ITALIAN Michel Fabrizio, left without a ride following the folding of the factory Xerox Ducati team, will join the Alstare Suzuki team as its sole rider in 2011.
Fabrizio raced for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra in the 2003 European Superstock Championship, taking four wins and winning the title in the process. Most of the mechanics he worked with then are still with the team these days, so his first outing, during the Magny-Cours tests last week, saw him slip easily into place and start working well straightaway.
The tests were hampered by poor weather on the first day, but day two saw sunshine, a dry track and rapidly falling lap times.
“I am very happy with how the tests went at Magny-Cours, even though the weather was not so good on the first day,” Fabrizio said. “I am a bit surprised how easily I got used to the Suzuki Alstare bike after three years of riding a twin. A twin requires a completely different style to a four, so to jump onto a four and get comfortable so soon is a very good sign. Having known the team from before obviously helped and soon I felt as if I had never been away.”