Rizla Suzuki and the MotoGP circus will re-group at Valencia in Spain this weekend for what promises to an emotional final race of 2011.

The whole paddock will be united in its grief as the teams all meet for the first time since the tragic accident that saw Marco Simoncelli lose his life during the Malaysian Grand Prix. Álvaro Bautista was battling with Simoncelli in the moments before the accident happened at Sepang and Suzuki’s Spanish star is determined to put on a good show in honour of his late adversary. Bautista and the Suzuki GSV-R have shown continued potential over recent events and the pair looked like pushing for a podium place in the last race before the event was cancelled. The Rizla Suzuki team will be aiming to continue with impressive recent performances and hoping to end the season on a positive note.

The 4,005m Ricardo Tormo circuit near the village of Cheste, close to Valencia, is the traditional end of season venue for MotoGP. It is usually a huge event with big crowds filling the enormous grandstands that enclose the only stadium track on the calendar. The mix of many tight corners and the close proximity of the fans makes the circuit one of the most intense tracks that the riders visit. This weekend will obviously be overshadowed by recent events, but the unique Valencian crowd will undoubtedly show respect as well as making the race a celebration.

Rizla Suzuki takes to the track on Friday for the two of the three free practice sessions available to the riders; the third is on the following morning. Saturday afternoon will feature an hour of qualifying to determine grid positions for Sunday’s 30-lap race, with the main event getting underway at 14.00hrs local time (13.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 6th November.

Álvaro Bautista: “I am really looking forward to going to the Valencia race. It has been a tough time for all of us since Sepang, but I am ready for the last race and the fact that it is in my home country always makes it a special occasion. I have done well in the last few races, and my Suzuki has felt great, but the results have not arrived so we need to put that right. My target for the weekend is to fight to the maximum, finish the race with a good result and dedicate it to Marco. We had so many huge battles together – I will use these memories positively in Valencia.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP

Rizla Suzuki is in Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix where regular racer Álvaro Bautista will be joined by wild-card entry John Hopkins.

Bautista is determined to put the disappointment of Australia firmly behind him at a circuit that saw one of his best performances last season. Bautista finished a strong fifth at the 5,543m Malaysian circuit in 2010 and is convinced that the winter testing carried out here, plus the recent promise shown by the Suzuki GSV-R, will enable him to push for a very good result this weekend.

Situated approximately 60kms south of Kuala Lumpur, the Sepang International Circuit was constructed in 1998 and is one of the most modern and spectacular on the MotoGP schedule. Its layout over 15 turns is a mixture of elevation changes with sweeping curves, a tight hairpin and two wide and very long straights either side of the stunningly impressive grandstands that are a real head-turner for fans and racers alike.

The Rizla Suzuki duo take to the track on Friday – for the first two of three free practice sessions – the third being held on the following morning. Qualifying for the 20-lap race will take place on Saturday afternoon, with the main event getting underway at 16.00hrs local time (08.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 23rd October.

Álvaro Bautista: “We need to put the result of last Sunday firmly behind us and concentrate on all the positives we had there. The bike worked really well all weekend on a track that has been difficult for us and if we can continue like that in Malaysia we will be very pleased. We had a good race at Sepang last year and we have some good references from the winter tests so I expect to be competitive. If the luck is finally with us we will have a result that we all deserve, after all the hard work we have put in and the progress we have made.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki

Rizla Suzuki heads to the only Grand Prix in the southern hemisphere this week aiming to make the good work from recent races count at a very challenging circuit.

Álvaro Bautista and his Suzuki team, including the engineers in Japan, have made big steps with the GSV-R this year and will now be looking to make more improvements at the 4,448m Phillip Island circuit. Bautista has scored a number of top-six results this season and was running in fourth place last time out in Japan, before a crash robbed him of what looked like being his best result so far this season. He is determined to make amends for the disappointment at Motegi at a circuit that he has tasted success at previously – Bautista won the 125cc race at Phillip Island in 2006, on his way to the world title ,and has also taken two second places in the 250cc category.

The Phillip Island circuit is situated near Melbourne in the state of Victoria and is one of the most southerly points of Australia. Inclement and very changeable weather can play an important part in the weekend’s events, with the chance of the conditions changing from warm sunshine to freezing rain in a short time. The picturesque track is still one of the most beautiful on the calendar, with its enviable position overlooking the sea, and its fantastic layout; it is a race not to be missed for a true MotoGP fan. Its mix of fast corners, changes of elevation and a 900m straight that gives the riders the feeling they are heading directly into the Pacific Ocean makes this one of the most spectacular circuits on the MotoGP calendar. As one of the fastest, most fluid, tracks that MotoGP visits, it continues to provide some of the best racing of the year.

Friday will see Bautista and the Rizla Suzuki men at work for the first two free practice sessions followed by a further practice on Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon will see the Spaniard going all out to secure the best grid positions during qualifying in readiness for the 27-lap race that gets underway at 16.00hrs local time (05.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 16th October.

Álvaro Bautista: “I was very disappointed and upset at the end of the race in Japan, because we deserved to hold on to that result after all the hard work everyone has put in. We have to take all the positives from that weekend, and the previous races, and keep working in that same frame of mind in Australia. I know this will be a completely different challenge, but the bike is now working well in all conditions and this weekend will show us how far we have come this season. I missed out on a top-10 at Phillip Island by less than a hundredth-of-a-second last year and I’m sure we can certainly go much better than that this weekend. You never know what the weather will do at Phillip Island, but we’re ready no matter what happens!”

Source: Rizla Suzuki

Rizla Suzuki heads into a run of three Pacific Rim races over four weekends – with Suzuki’s home race at Motegi the first venue on the trip.

Buoyed from his performance in his home country last time out, Suzuki’s Spanish rider Álvaro Bautista is in a determined state-of-mind to give Suzuki staff and fans something to cheer about at the 4,801m Motegi Twin-Ring Circuit. The package of Bautista and the Suzuki GSV-R has made big strides this year and is consistently challenging for top-six positions. Motegi will give the team a good opportunity to show the improvements made in 2011, because the circuit should suit rider and machine alike.

The Japanese Grand Prix is a re-scheduled event following the postponement of the original race in April due to the earthquake and Tsunami that decimated parts of the country. Rizla Suzuki has shown solidarity with Suzuki’s homeland since that tragic event by displaying its support on the GSV-R and the whole team is now able to back up those words with actions as it joins the staff from Suzuki’s headquarters in Hamamatsu, at Motegi next weekend.

The Twin-Ring Motegi Circuit is located approximately 90kms from Tokyo, in- between the cities of Mito and Utsunomiya. It is regarded as one of the safest tracks on the MotoGP calendar and the whole circuit has recently been re-surfaced to give an even smoother surface for the MotoGP machines to perform on. Rizla Suzuki and Bautista take to the track on Friday 30th September to begin the practice sessions that will lead up to Sunday’s 24-lap race, which is scheduled to get underway at 15.00hrs local time (06.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista: “I cannot wait to get back on the bike and continue with the work from the recent races. I am really excited by the way things have been going and know we still have some more steps to take, so Motegi will be a good place to make even further improvements. This is a really important race for Suzuki and all the Japanese people, we have been able to show support on the bike for the country at all the races since the awful disaster, but now we can go there in person and show them that we really are with them. I think it could be an emotional event, but I want to push the GSV-R and myself to the limit and give everyone at Suzuki, and all the team’s fans, something to smile about and be proud of!”

Source: Rizla Suzuki

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.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki

Rizla Suzuki has made a quick transatlantic dash to Misano in Italy following last weekend’s Grand Prix in America, for the 12th round on this season’s MotoGP calendar.

Álvaro Bautista will be looking to continue with the form he showed in Indianapolis – where he raced to sixth position – at a circuit that should suit both his riding style and the performance of the Suzuki GSV-R. Bautista’s result in America was achieved after the strong potential shown by rider and machine in previous races, and the Spaniard now believes the team can go from strength-to-strength and produce even better results as the season continues.

Located near Rimini on the Adriatic Riviera, the Misano World Circuit is a track that features many slower corners taken in first and second gears and where overtaking is very tough. It has a long sweeping curve with two very high-speed right-handers that certainly make for exciting action and is not a circuit where ultimate top-speed is essential, although a consistent and smooth riding style certainly plays a part in mastering the layout.

Bautista will take to the track on Friday 2nd September for the first of two free practice sessions on that day, with a further practice on Saturday morning. Qualifying on Saturday afternoon will see the Suzuki star aiming for the best possible grid position for Sunday’s 28-lap race, which is scheduled to get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT).

Álvaro Bautista: “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. 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.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki

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.

Indianapolis will be staging a MotoGP for the fourth time in its illustrious history when the bikes take to the track on Sunday 28th August. The ‘Brickyard’ is more usually associated with Indy Car and NASCAR racing, but the two-wheeled event has quickly become a highlight on the circuit’s calendar. Known as the ‘Brickyard’ due to over three million paving bricks that used to cover the whole surface, now less than a metre of these bricks exist at the start line of 4,216m track. This fascinating symbol to the old days of racing is now simply known as the ‘Yard of Bricks’. The circuit has a permanent seating capacity for more than 250,000 people and a big crowd is expected this weekend when MotoGP rolls into town. The fans will also be entertained by not only the on-track excitement, but many other off-track events, both at the ‘Brickyard’ and in downtown Indianapolis – making this one of the party Grands Prix of the year.

Rizla Suzuki will be rolling out on to ‘Gasoline Alley’ on Friday for two free practice sessions. This will be followed by another practice on Saturday morning and then the all-action qualifying session in the afternoon. Sunday’s 28-lap race gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (18.00hrs GMT) when Bautista will be going all-out to add his name to history books of this famous circuit.

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.”

Source: Rizla Suzuki

Rizla Suzuki will resume the 2011 MotoGP season at Brno after a short summer break with a double-headed assault at the Czech Republic circuit.

Álvaro Bautista will be joined by Wild-Card John Hopkins as the Spaniard plans to continue with the good vein of form that he has shown in recent races. Bautista looked to be heading for a top-six finish last time out at Laguna Seca – to follow his seventh at Sachsenring the weekend before – until a crash ended his hopes. Bautista has grown in confidence over the last few events and is now showing the kind of form that he displayed in pre-season testing, before a serious leg injury at the first race in Qatar halted his season before it had begun.

The Automotodrom Brno is situated in the south-east of the Czech Republic in the area of Kyvalka, about 16kms from Brno city centre. Its close proximity to Austria, Hungary and Poland, enables Brno to be one of the best attended races of the season, with approximately a quarter-of-a-million fans expected to pass through the gates over the weekend. The present 5,403m Brno Grand Prix circuit was built in 1987 and is located in woodland near to the old street circuit which previously staged the event.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP takes to the track with Bautista and Hopkins on Friday 12th August for the first two free practice sessions, with another 45-minutes of practice on the following morning. Saturday afternoon will see the all-important qualifying session where grid places will be decided for Sunday’s 22-lap race. The Brno event signals the start of the second half of the 2011 season and round 11 of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 14th August.

Álvaro Bautista: “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% 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!”

Source: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP