Loris Capirossi focused after Estoril frustration

Rizla Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi is remaining focused on the final championship run-in following his forced retirement at Estoril.

Loris Capirossi’s disappointing DNF at Estoril has failed to dampen the veteran Italian rider’s positive assessment of the progress his GSV-R machine has made this season.

The Rizla Suzuki rider – who will continue with the same outfit next campaign – retired on the 20th lap of the Portuguese GP, following a technical fault with his bike which made it impossible to continue.

Capirossi was closing in on the battle for sixth place, which was ensuing between Toni Elías (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) as he attempted to further secure his championship standing of seventh.

The 36-year-old remains seventh in the overall riders’ rankings for the season, but his points advantage over nearest rival Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) has now been cut to four, with a chasing pack of six other riders all capable of catching Capirossi in the final three races of the season.

Capirossi – who qualified in seventh place on the grid in Portugal – is maintaining an upbeat outlook ahead of the forthcoming Iveco Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, and said, “The Estoril race wasn’t too bad - until we stopped! I started quite well and was with the front group, but I then lost control on turn six and lost a few places. I tried to get my rhythm back and I managed to overtake a few riders and I caught up with Toni and Andrea. I know I was quicker than them and could have got past to score a good result.”

“Then I don't really know what happened to the bike, because it lost power, so all I could do was return to the pits. We have worked really hard this weekend to find the best way to go quicker on the GSV-R and overall our position this weekend was to fight for fifth or sixth, which is not too bad for us because this is one of the worst tracks for us in terms of performance.”

“Everything seems to be improving and we are now looking forward to the next race,” he concluded.

Capirossi’s Suzuki team-mate Chris Vermeulen, who is also hot on the trail of the Italian in the championship, finished tenth - from 15th on the grid - having worked his way through the race field. He echoed his colleague’s sentiments ahead of his home race at Phillip Island.

“I am quite happy with the way I rode and the fact that I moved up through the field,” he said. “We’ve definitely made improvements with the GSV-R at this track and I’m really looking forward to going to Phillip Island with those improvements.”

Loris Capirossi disappointed to lose fight with Dovizioso

Capirossi unhappy with fifth
An all-Italian battle between Loris Capirossi and Andrea Dovizioso for fourth brought the crowd to their feet in the final stages at Misano, but there was ultimately frustration for the veteran Suzuki rider.

Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Cpairossi produced another excellent performance at Misano on Sunday, crossing the fifth, having started tenth on the grid, but the ultra-competitive Italian was not happy after the race as he had lost out in a duel for fourth place with Andrea Dovizioso on the last lap.

Indeed, there were just two-tenths of a second separating the pair as they crossed the line, prompting Capirossi to say afterwards, “"I am very disappointed and quite upset to lose fourth place on the last lap, I think we deserved it and it would have been a great result for the whole team, Suzuki and all the sponsors. Dovizioso was a little bit faster than me on the last lap and although I tried to close the door he overtook me quite fast. I tried to get him back but just didn't do it.”

Summarising the Gran Premio Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini overall, Capirossi also remarked, “We got better all weekend and it was a great race for us today and although I am upset at losing out on fourth, because that would have been the best result this year, we are certainly getting closer all the time and I think very soon we will be right up there.”

Solid seventh for battler Capirossi

Loris Capirossi worked extremely hard in Sunday’s MotoGP race at The Brickyard to earn seventh place, despite an early incident which left him down in 14th place on lap one.

The Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix weekend started with Loris Capirossi’s future in MotoGP being confirmed for at least one more season when his 2010 contract with Suzuki was announced - and it ended with the tough Italian securing another solid top ten result for his team. However, there were some considerable obstacles to overcome in between.

The Suzuki team did not appear to be able to find a competitive setting at the famous American venue and Saturday concluded with Capirossi and his colleague Chris Vermeulen qualifying 11th and 14th respectively, only for things to get worse when the race started.

In incident on the second corner saw both Rizla Suzuki riders run off track, with Capirossi running in 14th place at the end of lap one, but the 36 year-old battled back brilliantly over the subsequent 27 laps to eventually finish seventh.

“The final position is not too bad, but I am disappointed with my start because it was not very good and on turn two I was involved in a big mess with some other bikes! I kept up a good pace and I overtook a lot of guys, I had a good rhythm throughout the race and if I'd had that rhythm without the incident early on and the bad start I think I could have challenged for a top five place.”

“I want to thank all my guys for another good job this weekend and they are all working hard to discover the best performance for the new chassis, I already think it is a lot better than the old one, but we still don't know its full potential. We got good data from the race and it was a better result than the grid position, but we expect more and we will be pushing hard in Misano!”
source:motogp.com

Loris Capirossi Biography

Number: 65
Nationality :Itallian
Birth place: Bologna, Italy
Birthday: 04.04.1973.
Team: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
Residence: Montecarlo
Height: 165
Weight: 59
Championship points(2009): 77

Loris Capirossi-125ccm
Loris Capirossi started his racing career in 125ccm European championship, and finished immediately in 4th place. His World 125ccm Championship debut in 1991 was even better, as he finishes first season as champion! That this was not just luck, Capirossi has proved in 1992, when he again won 125ccm world championship.

Loris Capirossi-250ccm
Loris Capirossi moved to 250ccm championship in 1993, and similarly as in 125ccm, impressed in first season in new class, finishing 2nd overall. Next season also did not brought title to Capirossi, as he finishes 3rd overall. After making two year switch to 500ccm world championship, Capirossi has returned to 250ccm to finish what he started in 1993. In season 1997, he finishes 7th in general standings with Aprilia, but next season is the one where he takes 250ccm world championship title after collision with team mate Tetsuya Harada. Although he got the title, he was released by Aprilia, so in 1999 he Joins Honda and finishes season in third before definitive move to 500ccm class.

Loris Capirossi-500ccm
Loris Capirosi has two-part appearance in 500ccm class: first time he rode seasons 1995 and 1996, finishing 5th and 10th respectively. Second time he moved to 500ccm was in 2000, when he joined Emerson Honda Pons team and finished 7th. In 2001, Loris Capirossi had one of best seasons in 500ccm class, finishing championship in 3rd position. Next season saw him struggling with two stroke against new four stroke machines, and nasty injury from Assen put him of the track for few races, enough to finish 8th in overall standings.

Loris Capirossi-MotoGP
Season 2003 was the season of great hopes and great success for Loris Capirossi, as firs Italian rider to ride new Italian machine, Ducati Desmosedici. This combination proved to be remarkable in its first season, as Italian combination took 12 front row positions, 3 pole positions, 6 podium positions and 1 victory, and 4th position in general standings.
Season 2004 was season of many expectations from both Capirossi and Ducati, but new Desmosedici machine GP04 proved not to be as good as expected, but it seems as end of the season approaches, team is finding some good directions, as may be seen from Capirossi`s performance.