MotoGP: Loris Capirossi in shock Rizla Suzuki move

MCN understands Marlboro Ducati’s Loris Capirossi has agreed to join Suzuki’s MotoGP team next year.

This will see Italian joining Chris Vermeulen in the Rizla Suzuki squad after the Aussie agreed to stay on for another year.

Stung into action by the loss of John Hopkins to Kawasaki, Suzuki have replaced him with one of the most experienced riders on the grid following the news that he is all-but out at Ducati for 2008, in favour of Marco Melandri.

MCN understands Capirossi has signed a one-year deal to ride the much-improved GSV-R, rejecting a Kawasaki contract and leaving Ducati after a five-year stint to join his third Japanese factory team, after spells with Honda and Yamaha in the 1990s.

Suzuki and Kawasaki have been at odds over the same riders for much of this season, with Kawasaki first showing interest in the three-times world champion early in the season, and last week managing to prise Hopper from Rizla Suzuki for 2008.

Vermeulen is believed to have agreed verbally to stay with Suzuki, despite a late show of interest from Yamaha to ride in 2008.

Talking earlier about his options he said:  “A factory team is the best thing for lots of reasons. The budget is bigger, development is quicker and the bike is built around you.

“There’s no number one or two at Suzuki and they treat John and I equally, but he was the senior rider with more experience and most of the stuff was developed around him.

“I feel if I stay at Suzuki I will be the senior rider and that has its positive points. I have spoken to Lin Jarvis of Yamaha. He was interested and wanted to discuss my future and working with Yamaha.”