Thursday’s announcement that 36-year-old Italian Loris Capirossi had extended his relationship with Rizla Suzuki for the 2010 MotoGP World Championship was not exactly news. It was more like confirmation of a strong rumor, for most. What was news, however, was that Capirossi accepted the offer to continue racing the GSV-R even though Ducati recently offered him a lucrative deal to return to its factory team. “For me, it is for sure a great day today because we can confirm again next season with Suzuki. I really love to work with that team Suzuki,” Capirossi told reporters in an informal press conference Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Capirossi then went on to explain his faith in Suzuki even though the manufacturer has struggled to provide him with a consistently competitive racebike. He said Suzuki was shifting some of its racing department resources from AMA and World Superbike to MotoGP, would be utilizing two test riders instead of one during the coming off-season and would use the final races of the 2009 season as testing for the 2010 campaign. Talk then switched to what other opportunities Capirossi had been offered, and he admitted that Ducati had approached him at Mugello. He later, very begrudgingly, said that Ducati had approached him again since the team’s star rider Casey Stoner started having his physical issues mid-season. “From my side, Ducati situation is not so clear but really bad, because Ducati go to many riders to offer money,” said Capirossi. “When you buy rider for money it’s strange. A rider he have to come to want to ride your bike. When you want to ride your bike it’s fine, but when you just go because they offer money it’s not nice situation. “I think nobody know what happen to Casey [Stoner]. Nobody know, I think, just him. My feeling, I work one year with him, I don’t really know what happen. But I really hope for him to come back. “What happen to Ducati if he don’t come back? Now the only rider who ride Ducati well after Stoner is me, because I do many podium, I win one race, always I am close to him. In all winter tests I am some time faster but always close to him. “But also the situation like now is they [Ducati] try every rider, every rider jump on the bike. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know the situation. Also for Ducati it’s not clear at this moment. “I ride five seasons with Ducati. I want to say thank you to Ducati, but when it stop it stop. After 20 seasons I need to have enjoy. I really love to work with people, and I say Suzuki people everyone is so friendly, is so beautiful to work. OK, we say for sure our bike in that moment is not the top one. We know, everybody know that. But I really enjoy to work with the people. This is for sure really important. This is why I am here, you know. Some times, OK, somebody coming to offer more money, but for me is no meaning. I just need good place to work.”