|
MotoGP: Successful Sepang
test for Suzuki
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has completed its second 2008 pre-season
test at Sepang in Malaysia today with satisfying results that
Suzuki and the team believes it can build upon in the coming
months.
 Chris Vermeulen was able to give
the 2008 prototype Suzuki GSV-R a comprehensive test at the 5.5km
Malaysian circuit to assess what improvements and developments
are needed in readiness for an assault on next year's championship.
He was regularly amongst the fastest riders on race tyres throughout
the test and even a small crash at the end of the third day did
not dampen his enthusiasm for the new bike. Vermeulen carried
out in-depth evaluations of the 2008 machine and conducted a
long distance run on the final afternoon in the searing Sepang
heat, as track temperatures reached 55°C.
New Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi, in only his second outing for
the Japanese factory, was able to get onboard the 2008 bike for
the first time at Sepang this week. He began the three-day test
with a thorough appraisal of the 2007 machine to enable him to
totally understand the workings of the GSV-R, before changing
to next year's model on day two. Although almost a third of the
test was lost to bad weather, Capirossi soon got to grips with
the new bike and was consistently lapping faster than he had
done on this year's machine.
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will now assess all the data obtained from
this test back at the factory, before it moves on to Australia,
back to Malaysia, Australia again ,Spain and finally Qatar for
more pre-season tests in preparation for the 2008 MotoGP World
Championship that gets underway at Doha in Qatar next March.
Chris Vermeulen:
"It's been a great three-day test here in Sepang. We started
out with the 2007 bike with the same settings that I had for
the race and then we transferred them to the new prototype '08
bike. It was definitely a step forward, and speaking with Loris
he had similar comments so that was great. We tested a
lot of things here including engine maps, traction control, chassis
set-up, new Ohlins suspension and of course lots of tyre testing
for Bridgestone. It has been a very busy few days but I am extremely
happy with the progress that we have made. Today we concentrated
on a longer run and I did the furthest distance at about two
o'clock in the afternoon when the track was at its hottest
like it would be on race day and the bike performed really
well and we were quicker than we were in the race. So all-in-all
it's been a very good test for us!"
Loris Capirossi:
"I am quite happy after this test. We did a lot of laps
and my feeling for the bike is getting better every time I ride
it. We tested a lot of different things so I can get an understanding
of the bike and the team will be able to know what I want to
make sure I can go quicker. Every time we went out we tried something
different with the settings, and the mapping of the bike and
at the end of the last day we found something that was a really
good improvement, but we didn't have enough time to work on it.
The whole test has been very positive and I am impressed with
how everything is going. We will keep working hard through the
winter and I am looking forward to the next tests and making
more steps forward I am enjoying my work, it's fun!"
Paul Denning Team Manager:
"It has been a good three days for both guys. We got through
an enormous amount of work and have certainly made significant
advances with the 2008 prototype GSV-R. Chris was quick and consistent
on race tyres throughout the test and he did a long run today,
in very high heat and humidity, that was well inside his race-lap
times here so that shows the new bike is going in the right direction.
It was good to see Loris on the '08 machine and his feedback
and comments were almost identical to Chris's, so the guys back
at Suzuki will now have an indication on where we need to improve
things. We still have a long way to go before the start of next
season, but these first two tests have been very positive and
we need to keep heading forward so that we are as strong as we
can be when the first race gets underway at Qatar next year!"
Sepang Test Overall Unofficial Lap Times
1. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2'00.592: 2. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 2'01.811:
3. John Hopkins (Kawasaki) 2'02.047: 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda)
2'02.128: 5. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 2'02.344:
7. LORIS CAPIROSSI (SUZUKI) 2'02.587:
back to NEWS
overview
|