SUZUKI started the MotoGP testing chedule at the top of the pack - some say this is due to them running in 'testing trim' during the last two races of 2006.
The team will now head to Qatar this week, aiming to put in hundred of laps to maintain their initial pre-season momentum for when the Moto GP season kicks off next month.
John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen were on the pace during early tests, ruffling feathers in the paddock and showing a sign that this could be the year the Suzuki really causes the opposition some sleepless nights.
At the recent Phillip Island test, the Suzukis were well off the pace and barely managed to make a mark on the top ten, breeding fears that they've lost their edge.
Hopkins knows the importance of the Losail test, which starts today. Suzuki have to regain the ground they lost to Ducati and Yamaha since the start of the year.
Hopkins said: "We need to do well at this test to prove that Phillip Island was just a minor hiccup, and to show that we are ready to run at the front."
This Qatar test is one of the last chances for teams to fine-tune their bikes and setup; the season kicks off in Qatar on March 18.
