Rins confident Suzuki won't repeat 2017 engine choice mistake

Suzuki endured a tough 2017 campaign, failing to grab a top-six finish in the first 14 races of the season, and eventually ending up without a podium despite a late upturn in form.

One of the main factors behind the squad's poor season was picking the wrong spec of engine in pre-season testing, which they were not allowed to change once the season started.

However, Suzuki will regain technical concessions next year following its poor 2017 campaign, meaning it will have unlimited testing and engine development.

That, and the fact the new engine that Suzuki brought for the Valencia post-season test was without "any negative points" makes Rins hopeful for a better 2018.

"The new concessions will help us improve and develop," said Rins who, along with teammate Andrea Iannone, missed the first day of testing due to minor viral infection.

"This year we have lacked in the engine, we made a wrong decision and if we could re-do it, it would be different. We hope we won't repeat [the same mistake].

"With this [new] engine I don't reach the limit and I can ride a little more relaxed.

"From the beginning, I was able to better enter the corners with more stability, this helps me. We have improved the traction, but especially the braking. I didn't find any negative points."

Iannone "surprised" by Valencia pace

Iannone was also satisfied with the new Suzuki engine, and said he had an unexpectedly strong pace in testing.

"The engine made little steps forward," said the Italian. "It is very similar to the one in 2017, but a little better.

"We confirmed the feeling we had in Brno [testing], where we tried a version similar to this one. 

"The new engine specification is better because it does not push in the corner in the same way as the previous engine specification. That's what we expected.

"In that area it allows us to be better. The bike is fantastic, it has a lot of agility and it turns very well. Now we also have great pace. I'm pretty surprised by the pace we had.

"I always managed to be between 1m31s and 1m31.5s, and not so many riders managed to have that pace today [Wednesday]."

Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont and Giacomo Rauli