Suzuki delighted with Alvaro Bautista impact

Suzuki’s factory MotoGP boss Paul Denning has spoken of his delight at the early performances of new recruit Alvaro Bautista.

The Spaniard produced easily his best performance on the new GSV-R machine in Sepang recently when he ended the second pre-season test in an encouraging 10th place. 

And his gradual improvement has impressed Denning, who hired the former 125GP world champion to replace Aussie Chris Vermeulen for 2010.

Denning told MCN: “ It’s a fresh start and the main reason Suzuki went with Alvaro is that from a racing point of view a rider can always make a difference. And the big attraction with Alvaro is that on race day and he comes out with the gloves on and is just desperate to race.

“So many times he’s had bad weekends on Friday and Saturday but he just forgets it and is right up there battling with the front guys. His spirit and enthusiasm is a nice thing to introduce to the garage and we are a bit lucky in our choice. 

“He’s good at what he does but he’s not a superstar. He’s grounded and a normal lad and fits in superbly well.”