Q&A: Chris Walker - EXCLUSIVE.

Chris Walker is settling into his Rizla Suzuki team and enjoying his return to BSB. He had a chat with Crash.net Radio at the Snetterton BSB test.....

Question:
How has preseason testing gone for you?

Chris Walker:
It has gone pretty good actually. As you are aware it is a new bike for Suzuki and everything is new for me, but I've been going gradually quicker and getting closer to the opposition every test. We are going the right way definitely.

Q:
How are you getting on with your new team-mate Cal Crutchlow?

CW
Cal is a star, we trained a bit together last year before we became team-mates. To be honest we have been that busy with the Suzuki and the Rizla commitments over the winter we've not seen so much of one another but we get on real good. He is a great team-mate to have along as he is on it; he is real young, real keen and really fast as well. So I'm enjoying having him around its great.

Q:
Have you caught much of the World Superbikes this year?

CW
Yeah of course I have, I was up and watching like you do at all hours for the first two rounds. JT is doing a fantastic job and I text him before those first couple of rounds and wished him well. He has done us all proud; he has done a fantastic job. I hope it continues for him for the rest of the year.

Q:
Are you looking forward to the start of the season?

CW
I am I hope I have as strong a start to my year as James has and then I'd be well away. I know it is going to be tough, going back to all these old tracks, but at least Brands is a track that I've been going to for the last seven years with World Superbike, so that is pretty good. It is a track I like so I'm excited.

Q:
Who is going to be your main competition?

CW
I think it goes without saying the front runners from last year's championship are always going to be fast - the Airwaves Ducati pair and the Honda pair. There are also a lot of young ones going fast and obviously we've got Shakey on a good bike again and he had his learning year again last year after a couple of years away. I think it is going to be real tough and hard to say who is going to be the man at the end of the year but I don't know at this stage.

Q:
What is your aim for this season?

CW
Keep out of trouble really for the first couple of rounds while the bike is still in its infancy and while I'm still getting back into the championship. I know it is going to be tough at Brands and at Thruxton. I just don't want to be too far away at the end of those two rounds, hopefully there won't be too big a point's lead to the championship leader. In an ideal world it would be a dream if we could be that leader but realistically I want to be as close to the front runners as possible. Then we can build on that for the rest of the year.