an easy decision, so we have to get stuck in straight away.”

Suzuki has been caught out by a misstep in engine direction before, when in its first year as a non-concession team in 2017 Andrea Iannone selected the wrong spec pre-season.

The Japanese marque struggled all year and ultimately gained its concessions back for 2018 after a podium-less campaign.

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Espargaro: Honda and KTM “too different to compare”

Next article Quartararo "totally lost" readjusting to Yamaha MotoGP bike

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1 9 min

“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return

Myers Riley Motorsports adds Andretti alongside returning Fraga for 2027 IMSA GTD campaign

IMSA

IMSA IMSA 33 min

Myers Riley Motorsports adds Andretti alongside returning Fraga for 2027 IMSA GTD campaign

Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Las Vegas GP

1 h

Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design

IndyCar 2026 season review: Juncos Hollinger Racing

IndyCar

Indy IndyCar 1 h

IndyCar 2026 season review: Juncos Hollinger Racing

Feature

Discover prime content

MotoGP needs to heed the warning signs as riders drop like flies

MotoGP

Qatar GP

By Richard Asher

MotoGP needs to heed the warning signs as riders drop like flies

Five things we learned at MotoGP's controversial Qatar Grand Prix

MotoGP

Qatar GP

By Richard Asher

Five things we learned at MotoGP's controversial Qatar Grand Prix

Why MotoGP's handling of the Qatar Grand Prix could alienate an entire generation of fans

MotoGP

Malaysian GP

By Richard Asher

Why MotoGP's handling of the Qatar Grand Prix could alienate an entire generation of fans

Five things we learned from MotoGP's steamy Malaysian Grand Prix

MotoGP

Malaysian GP

By Richard Asher

Five things we learned from MotoGP's steamy Malaysian Grand Prix

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts