Rizla Suzuki’s Álvaro Bautista rode a fantastic race at Misano in Italy today to bring his GSV-R home in eighth place after a hard-fought race.

Bautista started from 16th on the grid and was lucky to avoid a first corner incident that caused him to lose time on the pack of riders in front of him. He quickly regained his composure and set about chasing the field. Bautista caught and passed a number of riders as he made his way up to eighth on lap 18, he then tried to catch Colin Edwards who had a large gap between himself and Bautista, but the Rizla Suzuki man was unable to bridge the distance – even though he made huge in-roads into the American’s lead.

Today’s race was won by Spaniard Dani Pedrosa with World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo in second. Sadly today’s race was overshadowed by tragic events in the Moto2 race earlier in the day. Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa was fatally injured in an accident that involved two other riders. The 19-year-old was taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The thoughts and prayers of the whole Rizla Suzuki team are extended to Tomizawa’s family, friends and team during this traumatic period.

Rizla Suzuki will next be in action at a brand new racetrack to the MotoGP calendar, as it travels to the Aragon circuit in Spain for the next round of the season on Sunday 19th September.

Álvaro Bautista:
“It has now become a very difficult day and I don’t really know what to say. I had a good race, even though I had to avoid Loris and Nicky after they crashed and I lost my position. I tried to get in my rhythm as quick as I could because I knew I had a good pace. When I was catching the group in front of me I made a mistake and put the bike into neutral – so I lost some more distance on them. I concentrated hard and pushed to the limit and I managed to go faster than I had in practice and I caught the group up. Once I was with them I knew I was faster so I got past them and pulled away. Today nobody crashed in front of me during the race so it was a true eighth position and I was very pleased with that. I was happy at the end of the race because the position was good and I was happy with the race-pace, but when we had finished the race I heard the news about Tomizawa and I am just so sorry for him and all his family. It is a hard day for all riders, I am sure he will stay with us always and I hope he is now in a better place.”

Tom O’Kane – Álvaro Bautista’s Crew Chief:
“Firstly I want to say to Tomizawa’s family and friends that we all send our deepest sympathies – it’s a terrible thing that has happened and Álvaro was very upset when he heard the news at the end of the race. With regards to the race, he got a very good start off the line, but took a few laps to find his rhythm. Then it looked like he had a really fun race, he was chasing guys down and passing them with what looked like ease. His fastest lap in the race is the fastest one he has done all weekend and we as a team will be doing all we can to move him up in qualifying to see what he can do from the second or third row.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki team-mates Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista were both left to think what might have been as they were held-up on their final lap in qualifying at Misano this afternoon.

Bautista (P16. 1’35.629, 29 laps) was extremely annoyed that he had been baulked on his final fast lap, which would almost certainly have given him a much improved time and seen him move up the grid. He had made huge steps today with his Suzuki GSV-R as he shaved almost two-and-a-half-seconds of his lap-time from yesterday. Bautista was extremely unlucky not to be rewarded with a much better qualifying position after his impressive efforts today.

Today’s qualifying was held in very warm conditions as air temperatures got up to 26ºC and the track heated up to 42ºC. Spaniard Dani Pedrosa took his fourth pole position of the season on his factory Honda, with World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo in second.

Tomorrow’s race is the 12th round of the season and will see Capirossi, Bautista and the rest of the field head off for 28 laps of action at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista:
“This morning we improved the bike a lot from yesterday and I was able to get a good pace. In the qualifying it was a bit difficult at the start because I used the hard front tyre and I didn’t get the feel from it under braking. At the end of the session we put in the softer compound and that was much better. Unfortunately on the last lap some riders slowed me up and I couldn’t improve my lap-time – which I am sure I would have done. I feel good with the bike here and if I can get a decent start tomorrow I have a strong enough rhythm to be able to battle my way into the top 10.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi will be going home for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship as the team heads to the Misano World Circuit in Italy for the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Grand Prix.

Álvaro Bautista will be heading to the Misano circuit for the first time in the MotoGP class. The Spaniard is going there on the back of an impressive ride last time out at Indianapolis that saw him secure eighth place. Bautista is in a confident mood as he travels to a circuit that he has enjoyed success at in recent seasons. The 25-year-old won at the Misano circuit in 2008 onboard a 250cc machine and followed that with a third place last year in the quarter litre class.

The Misano World Circuit was designed in 1969, with racing starting there three years later. The Italian venue has held 11 motorcycle Grands Prix since 1980, with MotoGP visiting there for the first time in 2007, when Rizla Suzuki riders took second and third places on the podium.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track for the first free practice session on Friday afternoon, with the second free practice the following morning. Saturday afternoon will have an hour of qualifying to decide grid positions for Sunday’s 28-lap race that is scheduled to get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista:
“I have more confidence in myself and the bike after last weekend, so I will be trying as hard as I can right from the beginning at Misano to improve my performance on the bike. It was really important for me to finish the race at Indianapolis – as it seemed like a long time since that had happened. I still believe that we can fight with the top guys, so we need to make that the next target and keep improving for the rest of the season.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki racer Álvaro Bautista produced a battling and mature race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to bring his Suzuki GSV-R home in a respectable eighth place.

Bautista got boxed in at the start and was relegated to 14th at the end of the first lap; he quickly got on the pace and was able to pass some riders with relative ease. He caught up with Marco Simoncelli at half-distance and had a tremendous battle with the Italian for the rest of the race. Bautista tried a number of times to overtake his old adversary, but was unable to find the opportunity to get past – mainly due to the condition of the Indianapolis circuit in the places where Bautista was sure he could make a move and his determination to get to the finish line and complete the race.

Today’s race was held in very warm conditions with air temperatures getting up to 35ºC and track surfaces hitting 56ºC. A crowd of 62,794 saw Dani Pedrosa win the race with home favourite and pole setter Ben Spies in second, World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo was third.

Rizla Suzuki now heads across the Atlantic for the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Grand Prix to be staged at Misano in Italy next weekend on Sunday 5th September.

Álvaro Bautista:
“It was a hard and very difficult race because it was so hot that you could feel the heat coming from the bike and from the ground. It made it a very physical race, but that was also a good test for me to see how my body had healed and at the end I still felt strong. I lost a few places at the start, but I was able to overtake other riders very quickly and I got behind Kallio and decided to follow him because he had a good rhythm and I didn’t want to use all my energy with a long race ahead. We caught up to Simoncelli and I knew I was faster than Kallio so it was better to pass him and catch Simoncelli on my own. I saw two points on the track where I could then get past Simoncelli, but they were both very risky because they were very bumpy. I tried to get past in turn 10 but it was just too dangerous to go past because it was so bumpy and I wanted to finish the race – as it had been a long time since I’d done that. I finished in the top 10 and we did a good job through the whole weekend. This morning we made a big change in the gearbox and that worked very well for me. I am happy with the weekend and the team worked fantastic, we have another race next week and I’m looking forward to that already.”

Tom O’Kane – Álvaro Bautista’s Crew Chief:
“Álvaro rode a really solid race today, at a track that hasn’t been very good to us in the past, so that is a very promising thing to take forward as we move to tracks where our bike has gone better in the past. We are really happy to get a finish and get through a whole race weekend without the dramas that we have had recently. Álvaro made a big change to his gearbox this morning in the warm-up and we were able to see an improvement in his lap-times immediately – especially in the second sector of the lap – and he adapted to the different pattern of the box very quickly and that also showed in the race. Overall he rode a good race and had a tough battle with Simoncelli, it’s neither here-nor-there whether he got past him or not, but it was very important to get into the top-10 and for him to come away from here with a lot more confidence in his own ability and that of the bike.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki racers Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista will start tomorrow’s Indianapolis Grand Prix alongside each other on the fourth row of the grid.

Capirossi (P10, 1’41.512, 25 laps) will begin tomorrow’s 28 lap race from the front of row four, with team-mate Bautista (P11, 1’4.534, 29 laps) next to him. The pair both made steps to improve their respective Suzuki GSV-Rs around the 4,216m American circuit and they are confident that these measures will help them in tomorrow’s race. Capirossi is still looking to unlock some more of the potential of his GSV-R and will probably make a couple of changes in tomorrow’s warm-up ahead of the race, whilst Bautista made big advances with learning the circuit on a MotoGP machine and is confident that he can improve even more during the race.

Today’s qualifying was again held in warm and sunny conditions with track temperatures again over 50ºC. Ben Spies took his first ever MotoGP pole position, as he rode his satellite Yamaha to the front of the grid ahead of World Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo in second.

Tomorrow’s event is the 11th race of the season and the action gets underway at 15.00hrs local time (19.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista:
“We had a good qualifying and I was able to follow a pack that included Rossi, Dovizioso and Pedrosa and I didn’t lose too much time to them on every lap, so that was good for me as I needed to get an idea of how I was doing in comparison to other riders around here. After that I tried to push myself a bit more, but I still had a bit of a problem with rear grip and it made things a bit hard. We made some small changes to the bike and improved things quite a bit. At the end I tried to follow someone to get more reference points because they are so important here, but there was nobody to follow so I had to work alone and set my times by myself. I think our set-up for the race is not too bad and if I get a good start tomorrow and get into the group in front I can stay with them.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki will be looking to make big improvements during tomorrow’s final free practice session after a tough first hour on the track at Indianapolis today left both riders with work to do.

Álvaro Bautista (P14, 1’42.696, 26 laps) used today’s only session to get his bearings around the 4,216m Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a MotoGP bike. Having only previously visited the circuit on a 250cc machine, he needed time to get used to the track and find his braking and accelerating points. Bautista recorded his fastest lap right at the end of the session and is in a determined mood to make personal improvements for the rest of the weekend.

Today’s practise was held in warm and sunny conditions with track temperatures reaching 51ºC. Casey Stoner on his factory Ducati recorded the fastest time of the day.

Rizla Suzuki has one more practice session tomorrow morning, followed by an hour of qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday’s 28 lap race gets underway at 15.00hrs local time (19.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista:
“This was my first time around here on a MotoGP bike and it was very different from the 250 – especially the first corner because you go in there very fast. I used this practice very much as a learning session and to get my reference points sorted for the rest of the weekend. I need to get more rear grip from the bike because when I put on the gas in the middle of the corner I feel that the bike is sliding too much. Also the entry to the corner is not what I want, because if I enter quick I am unable to turn the bike how I want to and I lose too much time. Tomorrow we will work on these things and although we know it will be hard work I think we can improve the bike and I also know I need to improve myself as well.”

Tom O’Kane – Álvaro Bautista’s Crew Chief:
“We used the new chassis in Álvaro’s bike today, but we didn’t make as big a step as we expected to when we swapped to the softer compound tyre. For tomorrow we will be working a lot on rear grip because Álvaro is struggling to get the feel he wants all the way through the turns and to get the best out of the soft tyre. We are really hoping to improve the bike on corner entry, because some of the corners tighten up a lot here and we really need to make the bike turn much better. Overall though we are pleased with Álvaro’s first day at Indianapolis and now he’s got this session under his belt I am sure he will be much stronger tomorrow and for the race on Sunday.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has headed back across the Atlantic for the second American Grand Prix of the season this time at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Following a positive post-race test at Brno, both Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista are eager to get back on-track and carry on with the improvements they found at the Czech Republic circuit.

This will be the third time that MotoGP has visited Indianapolis and Capirossi will certainly looking to improve on his results there, that has seen him score a personal best of seventh place at the 4,216m track in 2009. Bautista has a podium position to show from his only race at the circuit. He finished third last year after the 250cc class race was cancelled in 2008 due to a hurricane hitting the Indianapolis area.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway or ‘The Brickyard’, as it is also known, was built in 1909 and has become one of the most famous sporting venues in the world since its inception. The vast race-track has a permanent seating capacity of over 250,000, with the facility to raise that to over 400,000 for the ‘Indy 500’ and the ‘Brickyard 400’, both of which are major sporting events on the American calendar and feature IndyCar and NASCAR respectively. On the grounds of the circuit are also the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum and the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort, making this impressive venue even more amazing.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track on Friday 27th August for the first of two free practice sessions, the second scheduled for the following morning. Saturday afternoon sees an hour of qualifying for all riders to establish their grid positions in readiness for Sunday’s 28-lap race that gets underway at 15.00hrs local time (19.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista:
“I’m still a bit stiff from my crash at Brno, but I have rested and let the injury heal properly so I will be ready for Indianapolis. I really need to finish a whole weekend and get a full practice, qualifying and race in my account. It seems a long time since I crossed the finish line and I am positive about visiting America and making that happen. We made some steps at the Brno test, but we still need to work on those at Indianapolis – and the races that follow – to find out what the true potential of the bike is. That is something we are determined to do and to keep on learning as much as possible about all things to do with the GSV-R and how it behaves on different tracks and in varying conditions and also about myself and how I can ride it to get the best from it.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki completed most of its full test programme and acquired a large amount of data from Monday’s test at the Brno circuit before rain brought the day’s proceedings to a premature end.

Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista were joined at the 5,403m Czech Republic track by Alstare Suzuki World Superbike rider Sylvain Guintoli, who was called up to provide cover for the test if Bautista was unable to participate following his huge crash in Saturday’s practice.

Capirossi and Bautista were able to test many new and revised parts for the Suzuki GSV-R including two new chassis, new Ohlins forks and updated engine management programmes. Guintoli was able to complete three runs to get some data for his riding style early in the morning. The talented Frenchman was then scheduled to do a longer test run in the afternoon, but the rain intervened and ruined any chance he had of assisting with further evaluation of the GSV-R.

Rizla Suzuki will now assess the information from the test and hopefully be able to make some important steps and decisive changes in-time for the next round of the season at Indianapolis in America on Sunday 29th August. Guintoli will next be in WSB action on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Nurburgring in Germany on Sunday 5th September.

Álvaro Bautista:
“The test was very short for me, because I felt a lot worse than I did on Sunday during the race. Today we wanted to do a full comparison of two different chassis and we were able to at least do that. I noticed an improvement in the exit of the corner with the new one, the bike had more stability. We still need to test it further and find out what the true potential is, but overall it was a good test and hopefully with what we found we can make a big difference.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Loris Capirossi and Álvaro Bautista both crashed out of today’s Czech Republic Grand Prix at either end of the 22-lap race with both riders able to walk away uninjured from their respective incidents.

Bautista battled heroically for the whole 22-laps as he fought against the pain caused by yesterday’s huge high-side and the other riders on track. Despite starting from the back of the grid he caught the battle for eighth position before the half-way point of the race. Bautista was fighting with the group and as the last lap arrived he was close enough to challenge Marco Simoncelli. He made a strong passing manoeuvre in the last corner and although he got past Simoncelli he lost the front of the bike and also slid into the gravel – as Capirossi had done earlier. Bautista was visibly disappointed with the outcome of the race after such a brave effort had proved fruitless in the end.

Today’s Brno Grand Prix was watched by nearly 150,000 people at trackside and they witnessed Jorge Lorenzo provide another commanding performance on his Yamaha to win his seventh race of the season and strengthen his grip at the top of the championship.

Rizla Suzuki will remain at Brno for a full day’s testing tomorrow as they try to unlock the potential of the Suzuki GSV-R and put today’s frustrations behind them. The next round of the MotoGP World Championship will require another crossing of the Atlantic, as the field prepares to line-up for the Indianapolis Grand Prix in America on Sunday 29th August.

Álvaro Bautista:
“The crash was a big disappointment for me as I went to overtake Simoncelli, because at the beginning of race I didn’t know what my condition would be at the end and I was pleased that I felt strong enough to make the move. The first few laps were difficult because I’d only had about 40 minutes of dry practice all weekend and needed to get my reference points sorted out. The pain was horrible but I was able to start to push and in the middle of the race I was in the group challenging for eighth position, which was not too bad. After about half of the race my body started to tire and although I was pushing to the maximum, when I came up to other riders it was difficult to pass because I was at my physical limit. I would have liked to finish this race as this is now three consecutive races that I have failed to complete. The rest of the race was not too bad and compared to other riders my rhythm was good. I hope for the next race in America to make a complete weekend and continue with my progression in MotoGP.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“In sport you have to make your own luck, but it really feels like we need to go to a Church and have a word with someone who can maybe help us out a little bit! Absolutely nothing seemed to go right here at Brno and the most disappointing thing is that without question the bike and riders had the capability to challenge for a top-six position. Álvaro made a heroic effort, we have to remember that he was in great discomfort and had only spent about 45 minutes practice time in the dry compared to everyone else’s three hours. Once he found his rhythm the bike was working well, his speed was good and he’d clawed his way into contention for an excellent finish. His commitment to catching and passing Simoncelli on the last lap was obvious and he nearly made it happen, but asked a bit too much of the front tyre in the final left. It was extremely disappointing, but we have to respect a superb effort.
“The result today doesn’t reflect anywhere near our potential and we’re going to work positively at the test tomorrow and set our sights on realising the true capability of the GSV-R, Loris and Álvaro for the rest of the season.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Alvaro crashed out of the Czech GP at Brno today in the last corner after he had just passed Simoncelli for 11th place. But despite that crash he did a great race until that point. Without having qualified yesterday he started the race from last position on the grid and fell back about two seconds in the early stages. But after only a few laps he started to constantly go laptimes quicker than everyone in front of him up to 8th position. And this is after having only one full practice session overall and while riding in pain. With several other riders crashing out he’d still been able to rake in some points while going calmly at the back of the field, but instead he decided to fight for the Top 10 positions. He passed several riders on his way up to 12th positions and had Simoncelli, who was going slower than everyone behind him for most of the time, firmly in his sight in the last lap. He passed him in the last lap for 11th, but then crashed out. He doesn’t seem to have aggravated his injuries in the crash, he got up immediately afterwards and was more angry with himself than anything else and he should be okay for Indianapolis in two weeks time.

In any case, despite the final result it’s been a very spirited race by Alvaro and a joy to watch his progress.

Pos. Rider Team Km/h Time/Gap
1 Jorge LORENZO Fiat Yamaha Team 164.4 43’22.638
2 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 164.1 +5.494
3 Casey STONER Ducati Team 163.7 +11.426
4 Ben SPIES Monster Yamaha Tech 3 163.6 +13.723
5 Valentino ROSSI Fiat Yamaha Team 163.3 +17.930
6 Nicky HAYDEN Ducati Team 162.7 +26.815
7 Colin EDWARDS Monster Yamaha Tech 3 162.3 +33.396
8 Marco MELANDRI San Carlo Honda Gresini 162.0 +39.406
9 Hector BARBERA Paginas Amarillas Aspar 162.0 +39.639
10 Randy DE PUNIET LCR Honda MotoGP 161.9 +40.893
11 Marco SIMONCELLI San Carlo Honda Gresini 161.8 +42.032
12 Aleix ESPARGARO Pramac Racing Team 161.5 +47.091
13 Alex DE ANGELIS Interwetten Honda MotoGP 161.2 +51.368

Not Classified
Alvaro BAUTISTA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 161.8 1 Lap
Mika KALLIO Pramac Racing Team 160.9 15 Laps
Andrea DOVIZIOSO Repsol Honda Team 149.7 16 Laps
Loris CAPIROSSI Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 151.5 21 Laps