Capirossi intending to fight with top four

Rizla Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi will start Sunday’s race at Sepang on the second row of the grid, and is looking to battle with the top four.

With Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner starting ahead of him on the Sepang grid, Capirossi knows he has the best possible chance of dicing with the championship’s leading four.

The veteran’s best qualifying position since Mugello in May also offers him an improved chance of securing his 100th podium finish in Sunday’s race, at a circuit he takes pleasure in tackling.

“I really enjoy riding here but we had struggled a lot on the bike until this morning,” said the Italian following Saturday’s qualifying practice. “In the afternoon we changed the setting though and managed to go faster, so I think it’s a good qualifying result for me in fifth place today. I am really optimistic for Sunday and I have my fingers crossed that the engine will work well for the race.”

Capirossi is also pleased with how his GSV-R is feeling, and he added, “I am pretty settled on the setting and I don’t think there is too much more to do in the warm-up. We might make some small adjustments to our traction control but not too much. For us to be fighting with the top four guys would be good.”