ALSTARE SUZUKI:

Team Suzuki Alstare riders Karl Muggeridge and Yukio Kagayama ended final qualifying and Superpole with the 11th and 13th fastest times respectively and will line up on the third and fourth rows of the grid for tomorrow’s pair of 23-lappers at Magny-Cours in France.

Both riders continued to work with their new Ohlins suspension and were happy with the feedback they are getting and the progress they are making.

Karl Muggeridge – 11th, 1:38.851:

“Once again we began the day with the two bikes set up differently, so that we could do as much as possible in the shortest time. We had a small engine problem with one in the morning, but it didn’t affect what we were trying to do too much. What’s good at the moment is the fact that every time we make a change, it’s for the better. On race tyres, the bike feels pretty good and although there is a bit of a problem with rear grip on acceleration, it’s probably something we can sort out. We’re making progress and I think a good set of results are possible, even though I’m starting from the third row.”

Yukio Kagayama – 13th, 1:39.148:

“For Superpole 1, we put in one of our qualifying tyres, but straightaway I got a lot of chattering and so was unable to set a good lap time. Compared to the race tyres, the qualifiers give me more grip, but also more chatter. But I feel positive, because every time I go out I think we are making progress with the new suspension and understanding it more and more. Tomorrow we’ll make some small changes to the front and rear suspension to see if we can improve the bike further and get more grip. I need two good starts but I am ready for this challenge and will fight as hard as I can – as usual.”