Suzuki riders Loris Capirossi and Chris Vermeulen head to Mugello in realistic mood for the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. The former, at his home race, is hoping to perform competitively in front of his home crowd although both men realise that there is still work to do in order to become more serious contenders in 2009.
With 27 points after the opening four races, Capirossi currently lies ninth in the standings but wants more from a weekend at home. "Mugello is always a special place for me and I was not happy with last year's result so I am planning to put things right this time around," said the 26-year-old, who came home seventh from a front row start in 2008.
"This year's GSV-R is certainly better than the 2008 bike and I really believe that, if we can get the setup right and have a couple of good days' testing, we can be pushing at the front." He admitted, however, that the squad is still searching for more performance from its bike's tyres with, at present, a distinct lack of grip occurring sooner than with competitors during races.
"We need to keep working hard and try to get the full potential from the GSV-R," Australian Vermeulen continued. "I really enjoy racing in Mugello - it is such a unique atmosphere and the track is amazing. It's always a tough race in Mugello but we will be doing all we can to keep improving and we'll certainly be aiming for our best result of the season so far!"
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Chris Vermeulen
Loris Capirossi
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