Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has completed the first day of a two-day night-time test held 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 programme today because, unfortunately for Capirossi and the whole team, he had to finish the session early due to sickness.

Alvaro Bautista (P17, 1’57.960, 56 laps), used the first day to acclimatise 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 tomorrow.

The cooler track conditions were exactly what the team wanted this evening, 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.

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.”

It’s now been officially announced that the Hungarian GP will be cancelled once again this year. Instead the MotoGP circus will race at the new Motorland Aragon circuit at the same date.

The official press release notes that the GP was “cancelled due to the fact that the construction work on the Balatonring circuit cannot be completed on time”.
As we’ve reported earlier, the underlying problem was the withdrawal of any financing through the Hungarian development bank last week, effectively leaving the project high and dry. Consequently the FIM fell back on to the previously announced reserve circuit in Spain.

Regular updates of the laptimes at Qatar.

Alvaro’s been in 12th for much of the first session and has now been relegated to 13th by Kallio. His teammate Loris Capirossi sits in encouraging 4th with laptimes close to current leader Casey Stoner.

Laptimes as of 20.10h local time.

Pos Rider Fastest lap Prev. Gap Laps
1 Casey Stoner 1:56.641 - 16
2 Valentino Rossi 1:56.773 +0.132 27
3 Randy De Puniet 1:56.943 +0.170 14
4 Loris Capirossi 1:57.099 +0.156 20
5 Ben Spies 1:57.269 +0.170 18
6 Jorge Lorenzo 1:57.290 +0.021 24
7 Andrea Dovizioso 1:57.487 +0.197 26
8 Marco Melandri 1:57.896 +0.409 18
9 Colin Edwards 1:57.984 +0.088 25
10 Nicky Hayden 1:58.067 +0.083 23
11 Dani Pedrosa 1:58.202 +0.135 26
12 Mika Kallio 1:58.358 +0.156 24
13 Alvaro Bautista 1:58.535 +0.177 20
14 Marco Simoncelli 1:58.601 +0.066 32
15 Hector Barbera 1:59.033 +0.432 22
16 Aleix Espargaro 1:59.116 +0.083 23
17 Hiroshi Aoyama 1:59.441 +0.325 32

Laptimes as of 20.30h local time.
1. Rossi (Yamaha-Fiat) 1.55.972
2. Stoner (Ducati-Marlboro) 1.56.322
3. De Puniet (Honda-LCR) 1.56.943
4. Spies (Yamaha-Monster) 1.57.040
5. Dovizioso (Hon da-Repsol) 1.7.067
6. Capirossi (Suzuki-Rizla) 1.57.100
7. Lorenzo (Yamaha-Fiat) 1.57.290
8. Edwards (Yamaha-Monster) 1.57.405
9. Kallio (Ducati-Pramac) 1.57.509
10. Hayden (Ducati-Marlboro) 1.57.811
11. Barbera (Ducati-Paginas Amarillas) 1.57.822
12. Melandri (Honda-San Carlo) 1.57.896
13. Bautista (Suzuki-Rizla) 1.57.989
14. Pedrosa (Honda-repsol) 1.58.201
15. Simoncelli (Honda-San Carlo) 1.58.395
16. Espargarò (Ducati-Pramac) 1.59.073
17. Aoyama (Honda-Interwetten) 1.59.441

Laptimes at 21.00 local time
Pos Rider Fastest lap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Valentino Rossi 1:55.971 - 38
2 Casey Stoner 1:56.322 +0.351 27
3 Randy De Puniet 1:56.943 +0.972 20
4 Ben Spies 1:57.039 +1.068 23
5 Andrea Dovizioso 1:57.067 +1.096 36
6 Loris Capirossi 1:57.099 +1.128 25
7 Jorge Lorenzo 1:57.290 +1.319 24
8 Colin Edwards 1:57.405 +1.434 34
9 Mika Kallio 1:57.509 +1.538 41
10 Marco Melandri 1:57.689 +1.718 32
11 Nicky Hayden 1:57.811 +1.840 36
12 Hector Barbera 1:57.822 +1.851 35
13 Alvaro Bautista 1:57.989 +2.018 30
14 Dani Pedrosa 1:58.202 +2.231 30
15 Aleix Espargaro 1:58.209 +2.238 37
16 Marco Simoncelli 1:58.395 +2.424 36
17 Hiroshi Aoyama 1:58.701 +2.730 42

Laptimes at 21.30 local time

Pos Rider Fastest lap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Valentino Rossi 1:55.971 - 38
2 Casey Stoner 1:56.203 +0.232 34
3 Nicky Hayden 1:56.855 +0.884 45
4 Randy De Puniet 1:56.943 +0.972 27
5 Ben Spies 1:57.039 +1.068 23
6 Andrea Dovizioso 1:57.067 +1.096 36
7 Loris Capirossi 1:57.099 +1.128 26
8 Jorge Lorenzo 1:57.290 +1.319 24
9 Colin Edwards 1:57.405 +1.434 34
10 Mika Kallio 1:57.509 +1.538 47
11 Marco Melandri 1:57.689 +1.718 32
12 Hector Barbera 1:57.822 +1.851 38
13 Alvaro Bautista 1:57.989 +2.018 34
14 Dani Pedrosa 1:58.142 +2.171 35
15 Aleix Espargaro 1:58.209 +2.238 37
16 Marco Simoncelli 1:58.349 +2.378 40
17 Hiroshi Aoyama 1:58.701 +2.730 46

Laptimes at 22.00 local time

Pos Rider Fastest lap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Valentino Rossi 1:55.971 - 38
2 Casey Stoner 1:56.203 +0.232 34
3 Nicky Hayden 1:56.855 +0.884 50
4 Randy De Puniet 1:56.943 +0.972 29
5 Ben Spies 1:57.039 +1.068 25
6 Andrea Dovizioso 1:57.067 +1.096 36
7 Loris Capirossi 1:57.099 +1.128 34
8 Jorge Lorenzo 1:57.290 +1.319 33
9 Colin Edwards 1:57.405 +1.434 34
10 Mika Kallio 1:57.509 +1.538 47
11 Marco Melandri 1:57.689 +1.718 40
12 Hector Barbera 1:57.822 +1.851 38
13 Hiroshi Aoyama 1:57.888 +1.917 51
14 Alvaro Bautista 1:57.960 +1.989 43
15 Dani Pedrosa 1:58.142 +2.171 41
16 Aleix Espargaro 1:58.209 +2.238 37
17 Marco Simoncelli 1:58.349 +2.378 47

Laptimes at 22.30 local time

Pos Rider Fastest lap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Casey Stoner 1:55.841 - 42
2 Ben Spies 1:55.954 +0.113 37
3 Valentino Rossi 1:55.971 +0.130 39
4 Colin Edwards 1:56.540 +0.699 49
5 Randy De Puniet 1:56.588 +0.747 39
6 Jorge Lorenzo 1:56.838 +0.997 45
7 Nicky Hayden 1:56.855 +1.014 57
8 Andrea Dovizioso 1:57.067 +1.226 46
9 Loris Capirossi 1:57.099 +1.258 40
10 Mika Kallio 1:57.509 +1.668 56
11 Marco Melandri 1:57.689 +1.848 40
12 Hector Barbera 1:57.822 +1.981 44
13 Hiroshi Aoyama 1:57.888 +2.047 59
14 Marco Simoncelli 1:57.891 +2.050 56
15 Alvaro Bautista 1:57.960 +2.119 49
16 Dani Pedrosa 1:58.142 +2.301 43
17 Aleix Espargaro 1:58.209 +2.368 43

Laptimes 23.20 local time

Pos Rider Fastest lap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Casey Stoner 1:55.717 - 48
2 Ben Spies 1:55.954 +0.237 44
3 Valentino Rossi 1:55.971 +0.254 48
4 Colin Edwards 1:56.540 +0.823 55
5 Randy De Puniet 1:56.588 +0.871 50
6 Andrea Dovizioso 1:56.811 +1.094 54
7 Jorge Lorenzo 1:56.838 +1.121 45
8 Nicky Hayden 1:56.855 +1.138 65
9 Loris Capirossi 1:57.099 +1.382 40
10 Dani Pedrosa 1:57.402 +1.685 50
11 Mika Kallio 1:57.509 +1.792 64
12 Marco Melandri 1:57.689 +1.972 46
13 Hector Barbera 1:57.822 +2.105 48
14 Hiroshi Aoyama 1:57.888 +2.171 67
15 Marco Simoncelli 1:57.891 +2.174 56
16 Alvaro Bautista 1:57.960 +2.243 56
17 Aleix Espargaro 1:58.209 +2.492 51

Final laptimes, Day 1

Pos Rider Fastest lap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Valentino Rossi 1:55.402 - 64
2 Casey Stoner 1:55.717 +0.315 48
3 Ben Spies 1:55.954 +0.552 44
4 Colin Edwards 1:56.540 +1.138 59
5 Randy De Puniet 1:56.588 +1.186 54
6 Andrea Dovizioso 1:56.811 +1.409 65
7 Jorge Lorenzo 1:56.838 +1.436 45
8 Nicky Hayden 1:56.855 +1.453 77
9 Mika Kallio 1:56.923 +1.521 72
10 Dani Pedrosa 1:57.047 +1.645 60
11 Loris Capirossi 1:57.099 +1.697 40
12 Marco Melandri 1:57.605 +2.203 63
13 Hector Barbera 1:57.822 +2.420 62
14 Hiroshi Aoyama 1:57.888 +2.486 75
15 Marco Simoncelli 1:57.891 +2.489 63
16 Aleix Espargaro 1:57.898 +2.496 67
17 Alvaro Bautista 1:57.960 +2.558 56

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP is on the way to Losail in Qatar for the final pre-season test this week with a huge schedule to undertake at the 5,380m circuit.

Loris Capirossi and Alvaro Bautista both made big steps during the last time out in Malaysia, but the forthcoming night-time test under the floodlights of the Losail circuit will be a completely different affair, especially with the cooler conditions that are expected during the two-day test.

Both riders will have a thorough agenda to complete at the test, including a full and detailed evaluation of the new-spec engine to further check its performance and durability, plus many other new and updated parts from the Suzuki factory to improve the performance of the GSV-R in time for the start of the season.

The desert circuit in Qatar is the only floodlit track on the calendar, so this week’s test will give all the riders a clear indication of what to expect when they return there next month for the first race of the MotoGP season on Sunday 11th April. The Qatar test will also mark the first outing of the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R in its new Troy Lee Designs inspired livery.

Alvaro Bautista:
“After two tests at Sepang it will be good to go to a different circuit to ride the Suzuki and I’m really looking forward to getting out on the bike again. Each time I ride the GSV-R it feels better and I am starting to find my rhythm with every lap that I do. The team and Suzuki can’t do enough for me and I know it was a good decision to come to them because this is the support I need and a factory team is the best way to get it. I will feel very proud at this test because it is the first time that I will ride my bike with full Rizla colours, so I am really looking forward to that. I know we have a lot of work to do and I can’t wait to get started.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Earlier this month there were some news coming out of Hungary which indicated some severe troubles for the future of the new Balatonring MotoGP circuit. A German motorsport magazine worried that there’s again a good chance that the Hungarian MotoGP will again be cancelled like it already was last season.

According to the article there are a lot of doubts voiced by experts and government representatives, mainly about the question whether the financing by the government is profitable and legal. The investors even believe mafia-like powers to be at work and accused one company and a party of corruption.
The newspaper Pester Lloyd wrote that Gordon Bajnai, the Hungarian prime minister, has instructed the minister of finance to make an in-house study on benefit and risk of financing the circuit public.
Even though they agreed to stand surety of about 75 Mil. Euros last year, none of the contracts had been signed yet because of doubts about the probity of the project.

The study in question apparently shows that the government financing of the track would be uneconomic, too risky and illegal. There are no guarantees of tax paybacks and the maintenance and usage of the track will need more subventions than make profit in the long run.

Bence Janos Kovacs, who is the boss of the investor group, believes in a plot which involves political and mafia-like blackmail. At a press conference he presumed that local estate companies and a company that is involved in motorsport are responsible for this. They allegedly have demanded a payment over 100.000 Euros from him.

A few days after this article was published however, several English-speaking MotoGP websites wrote that the Hungarian round was still very likely to happen. According to Dorna and IRTA officials the amount of money already spent on the Balatonring project indicates that everything would go ahead as planned as “it would be stupid to stop now”.

But in the meantime, more worrying news emerge from Hungary. This Thursday the government coordinator of the Balatonring project, Tamás Suchmann, receded from his office and yesterday it was made public that the Hungarian development bank will indeed NOT finance the project because of a lack of guarantees. With no secure financing to actually build the circuit which is still practically non-existent, it remains to be seen if there’ll be a Hungarian MotoGP round this year or not.

In any case, to prevent a similar situation as last season with one round cancelled, there’s already been a reserve circuit assigned with the Motorland Aragon. So we will see whether we will have this year’s Round 14 in Hungary or in Spain.

Sources: Motorsport-Magazin.com 1, Motorsport-Magazin.com 2, MCN

The new bicycle racing team Ciclos Ébora-Cafés Camali had their official presentation in Talavera de la Reina yesterday and among the various famous guests from the region was Alvaro Bautista.
Seizing the opportunity, many of the attending journalists had a quick talk with Alvaro after the presentation, including the local newspaper La Tribuna de Talavera which published Alvaro’s statements today.

Ahead of the third and final preseason test in Qatar the questions logically revolved around Alvaro’s first impressions of the class and his expectations for the 2010 season. But understandably, Alvaro’s hesitant to make any predictions yet. “Of course this year will be a learning year and everything that happens will be welcome. Above all I will work with this philosophy; I’m gonna learn and try to enjoy riding, I don’t need to force a certain result.”
His reasoning behind this is simple: “There are other riders who fight for the championship and those are the ones who have to work hard for that. But for me there will be a lot of new experiences and I have to get used to these new impressions.”

Talking about championship candidates, Alvaro believes there’ll be the same four riders at the front as last year – Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo & Pedrosa – but at the same time “it’s important not to write anyone off.”
He is of course very excited about his first season in MotoGP, “because MotoGP is the highest you can get in racing and here you have the best riders of the world.”
However, while he respects the other riders on the grid, he doesn’t fear them: “Once you are on the track it doesn’t matter whether it’s Valentino Rossi, Stoner or Lorenzo; we are riders who are there to win and fight with each other. For me all are equal; the exceptional thing here is that the level is very high and the category is very tight; but other than that it is the same to me whether it’s Valentino Rossi or, for example, Mika Kallio; it’s another rider and it’s necessary to beat him.”

And that first race of the season can’t come quick enough for Alvaro who’s already counting the days. “I can hardly wait for the first race! The testing is great to get more kilometers on the bike, but the adrenalin of the races, the tension, the passion you have in a competition, you can’t have that during training. I have a lot more fun during the races, but I have to be patient, there’s still one more test to go and it’s important to take another step forward to go to the first race with the best possible preparation.”

But for Alvaro it is still too soon to make any predictions for results: “If you told me right now that I would get into the Top 10, I wouldn’t agree with you, because I have not arrived at the limit yet and I don’t know what results I can fight for. I want to achieve the maximum and when I’ve reached the limit of the bike and myself, I will see what I can aspire to and if I am able to reach my goals. When I know what I can fight for, we will see if I’ll be among the Top 10, the Top 5 or the Top 15, I just don’t know right now.”

So far he considers his preseason to have been a positive one, but still with a lot of room for improvement: “We can see the progression, little by little I adapt to the category and every time I ride the bike it feels a bit easier. We have only one last test left in Qatar which will be at night. The goal there is to continue improving and to feel more comfortable riding the bike. The first test in Malaysia was like the first time on the bike, because I had two months without riding the bike and it seemed completely new to me all over again, too much power, the weight of the bike…. but the second test in Sepang showed some progression. I understood what I need to do and what not to ride the bike the way I want.”

Also the work with the Suzuki factory and team leaves Alvaro very satisfied. “They try to give me everything I ask for and it is very pleasant to work with a factory.” Since Suzuki celebrates its 50th anniversary in racing this year “it would be great to get some good results. I have Capirossi as my teammate and he is the one who can fight at the front. I will try to give my best; when I’ve reached the limit with this bike, I will see if I can get some good results.”

Alvaro will fly to Qatar at the beginning of next week for the last test of the 2010 preseason which commences with test riders only on Wednesday, 17th March, and then see the factory riders on track on Thursday and Friday.

Photo by Manu Reino.
Source: La Tribuna de Talavera

Now that you know what the 2010 Rizla Suzuki will look like, we’d also like to tell you what hides under the new design fairing. These are the bike specs for the 2010 Suzuki GSV-R.

Engine Type: 4 stroke water cooled V4
Displacement: 800cc
Max Power: 225+ ps / 18,000rpm
Valve Control and Type: Pneumatic (air control), DOHC four-valve
Carburation Type: Fuel injection
Lubrication System: Wet sump (Motul Lubricants)
Clutch: Dry multi plates (back torque reduction type)
Transmission: Six speed low friction constant mesh
Final Drive: Chain
Frame Type: Twin spar aluminum alloy frame
Suspension: Front: Inverted type telescopic (Öhlins) / Rear: Link type (Öhlins)
Tyres: Bridgestone
Wheels: Front and rear: 429mm (16.5 inches)
Brake System: Front: Double carbon disc (Brembo) / Rear: Single steel disc (Brembo)
Overall Length: 2080mm
Overall Width: 660mm
Overall Height: 1150mm
Weight: 150+kg
Fuel Tank: 21 litres
Estimated top speed: 330+km/h

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki have officially unveiled their season design for the 2010 bikes of Alvaro Bautista and Loris Capirossi. Designed by Troy Lee, the main colour of the bike is a bit darker than it was in previous years and various “original Suzuki” dark blue strips along the fairing support this impression.
The rider numbers are placed substantially higher on the front with the main sponsor Rizla getting another prominent spot right beneath them.

You can see the new design and Alvaro’s official season leathers in action at the official IRTA test in Qatar starting next Wednesday, with the factory riders getting on the track on Thursday.