Suzuki confident after demonstrating winter improvements

Having enjoyed a highly positive test at Sepang at the end of last week Loris Capirossi was enthusiastic in his appraisal of the work Suzuki have undertaken on the GSV-R since November.

Going into his twentieth season of Grand Prix competition and preparing for his second campaign with the Rizla Suzuki team the veteran Italian is in great shape and is satisfied with the technical progression his employers are making with their latest prototype.

Capirossi was the fastest rider on the first day of the test and registered top three times on days two and three, helping to lift his confidence after a difficult time in 2008.

“The feeling was really good, my physical condition is at 100%,” stated the 35 year-old. “The bike has improved quite a bit. Suzuki have been working hard to help us. The whole package now is more comfortable because I am starting my second year with the team and everybody is starting to believe 100% in what I need. Of course we have to keep working more to improve but we are already at a good level.”

He continued, “I struggled a lot last year because the bike was a bit too big for me, so I asked for a different seat, with a smaller tank. They have done that and now I am much more comfortable on the bike and that is a big success.”

Capirossi’s team-mate Chris Vermeulen was in a similarly positive frame of mind at the conclusion of the Sepang visit having lapped in the top six – and within one second of the quickest rider – on all three days of the test.

The 26 year-old Australian told motogp.com, “We have a lot of new things from Suzuki, the chassis, the engine, the aerodynamics, the swingarm, everything is new. The factory have been working very hard. It seems to be paying off for us because we have gone quite a bit quicker than we have been previously here and we are competitive with the rest of the guys. But it is only the first test and there is still a long way to go. We still have many new parts to try and hopefully we are going to be this competitive when we get to Qatar.”

Explaining his work on the final afternoon Vermeulen added, “I did almost full race simulation distance then I had a small problem with the bike with five laps to go, but it worked quite well. The tyres weren’t too bad, they dropped down like normal, I’d say similar to last year, so that is good news for everyone. We all have the same tyres and they are working very well.”

Full results from the final day in Sepang can be found here.