Suzuki to try latest seamless MotoGP gearbox in Qatar GP practice

The Japanese manufacturer's off-season work has included joining the other factories in using a seamless gearbox, the absence of which was one of the weaknesses of its 2015 return.

An upshift-only version was sampled for the first time in a private test at Sepang last November, and given additional mileage on Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro's bikes during pre-season running.

Test rider Takuya Tsuda continued to work on a fully-seamless version, which both race riders tried in Qatar's final test.

Vinales, one of the stars of the pre-season, said work on proving the reliability of the second generation unit would continue this week during practice.

"We want to try more so that we can be 100 per cent sure for making a full race distance," he told Autosport.

"For sure, if we can use the second option, it will be better for us. Still, we need to check a little bit.

"But anyway I will be trying it in nearly all of the practice sessions."

Suzuki will also run the upshift-only version during practice sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, before qualifying and Sunday night's season opener.

"We have two types of seamless and we want to work with both, so we will decide in the last minutes," Vinales said.