Riders Quote Valencian GP

This weekend race will be held at Valencia, Spain. All of MotoGP riders looks very confidence and want to close this season with a happy ending.

Aleix Espargaro

"The fall on the first lap of last Sunday's race was not what I was aiming. I was aiming to achieve a good result on Estoril's track and the results of Friday and Saturday free practice sessions had give me high hopes for the race. Sunday we'll return to Spain for the fourth time this year. In the other three Grands Prix on the Ibernian land of this year, I have conquered a fifteenth position in Jerez, a good tenth position in Aragon and a withdraw on Barcelona's track, a race in which I had done a very good weekend. I hope to greatly improve the position conquer in Aragon and conclude in the best way my first MotoGP season. This track has a different flavor for me, I made my debut here in the 2004 while I was riding a 125cc. "

Alvaro Bautista

"I was very surprised at last week's result because after how well we had been performing it was a bit of a shock, but I know we can put that behind us and challenge the top-six group. I have experience of riding the GSV-R at Valencia after last season's test, so I will have some reference points and I think the circuit will suit the bike well. It is amazing having another 'home' race and I will have many fans there to celebrate the end of the season, I will certainly be trying my hardest to give them, and the whole team, a good result to remember and take forward into the winter."

Andrea Dovizioso

"I'm very happy that we were back on the podium in Estoril. It means we are competitive and that we can go to Valencia with the target of fighting for fourth position in the World Championship. Valencia is quite a slow and twisty track which makes it a technical and challenging circuit which isn't easy to ride. It's not one of my favourite circuits on the calendar but that's really not important - because we are determined to have a very good race on Sunday and finish off the year as strongly as possible. The Valencia weekend is a special event, not only because it is the final round of the season but also because on Tuesday and Wednesday after the Grand Prix there are two important days of testing in preparation for the 2011 season. I'm really looking forward to getting the maximum out of these two days of testing before we head into the long winter break."

Carlos Checa

"The rain during Estoril's Grand Prix have certainly not helped me. I needed to run as much as possible on the track and the weather conditions that I have found have not allowed me to do that. The feeling that I was able to develop with the bike during the weekend have not allowed me to find the right riding position on the dry track. The forearm pain after a few laps did not allow me to give to the bike the right braking and the best way to entre in the turns. My results on Valencia's track are not exciting, but I have taken some satisfaction in my long career, arriving twice in the fourth position in the 2001 and in the 2005. Even if I do not feel any pressure, I'll try to do my best to give a good result to the Pramac Racing Team which have offered me this fantastic opportunity."

Casey Stoner

"After the awful weather we had to put up with in Portugal I hope that Valencia is a bit better and we get chance to work well and get a good set-up for my final race on the Ducati. I have always liked the circuit and I had my first ever win here in 125cc. It is a tight but flowing circuit and even though there are a lot of second and third gear corners they are banked and you can let the bike run, keeping some good speed up. This also helps you to find a gearbox setting quite quickly because apart from the straight, obviously, you only really need two gears. In the past we have always been able to find a good set-up so I we are confident. I really want to have a good race this weekend."

Dani Pedrosa

"In a couple of days I will get back on the bike again at Valencia and I really hope to feel better than I did on Sunday in Estoril. The last medical checks I had this week have shown that the nerves are not affected and this is positive, even though I'm feeling the same symptoms of numbness. I went to Clinica Dexeus to have an electromyography scan in my left arm from the neck to the hand. It showed that the nerves are OK, so I will continue having physiotherapy and I hope that gradually the lack of feeling passes. Despite the circumstances, I'm going to Valencia in a good mood because this is a track I love and the atmosphere there is always special. Last year we had a great race, so I want to get a good result regardless of my physical condition. We have a new sponsor this weekend from Honda in Indonesia. When I visited Indonesia this year I was really amazed by how many people follow MotoGP there. They are very passionate and knowledgeable about the championship, so it's good that this new sponsor on the Repsol Honda machine can create a link with this country."

Hector Barbera

"After the result in Portugal I am feeling happier and more confident. I feel comfortable with the bike at the moment and I hope we can do a good job in practice to find the right set-up for the race. Cheste is my home circuit and I can go fast there without hardly thinking about it so I hope that remains the case this weekend. It is a goal of mine to be fast at Valencia on the Ducati and the target for the weekend is to score my best result of the weekend, finish 2010 well and be part of a really cool race for all the fans. We have got a lot of data from the test we did here at the end of last year and I am sure it will help us."

Hiroshi Aoyama

"Sometimes I have a good feeling with Valencia and sometimes I don't. I hope that this time the feeling will be good. Last year I achieved the 250cc world title there and I have some nice memories on that, but you cannot compare this. I hope that the coming race will be better than the one in Estoril, where I could have finished in the Top 10, but made a mistake and had to be satisfied with 12th at the end. It is a pity that the team cannot continue. I had a really good time with them and I want to thank the team for all they did for me."

Jorge Lorenzo

"I've never won here in Valencia," said Lorenzo, during this afternoon's pre-event press conference. "It's not my obsession to get a victory here this weekend, but we are sure going to try. It's the last race of the season, so we'll make the last push, as we are very motivated to have a good race."

Loris Capirossi

"I hope we can go well at Valencia because it has been a very hard season for us and we need to end the year in a more positive way. The circuit is quite good for our bike and it seems to suit the dynamics of the GSV-R well. I know it will be difficult and I'm still not 100% fit, but I firmly believe I can go well in Valencia. It is the last race and after all that has happened this year it would be good to give my crew something to smile about -- I will certainly be giving everything I've got to make that happen."

Marco Melandri

"In Portugal I had yet another disappointing day and I can't even begin to explain the reasons why we have yet to work things out. We have been trying in vain and I am so bitterly disappointed about it. Valencia is our last chance to salvage something from a season to forget and I will try my hardest. I like the track and I won here in 250 and MotoGP but the chances of us doing anything this weekend are very small and that upsets me.

Marco Simoncelli

"I am still feeling satisfied but also slightly annoyed with how close I came to the podium at Estoril. I was happy with my performance because we kept a consistenyl fast pace from start to finish and I was able to battle with riders who have got the better of me in recent weeks. We have improved so much lately and the performance at Estoril has made me even more convinced we can be regularly fighting at the front. I can't wait to get started at Valencia and put the disappointment of last year behind me as quickly as possible. I love the track and I am desperate to finish on the podium there after missing out by such a small margin in Portugal. The way we are finishing the season is a great sign for next year. We still have a big job to do but the work we have done so far is paying off and I am happy for Honda and the team, who have given me so much support."

Nicky Hayden

"Time has flown past since Portugal. I went to Italy do some wind tunnel tests at Ducati and then we were back on the road to Spain. It has done me good to have a couple of days rest though because the crash on Friday left me with a knock on my back and it has been a bit painful. I'm okay now though and I can't wait to get back out at Valencia, a circuit I love and a place that will always be special to me because I won the title here. Also the fact it's the last race of the season, with so many people there packing out the grandstands... it just gives the whole event that little bit extra. I have been on the podium here twice in the past so we'll try and do it again this Sunday."

Valentino Rossi

"The points gap to second is quite big and Dani is always fast here," declared Rossi. "Anyway, a good target is also to resist and keep the third position from Casey, who is also fast here in Valencia. Last weekend we worked well in Portugal and had a good first half of the race, for this Sunday we will try and prepare the second half."

Rizla Suzuki Still Try To Finish The Season In The Best Way

After making an impressive start race, Loris Capirossi finally cannot finished due to a fail-safe measure as he went into a corner, causing him to run into the gravel. Capirossi was unable to re-start his machine and forced to retire.

“Overall the weekend has been quite positive and we have been in a good position all the time – apart from right at the end of today! I started well and got into a good rhythm behind Marco and Colin, at some points on the track I would lose time on them, but in other places I would make a lot of time on them. Then five or six laps from the end the bike started to slow down a bit. I don’t know what happened, but then it started to go ok again and then with a couple of laps to go it completely stopped. I am very sorry for the whole team, but it seems the luck is just not with me this season – we will still try to finish the season in the best way that we can.”

Capirossi made an impressive start and settled into a good rhythm in seventh place, fighting with Colin Edwards and Simoncelli for fifth. Capirossi looked in with a good chance of attacking the pair in the last few laps, but an electrical issue caused him to lose power and slow dramatically. He was very disappointed to leave Motegi empty-handed after what had been a very positive weekend for him.

Capirossi's partnet Alvaro Bautista had different ends at Motegi Grand Prix. He took a fine seventh position.

“It was not a good, but also not a bad result! We improved on our position from the last few races, but I had a problem in the first few laps with the rear tyre because it was just not getting enough temperature in it, this made it difficult to follow the others riders. After three or four laps I got back into my rhythm and saw that I could keep a similar distance and time to the front group, but the gap was too big and I wasn’t able to catch them. I am happy with the result and the whole team has worked very hard all weekend, but we need to improve on what happened in the first few laps, because in this category those laps are very important. I hope that in Malaysia we can make steps with this and we’ll try to be in the position that I think we should be - which at the moment is in the top-six.”

Another Good Result From Bautista At Aragon

Good result came from Rizla Suzuki racer Álvaro Bautista after finish eighth place at his home race Aragon. Got a good start from 12th on the grid, Bautista was blocked at the first corner and couldn’t capitalise on it to make up as many places as he wanted. 

“I had some great battles out there with De Puniet, Barbera and some other riders and I really had fun during the race. At the beginning I had a bit of a problem when I was braking and I felt a lot of moving in the front, so I couldn’t keep up my speed entering the corners. I wasn’t able to push how I wanted, but luckily after a few laps the bike started to work how I wanted it to – it was much more like the bike I had in qualifying so I was able to find a good rhythm. In the middle of the race the performance started to deteriorate and it was getting very difficult to follow Barbera on the fast back straight. This made it very difficult to overtake him and if I did manage he immediately came back past on that straight, so that made me lose more time on the guys in front and the riders behind started to catch us. I had to fight right until the last corner on the last lap to keep eighth place once I’d got past Barbera, I was forced to close every line and in the very last turn Melandri tried to come past but I was able to block him. Today the bike was probably not perfect because the tyres started to slide from the middle of the race onwards. I fought as hard as I could and eighth is not a bad result, but I certainly think we can do better.”

Rizla Suzuki and the rest of the MotoGP paddock now embark on a three–week Far East tour taking in Japan, Malaysia and Australia in consecutive weekends. The first of the trio will be at Motegi in Japan on Sunday 3rd October, when Rizla Suzuki look to welcome back Loris Capirossi from injury to partner Bautista at Suzuki’s home Grand Prix.

Riders Quote Valencian GP

This weekend race will be held at Valencia, Spain. All of MotoGP riders looks very confidence and want to close this season with a happy ending.

Aleix Espargaro

"The fall on the first lap of last Sunday's race was not what I was aiming. I was aiming to achieve a good result on Estoril's track and the results of Friday and Saturday free practice sessions had give me high hopes for the race. Sunday we'll return to Spain for the fourth time this year. In the other three Grands Prix on the Ibernian land of this year, I have conquered a fifteenth position in Jerez, a good tenth position in Aragon and a withdraw on Barcelona's track, a race in which I had done a very good weekend. I hope to greatly improve the position conquer in Aragon and conclude in the best way my first MotoGP season. This track has a different flavor for me, I made my debut here in the 2004 while I was riding a 125cc. "

Alvaro Bautista

"I was very surprised at last week's result because after how well we had been performing it was a bit of a shock, but I know we can put that behind us and challenge the top-six group. I have experience of riding the GSV-R at Valencia after last season's test, so I will have some reference points and I think the circuit will suit the bike well. It is amazing having another 'home' race and I will have many fans there to celebrate the end of the season, I will certainly be trying my hardest to give them, and the whole team, a good result to remember and take forward into the winter."

Andrea Dovizioso

"I'm very happy that we were back on the podium in Estoril. It means we are competitive and that we can go to Valencia with the target of fighting for fourth position in the World Championship. Valencia is quite a slow and twisty track which makes it a technical and challenging circuit which isn't easy to ride. It's not one of my favourite circuits on the calendar but that's really not important - because we are determined to have a very good race on Sunday and finish off the year as strongly as possible. The Valencia weekend is a special event, not only because it is the final round of the season but also because on Tuesday and Wednesday after the Grand Prix there are two important days of testing in preparation for the 2011 season. I'm really looking forward to getting the maximum out of these two days of testing before we head into the long winter break."

Carlos Checa

"The rain during Estoril's Grand Prix have certainly not helped me. I needed to run as much as possible on the track and the weather conditions that I have found have not allowed me to do that. The feeling that I was able to develop with the bike during the weekend have not allowed me to find the right riding position on the dry track. The forearm pain after a few laps did not allow me to give to the bike the right braking and the best way to entre in the turns. My results on Valencia's track are not exciting, but I have taken some satisfaction in my long career, arriving twice in the fourth position in the 2001 and in the 2005. Even if I do not feel any pressure, I'll try to do my best to give a good result to the Pramac Racing Team which have offered me this fantastic opportunity."

Casey Stoner

"After the awful weather we had to put up with in Portugal I hope that Valencia is a bit better and we get chance to work well and get a good set-up for my final race on the Ducati. I have always liked the circuit and I had my first ever win here in 125cc. It is a tight but flowing circuit and even though there are a lot of second and third gear corners they are banked and you can let the bike run, keeping some good speed up. This also helps you to find a gearbox setting quite quickly because apart from the straight, obviously, you only really need two gears. In the past we have always been able to find a good set-up so I we are confident. I really want to have a good race this weekend."

Dani Pedrosa

"In a couple of days I will get back on the bike again at Valencia and I really hope to feel better than I did on Sunday in Estoril. The last medical checks I had this week have shown that the nerves are not affected and this is positive, even though I'm feeling the same symptoms of numbness. I went to Clinica Dexeus to have an electromyography scan in my left arm from the neck to the hand. It showed that the nerves are OK, so I will continue having physiotherapy and I hope that gradually the lack of feeling passes. Despite the circumstances, I'm going to Valencia in a good mood because this is a track I love and the atmosphere there is always special. Last year we had a great race, so I want to get a good result regardless of my physical condition. We have a new sponsor this weekend from Honda in Indonesia. When I visited Indonesia this year I was really amazed by how many people follow MotoGP there. They are very passionate and knowledgeable about the championship, so it's good that this new sponsor on the Repsol Honda machine can create a link with this country."

Hector Barbera

"After the result in Portugal I am feeling happier and more confident. I feel comfortable with the bike at the moment and I hope we can do a good job in practice to find the right set-up for the race. Cheste is my home circuit and I can go fast there without hardly thinking about it so I hope that remains the case this weekend. It is a goal of mine to be fast at Valencia on the Ducati and the target for the weekend is to score my best result of the weekend, finish 2010 well and be part of a really cool race for all the fans. We have got a lot of data from the test we did here at the end of last year and I am sure it will help us."

Hiroshi Aoyama

"Sometimes I have a good feeling with Valencia and sometimes I don't. I hope that this time the feeling will be good. Last year I achieved the 250cc world title there and I have some nice memories on that, but you cannot compare this. I hope that the coming race will be better than the one in Estoril, where I could have finished in the Top 10, but made a mistake and had to be satisfied with 12th at the end. It is a pity that the team cannot continue. I had a really good time with them and I want to thank the team for all they did for me."

Jorge Lorenzo

"I've never won here in Valencia," said Lorenzo, during this afternoon's pre-event press conference. "It's not my obsession to get a victory here this weekend, but we are sure going to try. It's the last race of the season, so we'll make the last push, as we are very motivated to have a good race."

Loris Capirossi

"I hope we can go well at Valencia because it has been a very hard season for us and we need to end the year in a more positive way. The circuit is quite good for our bike and it seems to suit the dynamics of the GSV-R well. I know it will be difficult and I'm still not 100% fit, but I firmly believe I can go well in Valencia. It is the last race and after all that has happened this year it would be good to give my crew something to smile about -- I will certainly be giving everything I've got to make that happen."

Marco Melandri

"In Portugal I had yet another disappointing day and I can't even begin to explain the reasons why we have yet to work things out. We have been trying in vain and I am so bitterly disappointed about it. Valencia is our last chance to salvage something from a season to forget and I will try my hardest. I like the track and I won here in 250 and MotoGP but the chances of us doing anything this weekend are very small and that upsets me.

Marco Simoncelli

"I am still feeling satisfied but also slightly annoyed with how close I came to the podium at Estoril. I was happy with my performance because we kept a consistenyl fast pace from start to finish and I was able to battle with riders who have got the better of me in recent weeks. We have improved so much lately and the performance at Estoril has made me even more convinced we can be regularly fighting at the front. I can't wait to get started at Valencia and put the disappointment of last year behind me as quickly as possible. I love the track and I am desperate to finish on the podium there after missing out by such a small margin in Portugal. The way we are finishing the season is a great sign for next year. We still have a big job to do but the work we have done so far is paying off and I am happy for Honda and the team, who have given me so much support."

Nicky Hayden

"Time has flown past since Portugal. I went to Italy do some wind tunnel tests at Ducati and then we were back on the road to Spain. It has done me good to have a couple of days rest though because the crash on Friday left me with a knock on my back and it has been a bit painful. I'm okay now though and I can't wait to get back out at Valencia, a circuit I love and a place that will always be special to me because I won the title here. Also the fact it's the last race of the season, with so many people there packing out the grandstands... it just gives the whole event that little bit extra. I have been on the podium here twice in the past so we'll try and do it again this Sunday."

Valentino Rossi

"The points gap to second is quite big and Dani is always fast here," declared Rossi. "Anyway, a good target is also to resist and keep the third position from Casey, who is also fast here in Valencia. Last weekend we worked well in Portugal and had a good first half of the race, for this Sunday we will try and prepare the second half."

Bautista Pleased With Aragon Free Practice

Álvaro Bautista was happy with his first day’s work after changing weather conditions meant two totally different free practice sessions. After reach 14th position on the FP 1 (1'52.822), Bautista then reach 12th position with 2'05.170 on the FP 2. His to speed on the FP 1 was 315.1 Km/h and 311.3 on the wet FP 2 session.

After Colin Edwards dismiss Aragon race this weekend, Bautista was the Rizla Suzuki’s sole representative at the Motorland Aragon Grand Prix in Spain. This Spaniard was the busiest rider of the day as he completed a total of 39 laps of the 5,078m track during the two sessions.

Álvaro Bautista:

“We had the opportunity to ride in both wet and dry conditions today and that was good because we were able to learn a lot about the track. This morning I used the softer option of tyres and at the beginning of the session they worked very well. It is a new track with new reference points so I had to try to push on without really knowing where I was going and I was able to learn the track – I felt good on the bike and the lap-times were pretty good as well. I made a stop in the middle of the session and carried on with the same tyres, but the rear was too soft and I was losing a lot of time from the exit of the corners – so I was unable to improve my lap-time. This was a good session for us though because it meant we learnt that we could not do a race distance with that type of tyre. This afternoon in the wet I just wanted to ride the track and find where the limit was. I rode very quietly and tried not to take too many risks and improve step-by-step. The lap-time was not very fast compared to other riders, but my feeling was good out there. I know I can improve the setting and performance in both wet and dry for tomorrow and I have a lot of confidence that we will make big steps over the weekend whatever the weather.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“We are all really impressed with the Aragon Motorland facility. The layout of the racetrack is very challenging and the organisation is second-to-none. There seems to be a real pride around the place and it certainly deserves a Grand Prix event.

“Everybody knows the story regarding Loris and it’s a big disappointment for him not to be here – especially when it is through no fault of his own. That said Álvaro will be determined to wave the flag for Rizla Suzuki – and for his home fans – this weekend. It’s been a solid, if not a spectacular start for him today. He’s always more of a racer that a practice rider, so we have high hopes for him for the rest of the weekend.”

Riders Quote Valencian GP

This weekend race will be held at Valencia, Spain. All of MotoGP riders looks very confidence and want to close this season with a happy ending.

Aleix Espargaro

"The fall on the first lap of last Sunday's race was not what I was aiming. I was aiming to achieve a good result on Estoril's track and the results of Friday and Saturday free practice sessions had give me high hopes for the race. Sunday we'll return to Spain for the fourth time this year. In the other three Grands Prix on the Ibernian land of this year, I have conquered a fifteenth position in Jerez, a good tenth position in Aragon and a withdraw on Barcelona's track, a race in which I had done a very good weekend. I hope to greatly improve the position conquer in Aragon and conclude in the best way my first MotoGP season. This track has a different flavor for me, I made my debut here in the 2004 while I was riding a 125cc. "

Alvaro Bautista

"I was very surprised at last week's result because after how well we had been performing it was a bit of a shock, but I know we can put that behind us and challenge the top-six group. I have experience of riding the GSV-R at Valencia after last season's test, so I will have some reference points and I think the circuit will suit the bike well. It is amazing having another 'home' race and I will have many fans there to celebrate the end of the season, I will certainly be trying my hardest to give them, and the whole team, a good result to remember and take forward into the winter."

Andrea Dovizioso

"I'm very happy that we were back on the podium in Estoril. It means we are competitive and that we can go to Valencia with the target of fighting for fourth position in the World Championship. Valencia is quite a slow and twisty track which makes it a technical and challenging circuit which isn't easy to ride. It's not one of my favourite circuits on the calendar but that's really not important - because we are determined to have a very good race on Sunday and finish off the year as strongly as possible. The Valencia weekend is a special event, not only because it is the final round of the season but also because on Tuesday and Wednesday after the Grand Prix there are two important days of testing in preparation for the 2011 season. I'm really looking forward to getting the maximum out of these two days of testing before we head into the long winter break."

Carlos Checa

"The rain during Estoril's Grand Prix have certainly not helped me. I needed to run as much as possible on the track and the weather conditions that I have found have not allowed me to do that. The feeling that I was able to develop with the bike during the weekend have not allowed me to find the right riding position on the dry track. The forearm pain after a few laps did not allow me to give to the bike the right braking and the best way to entre in the turns. My results on Valencia's track are not exciting, but I have taken some satisfaction in my long career, arriving twice in the fourth position in the 2001 and in the 2005. Even if I do not feel any pressure, I'll try to do my best to give a good result to the Pramac Racing Team which have offered me this fantastic opportunity."

Casey Stoner

"After the awful weather we had to put up with in Portugal I hope that Valencia is a bit better and we get chance to work well and get a good set-up for my final race on the Ducati. I have always liked the circuit and I had my first ever win here in 125cc. It is a tight but flowing circuit and even though there are a lot of second and third gear corners they are banked and you can let the bike run, keeping some good speed up. This also helps you to find a gearbox setting quite quickly because apart from the straight, obviously, you only really need two gears. In the past we have always been able to find a good set-up so I we are confident. I really want to have a good race this weekend."

Dani Pedrosa

"In a couple of days I will get back on the bike again at Valencia and I really hope to feel better than I did on Sunday in Estoril. The last medical checks I had this week have shown that the nerves are not affected and this is positive, even though I'm feeling the same symptoms of numbness. I went to Clinica Dexeus to have an electromyography scan in my left arm from the neck to the hand. It showed that the nerves are OK, so I will continue having physiotherapy and I hope that gradually the lack of feeling passes. Despite the circumstances, I'm going to Valencia in a good mood because this is a track I love and the atmosphere there is always special. Last year we had a great race, so I want to get a good result regardless of my physical condition. We have a new sponsor this weekend from Honda in Indonesia. When I visited Indonesia this year I was really amazed by how many people follow MotoGP there. They are very passionate and knowledgeable about the championship, so it's good that this new sponsor on the Repsol Honda machine can create a link with this country."

Hector Barbera

"After the result in Portugal I am feeling happier and more confident. I feel comfortable with the bike at the moment and I hope we can do a good job in practice to find the right set-up for the race. Cheste is my home circuit and I can go fast there without hardly thinking about it so I hope that remains the case this weekend. It is a goal of mine to be fast at Valencia on the Ducati and the target for the weekend is to score my best result of the weekend, finish 2010 well and be part of a really cool race for all the fans. We have got a lot of data from the test we did here at the end of last year and I am sure it will help us."

Hiroshi Aoyama

"Sometimes I have a good feeling with Valencia and sometimes I don't. I hope that this time the feeling will be good. Last year I achieved the 250cc world title there and I have some nice memories on that, but you cannot compare this. I hope that the coming race will be better than the one in Estoril, where I could have finished in the Top 10, but made a mistake and had to be satisfied with 12th at the end. It is a pity that the team cannot continue. I had a really good time with them and I want to thank the team for all they did for me."

Jorge Lorenzo

"I've never won here in Valencia," said Lorenzo, during this afternoon's pre-event press conference. "It's not my obsession to get a victory here this weekend, but we are sure going to try. It's the last race of the season, so we'll make the last push, as we are very motivated to have a good race."

Loris Capirossi

"I hope we can go well at Valencia because it has been a very hard season for us and we need to end the year in a more positive way. The circuit is quite good for our bike and it seems to suit the dynamics of the GSV-R well. I know it will be difficult and I'm still not 100% fit, but I firmly believe I can go well in Valencia. It is the last race and after all that has happened this year it would be good to give my crew something to smile about -- I will certainly be giving everything I've got to make that happen."

Marco Melandri

"In Portugal I had yet another disappointing day and I can't even begin to explain the reasons why we have yet to work things out. We have been trying in vain and I am so bitterly disappointed about it. Valencia is our last chance to salvage something from a season to forget and I will try my hardest. I like the track and I won here in 250 and MotoGP but the chances of us doing anything this weekend are very small and that upsets me.

Marco Simoncelli

"I am still feeling satisfied but also slightly annoyed with how close I came to the podium at Estoril. I was happy with my performance because we kept a consistenyl fast pace from start to finish and I was able to battle with riders who have got the better of me in recent weeks. We have improved so much lately and the performance at Estoril has made me even more convinced we can be regularly fighting at the front. I can't wait to get started at Valencia and put the disappointment of last year behind me as quickly as possible. I love the track and I am desperate to finish on the podium there after missing out by such a small margin in Portugal. The way we are finishing the season is a great sign for next year. We still have a big job to do but the work we have done so far is paying off and I am happy for Honda and the team, who have given me so much support."

Nicky Hayden

"Time has flown past since Portugal. I went to Italy do some wind tunnel tests at Ducati and then we were back on the road to Spain. It has done me good to have a couple of days rest though because the crash on Friday left me with a knock on my back and it has been a bit painful. I'm okay now though and I can't wait to get back out at Valencia, a circuit I love and a place that will always be special to me because I won the title here. Also the fact it's the last race of the season, with so many people there packing out the grandstands... it just gives the whole event that little bit extra. I have been on the podium here twice in the past so we'll try and do it again this Sunday."

Valentino Rossi

"The points gap to second is quite big and Dani is always fast here," declared Rossi. "Anyway, a good target is also to resist and keep the third position from Casey, who is also fast here in Valencia. Last weekend we worked well in Portugal and had a good first half of the race, for this Sunday we will try and prepare the second half."

Rizla Suzuki Still Try To Finish The Season In The Best Way

After making an impressive start race, Loris Capirossi finally cannot finished due to a fail-safe measure as he went into a corner, causing him to run into the gravel. Capirossi was unable to re-start his machine and forced to retire.

“Overall the weekend has been quite positive and we have been in a good position all the time – apart from right at the end of today! I started well and got into a good rhythm behind Marco and Colin, at some points on the track I would lose time on them, but in other places I would make a lot of time on them. Then five or six laps from the end the bike started to slow down a bit. I don’t know what happened, but then it started to go ok again and then with a couple of laps to go it completely stopped. I am very sorry for the whole team, but it seems the luck is just not with me this season – we will still try to finish the season in the best way that we can.”

Capirossi made an impressive start and settled into a good rhythm in seventh place, fighting with Colin Edwards and Simoncelli for fifth. Capirossi looked in with a good chance of attacking the pair in the last few laps, but an electrical issue caused him to lose power and slow dramatically. He was very disappointed to leave Motegi empty-handed after what had been a very positive weekend for him.

Capirossi's partnet Alvaro Bautista had different ends at Motegi Grand Prix. He took a fine seventh position.

“It was not a good, but also not a bad result! We improved on our position from the last few races, but I had a problem in the first few laps with the rear tyre because it was just not getting enough temperature in it, this made it difficult to follow the others riders. After three or four laps I got back into my rhythm and saw that I could keep a similar distance and time to the front group, but the gap was too big and I wasn’t able to catch them. I am happy with the result and the whole team has worked very hard all weekend, but we need to improve on what happened in the first few laps, because in this category those laps are very important. I hope that in Malaysia we can make steps with this and we’ll try to be in the position that I think we should be - which at the moment is in the top-six.”

Another Good Result From Bautista At Aragon

Good result came from Rizla Suzuki racer Álvaro Bautista after finish eighth place at his home race Aragon. Got a good start from 12th on the grid, Bautista was blocked at the first corner and couldn’t capitalise on it to make up as many places as he wanted. 

“I had some great battles out there with De Puniet, Barbera and some other riders and I really had fun during the race. At the beginning I had a bit of a problem when I was braking and I felt a lot of moving in the front, so I couldn’t keep up my speed entering the corners. I wasn’t able to push how I wanted, but luckily after a few laps the bike started to work how I wanted it to – it was much more like the bike I had in qualifying so I was able to find a good rhythm. In the middle of the race the performance started to deteriorate and it was getting very difficult to follow Barbera on the fast back straight. This made it very difficult to overtake him and if I did manage he immediately came back past on that straight, so that made me lose more time on the guys in front and the riders behind started to catch us. I had to fight right until the last corner on the last lap to keep eighth place once I’d got past Barbera, I was forced to close every line and in the very last turn Melandri tried to come past but I was able to block him. Today the bike was probably not perfect because the tyres started to slide from the middle of the race onwards. I fought as hard as I could and eighth is not a bad result, but I certainly think we can do better.”

Rizla Suzuki and the rest of the MotoGP paddock now embark on a three–week Far East tour taking in Japan, Malaysia and Australia in consecutive weekends. The first of the trio will be at Motegi in Japan on Sunday 3rd October, when Rizla Suzuki look to welcome back Loris Capirossi from injury to partner Bautista at Suzuki’s home Grand Prix.

Bautista Pleased With Aragon Free Practice

Álvaro Bautista was happy with his first day’s work after changing weather conditions meant two totally different free practice sessions. After reach 14th position on the FP 1 (1'52.822), Bautista then reach 12th position with 2'05.170 on the FP 2. His to speed on the FP 1 was 315.1 Km/h and 311.3 on the wet FP 2 session.

After Colin Edwards dismiss Aragon race this weekend, Bautista was the Rizla Suzuki’s sole representative at the Motorland Aragon Grand Prix in Spain. This Spaniard was the busiest rider of the day as he completed a total of 39 laps of the 5,078m track during the two sessions.

Álvaro Bautista:

“We had the opportunity to ride in both wet and dry conditions today and that was good because we were able to learn a lot about the track. This morning I used the softer option of tyres and at the beginning of the session they worked very well. It is a new track with new reference points so I had to try to push on without really knowing where I was going and I was able to learn the track – I felt good on the bike and the lap-times were pretty good as well. I made a stop in the middle of the session and carried on with the same tyres, but the rear was too soft and I was losing a lot of time from the exit of the corners – so I was unable to improve my lap-time. This was a good session for us though because it meant we learnt that we could not do a race distance with that type of tyre. This afternoon in the wet I just wanted to ride the track and find where the limit was. I rode very quietly and tried not to take too many risks and improve step-by-step. The lap-time was not very fast compared to other riders, but my feeling was good out there. I know I can improve the setting and performance in both wet and dry for tomorrow and I have a lot of confidence that we will make big steps over the weekend whatever the weather.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“We are all really impressed with the Aragon Motorland facility. The layout of the racetrack is very challenging and the organisation is second-to-none. There seems to be a real pride around the place and it certainly deserves a Grand Prix event.

“Everybody knows the story regarding Loris and it’s a big disappointment for him not to be here – especially when it is through no fault of his own. That said Álvaro will be determined to wave the flag for Rizla Suzuki – and for his home fans – this weekend. It’s been a solid, if not a spectacular start for him today. He’s always more of a racer that a practice rider, so we have high hopes for him for the rest of the weekend.”

Alvaro Bautista Will Be A Single Fighter At Aragon

Aragon Grand Prix will be 3rd home race for Alvaro Bautista at this season. But now this Spaniard will go it alone without Loris Capirossi. Capirossi was ruled out with hand injury after accident at the Misano Grand Prix with Nicky Hayden

“I am really excited about this race as it is a new circuit for everyone and we are all starting from the same place. It will be good to have an extra practice on the Friday so we can get the bike set-up and start to learn the track as soon as possible. We went there earlier in the year for a PR event and rode some street bikes around the circuit; it is a great facility and one that I am looking forward to racing at. It is a shame for Loris that he won’t be here and it puts more responsibility on me as I’m the only Rizla Suzuki rider, but I am determined to get a good result for the whole team in front of another home crowd for me.”

Aragón is a brand new venue on the MotoGP schedule and the riders will be given an extra session to acclimatise themselves with the 5,078m track, as the Friday morning free practice is re-introduced into the timetable. The Motorland Aragón circuit is situated near Alcaniz, approximately 120kms from Zaragoza. The track was built in 2009 and features seven right-hand and 10 left-hand corners over its anti-clockwise layout. The longest straight is just under a kilometre in length and with a selection of flowing curves, tight hairpins and fast sweeping bends the circuit looks like providing plenty of entertainment.