Misano MotoGP Reaction: Chris Vermeulen makes it an Aussie 1-2 in Misano

Chris Vermeulen made it a second Aussie 1-2 finish in the last three MotoGP races as he strengthened his bid to snatch third in the championship from Dani Pedrosa.

Vermeulen’s fourth podium of the season and Pedrosa’s first lap disaster after he was rammed off track by Randy de Puniet at the second corner means the factory Suzuki rider is just 18-points adrift of the Spaniard with five races remaining.

Vermeulen put up brave resistence in the face of another Stoner onslaught, and while still comfortably beat by his compatriot, the margin of defeat was halved compared to when he finished second to the Ducati rider in Laguna Seca.

Vermeulen got a great start from eighth on the grid, which was just as well as he narrowly avoided being caught up in the second corner melee, which was prompted by de Puniet.

He quickly passed Valentino Rossi and then moved into second by Rizla Suzuki team-mate John Hopkins at turn two on lap six.

He closed to within a second of Stoner but front tyre grip problems cost him the chance to severely pressure the 21-year-old as he went in search of a second win in 2007.

Vermeulen’s second, closely followed by American team-mate Hopkins gave Suzuki its first double podium since Sete Gibernau and Kenny Roberts Junior finished first and third in the 2001 Valencia GP.

Asked if it was tough to see Stoner disappearing off into the distance, Vermeulen said: “It is hard when you just can’t claw it back. It was going to be tough for me starting from the third row of the grid but when I got through I thought I was catching Casey. I was trying my hardest but when you are watching him just slowly go away in the last few laps its hard to keep going.

“I was talking to John and he said we were both watching the big screens. He knew that I was behind him because on the back straight there is a big shot and he knew I was trying to go up the inside of him because he was watching the screen one lap. I wasn’t aware of what happened in turn one but it must have just missed me. I came from the third row with a great race but then I still had to pass Valentino and John to get into the position I was and thar’s definitely not easy.”

Vermeulen said he wasn’t looking at Pedrosa and the battle for third place when he added: “Dani could be caught but I’m not really looking at it that way. I can’t win the world title and that’s my main goal. We are just trying to improve the bike and come out strong at the start of next year.”