Rizla Suzuki racers Álvaro Bautista and Loris Capirossi head to the next round of the MotoGP World Championship at Sachsenring in Germany buoyed by the performance of the Suzuki GSV-R last time out at Barcelona.

Alvaro Bautista's fifth place at Barcelona gave Suzuki its best finish so far this season

Bautista has a good record at the German circuit over the past couple of seasons in the 250cc class. In 2008 and 2009 he qualified on the second row and raced to the third step of the podium in both races. He is hoping to carry some of the home form he showed at the last race in Spain – where he finished an excellent fifth – to Sachsenring and continue to improve on a MotoGP machine as his strength and confidence grows following his early season injury.

Capirossi will be looking to build on what he described as “the first real result” of 2010 last time out in Spain. He finished seventh in Barcelona and is certain that the huge steps the team took there will benefit them at the 3,671m East German circuit.

Sachsenring is traditionally one of the biggest events of the season with more than 200,000 fans turning up over the weekend. It is also the shortest race of the year with only slightly more than 110kms covered during the 30 laps. The first part of the track is as tight and twisty as any MotoGP circuit, followed by a sequence of six successive left-handers that really give the tires a hard workout before a blind right-hander leads to an epic downhill straight. It’s a track that’s all about grip rather than out-and-out speed and always a circuit that brings plenty of excitement.

Rizla Suzuki begins its preparations on Friday with an hour of free practice followed by a further hour on Saturday morning with qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday’s 30-lap race is round eight of the season, and the event gets going at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT, 8AM EDT).

Álvaro Bautista:
“The last race was the first time I have felt like I could ride the bike how I wanted to. I feel stronger now and I’m sure I will be 100% when we get to Germany. It is a quite a difficult track, but I have had a couple of good results there on a 250 so I hope that will help me on the MotoGP bike. We know we still have a lot of work to do, but as usual we will be working as hard as possible to get the bike right and trying for a good result.”

Loris Capirossi:
“We must continue to work how we did at Barcelona and find the best solution for the bike. We know that the bike can perform well and we need to keep the positions we got at Barcelona, this is where we should be and at some races we can be even higher. The team is still so focused and we know what we have to do. I think we can go well in Germany and the GSV-R will work there and we’ll get a good result.”

Álvaro Bautista and the Rizla Suzuki team are heading to Spain for his home MotoGP event to be held this weekend at Montmelo near Barcelona.

Bautista comes from Talavera de la Reina near Madrid and although there will be four Grands Prix held in Spain this year; the 25-year-old is focusing on the next race as his local event. He is sure to have plenty of home support at a circuit where he has tasted success with two victories in the last four years in the 125cc and 250cc classes.

Loris Capirossi has an equally impressive record at the Spanish circuit. He finished fifth there last season in Rizla Suzuki colors and has only once completed a race lower than sixth place. Capirossi is in a determined mood to put recent events behind him and get the Suzuki GSV-R back to a competitive package as soon as possible.

The 4,727m Circuit de Catalunya is situated at Montmelo near Granollers, about an hour’s drive from the city centre of Barcelona. It is a modern circuit and has all the ingredients you could want for a fantastic Grand Prix event. A kilometer-long straight where speeds in excess of 300kp/h will be achieved, fast right-handers, elevation changes and a huge fan-base of highly excited and colorful Spanish fans. The Catalan Grand Prix is certainly a highlight on the MotoGP calendar and one not to be missed.

Rizla Suzuki will take to the track for one practice session on Friday afternoon, followed by another on Saturday morning. An hour of qualifying on Saturday afternoon will decide grid positions for Bautista, Capirossi and the rest of the field for Sunday’s 25-lap race.

Álvaro Bautista:
“I have had a couple of days rest and my arm feels a lot better than it did in Assen and I am sure it will be much stronger this weekend. Barcelona is a very good track for me to go to next, because it is very long and very fast so it won’t be as physically demanding as Assen. It is a very special place for all the Spanish riders because you can feel every fan pushing you and wanting you to go fast, so it is a very good feeling to be there. I won in 2006 in 125 and 2009 in the 250, so I have very good memories of the circuit and with it being my home Grand Prix I will be trying to get a good result for myself and the whole team – we really need one now so this will be a good place to start.”

Loris Capirossi:
“We need to get back on track quickly to try and find a solution to what has been holding us back in the recent races. Barcelona is a good circuit for me and I know can go well there and that the GSV-R can perform there. The whole crew has been working hard at every race, but we just can’t find the answers we need at the moment and with a back-to-back race like this and so little testing in the season now, it doesn’t give you much time to make many major changes to work out what the problem is. These results are not good enough for anyone, but we are still focused on what we have to do and everybody in the team is still motivated that we will be able to turn things around very quickly.”

Rizla Suzuki racers Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista will start side-by-side on the fourth row of the grid for tomorrow’s MotoGP Dutch TT at Assen in the Netherlands.

Bautista (1’36.344, 28 laps) produced his best qualifying performance of the season to put his bike next to Capirossi on the fourth row in 12th place. Despite still struggling with his shoulder injury – that has manifested itself to a greater extent than at Silverstone – he continued to make improvements to his lap times before setting his best time on his penultimate lap of the day. Bautista is in a confident mood for tomorrow’s 26-lap race as he goes in search of his best finish in a MotoGP race to match today’s qualifying.

Capirossi (P11, 1’35.664, 29 laps) made progressive steps with his Suzuki GSV-R today, but the Italian is still looking for the optimum setting for his machine that will enable him to get the best out of himself and the bike here at Assen. He is still sure that he can run in a higher position and will be out to prove that when tomorrow’s race gets underway.

Today’s qualifying was held in warm and sunny conditions with track temperatures reaching 107ºF. Jorge Lorenzo on his factory Yamaha took his second successive pole position of the season.

Tomorrow’s race is the only event on the Grand Prix calendar to be held on a Saturday and proceedings will commence at 2pm local time (Noon GMT, 8am EDT) for the 80th running of the historic Dutch TT.

Álvaro Bautista:
“This morning I had some problems with my left arm and I felt quite a lot of pain. I think it is because this track is very physical and requires a lot more work with my arm. For this afternoon I took some pain-killers, but it was still very uncomfortable so I tried to take things a bit easier, so I could save myself for the race tomorrow. We resolved some of the problems we had from yesterday and made some improvements, but we are still not quite there. I still have some problems changing direction as I feel that the bike is very heavy because I don’t have the strength in my arm. We still have some small things to try in warm-up to make some small steps to make things better. I want to start well and stay with a good group and be able to push more as the race goes on. I hope the pain doesn’t get any worse during the race and I can enjoy it. I am confident that I can make a good result, but the main thing is to enjoy riding the bike.”

Loris Capirossi:
“I don’t really know what to say today! We did change the bike a bit to alter the way the weight transfers and this gave us a bit of traction back, but still we are not competitive enough. It seems if we improve the rear we are losing out on the front. We just cannot find the best solution and all the guys are working so hard to make things better. We improved the electronics this afternoon and I am happy that we have made a step there. We hope that we can make a small step in the morning because we don’t want to start making big changes to the bike now. We’re still confident we can run higher than the qualifying position and we’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“There is no great satisfaction to be taken from the result today, but after the Silverstone weekend at least we can say that we have made a start to rebuilding the season. Loris is only 0.9 seconds off the front row and while that gap is too big, it’s a lot smaller than it was a week ago. Unfortunately Álvaro is struggling more with his injury than he was last week and despite showing good potential in some parts of the track, he is struggling in the important fast changes of direction – both with the bike setting and his injury – so the team will be working hard tonight to make it easier for the race tomorrow. Our target for tomorrow is not too far-fetched – we’d like to see both riders finish the Grand Prix, score some points and take a better platform on to Catalunya next weekend.”

Tim TT Assen Qualifying Practice Classification:
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1’34.515: 2. Randy de Puniet (Honda) +0.282: 3. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +0.288: 4. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +0.411: 5. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.484: 11. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.149: 12. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.829:

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has shaken off the blues from Silverstone last week and started this weekend’s Dutch TT at Assen on a more positive note.

Loris Capirossi (P13, 1′36.786, 27 laps) and Alvaro Bautista (P15, 1′37.384, 25 laps) both used the information they had from Silverstone to good effect as they set about closing the time gap between themselves and the rest of the pack. Capirossi’s team made fundamental changes to his Suzuki GSV-R and he was able to reap the benefits as his lap times improved and the team were able to see a clear direction to go for the rest of the weekend.

Bautista is still struggling with his shoulder injury, especially on the physically-demanding 4,542m Assen circuit. He did improve both his bike’s setting and his lap-times during the session and is confident that the stronger he gets, the quicker he will get.

Today’s’ practice was held in dry and sunny conditions with air temperatures getting up to 27ºC, helping to generate more grip for both Rizla Suzuki riders as the track temperature rose to 44ºC. World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo set the quickest time of the day.

Rizla Suzuki has one more practice session tomorrow morning, followed by qualifying in the afternoon. The 80th running of the Dutch TT takes place on Saturday 26th June at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Loris Capirossi:
“The temperature has been much warmer here and we have started to use a different setting to make the tire work for us. We have got a better feeling today, but it still needs to improve a bit. We used a shorter bike today than usual to try and get more grip on the back and this did help. Tomorrow we will try to make the bike go a bit quicker overall, because at some points we are struggling. We were also a bit too soft on the spring so we will change that for tomorrow. I am much happier than I was in Silverstone, my position is not so good today, but I know we can improve a lot.”

Alvaro Bautista:
“We started with the same setting that we finished with at Silverstone to try and get more grip on the back and I think we still need to work quite hard because I don’t have a good feeling in the front, so we must improve on this. This track is harder and more demanding to ride than last week for my shoulder. I still need a more strength and I feel a bit more tired than I did in Silverstone. After some more practice – and with the bike getting better – it should be less effort to ride and I will be able to improve my times. We still have to work hard and do our best step-by-step.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“Given how far away we were at Silverstone and the extreme difficulty faced that weekend, the first hour of running here at Assen has been a lot more positive. The lap-time and the consistency is a lot closer to the group from fifth to 10th position, which is where we believe Loris and the bike can be, as we strive to rebuild our season. We’ve had to take a different direction here, so the bike has at the moment, a different feeling for both riders. That being the case, we should be able to take some significant steps tomorrow and improve our potential. The feeling in the camp is certainly more positive than it was last weekend and we’re looking to get our season going here in Assen.”

Tim TT Assen Free Practice Classification: 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 1′35.169: 2. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +0.011: 3. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.517: 4. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +0.530: 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.699. 13. Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP)) +1.617. 15. Alvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) +2.215.

Rizla Suzuki has set up camp in the Assen Circuit paddock for the second race in a tough mid-season schedule as it prepares its attack on the Dutch TT for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista are heading to the race with positive attitudes, despite a difficult weekend last time out at Silverstone. Capirossi had a strong race at Assen in 2009 and was battling for a top-five position before another rider forced him off the track on the last corner, causing the Italian racer to finish ninth after fighting to stay onboard.

Bautista has a proud history at the Dutch TT in the smaller classes, with victory and pole position in 2008 on a 250cc machine, as well as a further podium finish and front row start in 2007 – also on a 250 – this feat mirrored what he achieved in 2006 as he also secured a front-row start and a top-three finish in the 125cc class..

The Dutch TT is traditionally held on the final Saturday of June and this year’s event is in a run of five races in six weekends for the MotoGP circus, which started in England last Sunday before culminating at Laguna Seca in America at the end of July. The Assen circuit has had a small alteration to the layout for this year’s race that sees the lap distance decrease by a few meters to 4,542m. A favorite with many fans and riders alike, the Assen circuit is the only venue to have held a motorcycle Grand Prix since the beginning of the championship in 1949; it is also the 80th anniversary of the running of the Dutch TT. Since its inaugural race in 1925, the event has been run every year since then with the exception of the period 1940 to 1945.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track for the first time on Thursday afternoon for an hour of practice; this is followed by a further hour on Friday morning. Qualifying will take place in the afternoon and the riders will line-up for round six of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Saturday 26th June.

Loris Capirossi:
“We need to regroup and come out strong at Assen, we know that we can perform so much better than we did at Silverstone and we need to show it. The whole team is working so hard and we are always trying to find the best solution, maybe we just need a bit of luck to go our way. I have had a couple of unlucky races at Assen in Rizla Suzuki colors, I was injured in 2008 and couldn’t race and then I was knocked off the track at the end of last year’s race when I was going for a top-five position, hopefully I can get that bit of luck on my side here and it will make a difference!”

Álvaro Bautista:
“I really like the second half of the Assen track, it is very complicated and it flows nicely so it makes for some good racing. The first part is not so good since it was changed, but it is still quite demanding and physical to ride. I am feeling stronger every time I get on the bike now and during the race at Silverstone I felt like I was able to ride the bike how I wanted for the first time since my injury. That is a good sign coming here and if I can continue with that then I am sure we can have a good race.”

Rizla Suzuki will next be in action in the team’s home country of England as MotoGP makes its racing debut at Silverstone.

The newest circuit on the MotoGP calendar already has a proud motorcycle World Championship heritage, with many great battles taking place on track over the years, including the famous one between Suzuki’s Barry Sheene and Yamaha’s Kenny Roberts in 1979. The Northamptonshire circuit set in the heart of England last staged a motorcycle Grand Prix in 1986, and a brand new layout will greet the modern day MotoGP machines when they arrive later this week. But, world famous corners such as Luffield, Woodcote and Maggotts still feature in the circuit design along with a new complex section to add to the excitement.

The new design of the track makes it the longest circuit on the calendar, and with a total of 18 corners – most of them flowing and fast – the track should allow for very fast lap times and competitive racing.

Capirossi and Bautista will take to the track on Friday afternoon for the first free practice session at the new venue, followed by another practice hour on Saturday morning. The afternoon will see the pair going for the best grid positions in the qualifying session, with Sunday’s 20-lap race getting underway at 1pm local time.

Loris Capirossi:
“I am really excited about going to Silverstone to race, because it is such a famous track and I have never raced there before. I like going to new circuits as it is always good to learn something new. It will be very fast and we expect it to be one of the quickest lap speeds of the season. We are going in a confident mood, because we think the bike will suit the circuit, so we will hopefully have a good weekend.”

Álvaro Bautista:
“I am feeling healthier and stronger now after a few days back in Spain, and I am looking forward to being more competitive in England than I was in Italy. This is a very important race because it is the team’s home Grand Prix so we want to do well there. We went to the track last month and I was really impressed with the whole facility. There will be places to overtake and it will also be very fast so it should be fun. I just hope we can put on a good show for the home fans and have a good race.”

The third round of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship will see Rizla Suzuki riders Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista competing at the famous Le Mans circuit in France this weekend.

Following the floodlit extravaganza of Qatar and the hedonistic atmosphere of Jerez, the MotoGP cavalcade now heads to one of the most heritage-laden tracks on any motor-racing calendar. The 4,185m Bugatti circuit that is used for MotoGP was completed in 1966 and uses a part of the world-famous Circuit de la Sarthe that has hosted the 24-hour race since 1923. The twisty layout of the circuit is in complete contrast to an incredibly fast first turn that is taken almost flat-out in top-gear. The French GP is always a colorful and lively affair with as many events happening off-track as there are on.

Capirossi and Bautista have both had limited success at Le Mans and will be looking to make amends for that this weekend. Capirossi was on the podium at the French circuit in 2006, and has never finished outside the top 10 in a completed race there. Bautista has never scored a podium finish at Le Mans – the only track on the calendar that he has raced at where he has failed to achieve such a feat.

Bautista will hopefully be fit enough to race at Le Mans on Sunday despite breaking his clavicle bone in a training accident last week. He underwent a successful hour-long operation and his surgeons have given him the all-clear to compete in France.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track on Friday, May 21 for the first free practice session of the weekend. This will be followed by a second session on Saturday morning, with an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday’s 28-lap race will get underway at 1400hrs local time.

Álvaro Bautista:
“It seems like it has been a long time between the Jerez race and now and I want to get going again. Unfortunately for me I had a small accident last week and broke a bone in my shoulder. It has been repaired and although it is quite painful I am totally focused on the weekend ahead. Le Mans is not one of my favorite tracks and it is the only one that I have not had a podium at, so it would be great to change that as soon as possible. I was on pole there in 2009, but only finished fourth, so I need to try and break that record. I was 10th at Jerez and although I was top rookie I still want to do better. I didn’t get a very good start in Spain and I have to work on that, I did some practice in the test so I hope I will be able to improve in time for the race. Anyway, these are details – the most important thing is just to ride the bike, I will do my best.”

Loris Capirossi:
“I really need to get on track again as it seems like the season is yet to get going, it’s amazing to think we’re almost in June and we’ve only done two races. With such little action it is difficult to judge where we are at the moment, but the one-day test after the last race in Jerez was very good for us and we made some positive steps. Le Mans is always a gamble because you never know what weather to expect – we have heard it should be good but you can’t always guarantee that so we will need to be ready for anything. On thing is for sure, I am ready to get back to work and excited about the prospects we have ahead – and I hope Alvaro is ready to ride, he is improving all the time and we need two strong riders.”

Rizla Suzuki got back to MotoGP action at Jerez in Spain today with both riders inside the top 10 after the first free practice session.

Loris Capirossi’s fastest time of 1’40.716 from his 23 laps of the 4,423m Spanish circuit gave him sixth place overall in the standings. He made some big changes to the set-up of his GSV-R in preparation for this weekend’s event and from the first evaluation he is pleased with the new settings, but also knows there is extra to come to make his machine more competitive.

Álvaro Bautista is making his home MotoGP debut this weekend and acquitted himself well during the first day. He recorded a quickest time of 1’41.093, to give him ninth place overall after his 25 laps of the Jerez track. He is eager to make a good impression in front of his home fans and will be determined to continue to improve over the weekend.

Today’s single hour of practice was held in warm and sunny conditions, with air temperatures getting up to 26ºC and track temperatures in the high 40s. Casey Stoner on a factory Ducati set the fastest time of the day with a lap of 1’39.731.

Rizla Suzuki has one more practice session on Saturday morning followed by qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday’s 27-lap race will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Loris Capirossi:
“We decided to take a bit of a risk today and make some big changes to the bike in the hope that it would help us take some big steps and for sure it has certainly helped us. I have to give a big thanks to everyone involved for letting us make the changes. We had a big meeting between my guys and Sahara san and it looks like we have solved one of the biggest problems we have. Overall we need to continue to work in this direction and I think we will make yet more discoveries that will help us. Today has been a good day for me and Suzuki and I think there is more to come!”

Álvaro Bautista:
“This is a new circuit with new reference points for me on a MotoGP bike, so it felt like I had to start working all over again. I tried to find a good line on the track and worked with the team to get a good base setting. At the end of the session I tried the softer compound tires and I had a lot of grip from the rear and I was able to exit the corners much quicker, but I think I felt a bit too much movement from the front and I wasn’t able to enter the corner like I could on the harder tires, so that is something we have to work on tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow and we will have to work very hard to get everything right. I think we are in a good position in the classification because we are in the top 10 and at my home GP I want to have a good race, but before that we have a lot of work to do on the bike and we must get a good setting so I can compete and enjoy myself!”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“It’s been a solid start to our preparations for the Jerez Grand Prix. There is not a lot of space around this circuit for the big bikes to stretch their legs and I’m sure the GSV-R felt a bit of an animal to Álvaro on his first run around here on anything bigger than a 250. He certainly didn’t look out of place during the course of the session and to be in the top 10 at the end is a very encouraging result. Loris has tried a very different set-up to that which he has used over the winter and there are some advantages, but as ever, there are also some disadvantages. Top six with a couple of problems is very reasonable and if we can make the bike a little easier and stable to ride through the fast stuff – but keep the rear grip that this setting has generated – then we can expect Loris to have a very competitive weekend.”

Gran Premio bwin de Espana Free Practice Classification:
1. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 1’39.731: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +0.144: 3. Nicky Hayden (Ducati) +0.417: 4. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +0.469: 5. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +0.628: 6. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.985: 9. ÁLVARO BAUTISTA (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.362:

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP completed the first day of a two-day night-time test held last night under the floodlights at Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

Loris Capirossi recorded a best time of 1’57.100 from his 40 laps of the Losail track to give him 11th place overall. He worked through only a small amount of his scheduled test program today because, unfortunately for Capirossi and the whole team, he had to finish the session early due to sickness.

Motourage favorite Alvaro Bautista found himself at the bottom of the time sheets after day one of testing at Losail

Alvaro Bautista (P17, 1’57.960, 56 laps), used the first day to acclimatize himself to riding a MotoGP bike at the 5,380m Qatari track under the strange atmosphere of artificial lighting. He started to find a rhythm with his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R as the test rolled on and is sure he can improve dramatically today.

The cooler track conditions were exactly what the team wanted, as it gave them a chance to evaluate the steps that have been taken this winter to improve the performance of the GSV-R in changeable conditions.
Rizla Suzuki has one final day at Qatar on Friday, which will then signal the end of pre-season testing for the MotoGP class, before the season begins – also at Qatar – early next month.

Loris Capirossi:
“I think that the bike is a bit better compared to last year’s, but I didn’t make many laps today because I don’t feel so good. This will now make tomorrow very important because we have some big things to try and some other bits to fix. I am really optimistic and think that the new bike is a step in the right direction and we have an opportunity to make an improved performance in the championship.”

Alvaro Bautista:
“The first day here has not had the same feel for me as I had on the last day in Sepang, this is because it is a new track for me on a MotoGP bike with new reference points and I don’t feel 100% yet. The problem I have is in the exit of corners, I can keep a good line and go out through them, but it is difficult to get it right every time and enjoy it. We’ve tried different solutions, but I don’t have a good feeling. We decided to stop a bit early because it has been a long day and my body is not feeling the changes we are making to the bike. Tomorrow we have another day and I hope to be 100% and to enjoy riding the bike and to go much better.”

The first worldwide sighting of the new 2010 Rizla Suzuki GSV-R will be revealed exclusively on the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP website on Friday, March 12, 2010.

Images of the new Rizla Suzuki machine in its Troy Lee Designs-inspired livery will be available to view and download in hi-res from the team’s website – ahead of the GSV-R’s first sighting on-track at Qatar next week.

So make sure you log on to www.rizla-suzuki-motogp.co.uk from 10.00hrs GMT (5am Eastern Time) on Friday to see the bike that Loris Capirossi and Alvaro Bautista will be riding during their assault on this season’s MotoGP World Championship.