The 2009 Assen MotoGP is looming and free practice opens on Thursday with race day on Saturday. The Rizla Suzuki team have been down on raw power this season so far and both riders will be anxious to see if the testing of new parts and engine specs at Catalunya will make a difference this weekend. On the Monday after the Catalunya race the Rizla Suzuki team tested a new engine, along with a 2010 prototype chassis and new Ohlins front forks.

Chris Vermeulen:
“I really look forward to going to Assen. Holland is where my family came from so there are always people around that remember my Grandfather and tell me how they are related to me – so I feel like a bit of me is coming home! We had a good test after the Catalunya race and if we can translate that into the forthcoming weekend then I am sure we can be competitive. I enjoy riding at Assen and I have won there in World Superbikes, but I have never quite got the results I think I’ve deserved – or certainly wanted – in MotoGP. I hope this will be the weekend when that all changes!”

Loris Capirossi:
“I am still very happy from my performance in Catalunya, but this is a whole new race and we have to begin again. We used the new engine specification in Spain and then did a lot of testing with new parts on the Monday so we have a lot of data to use for this weekend. We hope we’ll use the new spec engine again at Assen but it is still being developed and Suzuki needs to check everything, so we will just have to wait and see. I really want to carry on with the good progress we are making, especially at Assen because I didn’t get the chance to race there last year. I also want to do well for Rizla – they deserve a good result at what is really their ‘home’ racetrack.”

Rizla Suzuki team manager, Paul Denning gave his views on the results of the testing at Catalunya:

“It was as good as expected. In Mugello it was obvious we got killed on the home straight and one didn’t need to be too technically minded to see that with a bit more top speed, Loris could have got second or third in that race. Suzuki has done a very good step and obviously they’d like more, but Loris has reported better top speed and when he tucked. We can’t use the slipstream to zing by but we can stay in touch.”

“If you stay rather than lose then it takes away the elastic band effect where you catch on the brakes and then lose it all on acceleration. In the Catalunya race Loris was behind Dani Pedrosa and while Dani’s Honda is a missile, he could be close enough to try and outbrake him. Before he’d only just be able to follow. The engine response is better and so is the torque. Top speed is one thing but the speed at which it gets there is important.

Loris also thinks it’s a bit better for tyre life because he can open the throttle a little bit later when the bike is being picked up and still get the same force out of the corner.”

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