"He settled in to the team very quickly and now it feels like he has been with us for a long time, not less than a year! He still has a great desire to be the best and Suzuki will be doing all it can over the forthcoming months and throughout 2009 to help him achieve that goal. His input in the development of the GSV-R has been a big factor this year and I am sure this contribution will help both Loris and Chris to see Suzuki fighting with the best riders in the 2009 World Championship," Denning added.
Whilst Capirossi's signature had been long predicted, Vermeulen had been pursued by the likes of Honda Gresini and the Ducati Xerox World Superbike team.
After two stand-in rides for Camel Honda during 2005, when he also finished second in the World Superbike Championship, Vermeulen made his full time
MotoGP debut with Suzuki the following season.
The 26-year-old Australian achieved his first pole-position in Turkey that year and followed up with a debut podium at his home grand prix in Australia later that same season.
Vermeulen then created history for Suzuki by becoming the first winner for the famous Japanese marque in the four-stroke era, when he raced to a wet-weather victory at Le Mans in France in 2007 – a season that also saw him take three further podiums, one pole-position and two front-row starts.
So far in 2008 Vermeulen has had back-to-back podiums in Germany and America and currently sits sixth in the riders' championship.
"I'm extremely happy to be staying with the Suzuki team, it is a factory and squad that I know well and respect enormously," said Chris. "Over the last three years there has been big progress with both the machine and with my level as a rider. Suzuki was my entry into grand prix racing, I have been here for three years and won a GP - and been on podium many times – so I am really pleased to be continuing this relationship.
