Loris Capirossi came within one lap of scoring Rizla Suzuki's best result of the 2009 MotoGP sea🐬son, only for young compatriot Andrea Dovizioso to sna🐲tch fourth place back on the very last lap.

"I am very disappointed and quite upset to lose fourth place on 🍌the last lap, I think we deserved it and it would have been a great result for the whole team, Suzuki and all the sponsors," said Loris, after his fourth fifth-position of the season. "Dovizioso was a little bit faster than me on the last lap and although I tried to close the door he overtook me quite fast. I tried to get him back but just didn't do it."

Despite the defeat, team manager Paul Denning was pleased to see the GSV-R fighting tooth-and-nail with a 2009 race winner, even if the top three riders - Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda)🌟 - were once again in a class of their 🐟own.

"We came very close to our best result of the year - but it wasn't quite to be!" began Denning. "It's true that three very capable riders went down in the second turn, but without doubt we 🐼had the pace to finish in the top five irrespective of that.

"Whilst the 'aliens' at the very front were beyo♛nd us, to be battling with a GP winner like Dovizioso on a factory Honda sꦺhows that step-by-step our potential is improving."

Team-mate Chris Vermeulen was a victim of the sꦆecond turn lap pile-up and finished the first lap in eleventh, before c༺laiming ninth at the flag.

"I got a good start and got past the whole row in front of me - including Loris - but then I was really close to the incident and everyone went so slowly all of a suddenꦡ," recalled the Australian.

"I 🔴went to select first gear and got neutral instead - so that really slowed me down. Then I ran over Colin's mudguard and lost a lot of momentum which allowed a lot of guys to get back past me.

"Espargaro was going well in front of me and it made it difficult for me to get ♔past him and get some consistent lap-times. Once I got past him my speed was quick and good enough for the top-five. It's the same old thing though, we need to qualify better and get closer to the front and make life a bit easier."