Honda set to test 2017 engine at Misano

Initially, the Japanese squad's intention was for the riders to have their first run with the new engine in the Brno test, the day after the Czech Grand Prix.

However, Honda decided to postpone it, according to its bosses and riders, to continue with the development of the current engine, which was generating more problems than expected at that point of the season.

Motorsport.com has now learned that the Japanese manufacturer is hoping to have the new engine available for Monday's test, from which Yamaha, which was originally scheduled to participate, has ruled itself out.

While Honda waits to confirm if the engine will be ready for Marquez and Pedrosa, the main question mark is whether the unit will retain the counter-rotating crank - which rotates backwards instead of forwards.

Honda introduced it in 2016, but the unit has not produced the results it hoped for, especially on Pedrosa's side of the garage.

Marquez insisted in the early races of the season that the engine philosophy change had not delivered, although the Spanish rider is currently leading the championship with a 50-point advantage over Valentino Rossi, his closest rival.

Following Monday's test, Honda will have a day left of testing with its racing line-up, a session that it's likely to use after the next race at Aragon in two weeks' time.

Honda will be the first team to show its hand ahead of next season. The rest of the outfits prefer to wait for Michelin to have a clearer idea of the tyres it will supply in 2017, especially after all the changes the compounds have experienced during the first half of the current season.