New Suzuki signing
Chris Vermeulen was prevented from building significantly on his initial Monday track time at Valencia, after bad weather descended on the Valencia circuit today (Wednesday) for what was supposed to be the first 'proper' day of
MotoGP testing.
The talented 23-year-old Australian made his Suzuki debut on Monday afternoon, during a journalist test day, which he used to get acquainted with the GSV-R and his new mechanics, led by crew chief Tom O'Kane.
Vermeulen was then scheduled to continue testing for the whole of today, but a lengthy break due to a rain shower and colder track temperatures brought the test to a premature end.
"I really enjoyed my first go on the bike. It made a lot of difference getting on the bike on Monday - with the bad weather conditions as they are today," said Veremulen, the 2005 WSBK championship runner-up. "My first impressions are that the bike is very easy to ride and very comfortable.
"I really enjoyed working with the mechanics, they all have a lot of experience and they're very methodical and really know what they are doing. We have a lot of work still to do but I am sure we can move in the right direction. I'm having fun, despite the weather!" he smiled.
"Chris has already shown what great potential he has over this week," stated team manager Paul Denning. "From the first time that he climbed onboard the bike on Monday you could feel a mutual bond forming between Chris, Tom and all his team. This is something that is very important to a rider's belief and confidence and I know that Chris will benefit greatly from the experienced crew he now has at his disposal."
Meanwhile, Vermeulen's team-mate
John Hopkins and Suzuki test rider Nobuatsu Aoki have also stayed on at Valencia to test the latest development parts.
Hopkins was impressed with the newest generation Ohlins forks and reported that they were a significant improvement on anything he had used before, as they gave him far more feel and controllability.
"Not the greatest day for the start of the testing season - the weather has definitely held us back," began Hopper. "Fortunately we were able to get out on time and get through a few things. We found some stuff on suspension that worked really well – it was certainly a positive.
