Jerez Test: Mir: Suzuki engine smoother but not faster
Joan Mir has given an enthusiastic review of Suzuki’s prototype engine foไr 2020 despite being uncertain if it delivers outright top speed gains against the older spe🎉cification.
The Suzuki rider claimeꦐd third place on the timesheet on the opening day of the Jerez MotoGP test having completed 56 laps while he also beat team-mate Alex Rins by less than one tenth in the fastest lap efforts.
Joan Mir has given an enthusiastic review ofඣ Suzuki’s prototype engine for 2020 despite being uncertain if it delivers outright top speed gains against the older specification.
The Suzuki rider claimed third place on the timesheet on the opening d♔ay of the Jerez MotoGP test having completed 56 laps while he also beat team-mate Alex Rins by less than one tenth in the fastest lap efforts.
After initially trying out Suzuki’s new engine at Valencia, Mir is buoyed by finding similar gains translating at Jerez. While Mir remained unmoved by toܫp speed impr🐼ovements, the Spaniard pointed to clear improvements in a smoother power delivery meaning his GSX-RR can be kinder to its Michelin tyres.
“On the top speed, I don’t know if it’s faster or not, it’s not th🦂e strongest point of our engine,” Mir said “But it looks like the smoothness and the grip is quite positive. So we have෴ to continue working, I don’t think we arrived in the maximum level of the engine. So we have to continue working to reach that level.
“It looks p🤡ositive because we tried again the old engine and the new engine, we compared them a little bit, a🍌nd we confirmed that the new engine is a bit better.
“So I am happy about today aꩵnd the lap time was coming, and we were not looking to make the fastest lap, because in the test, I think it’s not important. But anyway, we are there, w🍷e are really close to the top. So I’m really happy.
“The new tyres look like they are working well with our bike, and I think we still have margin to improve the lap time, aꦕnd also the bike.”
Despit🌟e a positive reaction to Suzuki’s engine, Mir was less successful 𓃲with trial changes to his suspension linkages.
“We tried some things of the chassis, some things to make the chassis more rigid, more stiff,” he said. “And for some parts it was a bit better for the brakes and some other things, but then for turning i𒀰t was a bit worse.
“We have to make the balance and see if for one track it’s maybe OK, but not for another one. It was not the 🐲most positive thing to try today, but I’m happy.”
