Andrea Dovizioso: Difficult to analyse Suzuki performance

Andrea Dovizioso says it is too difficult to assess the performance potential of Suzuki’s new 1000cc project after today’s one-day post race test at the Catalunya track in Spain.

The Italian has been strongly linked with a switch from Ducati to the Japanese factory for 2015, but said he had not seen test rider Randy de Puniet on track today to gauge the Suzuki’s potential.

French rider de Puniet was 17th fastest in mostly warm and sunny conditions today, with his best lap of 1.43.683 leaving him 2.499s behind reigning world champion Marc Marquez.

Suzuki has a new engine spec to evaluate this week but Dovizioso said it was impossible to draw any conclusions on the potential of the new bike, which will be raced full-time in a two-rider factory effort in 2015.

The former 125GP world champion, who was 11th quickest and 1.3s quicker than de Puniet, said: “I didn’t see the bike on track. I just saw it in the pit lane. It is difficult to analyse the situation. We have been here for three days of riding and for us it is very easy to go at the limit. For them it is the first day and de Puniet is not racing now, even though he is a very fast rider.”

Dovizioso has been in long discussions with Suzuki and he is understood to be a key target for the Japanese factory, who want his experience to develop the bike and his speed to show its full potential.

Ducati are also desperate to retain the ex-Repsol Honda rider and he said during last weekend’s Catalunya round that he could be ready to decide his future plans by the next race in Assen.