Suzuki boss backs Vermeulen for more success

Factory Suzuki boss Paul Denning has backed Aussie rider Chris Vermeulen to build on his French GP victory and become an even bigger influence in the MotoGP world championship.

Denning was thrilled with the Aussie after he handed Suzuki its first ever four-stroke MotoGP success in a rain-soaked Le Mans clash.

And he now believes Vermeulen has got the talent to convert his impressive wet weather form to dry conditions with the 24-year-olds Le Mans triumph catapulting him to fifth in the overall standings.

Denning told MCN: “Chris’s character make up is that of a winner. I’m not sure he needs that much more self-belief. He has a very strong level of self-confidence, not arrogance but confidence in his ability that he can get the job done.

“However, there’s nothing like winning in order to be able to have the confidence that you’ve done it, managed the race, reacted to the pressure from high quality riders and been able to ride away into the distance.

“It certainly can’t hurt. He’s young enough and experienced enough at the same time to learn new techniques while still riding with full aggression. Never for one minute did we not think Chris was going to be competitive.”

Denning admitted signing Vermeulen at the end of 2005 had been a gamble for Suzuki’s factory team, but he also said: “It was a gamble for Chris as well. He had very strong relationship with Honda for many, many years.

“They’d given him a chance to ride in a couple of GPs and at the end of 2005 our bike wasn’t performing nearly as well as the opposition. I had to sell him a very aggressive story about where the project was going and what Suzuki was putting into MotoGP.

“I’m happy everything we discussed we have delivered on, but of course the other way round he has delivered back to us, and more.”

Denning said Vermeulen and team-mate John Hopkins had been crucial in helping to turn around Suzuki’s fortunes in the premier class. After years in the doldrums the Japanese factory is currently enjoying a major resurgence in the new 800cc era.

Explaining the factors in Suzuki’s revitalised form, with Vermeulen’s win coming hot on the heels of Hopkins’ career first podium in China, Denning added: “Durability has improved massively and that’s so important because if you have got that you can focus on testing and moving forward rather than just making the bike operate correctly.

“That and engine character are the two major improvements. The bike is much more user- friendly and much more consistent. The rider can hold the rear tyre in his right hand now.

“There’s a very good connection between the rear tyre and the twist grip. We lacked that and on the 800s that means everything because you need to open the throttle a lot earlier and it makes a big difference.”

While credit has to go to Hopkins and Vermeulen for performing on the track, Denning said it is hard to underestimate the massive role played in Suzuki’s upturn in fortunes by Japanese engineers.

For so long under fire for woeful performances in the 990cc four-stroke era, Suzuki has taken a massive leap forward and Denning said: “Suzuki has taken a massive step so now we are in a position where the bike is genuinely competitive and that gives the engineers the confidence of the direction we need to keep pushing. 

“A big advance over the last two years is that Suzuki more and more is listening to the riders and not trying to reinterpret the riders’ comments. Now they really understand what the riders want.

“That’s meant the direction has become very clear and that the character of the engine that you need to do 28 good laps in a race is quite different to the character of engine that may look good on paper and produce good power and torque figures.”

Denning said Suzuki could now approach the remainder of the campaign with renewed optimism and he said: “Chris winning was a significant milestone for Suzuki. Equally for me China was a bigger milestone because we got a podium in dry conditions.

“With nobody falling down and no issues John was battling for the podium with Valentino Rossi and Ducati. In some ways that was more of a significant milestone. A combination of the two results gives us confidence to move forward again.”