Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Troubled Suzuki glad season is ending

Suzuki team boss Paul Denning says his squad just wants to put 2009 behind it as soon as possible after it hit a new low in today's qualifying session at Valencia

The team has slipped down the order as the season has progressed, and Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen will start the season finale from 13th and 18th positions.

Denning said the bike had again proved too sensitive to the ambient conditions.

"The result today is so disappointing and doesn't reflect at all on the efforts and hard work of the team and riders," Denning said.

"The trend of the bike simply not working well in colder and - in today's case - much windier conditions has continued and I have say that the bike didn't look at all pleasant to ride out there today.

"Suzuki has work to do to improve this situation and next week's test and the start of preparations for 2010 can't come soon enough."

Vermeulen is leaving MotoGP for the World Superbike Championship after this weekend, and was devastated to be starting his farewell race from last position.

"I'm not happy to be qualifying in 18th and it has been a difficult weekend for us so far," he said. "We just can't get a good feeling from the bike in these cold temperatures and the wind seems to be upsetting the bike a lot.

"It is difficult to get the tyres warm and although we've improved the bike, it is nowhere near enough. We have a bit of work to do tomorrow, but we've got something else we'll try in warm-up and hopefully that is going to help us."

His team-mate Capirossi admitted that he had not expected much more given the temperatures in Spain.

"This is starting to feel normal for us because when we look at the data from the bike, always, always, always when it is cold it is nearly impossible to ride it and this is true again today," he said.

"It is very cold today and the bike is not making the tyre work well and we have struggled a lot. The team has done a good job because we have tried many different things to get the best set-up, but we just couldn't find the best result.

"I am quite upset and very frustrated, because we did our best today and we are still near the back of the grid.

"What is most important now is that we work 100 per cent on the 2010 bike, because finding the solutions at the moment for this bike is not very easy."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Struggling Dovizioso pins hopes on start
Next article Rossi not optimistic for the race

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe