Vermeulen claims WSB trumps MotoGP
Added on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor
Vermeulen rides for Kawasaki this season
Chris Vermeulen has claimed that World Superbikes is a better championship than MotoGP, claiming that the 1,000cc championship requires more skill form the riders.
Speaking ahead of the opening weekend of the WSB championship, Vermeulen, who left MotoGP at the end of 2009, claims that the processional races seen in MotoGP in recent years are discouraging for fans and that the Grand Prix series places too much emphasis on electronic aids.
The Aussie added that despite the championship’s lower standing, he believed that winning the WSB championship is just as, if not more difficult than winning the MotoGP crown.
“I think that at the moment (superbike) racing’s better and that’s what people want to see,” he claimed.
“They don’t want to see (MotoGP champion) Valentino Rossi out in front by 10 seconds, then Casey Stoner second and so-and-so third.
“That makes it look easy. The bikes never slide around, they don’t move much and anyone sitting on the sidelines thinks, oh yeah, I could do that.
“But in superbikes the spectacle is much more because the bikes are sliding, people are close, they’re making mistakes, they’re running wide, they’re coming past each other.
“In general public terms MotoGP is put up on a pedestal and superbikes is rated as the second championship, but it’s no easier to win at one or the other,” he said.
“The electronics in MotoGP mean it’s more important to get the bike working for you.
“In superbikes, the bikes are more raw, there are less aids, they are heavier, they flex more and the rider has to adjust a lot more so you’ve got to adapt in different ways.”
The former Suzuki man did however suggest he would be open to making a return to the MotoGP series in the future.
“It’s not that I’m glad to be out of there. I enjoyed my time there,” he said.
“But there are a lot more egos in that paddock whereas here in general it’s a lot more fun.
“It’s more of a relaxed atmosphere. MotoGP is more of a business and superbikes is more of a sport.
“Next year Kawasaki are bringing out the new ZX10R and I’ve got a two-year contract. We’re racing this year’s bike but a lot of us are learning to work together, building a team and developing the 2011 bike.
“Our goal is to come out then and really be a force to be reckoned with.
“That’s not saying that this year we’re giving up but I don’t think realistically we have a chance to win this year but honestly I think we’ve got a chance to be in the top five.”
