Former MotoGP winner Chris Vermeulen feels that at 30 years old he is ‘too young to quit’ and has expressed interest in racing the BMW-powered Suter for Ioda Racing in MotoGP’s seemingly short-lived CRT class in 2013.

Danillo Petrucci raced for the team this year and generally did well before the team changed from their own framed ART bike. Vermuelen guest raced at Le Mans on the Suter-BMW for the injured Colin Edwards. but has been without a permanent ride since the end of 2011 after an injury fated 2 years with the factory Kawasaki WSBK team.

"I would like to sign a racing or testing contract with a MotoGP team," Vermeulen said at the time. "I need to find out if I still have the necessary speed and thus gradually build my confidence up again. With the knee surgery I have had recently, there has been absolutely no problem. I am regularly training doing triathlons. "

Vermeulen has now seemingly come in to the Italian-based Claiming Rule Team this week, after Robby Rolfo was turned down, possibly due to lack of funding. Ioda are also looking at Vermuelen for his experience to develop the bike.

Suter marketing director, Andreas Leuthe says that Vermuelen could be too expensive, but Chris denie that saying, ‘’I don’t ask for a high wage.’’ In an interview with www.speedweek.de he said, ‘’I want to race and again and get another chance."

With Casey Stoner’s shock retirement from MotoGP this year, Chris, the likeable Aussie, could be a great option for Dorna’s concern, even though Bryan Staring World Superstock racer also from Australia has recently signed for the Gresini CRT Team.

Vermeulen has an impressive track record. In 2003 he was the World Supersport Champion on a Ten Kate Honda. In 2004 and 2005 he impressed with a number of wins, being in contention for both championships. He was offered a chance on Sito Pons MotoGP Honda towards the back end of 2005 and impressed so much that Suzuki offered him a ride full time in MotoGP from 2006-2009, taking Suzuki’s first four-stroke win in the class at the rain soaked Le Mans meeting in 2007, he finished a very respectable 6th in the championship that season and scored numerous podiums and pole positions until being dumped in 2009. Chris said that when Capirossi joined in 2009 that ‘there was no further development at Suzuki.’

Indeed, the Aussie has been linked with a return to Suzuki’s MotoGP squad as a development rider in anticipation for their 2014 return. "But still I would prefer to go back MotoGP," Vermeulen insisted. "The Suter-BMW would irritate me – I hated it at Le Mans, if you look at how Colin (Edwards) performed in it, then you have to say the bike was not great, but I would love to have a chance to race and develop something of that calibre again.’