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Rizla Suzuki MotoGP looking to keep the results rolling in at Misano
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Rizla Suzuki MotoGP looking to keep the results rolling in at Misano
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP heads to the Italian Riviera next weekend for the
newest round
on the MotoGP calendar, determined to continue with the improved form it
has shown
so far this year.
Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins are both in the top five of the riders'
championship on 124 points respectively – with Vermeulen just leading
the way in
fourth place by virtue of his win at Le Mans in May. Suzuki is the only
manufacturer
to have two riders in the top five and both Vermeulen and Hopkins will
be looking to
add to the team's tally of five podium finishes that it has already
secured this
season.
The San Marino and Rimini Riviera GP is round 13 of the MotoGP World
Championship
and will be held at the Misano circuit close to the city of Rimini on
Italy's
Adriatic coast. Constructed in 1972 the circuit was the scene for many
Italian
Grands Prix throughout the 1980s and early 90s. MotoGP will make its
first ever
visit to the famous track this year and as such the riders will have
three hour-long
practice sessions on the Friday to acquaint themselves with the 4,180m
long track.
Vermeulen will be one of only a handful of riders that has previously
raced at the
circuit – during his World Supersport and Superbike career – but
Suzuki's Australian
star will be on as much as a learning curve as his peers, as the track
now goes in a
different direction to when he competed on it.
Rizla Suzuki MotoGP takes to track on Friday for the three free practice
sessions
followed a fourth on the Saturday morning. Qualifying for Sunday's
28-lap race will
take place on Saturday afternoon, with the main event getting underway
at 14.00hrs
local time (12.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 2nd September.
Chris Vermeulen:
"I am one of the few riders that have been to Misano before, but with
the track
changing direction the only advantage that will give me is that I will
know where to
park my motorhome! We are going to Italy a bit blind as we don't know
what the
surface will be like, so tyre choice is going to be very important on
Thursday. I
really enjoyed racing at Misano, I got a couple of second places there
in 2005 and I
will certainly be looking to repeat that feat - if not better it!"
John Hopkins:
"After my podium last time out I want more of those and especially to
step up to the
top. I wanted a top five finish in the championship when the season
started and I'll
be doing all I can to make that happen, there's no reason why it can't
even be a top
three. This weekend could be all about tyres, we just don't know what's
going to
happen. They could work perfectly out of the box or the surface could
just eat them
up! One thing I do know is that we are all starting equal as nobody has
raced this
track on a MotoGP bike before and my crew will be working all-out to
give me the
best bike possible straight from the start. I am able to learn tracks
quite quickly
and if Stuart and the boys can give me the machine to do it on and the
Bridgestones
work as well as they have done all year then who knows what might
happen!"
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