Chris Vermuelen to join Suzuki GP team?

[Bob]

Watching the Turkish MotoGP on Sunday, Suzi Perry (our rather lovely anchor lady for motorbike coverage on the BBC... I've worked with her you know... but I digress) said that the strong rumour in the paddock is that Chris Vermuelen has been signed to replace Kenny Roberts Jr.

She asked Paul Denning - the Suzuki team manager - but as you can imagine, he was being very cagey on the subject. Bearing in mind Vermuelen was riding for one of the Honda teams, I'd guess they wanted it kept quiet as well!

Reckon Chris has been stolen from under Honda's noses. Once upon a time the "honour" system wouldn't have let this happen. But since Rossi (and possibly more importantly in this context - Burgess*) were poached by Yamaha, looks like that has gone out of the window.







* There is a suspicion that Honda were happy to let Rossi go, to prove it was the bike, not the rider that was winning championships. Burgess was part of the deal and was directly approached by Yamaha to move over. As I say, once upon a time, the honour system meant Honda could do this as senior company, but the others would not "poach upwards". Oh how times have changed...

[James Deuce]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo.

There endeth a promising career.

[**R1**]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo.

There endeth a promising career.yup, just like Hopkins.... that would be a bad bad BAD move.

[k14]

yup, just like Hopkins.... that would be a bad bad BAD move.
Yeah my thoughts exactly. Just stay in supers for 1 more year, win the championship and then get a ride with honda.

[White trash]

yup, just like Hopkins.... that would be a bad bad BAD move.

Why did Hopper stay with Suzuki for another 2 years when he was approached by both Yamaha and Honda?

I think young Vermulin got sick of chasing a Suzuki in SBK and thought the grass might be greener. :psst:

[James Deuce]

WT, that argument is nearly as weak as your arms.

[White trash]

WT, that argument is nearly as weak as your arms.

Actually, round-boy, I've got bluddy heee-uge biceps now. Ask any chick that's seen me and my "Bowflex body" lately and wears glasses.

[White trash]

Also, lets bear in mind all the Supercross fans that said the same thing about Ricky Carmichael last season.

[**R1**]

If Chris Vermuelen, wins the Moto GP nxt year on a Suzuki, I'll shout you a brand new set a Spidi gloves....I would say I'll shout you a K5, but then I had images of you sniping the rest of the field..


And the suzuki that RC rides would be quicker than their GP bike anyway!!

[TwoSeven]

It may have been that honda may have turned him down on the [motogp] bike for other reasons. I suspect that they may have wanted him to get more experience first. Perhaps thats why he took up the suzuki offer and didnt return for another year of WSB as was suggested he needed.

It certainly is a bizare move, to go from a winning team to a losing team is a rather odd career move.

[zadok]

I wonder who has got the jump on the rest of the manufacturers with the intruduction of 800's in 2007. That will probably make things interesting.

[NordieBoy]

It certainly is a bizare move, to go from a winning team to a losing team is a rather odd career move.
Worked for Rossi :D

[Cleve]

I heard Honda had told Chris one more year in Superbikes and Mick Doohan told Chris, go MotoGP asap any how...
If he can leave Honda he can just as easily go back.

[Matt Bleck]

AT the time of the Istanbul GP it was a rumor....

[motobob]

Could be CV is trying to pull the same stunt as Nicky Hayden when he signed for Yamaha and Honda reacted by Giving in. Riding for Suzuki in WSB wold be smart but Not for MotoGP.
Doesn't matter what size the bikes are, Suzuki won't make a better 800 than the others. Which is strange considering their dominance in other forms of racing eh.

WT I heard that Suzuki had the best MX bikes in the States so Carmicheal wasn't taking a risk at all. He is the dirt equivalent of Rossi.

[gav]

Dominance? at road racing? pffft, the only reason they ever did any good was Kevin Schwantz, just think how many titles Schwantzy could have won on a Honda or Yamaha, as for KRjr, jeez he was lucky, Rossi's first year on a 500 and how many wet races did they have , about 4 or 5? How many they had this year or most years, two if youre lucky. As for the GSXR range, finally, finally they've managed to win WSBK, how long they be trying? Since it started way back in 1989? Hopkins, knew he couldnt cut it on a real bike, best to take the easy option and take the mega bucks to stay where he is.

[Suney]

There's a news line on motogp.com saying he's signed for Team Suzuki for 2006 but no link to the article.
Hmmmmm... haven't found anything on google news

[Matt Bleck]

Suzuki have annouced it on their website (http://www.suzuki-racing.com)

Looks like he be thrown to the lions at Valencia!

[jnr]

Remember the promises over the years of GP rides....Slight, Edwards...maybe Chris remembers these things too ??

[James Deuce]

Putting on the other hat for a second, Suzuki would be a good team to join for a rookie. No expectations of instant glory, and if he manages points finishes he'll be a hero. If not then the Suzuki is living up to its current expectations, but he'll be circulating under the watchful eye of a bunch of other team owners.

It's win-win really.

I hope.

[k14]

Putting on the other hat for a second, Suzuki would be a good team to join for a rookie. No expectations of instant glory, and if he manages points finishes he'll be a hero. If not then the Suzuki is living up to its current expectations, but he'll be circulating under the watchful eye of a bunch of other team owners.

It's win-win really.

I hope.
Nah its not, he has already pissed off the team with the best bike in motogp from leaving them in supers (which he had a good chance of winning last year) and gone to their opposition. I'd be very surprised that he will swap to honda or yamaha in the next few years. Should have bided his time in supers and waited till he got a factory or semi-factory honda ride.

[James Deuce]

Nah its not, he has already pissed off the team with the best bike in motogp from leaving them in supers (which he had a good chance of winning last year) and gone to their opposition. I'd be very surprised that he will swap to honda or yamaha in the next few years. Should have bided his time in supers and waited till he got a factory or semi-factory honda ride.

I know. That's what the little "I Hope" was for. :(

Honda don't believe that riders add much to the equation though.

[Ghost Lemur]

Suzuki have annouced it on their website (http://www.suzuki-racing.com)

Looks like he be thrown to the lions at Valencia!

He'll be testing at Valencia, not racing.

Got to feel for the guy, sure it's not as bad as jumping on a TeamKR bike, but it's not a competitive machine either (can't see that changing next year).

From what I hear Honda wanted him to do another year where he was. Obviously his desire to be in the MotoGP over rid his willingness to hold out for a competitive team to offer him a ride.

Suppose only time will tell as to the sensibility of his desision.

[Matt Bleck]

http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=8425

He sounds very positive!

[BarryG]

I think Hopper must have signed for them for the same reason Chris the V has - Suzuki have to have made it clear they will put more into the GP effort than they have been. I can't see Hopper turning down Ducati if he thought Suzuki aren't going to improve, surely? I think this new team is going to be way more competitive than it was with Roberts in it, just seemed to me he didn't have the drive he once did, and was just riding around. Two young fast blokes must surely be the way to go for a team in the doldrums. Hopkins has never been one to tool around at the back, he's given it plenty in the last couple of seasons. Vastly underrated, a real racer. I think Vermuelen maybe has more natural talent, but Hopkins commitment isn't in question.
Cheers
Barry

[gav]

Hmmm, I don't expect too much from Suzuki for 2006, they surely arent going to develop a complete new bike for one year then have to build another new 800 for 2007.
And I think the Ducati offer that Hopkins received was a fair old wage cut from what he's on at the moment.

[BarryG]

Yes, could be the offer wasn't as lucrative as what Suzuki came up with. But if Ducati were planning on saving money by signing Hopkins for less than Checa, they've blown that by signing Gibernau, methinks! I bet he didn't come cheap. There was talk of him going to Suzuki, but suspect that was just a wind-up from someone.
It would be good, tho', if the Suzukis do come right next year. I think two young riders must be the way to go. Just read words from Doohan who reckons there's a lot of GP riders collecting money for just riding around, and teams need to look outside the current crop of long termers. Probably right enough, too. Not sure who he's referring to, maybe Checa, Biaggi, Barros, Roberts at least.
Cheers
Barry

[gav]

Yes, could be the offer wasn't as lucrative as what Suzuki came up with. But if Ducati were planning on saving money by signing Hopkins for less than Checa, they've blown that by signing Gibernau, methinks! I bet he didn't come cheap. There was talk of him going to Suzuki, but suspect that was just a wind-up from someone.
It would be good, tho', if the Suzukis do come right next year. I think two young riders must be the way to go. Just read words from Doohan who reckons there's a lot of GP riders collecting money for just riding around, and teams need to look outside the current crop of long termers. Probably right enough, too. Not sure who he's referring to, maybe Checa, Biaggi, Barros, Roberts at least.
Cheers
Barry
Sorry, you lost me? Who was going to Suzuki? Gibernau? He's already raced for Suzuki!!
As for the others, Barros won a GP this year, Checa was real strong over the last 5-6 races, Biaggi finished 5th in the championship with 2 second place finishes. Only really Roberts disappointed but still scored as many points as the highly regarded John Hopkins?
Personally I've been most disappointed with Colin Edwards, admittably the Aprilia was crap, but since then he's been on both a Honda and now a Yamaha and just when you think he's cracked and he's looking gopod he fades back to looking average. Only 2 podiums all year and one was his home track where he was a favourite.

[BarryG]

Yes, way back (500's, I think). But this was a silly season rumour, a move to Suzuki. Obviously one, even then, to be taken with a large fistful of salt! Signed for Ducati, but I still wonder if Bridgestone are going to be consistently competitive with Michelin.
Agree about Colin, and it's a real pity. Even tho' he's ended up 4th in the championship, I don't rate placing in a championship as being worth a hell of a lot in comparison to race wins or competitiveness. He's had flashes, but the pace has been lacking generally.
Funny how Checa always seems to come alive at the end of a season! He's not confirmed anywhere for next year, neither is Max, as far as I know. Surley there must be some money out there for both of them. Michael Scott's writings about money and MotoGP are a bit sobering. Tobacco money may be drying up, Telefonica has gone to F1 with Alonso, Gauloises uncertain with the Rossi frame of mind at the moment. I see Fortuna is going back to a Honda team (with Elias), not sure where that leaves a satellite Yamaha team.
Bloody politics, could screw up a good thing. And the worst is, we have to put up with no MotoGP until when, April?
Cheers
Barry

[gav]

Carlos Checa is in line to ride the Camel Honda alongside Casey Stoner, yes Telefonica have buggered off and mainly because they lost Dani Pedrosa to HRC/Repsol. The Telefonica team have picked up the Fortuna sponsership and signed Toni Elias, so he will be teamned with Marco Melandri on red and yellow Hondas. Two guys out of the loop at the moment are Max Biaggi and Alex Barros, neither appear to have a ride for nbext year. Doesnt appear if the old satelitte Yamaha team will be running at this stage. Kenny Roberts (snr) looks to haver secured Honda V5's for his bikes (nice one, Honda) and Kenny jnr may yet be riding these.