MOTOGP » Capirossi, Vermeulen stay at Suzuki

I think next year might see some big improvements for suzuki. Capirex definitely knows his way around a bike.

Jack - I agree, i think Capirossi is a great rider. Would have been great to see him take a c'ship!

Im not surprised they kept their current riders... who would replace them? Ben Spies may be a good rider but at the moment hes not CV or LC... Keep Vermuelen there and keep Capirex helping with development to get that suzuki to the front and bring Spies in at a later date.

Clown Princess -
"You Rossi fans would have to be the most ignorant fans I have ever come across" - wow one person mentions it and everyone is branded the same! get a life and take the blinkers off! and you called us the ignorant ones haha

I'm sorry but I don't see a lot of progress at Suzuki. Last year they had what, two third places and a second with Hopper
and a win in the wet with Vermeulen? This year so far a third spot each. I doubt they will get a win in 2008, don't get me wrong, I like Vermeulen a lot and Capirossi has an impressive reord but he will stay for another year on his way to retirement, just like Edwards. Chris was overwhelmed with 5th at Misano... understandable after a highsider in the second corner and fighting back from 13th, but still... I don't know.
They should get a real smasher like Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo or Pedrosa in to bridge the last gap to the top.

Hi Morgue, i see your point. It might be worth checking out race times from last year... have suzuki not progressed from last year or have the top guys just got that bit faster again? lets be honest, Misano was closer due to rubber but the top 2 (wont mention names to avoid offending the sensitive fans here! hehe) were still faster than the rest of the field that were running the same tyres. It is hard to guage development of a bike accurately just by looking at other teams riders. CV came 5th at Misano, but what was the difference between his race time in 2007 and his race time this year? that will give a more accurate idea if you look at each track.

Paul 46!!!.
technical you are right about comparing individual race times of each rider and determine progress made buy the team,bike,rider.
but don't forget that weather plays a big part as well.
this years Misano race was much hotter and tire performance wasn't as good as last year. don't get me wrong I'm sure this years tire is much better then last years but it had to deal with much higher temps this year.
Rossi's winning time from this year would put him in third place last year behind Stoner and Chris.

This is a prototype class so everybody should progress, you have to look at relative progression (related to others) tin this case,
As Boolbool righly states weather is another factor, in his example of Misano I think it is fair to say that Rossi was probably just consolidating his lead after Stoner crashed, I'm pretty sure he and Stoner would have been away further from the rest of the field if they had been dicing to the finish line.

The Morgue.
i don't really think Rossi could have went much faster.
his hole race was in the 1,35's except for the sixth lap, two laps before Stoner lost his front.
if he had pushed harder and have done more laps in the 34's that would probably cost him later in the race and his last ten or five laps would be a bit slower.
but its really unbelievable how the guy can do 1,35's buy himself all the race.