The Rizla Suzuki
MotoGP team travels to Estoril for the second part of its Iberian double-header with both riders in a positive frame of mind after the recent, extended, Jerez weekend..
Loris Capirossi raced to an excellent fifth place at the Spanish Grand Prix, while team-mate
Chris Vermeulen battled his way to tenth after starting twelfth on the grid, but both were boosted further after staying on in Spain for two days of testing at Jerez and making progress with their GSV-Rs as the team collected valuable data for the races ahead.
Capirossi will now be looking to add to his two premier class podiums at the Portuguese Estoril circuit, which he tackles for the first time on the Suzuki. The Italian veteran is well-versed in the mix of ultra-fast corners, long straights and one of the slowest sections on any MotoGP track, situated high above the towns of Estoril and Cascais on the Portuguese coast..
“I am looking forward to going to Estoril, as I really enjoy the track and I am sure it will suit the GSV-R quite well," Capirossi commented, "We had a good race at Jerez and then, in the test afterwards, we found a couple of things. We are still not where we want to be, and know it's going to be tough in Portugal, but the crew are all very focused and know what is needed. The more we ride the bike, the more we are learning about it.”
Vermeulen is also in a confident mood and, after making the top ten in Spain, is looking to improve on his highest previous finish, a ninth place, from two trips to Estoril.
“We certainly made some progress at the test after the race at
Jerez, where we worked hard on tyres and learned a lot that will help us in the future," the Australian said, "I cannot wait to get back on the bike and start getting the results that I expect of myself this year. We had a tough time at Estoril last year, so we will be looking on putting that right straight away and working on making our way back up the leaderboard."
