Rizla Suzuki boss Paul Denning has joked he needs to consider seeking divine inspiration if his team is to get the luck he feels it deserves.
Another tough day in what has been a tough season for the factory concern, Denning was pleased with the pace of both
Loris Capirossi and Alvaro Bautista, but frustrated that neither could complete a stronger result.
In Capirossi's case, the Italian made early contact with
Valentino Rossi to knock his clutch lever out of position, dropping him to last. While he made swift progress up the order, a crash on lap twelve forced him to retire.
Bautista, meanwhile, was back on the GSV-R after crashing heavily in practice, the Spaniard steadily working towards an 11th place finish when his pass on Marco Simoncelli at the final bend on the final lap resulted in a crash.
The first double DNF of the year for the team, while Denning is satisfied that things are looking up for Suzuki in terms of pace, the outcome at Brno was disappointing.
“In sport you have to make your own luck, but it really feels like we need to go to a church and have a word with someone who can maybe help us out a little bit!
“Absolutely nothing seemed to go right at Brno and the most disappointing thing is that without question the bike and riders had the capability to challenge for a top-six position. Álvaro made a heroic effort, we have to remember that he was in great discomfort and had only spent about 45 minutes practice time in the dry compared to everyone else's three hours. Once he found his rhythm the bike was working well, his speed was good and he'd clawed his way into contention for an excellent finish.
“His commitment to catching and passing Simoncelli on the last lap was obvious and he nearly made it happen, but asked a bit too much of the front tyre in the final left. It was extremely disappointing, but we have to respect a superb effort.
“Loris's race should have been his best of the season, the bike felt right and after he was knocked back to last place he looked like he could pass other riders with ease. He said the bike and feedback from it was the best he'd felt all year.
“The result today doesn't reflect anywhere near our potential and we're going to work positively at the test and set our sights on realising the true capability of the GSV-R, Loris and Álvaro for the rest of the season.”