First goal : "to beat my team mate"

_{source: moto.racing-live.com}

Team SUZUKI MotoGP caught up with its newest racer Chris Vermeulen shortly before he boarded a plane to head off to the latest test at Sepang in Malaysia.

We asked the young Australian star about his first ride on the Suzuki GSV-R, his passion for Hot Rods and what race number he will use in 2006. He also told us what his plans are for the off-season, along with his hopes for next year and which tracks he is looking forward to visiting.

Here are his answers and views to the questions we set him.

Now that you have had a chance to ride the Suzuki GSV-R, what are your first thoughts?

"How comfortable and easy the bike is to ride straight out of the box, it is lacking in power at the moment compared to some other bikes but the team know that and that's what we are working on for '06."

How have you settled in with your new crew?

"My crew are a great bunch of guys and they have so much experience. Their work methods are very methodical and nothing is a problem to change and they work so well between themselves."

How have you found the transition from a Superbike to a MotoGP bike?

"So far the transition hasn't been easy, the only thing a Superbike has in common is the amount of power it produces. Other than that a MotoGP bike is built as a race bike and there are so many more things you can adjust with the bike to make it work for you, this is the difficult part learning about this, but when you get it right man they go fast!"