Bautista ready for Aragon assault

Álvaro Bautista is back in his homeland of Spain for the next round of the 2011 MotoGP Championship, this time at the Aragon circuit in the north-eastern part of the country.

The Rizla Suzuki squad are in a confident mood following very promising results in both practice sessions and races at recent events. Bautista had a tough battle at Aragon last year before finally securing an eighth place finish in the circuit’s inaugural Grand Prix. He is determined to improve on that and believes that the strong performances and the information from last season will enable him to push for a high placed finish at the Spanish circuit. Bautista is also looking forward to competing in-front of a home crowd again and is sure the added incentive of that will help to spur him on.

The Motorland Aragon circuit is situated near Alcaniz, approximately 120kms from Zaragoza. It is an ultra-modern facility which has its roots firmly established in a solid history of street racing in the nearest town of Alcaniz - which hosted events between 1963 and 2003. The track was built in 2009 and was used as a MotoGP venue for the first time last year after being announced as a replacement for the Balatonring on the 2010 MotoGP calendar. Aragon was already in place as a reserve event, but the Spanish circuit has its own place on the calendar now following an agreement with Dorna to make it a permanent venue until at least 2016. The circuit is 5,077m long and has 17 turns, it was roundly praised by riders and team alike after its first Grand Prix in 2010 and was rewarded with the IRTA Best Grand Prix of the Year award, the first time a circuit had received the prize in its debut year.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track on Friday morning for a free practice session, followed by a further practice in the afternoon and another on Saturday morning. Bautista will be looking to secure a good grid position in Saturday afternoon’s qualifying for the weekend’s main event. The 23-lap race will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 18th September.

Álvaro Bautista:

“This was a really good event last year and I am looking forward to going back. It’s a fun track, a fantastic facility and a circuit that I think we can go really well at. I am feeling very confident that we can run well right from the start and get a good qualifying position. It’s great to race at home again, I do it four times a year, but each one seems special to me. I want to put on a good show for all the Spanish fans and think that we have the package and data to be able to do that.”

rizla suzuki press release

Cautious first lap costs Bautista

Álvaro Bautista's best MotoGP qualifying of eighth counted for little when the Rizla Suzuki rider dropped to tenth after a cautious opening lap in Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix.

The Spaniard, wary of the rain spots, then gained one place when Nicky Hayden crashed out and passed another American, Tech 3 Yamaha's Colin Edwards, at the midway stage of the race.

But the remaining riders were already too far ahead and Bautista - riding in a special chrome livery - finished seven-seconds behind Valentino Rossi (Ducati).

“Maybe this was not the result we expected after qualifying, but I didn't have a lot of confidence on the first lap because it was raining a little bit and I didn't feel like I could push too much - so I lost some positions and distance from the group," explained Bautista. 

"When I got into my rhythm the group was far away and I couldn't follow them. Eighth position is not a bad result but we expected more this weekend."

Team manager Paul Denning felt Bautista had the capability to join the Simoncelli/Dovizioso/Spies fight for fourth.

“A couple of months ago we would have been happy with eighth place, but our performance level has increased and today we are a little disappointed with the result," Denning began. 

"If the conditions had been the same as yesterday afternoon, when the track was 10 degrees warmer I think, there was a chance we could have competed for fourth place, but as it was we were so far behind after a couple of laps that to achieve the real potential was impossible."

source: Crash.net

Bautista battles hard to eighth at Misano

Bautista started from eighth on the grid, but was unable to produce one of his good starts and lost a couple of places during the first lap, as light spots of rain caused him to be extra careful in the early stages of the race.

The Rizla Suzuki rider got involved with a group of riders early on and by the time he had found his rhythm, he had lost touch with the leading pack. He gave chase to Colin Edwards, who had over a two-second advantage on the Spaniard, but the Suzuki racer hunted him down and passed him on lap 17. He then tried to catch the group further in front, and although he made a valiant effort to close the gap, he had to settle for eighth after completing the last third of the race with no other riders for company.

Bautista and the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R looked spectacular at Misano today as the team showcased a one-off chrome livery to celebrate the launch of the Rizla ‘Micron’ paper in Italy.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“Maybe this was not the result we expected after qualifying, but I didn’t have a lot of confidence on the first lap because it was raining a little bit and I didn’t feel like I could push too much – so I lost some positions and distance from the group. When I got into my rhythm the group was far away and I couldn’t follow them. Eighth position is not a bad result but we expected more this weekend. We have done a good job during the last few races, but still we have to improve in qualifying to be nearer the front of the grid and make good starts and first laps. Thanks to all the team for this weekend and thanks to Rizla for their support with the new livery. The bike today was looking amazing and I think we all expected more than eighth, but we are confident that we can do better in the next races.”

Paul Denning, Team Manager: 

“A couple of months ago we would have been happy with eighth place, but our performance level has increased and today we are a little disappointed with the result. If the conditions had been the same as yesterday afternoon, when the track was 10 degrees warmer I think, there was a chance we could have competed for fourth place, but as it was we were so far behind after a couple of laps that to achieve the real potential was impossible. We have managed to get a decent, solid finish, so it’s not all bad! We were very happy to help Rizla launch its new ‘Micron’ product in Italy this weekend and we will now move on to another home race for Álvaro at Aragon in two weeks time with a positive attitude.”

Rizla Suzuki press release.

Picture: Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki Special Misano

source: crash.net

Bautista records best qualifying of the year

Rizla Suzuki’s Spanish racer equalled his best qualifying position in MotoGP so far, at the Misano World Circuit in Italy. He went one better than his ninth last week at Indianapolis as he continues to show that the Suzuki GSV-R's potential is starting to come to fruition. Bautista’s best time of 1’34.360 from his 29 laps could have been even better, but he was caught in traffic at the end of the session on his final run and was unable to climb further up the grid.

Tomorrow’s 28-lap race will not only see Bautista aiming to get in amongst the front runners early on and make a serious attempt at a high-placed finish, but it will also be the first time that the one-off Rizla ‘Micron’ paint-scheme that will adorn the Suzuki GSV-R will be seen and raced. The new livery will be launched tomorrow morning before Bautista takes to the track at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) for the 13th round of the season.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“This morning we made some changes to the gearbox, but after the practice we switched back to the settings from yesterday. In the qualifying I started with the harder tyre in the hot conditions to see if it worked well. It was not too bad, but the exit from the corner with hard gas caused me to slide and go wide. We changed to the softer rear we had been using in the morning and I had a good feeling with that compound, and could ride mid 34s all the time. At the end, I couldn’t make a best lap because there was a bit of traffic and some slower riders that I couldn’t get past, so I lost the chance to make a good lap-time. I think we have a good set-up for tomorrow and the grid position is even better than last week, so if I get a good start I think I can push right up there. I want to stay with the front guys for the maximum amount of time as possible and make a race and get a result like Indy – or even better!”

Rizla Suzuki press release.

Strong start for Bautista at Misano

Bautista continued where he left off at Indianapolis last weekend and produced another positive two sessions, this time at the Misano World Circuit in Italy. Suzuki’s Spanish racer tried a new swing arm this afternoon on his GSV-R and immediately noticed an improvement in the cornering ability of his machine. Bautista and the crew will work further on the set-up tomorrow to obtain the best setting for Sunday’s race.

Bautista has another practice session tomorrow morning, followed by an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday’s 28-lap race is round 13 of this season’s championship and it will also see the Spaniard and the Suzuki GSV-R sport a fantastic one-off limited edition ‘Rizla Micron’ livery that will be launched at Misano on Sunday morning.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“I think we did a good job today! This morning we started at the same sort of pace that we had in qualifying last year, so that gave us a good base to begin with for the weekend. The feeling with the bike was quite good, but I did not feel well because I had been a bit ill yesterday – I think it was an upset stomach from something I ate. Thanks to the guys at Clinica Mobile because in the afternoon session I was feeling much better. We wanted to test a new swing arm in the second session and I started on the bike with the standard setting, but after three laps my engine said ‘stop!’ and I couldn’t continue with that bike, so I jumped on the other machine- the one with the new swing arm. The feeling was good and we were able to turn a little bit better in the corners. I think we made a step forward and now I’m sure we can improve the lap times. We’re not so far from first place and I’m quite happy about that. Thanks to all the crew for their hard work today after the long trip straight back from Indianapolis.”

Paul Denning, Team Manager: 

“I think we can be happy with the performances today of both Álvaro and the Suzuki GSV-R. We made some further changes compared to the Indianapolis weekend and so far everything we have done has taken the bike forward a little bit each time. Unfortunately we lost our first engine of the year – there was definitely no hiding from that! But it was very much a Friday engine that had already covered a lot of miles so it wasn’t completely unexpected. We’ll just keep pushing and try to improve tomorrow, and then something special in qualifying.”

Rizla Suzuki press release.

Bautista: Misano a real fun track

Rizla Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista, eighth at Misano last year, heads for this weekend's 2011 event looking to continue the upward curve from Indianapolis last Sunday.

The Spaniard claimed his best dry result of the season with sixth in the USA and has high hopes for a circuit that suits both his riding style and the GSV-R. 

“I think we have a good reference at Misano from last year and we had a good race there in 2010. I want to improve on that and think that we can," he said.

"It is a track that has every type of corner, it involves lots of hard braking and plenty of changes of direction – it is a real fun track to ride. 

"I want to start with a similar rhythm to that which we had in the race last year and try to be as close as I can to the top as early as possible. 

"I believe we have the package now to do that and we will keep working hard until we achieve our goals.”

Bautista will start round 13 holding twelfth in the world championship.

Strong sixth for Bautista at the Brickyard

Starting from ninth on the grid, Bautista had a good start and was in seventh at the end of the first lap. He then became involved in a local battle as he fought with the Americans on their home circuit over the next few laps. He passed Nicky Hayden and fought off the constant attacks of Colin Edwards, before pulling away from the Texan to leave him comfortably behind.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“I am happy with today’s position because this weekend we didn’t have the same rhythm as we have had in the last couple of races. I had a good qualifying session, but I was not quite on par with the top guys and that meant I couldn’t really stay with them and fight in the race. I made a decent start and overtook a couple of riders, but I just couldn’t keep up with the front group. We struggled a bit more at this track because we couldn’t get the bike to turn how we wanted and I think we were not quite at the same level as some of the others. I was consistent throughout the whole race and had a couple of good battles with other riders – especially with Edwards – but at the end I picked up a good rhythm and was able to put some distance on the riders behind. I think today was the best result we could have gotten – so we did the maximum. We now head to Misano where I think we can be more competitive from the beginning, so I am really looking forward to the race.

“One other thing that was very important was to finish the race, as I have crashed in the last two, so I am very happy that I did that! It gives us more motivation and also the team needed a result. I want to say a big thank you to the whole team for the passion that they showed this weekend and now we are in the best position to make another step forward.”

Rizla Suzuki press release.

Qualifying sets Bautista on row three

Bautista will start from the third row after qualifying in ninth place with a best lap time of 1’40.333 from his 28 turns around the circuit. Bautista is still looking for a bit more durability from his preferred front tyre selection, but believes the team will be able to make a few changes to the set-up of the GSV-R to assist with tyre life in readiness for the race.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“The qualifying today was not too bad compared with the last few races, so this is a lot better for us. We tried a long run at the start of the session and the grip from the rear was no problem, but the front did not have enough life in it to make a full race length. This will make things difficult for tomorrow, because we have to try and preserve the front tyre and make sure we have enough durability for 28-laps. We are starting from the third row so the main thing will be to get a good start and stay with the front guys. We will look at today’s data to see if we can use a setting that will give us more life in the tyre and stop it dropping off and sliding around. I am looking forward to tomorrow because we have a better grid position and I will give it full gas and 100% to get a good result.”

Rizla Suzuki press release.

Bautista in the top 10 at slippery Indianapolis

Bautista was one of the busiest riders today, as he completed 41 laps around the 4,216m circuit during the two sessions He recorded his best time of 1’42.231 on his penultimate lap and is sure that both he and the Suzuki GSV-R have more to give this weekend. Bautista worked hard with his crew to get the best of the difficult conditions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as the newly surfaced circuit presented a whole lot of problems for all riders. The recently laid asphalt has not had much use, making it very slippery, but as the day wore on - and more rubber was laid down by the bikes from all three classes - the conditions improved, enabling Bautista to record a time three seconds quicker in the afternoon than he did in the morning.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“This afternoon I was able to improve my lap time because the track conditions were better than they were this morning. We still have some problems with turning the bike - we didn’t have good grip this morning because of the new surface, so this afternoon we tried to get more grip from the rear. We changed the setting of the bike, but because the track had improved and grip was better we lost a bit more turning in the corner. Now we know the track is much better, so for tomorrow we will try another setting and I’m sure that will improve things even further. We still have a lot of work to do, but I am happy with situation at the moment. We are in ninth position and I know we can still improve quite a lot. I hope to continue with the way we have been working today and in recent weeks in tomorrow’s sessions and I think we can take the bike further forward ready for Sunday.”

Rizla Suzuki press release.

Elena Myers rides Suzuki MotoGP bike at Indy

Elena Myers made her debut on a MotoGP machine at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, when she completed a handful of laps onboard Álvaro Bautista's Suzuki GSV-R.

The 17-year-old AMA racer completed five laps of the 4,216m MotoGP circuit as part of the build up to this weekend's Indianapolis Grand Prix.

Watched by Bautista and many other grand prix stars, Myers managed to clock an impressive 306km/h (190mph) down the main straight and all were impressed with her smooth and self-assured riding style. 

Bautista was also on-hand before Myers took to the track to offer advice and was waiting in the pit-box as she returned his bike ready for Sunday's race. 

“Wow! I can't really say anything else; it was just such an incredible experience!" said Myers. "I can't thank the guys at Suzuki MotoGP enough – they have been awesome! This makes me so hungry to come out here and try it someday for real on a race weekend - well I guess this is a race weekend, but I mean for real next time. 

"I can't say enough about the bike either, it does everything 20 times better than I ever would have imagined - this has just been amazing, and I think I'll slowly realise what just happened over the next couple of days. The GSV-R just blew me away!”

Myers became the first female racer to win an AMA Pro road-race when she took victory in the SuperSport event at Infineon Raceway in 2010. 

This season Myers has recorded a podium finish at Barber Motorsports Park, plus five more top-five finishes, on her way to an impressive fifth overall in the 2011 AMA Pro SuperSport West Division - despite missing two rounds due to injury. 

The young American will now remain at Indianapolis for the rest of the weekend.

“It was great to see Elena out on a MotoGP bike and very cool that - as the Suzuki MotoGP team - we could help her fulfil one of her dreams," added team manager Paul Denning. "At 17-years-old, and judging by her performances in the AMA Pro SuperSport championship, she has a significant amount of ability that is only going to develop as she gains experience. 

"She treated the run today with great intelligence and maturity, but nonetheless it was impressive to see that she wasn't afraid of either the speed or the power! Thanks to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for helping us to make this happen, the boys for preparing the bike and to Álvaro for letting Elena use it!”

First practice for the Indianapolis MotoGP takes place on Friday morning.

Pictures: Elena Myers on Suzuki MotoGP Indianapolis

Bautista hoping to bounce back at Brickyard

Rizla Suzuki is on its way Stateside for the 12th round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship which will be held at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway in America. Álvaro Bautista will be looking to continue with the huge potential that has been shown by him and the Suzuki GSV-R is recent races. He looked likely to fight for a top-five finish last time out at Brno, before lady-luck robbed him of the opportunity and he crashed. He is in a determined and focused mood to get a good qualifying position on Saturday to give him a better chance of getting away with the quick group come race-day and show what both he and the Rizla Suzuki are capable of.

Álvaro Bautista:

“We have certainly made some big steps with the GSV-R over the last few races, but we still need to work on things at Indianapolis. We need find out what the true potential of the bike is and I need to improve my qualifying session performance. It is difficult to see if we can compete with the guys at the front if I am starting at the back of the grid and I have to use so much time and energy to get up to them. These are things that we are determined to do and if we are successful in them then who knows what the bike and the team are capable of producing. I finished eighth at Indianapolis last year and I know we can do better than that now with the package we have. I will be pushing right from the start and trying to make all the hard work we’ve done in recent races give us a good end result in America.”

On the Thursday prior to the start of the GP weekend AMA supersport rider Elena Myers will ride some laps on the GSV-R prototype at the track.

Qualifying the key for Bautista

Races may be won or lost on Sunday, but Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista believes it's his Saturday performances that are holding him back.

The Spaniard hasn't qualified higher than ninth this year and, whilst battling for a top six at several races - including last time at Brno, when he crashed - the front group have long since escaped.

Bautista believes if he can start near the leaders, he will be able to gauge the exact potential of the GSV-R.

“We need to find out what the true potential of the bike is and I need to improve my qualifying performance," said Bautista. "It is difficult to see if we can compete with the guys at the front if I am starting at the back of the grid and I have to use so much time and energy to get up to them. 

"These are things that we are determined to do and if we are successful then who knows what the bike and the team are capable of producing. 

"I finished eighth at Indianapolis last year and I know we can do better than that now with the package we have. I will be pushing right from the start and trying to make all the hard work we've done in recent races give us a good end result in America.”

Bautista, who broke his leg at round one, starts round twelve of the championship in 14th, with a best finish of fifth, in the wet at Silverstone.

Elena Myers to get Suzuki MotoGP laps at Indy

Elena Myers will ride Suzuki's GSV-R MotoGP bike on Thursday, August 25th, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the day before the start of the grand prix weekend.

Myers became the first female to ever win an AMA Pro road race when she captured the AMA Pro SuperSport victory at Infineon Raceway last year. 

She also met the Rizla Suzuki team at the 2010 US MotoGP and a GSV-R ride was initially planned for the end of last season. That didn't happen, but the 17-year-old Californian wasn't forgotten. 

"Words cannot describe how excited I am to ride the Suzuki GSV-R at Indy during the MotoGP weekend," said Myers. 

"We had talked about it last year, but things didn't work out, so here's a big thanks to everyone involved for making this possible. 

"When I sat on the bike last year, it felt like it was made to fit me. So actually being able to spin a few laps on it will be quite the treat. I'm really looking forward to the weekend." 

Myers finished fifth overall in the 2011 AMA Pro SuperSport West Division for Suzuki - despite missing two rounds due to injury - picking up a podium at Barber Motorsports Park among five top-five finishes. 

"We are delighted to be able to give Elena this opportunity to get some understanding of how Suzuki's MotoGP bike feels and operates," said Rizla Suzuki team manager Paul Denning.

"She is a very talented racer - not "for a girl" - she's just fast full-stop! MotoGP is the pinnacle of every racer's ambition and there aren't so many people who have ridden the very latest 2011 GSV-R - Bautista, Hopkins, Aoki and now Elena! 

"I would guess she's also the only female racer to have ever ridden an 800cc MotoGP machine? Either way, we really hope she enjoys the experience."

Alvaro Bautista philosophical after crashing out in Brno

Alvaro Bautista was in philosophical mood after crashing out from a promising seventh in the Czech Grand Prix, admitting that the pace he and Suzuki were able to demonstrate was some consolation for the disappointing end to his race.

Bautista had starred in the early laps as he came through from 14th on the grid to seventh, where he was hounding Valentino Rossi and keeping pace with the pack ahead of him until his accident at Turn 13 on his 16th tour of the trac.

Given his excellent race, the 26-year-old Spaniard described his crash as 'very disappointing' but said he and the team could also draw positives about their pace during the race.

"I have a strange feeling," Bautista explained when asked about his weekend. "I am frustrated that I didn't finish after crashing, but I am also quite happy because I did all that was possible to stay with the front group.

"I was riding just a few seconds behind second position and, after starting from the back of the grid, I was pleased about that.

"I pushed to my maximum - I was on the limit, but everything was under control - and then with six laps to go I crashed. I lost the front and it was strange because I entered the corner like the lap before and nothing felt wrong.

"I want to say thank-you to all the team, and also to say sorry because it has been a difficult weekend for everybody. We expected a good result here, but at the end we are very disappointed with what happened.

"I think if we start nearer the front we can stay with the group a lot easier, and the results will come."

source: autosport

Day to forget for Rizla Suzuki at Brno

Rizla Suzuki had its promising start to the weekend shattered at Brno today as firstly John Hopkins had to withdraw from the event and then Álvaro Bautista had a difficult qualifying session to leave him with a mountain to climb in tomorrow’s race.

Bautista will start from the fifth row of the grid after he failed to make a competitive lap-time and will need one of his great starts to be able to challenge with the front-runners in tomorrow’s race. He has a consistent race pace and was able to stay with other riders in the earlier part of the qualifying session, but was unable to put together a fast lap to move him up the grid as the session came to its climax.

Hopkins was forced to withdraw from the weekend’s event following a crash in this morning’s wet practice session. It has now been confirmed that he has broken three fingers on his right hand, but he will remain at Brno to support the team, before returning to America on Monday to have surgery to repair the damage.

Today’s qualifying was held in dry, but overcast conditions with track temperatures reaching 30ºC. Dani Pedrosa took pole position on his Honda, with reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo second and current championship leader Casey Stoner third.

Tomorrow’s race is round 11 of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship and the excitement gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista:

“I am not happy with the qualifying because we just didn’t get our best level today and we will have to start tomorrow near the back of the grid. My rhythm was not too bad when I followed other riders and I could stay with them, but to be able to do that in the race I have to make a good start again tomorrow and fight my way through. I can’t say much more because I am just not happy with how things went today.

“It was not a good day for the whole team with John crashing this morning and breaking his fingers. I feel very sorry for him because he did well yesterday and it looked like he’d have a good race. MotoGP racing is not always what you want it to be and these things happen, but I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he’s back soon.”

John Hopkins:

“I guess disappointed is the only word that can sum up how I feel! I must apologise to the whole team for making such a stupid mistake out there this morning. It was the smallest crash under braking in the wet conditions and as I slid along I kept my hand on the ground to try and slow me down, but as soon as I hit the gravel it went in and mangled my hand right up. I’ve fractured three fingers on my right hand. The index and middle finger are just normal fractures that probably wouldn’t have kept me off the bike, but the third finger has separated and split down the middle from the knuckle. It’s not a case of pain, strength or anything like that, it’s simply that I can’t bend the finger or both bones could come through the skin, so it would have been impossible to hold on to the bike.

“I think things went very well yesterday and I had every intention of being able to make another step forward today. I believe that the GSV-R is every bit capable of a consistent top-six finish and I think it’s a great machine. With the lack of seat time I’ve had, I don’t think that I could have matched the potential of what the bike is capable of doing. I know I didn’t yesterday and I think it still has another second a lap in it. I wish I could have gone out and achieved a good result for all involved and mainly to show Suzuki that they have a really good machine which has great potential.

“This is just another small setback in my journey to get back to full time MotoGP. I’ll stay here the rest of the weekend and give my full support to the team and do whatever I can to express my gratitude to them for giving me this opportunity. This is not the last time you’ll see me at a Grand Prix, I’m still destined to be back here, whether it’s this year or next I don’t know, but I will be back here!”

Paul Denning – Team Manger:

“Grand Prix racing isn’t easy and today showed that! Yesterday we were looking very strong with lap-times in the 57s and both riders in the top-10. Today John is in a cast and Álvaro’s qualified 14th and almost half-of-a-second slower than yesterday afternoon. We did have an issue with a vibration at the end of the qualifying, but frankly speaking, we expected a much better time than that earlier in the session when he had a brand new set of tyres. We all know how well he can race, but if we don’t qualify better we won’t be able to improve the race result.”

Hopkins out of Brno Grand Prix

John Hopkins crashed at turn three on his sixth lap in the very wet and slippery conditions, and as he slid into the gravel his right hand sustained an impact causing a break and dislocation of his third finger and fracture of his second finger. He was immediately taken to the medical centre to have x-rays, where the injury was diagnosed and set in traction Hopkins will now return to America to have an operation to repair the injury as he aims to ensure he is fit for the next round of the British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park later this month.

Rizla Suzuki wishes him a speedy recovery and will update on his progress as more information becomes known.

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“This morning’s injury is a huge disappointment to all of us at Rizla Suzuki and of course mostly to John. He is completely devastated that he is not able to compete in the Grand Prix tomorrow, especially as his form yesterday was extremely promising. He was just building up to speed very gradually in the wet conditions and, on the first lap that he tried to push a little bit harder, he made a simple mistake and folded the front. It was on exactly the same corner that Casey had done the same thing at the start of the session, but John was just less lucky and as he entered the gravel trap the angle of his hand meant that the impact folded his fingers. This caused a substantial break to one finger and further damage to another. If the injury had been his left hand he would be on the GSV-R this afternoon, but to control a MotoGP bike and expect to be competitive with that injury to his throttle and braking hand is completely unrealistic. “From the team, thanks to John for being so professional and a pleasure to work with this weekend. It was also great to have a two-rider team again and all the clear advantages that it brings. Despite what happened this morning I believe everybody in MotoGP was impressed with the potential shown here in Brno by John. I have no doubt that we will see him on a Grand Prix bike again in the near future.”

Press release courtesy of Rizla Suzuki

Strong start from Rizla Suzuki boys at Brno

Bautista completed 32 laps at Brno circuit, recording a best time of 1’57.857 and grabbing eighth place on the leader board. Bautista was regularly in touch with the top six throughout both of Friday’s practices and is confident that with a few more adjustments to his GSV-R he can make further steps forward on Saturday.

Hopkins is appearing as a wild card at Brno and proved himself capable in both practice sessions. In the morning he signaled his intentions by finishing in seventh place and followed that up in the afternoon with an equally impressive 10th. His best time of 1’57.880 was only .023 seconds behind his team mate and just over three tenths of a second away from a top five finish. Hopkins knows he still has a lot of work to do, but is convinced there is still more to come from him and his machine.

Álvaro Bautista: 

“Today was my first full MotoGP day at Brno when fully fit, so I am pleased to have done that. Last year I crashed in the second free practice and the rest of the weekend was quite hard for me. The first thing today was to get a good feeling with the bike, but this morning I felt the bike slide a bit in the corners, this might have been because the track was a bit dirty, but we made a change that also helped to improve the problem. I can do a long run with used tyres and after 26 laps my rhythm was good and I could do low 58s. We then put in a new front and rear tyre and I was able to push a bit more, but I found some traffic on the last laps and I couldn’t improve my time. I am happy with today because I have done the fastest lap I’ve ever done at Brno, my previous best was 59.1 and today I did 57.8 so that is a good improvement. I have a good feeling with the bike and I’m sure we can improve the rhythm and the lap-time, so on Saturday we will work on a couple of things to do that. I am really looking forward to tomorrow because I think we can make a good position in qualifying to get a good start in Sunday’s race.”

John Hopkins: 

“First of all, I want to give a massive thanks to Suzuki, Paul Denning, Rizla, Fixi and all the other sponsors that have made this possible. The have all helped to ensure that the team has two bikes here at Brno, so once again thanks to all concerned. It’s been a big culture shock today, the most elite riders in the world are all packed in the MotoGP field, but it has still been a good day for us. When I rode in Jerez my mindset was still with prototype racing, because I hadn’t quite got into Superbike riding, but all this year I’ve got very comfortable with a Superbike and so coming into this weekend I was a bit afraid it would all feel totally different and I couldn’t ride a GP bike anymore – luckily that wasn’t the case! I tried to get comfortable this morning and follow as many people as possible, because to be honest I need as much help as I can get at the moment! I was well within the top 10 this morning and I managed to follow Álvaro and he showed me some lines – which was really cool – I was very happy with that, and the fact that he didn’t get upset and just let me follow. This afternoon we tried a few things with the bike to see where we could improve, but we never really went too far away from the set up we had this morning. We used a couple of tyre variations to see how they worked and that gives us something to go on for the rest of the weekend. I did a quicker lap today than my best lap here before, which was in the race in 2007, so that was a good thing. I’ll now sleep with the track on my mind and come back a lot better tomorrow morning, I’m sure if I can get more comfortable on the bike and find a rhythm, then I can get at least half a second of my time from today.”

Rizla Suzuki press release.

Rizla Suzuki back to double strength for Brno

Alvaro Bautista is looking forward to have someone on the other side of the Rizla Suzuki garage as the team gets ready for a two-pronged attack on the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno.

Bautista, who has been the sole Suzuki representative this season, will be paired with John Hopkins at Brno, the American securing a wild-card outing around the circuit he scored his best-ever MotoGP finish for the team in 2007.

An opportunity to measure himself against an experienced competitor, Bautista is hopeful Hopkins's knowledge will help him in his quest to continue up the MotoGP order.

“I've been relaxing since the last race with a few days at the beach and now I'm training hard and looking forward to Brno. The last two races have been very positive and I think as a whole we are in the best position we have been since I've been in MotoGP. We need to continue with the progress we've made recently and the results will start to come. 

“I had an injured back at Brno last year and couldn't ride at my best, but I'm 100 per cent now and will be pushing from day one. I hope John has a good weekend and enjoys himself; it will be good to have him there as it will give us the chance to push each other along. I'm sure we can work well together to get a good setting for the GSV-R and it will be nice to have a team mate again! I'm excited about the Brno race – I will be giving my maximum!”

Hopkins, who has taken in World Superbike and British Superbike events over the last two weekends, is also excited to be back on the GSV-R and is expecting to be more competitive than he was at Jerez when he stepped in as a late substitute for the injured Bautista.

“This is my third race in as many weeks and I am really looking forward to it! It's been very busy and doing these three different championships back-to-back is quite a challenge, but I am really excited to be back in amongst the big boys at MotoGP. When I rode at Jerez earlier in the year I'd had no real 2011 racing experience so it was a bit 'in at the deep end'. 

“It was also the first time I'd raced with my wrist working properly since the operation, up until then it was still healing and the few times I'd been on a bike in 2011 had been for pre-season tests and the filming shoot at Qatar. 

“Now I feel that I have gained more confidence and I'm riding better than ever. I'm really pumped that the race is at Brno because it is one of my favourite tracks and I hope I can go well. I'm under no illusions that it will be tough, because the other guys have been racing on MotoGP bikes all season and I'll need some time to get up to speed with the bike and tyres, but I'll be giving it all I've got to try to get a good result for the team.”

source: crash.net