Suter test for Aegerter, Petrucci - Edwards stays?
Moto2 rider Dominique Aegerter and MotoGP rookie Danilo Petrucci will test the Suter-BMW this week - while Colin Edwards and Forward Racing will now stick with the bike until the end of 2012.
Aegerter - ninth in the Moto2 standings for the Technomag-CIP Suter team - is testing at the Italian circuit of Vairano today (Tuesday).
The Swiss posted this picture on his official Twitter page (@DAegerter) with the words: "Domi #77 Testing the Suter CRT BMW at Vairano, with some new Electronics ;-)"
Edwards and Forward Racing have been running the Suter-BMW with mixed success so far this season, claiming a best finish of twelfth but often battling with the electronics.
The Texan and his team had looked poised to switch to the class-leading Aprilia ART, which Edwards tested after Brno, but GPOne.com reports that no deal was agreed with Aprilia and that they will now stick with the Suter-BMW to the end of the year.
Having been critical of the amount of development, this week's test with Aegerter and Petrucci - especially the electronic work - may have helped keep Forward on board.
"I have been assured that these [electronic] problems will be solved," said team manager Giovanni Cuzari.
Petrucci's IodaRacing team currently run their own CRT design, featuring an Aprilia RSV4 engine, but it is woefully underpowered.
Petrucci was 37.4km/h slower than Valentino Rossi's Ducati at Mugello, the fastest circuit on the calendar, but has scored points on three occasions, including an eleventh place at Assen.
Petrucci had been tipped to test for Ducati at Mugello this week, but has instead confirmed he will ride the Suter.
"Unfortunately due to contractual problems in the next three days I will not try the D16 Ducati at Mugello. On Wednesday I'll try the Suter-BMW in Vairano," Petrucci wrote on his Twitter page (Petrux9).
There is speculation that Ioda could switch to a Suter-BMW.
Petrucci's place at this week's Ducati test, alongside Moto2 star Andrea Iannone, has been taken by Gresini CRT rider Michele Pirro.
A private two-day test at Aragon, attended by Honda and Yamaha, began on Tuesday.
The next round of the MotoGP World Championship will be held at Misano on September 14-16.
