Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday Afternoon MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:48.707
2. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:48.891
3. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:48.910
4. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:49.123
5. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:49.195
6. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:49.434
7. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:49.604
8. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 1:49.734
9. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:49.858
10. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:49.887
11. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:50.171
12. Akira Ryo, Suzuki, 1:50.362
13. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:50.436
14. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:50.623
15. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:50.704
16. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 1:50.720
17. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:51.144
18. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:51.641
19. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 1:51.723
20. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 1:51.771
21. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 1:51.841
22. Tamaki Serizawa, Moriwaki, 1:52.006
23. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 1:52.039
24. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 1:52.554
25. David De Gea, Harris WCM, 1:54.612
26. Chris Burns, Harris WCM, 1:54.809


More, from a press release issued by Alice Aprilia Racing Information:

PACIFIC GP/1st QUALIFYING SESSION

COLIN EIGHTH, A CRASH FOR HAGA
First qualifying session at Motegi and two faces result for the Alice Aprilia Racing Team. Colin Edwards made a very fast lap time qualifying 8th fastest whilst his team mate Nori Haga slipped out of the track without completing the session. For the Japanese rider just one back contusion and tow left hand fingers bruised because of a loss of grip in the rear. No fractures for Haga after the X – ray exams.

COLIN EDWARDS: “I did the best and finally I got a good lap time. So I feel confident but we still have to improve the chassis setting cause there’s a bit of chattering in two different parts of the track. Anyway I am happy because I reached the top ten after some difficult races”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “I lost the rear when I was in the corner and I threw up. The blow with the surface was hard but I only suffered a back contusion without any fracture. Anyway my bike still had some chattering problems in different parts of the track”.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “Luckily Nori did not suffer any serious damage. Maybe it was a loss of grip in the rear but now I want to sort it out with the data recording. Colin got a good lap time today so we are in a high spirits now. We have no particular chattering problems here and in this moment we found a good solution in order to solve the problem for this race. Anyway we have also different material for the rear: swingarm, wheels and linkage to reduce the vibrations. Moreover the new Michelin tyres we tested in Jerez are very good: they have been built like the 17 even if they are 16.5”


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

DIFFICULT SET-UP DAY FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-RR AT MOTEGI

Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt, qualified 21st and 24th respectively during today’s opening qualifying session for Sunday’s Pacific Grand Prix of Motegi.

The Pacific Grand Prix is the second home race of the season for the Kawasaki squad, following the season-opening Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Motegi also marks the first anniversary of the international debut of the Ninja ZX-RR four-stroke MotoGP machine, which was raced for the first time here in 2002 by factory test pilot Akira Yanagawa.

Both McCoy and Pitt spent much of the first day of practice and qualifying evaluating the latest, more powerful, version of the Ninja ZX-RR motor, as part of Kawasaki’s ongoing development of the 990cc inline four-cylinder machine.

The layout of the 4.8km Motegi circuit is proving a challenge for both riders and technicians alike, as they work to maximise the performance of the engine upgrade and overcome problems with front end lift out of slower turns and stability on corner entry.

For Pitt there has been the additional work load of learning another new circuit as he begins the final phase of his rookie season in the MotoGP World Championship. The Australian is applying simple logic to the task and has settled on a base set-up with which to concentrate on for the remainder of the weekend.

McCoy is suffering from a mild cold and cough, which he puts down to the recent heavy load of international travel, and today’s variable temperatures contributed towards him not feeling 100 percent during afternoon qualifying.

Garry McCoy – 21st – 1:51.841
“I’m never happy being 21st and I hope we can move forward; at least I’m the number one Dunlop qualifier today, so I’m first at something. With the hard acceleration, slow speed corners at Motegi the wheelie problem we experience at some tracks is back. I’m playing with the set-up to help that, including some longer gear ratios, but a lot of guys out there are looking more comfortable than me; it’s difficult to tuck-in and follow anyone. The motor has more rpm and feels like it has a little more power overall, but the bike also feels like it is pushing forward into some corners. We’ve still got some work to do to settle on race tyres, when the temperatures warm up in the afternoon it changes tyre performance. ”

Andrew Pitt – 24th – 1:52.554
“I’m coming to grips with the track but I’m not touching the bike, it feels as good as it can be with what we’ve got; I’m just going to keep doing laps and working with the circuit. The engine upgrade here has more top end power and acceleration is better, but traction coming off the slow corners is not as good; the rear is spinning up and the wheelstand problem is back. This motor has gone back to a heavier crankshaft specification and that seems to be a problem for me; the bike wants to push forward into the slow corners and there are lot of dead-stop corners here. I did a whole session on a front tyre this morning so that looks good for the race; we just have to settle on a rear tyre for the race now.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“This is Andrew’s first time here at Motegi, so his aim today has been to learn his way around the circuit and improve his lap time in each session, which he has done. Garry has raced here in previous seasons, so the fact that he’s less than a second faster than his relatively inexperienced team-mate is a little disappointing, although I’m sure the cold he is suffering with has taken it’s toll. I’m confident that Andrew will improve further with more track time tomorrow and, hopefully, Garry will be able to put his experience of the Motegi circuit to good use and improve upon his current grid position.”


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

POSITIVE OPENER FOR CHECA AND MELANDRI


It was a promising start to the Pacific Grand Prix for the Fortuna Yamaha Team at the Motegi circuit today. Team-mates Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri both featured well in the top ten during the first qualifying session at the Japanese track. The factory team’s opening performance even included a significant stint at the head of the time sheets, as Spaniard Checa held the top spot for several laps. Recent advancements to the base chassis and suspension set-up have improved the YZR-M1’s stability and
rideability, even on the ‘stop and go’ Motegi layout.

After setting the fourth fastest time in this morning’s free practice, Checa continued to show significant improvement throughout the day. The Spaniard took provisional pole with 20 minutes of this afternoon’s first qualifying session remaining and looked set to stay there when, in the final few minutes, a flurry of riders began to leapfrog one another for the number one slot. Checa was relegated back to seventh with a personal best time of 1:49.604.

“I feel more comfortable on the bike, I don’t know if it’s the track or the changes to our chassis set-up,” explained Checa. “I’ve been quite competitive during the whole session. At the end I tried a soft qualifying tyre but it didn’t make so much of a difference and the competition was high. I think we need even more front feeling, and that’s what I’m hoping to find tomorrow. Yamaha have been working very hard on the engine and it’s good to see our top speed higher. Now we need to work more on the set-up, and hopefully this weekend will be a success.”

Fortuna Yamaha rider Marco Melandri was back to his customary competitive form today, after a disappointing Rio Grand Prix two weeks ago. The young Italian even featured in the top three during this afternoon’s hour-long session, before concluding proceedings in ninth place. The 21-year-old focused his efforts on fine-tuning the new M1 chassis set-up, rather than
chasing a one off fastest lap.

“The asphalt here is flat and better than Rio,” said a contented Melandri. “The bike is working quite well now. We tried many things today and lost about 30 minutes this morning because the engine had a slight problem. This afternoon we tried three different tyres, of which I need to choose one for the race. I lost some time at the end of the session when I made a mistake
about half way through the lap. I’m quite confident for tomorrow. Our speed is better but we also need to improve our acceleration as the straight here is not so long. Tomorrow we will work on perfecting my overall setting.”

Team Director Davide Brivio said, “We’re working to find the benefits of a new set-up. We received new engine specs and have changed some suspension setting based on our ongoing analysis. We’re working to get everything set
up and it seems our riders are quite happy with it. Carlos was top for most of the session but in the last few minutes was pushed to seventh. We will continue to develop our race set-up tomorrow but we have already made improvements today.”

Sete Gibernau (Honda) eventually took provisional pole with a best lap time of 1:48.707, ahead of Valentino Rossi (Honda, 1:48.891) and the ever improving Makoto Tamada (Honda, 1:48.910). These top three were the only riders to break into the sub-’49 barrier. Max Biaggi (Honda, 1:49.123) completed the front row.


More, from a press release issued by Harris WCM:

Harris WCM – Qualifying

Friday 3rd October 2003

DAVID DE GEA: 25th 1.54.612
“We had a lot of problems today that stopped me putting in a good time. At the end of this afternoon’s session I missed the last ten minutes or so because we couldn’t start the bike. The slipper clutch kept slipping and wouldn¹t engage so we couldn’t start it.

“I’m sure the guys will have it all sorted tomorrow and we should be able to do a lot better tomorrow.”

CHRIS BURNS: 26th 1.54.809
“I’m pleased that I had a full day on the bike and there we no major problems with the bike today. The braking seemed to be good and I am finding my braking points now.

“I am hoping for more tomorrow though, as I become more familiar with this track. I haven’t been here before.”

PETER CLIFFORD (Team Manager)
“Just plenty of frustrations for the guys today. Too many technical problems when the guys were trying to learn the circuit. Hopefully tomorrow will be a lot better.”


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Third quickest time – provisional front row. Makoto Tamada makes flying start at Motegi

After posting the second best time in the free practice in the morning, Makoto Tamada confirmed his positive trend on his “home” circuit by making the third fastest lap in the qualifying session. The Pramac Honda Team’s Japanese rider is thus on the provisional front row for Sunday’s race. While the free practice was mainly used to get the settings on the bike worked out, in the qualifying session Makoto tested the new materials from Bridgestone that have been specially prepared for the Pacific Grand Prix.

The new tyres responded well to the changing temperatures of the tarmac: 40 degrees at the start of the session and 30 at the end, meaning Makoto was able to enter the final rush in almost perfect conditions. Throughout the time, he rode with a configuration very close to that of the race, just using slightly softer tyres for the fast lap than the ones he used when trying to maintain a fast and constant pace. Makoto, who was in second place until just a few moments from the end, finally ceded his position to Rossi who came in 19 thousandths quicker. In any case, the first day of tests in Motegi ended on a very positive note that bodes very well for the great rendezvous on Sunday.

MAKOTO TAMADA (PRAMAC HONDA TEAM): 3rd – 1:48.910

“We’re trying out three different solutions for the tyres and the results sure are encouraging. I haven’t chosen the best solution yet but I’ve still got tomorrow for this. I didn’t give it absolutely everything I could today, and this means I’ve still got some margin, in terms of riding, that I can still bring to bear. True, the difference isn’t all that great, but I can still go faster. On this first day of tests, I mainly concentrated on finding a good constant pace. It’s important to get the right rhythm – it can make all the difference during a race. This track has no secrets for me, but I know that if you are able to achieve a fast rhythm and you are determined when braking, you can beat your rivals. We’ll be working hard tomorrow too so as to make sure we’ll be really competitive on Sunday.”


More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

Nobu and McWill Push V5

Motegi Friday Qualifying

Nobuatsu Aoki: 19th, 1:51.723
Jeremy McWilliams: 20th, 1:51.848
Power-up Proton KR takes V5 a step further
Team Proton KR riders Nobuatsu Aoki and Jeremy McWilliams enjoyed the latest improvements to the six-race-old KR V5 in today’s first day of practice for Sunday’s Pacific GP. But both riders had niggling problems that worked against them in qualifying, and both hope for more to come tomorrow.

Even so, they qualified on the heels of one of the factory Hondas, and ahead of both factory Kawasakis, underlining the progress made in the fast-forward development programme for the new machine.

Most development on the first version of the radical V5 has been focused on the engine, with revised engine mapping and intakes helping engineers find a significant boost in mid-range power in the two weeks since the last race. The team also have a new slipper clutch from FCC, which is of crucial importance at this 4.801km circuit. A number of slow corners interspersed with short drag-strip straights mean heavy braking, and a special need for control over engine braking.

Aoki was faster today for his second home GP this year, in spite of missing most of the morning’s free training session with problems to both of his machines. These were fixed for the afternoon, and the Japanese rider was working hard to catch up with the all-important set-up programme.

McWilliams had a relatively trouble-free day – but in the afternoon a mechanical mishap meant he lost his chance of a fast lap on qualifying tyres.

Today’s first practice took place in fine, sunny conditions, with good forecasts for the rest of the weekend. However the track’s location in hilly terrain means weather conditions can be unpredictable.

Nobuatsu Aoki

This morning was a complete disaster. One bike had an oil leak, and the other had an electronic problem. But the mechanics found what it was, and this afternoon both bikes were working properly. The team told me that we have more horsepower in the mid-range, and I could feel it. It’s a big benefit . but we still lack top end power. In the afternoon we made some suspension changes, and it’s coming better. The new clutch was also working very well . no more hopping into the corners. I’m sure we have some more possibilities for a better lap time tomorrow.

Jeremy McWilliams

This afternoon was a bit of a nightmare. We made a good start in the morning, but then I ran into a massive problem getting the bike to settle on the way into the corners. You think you get it right, then you go a bit faster or brake a bit later, and it gets upset again, with a chatter problem that has nothing to do with the tyres. We have a new clutch from FCC, and my first impressions were quite good, but it will take more time to set it up. This is such a stop-start circuit with so many first gear corners that it’s really critical. The engine changes feel good too. But we made an awful mistake when we put on qualifying tyres for a fast lap. The bike had the wrong sprocket and the wrong overall gearing. Then the motor overheated as I waited for the changes.


More, from a press release issued by Camel Pramac Pons:

Max Biaggi on the front row of the provisional grid in Motegi

This weekend sees the start of three consecutive races of the MotoGP World Championship taking place in Asia and Oceania. Today, Max Biaggi achieved a provisional front row grid position on the first day of qualifying for the Pacific Grand Prix and is optimistic of his chances alter a hard day’s work spent preparing his bike. Tohru Ukawa, meanwhile, crashed out on lap eleven of the afternoon session and was unable to continue as he was taken to hospital for a check-up. After a thorough examination doctors said that he had not suffered any fractures, but that his right foot is very painful because he landed on an area where he had suffered a previous injury on the fifth toe.

4th Max Biaggi

“This morning we had some problems which disappeared this afternoon because the Honda technicians modified the engine’s electronic mapping and used the settings Hayden had used during free practice. I am surprised at how much the performance of the engine can change with just a few modifications to the electronics. Now we have a good basis to work from, although we must concentrate on getting the maximum out of the bike. I would also like to say that this is the occasion where I have felt most comfortable riding the new bike and I hope that tomorrow I can improve my times and get more feeling with the bike and the set-up”.

14th Tohru Ukawa

“I lost control of the bike at the fifth corner of the track and I crashed out. It is a shame because my times were good and I felt comfortable on the bike. I crashed heavily on my toe and my whole body aches, but I have absolutely no doubt that tomorrow I will be fit enough to set a good time”.

Sito Pons:

“I hope that Ukawa recovers and can maintain the rhythm and progression that he was showing before the crash. He has no significant injury and I think he will be fine to go out on the track and race. I think it is important that Biaggi finds the right engine settings which suit his style of riding so that we can then concentrate on the remaining settings”.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

3-WAY SUZUKI ATTACK GETS CLOSER TO POLE

Team Suzuki rider John Hopkins qualified tenth in today’s first qualifying session for Sunday’s Pacific GP, with team-mates Akira Ryo and Kenny Roberts Jr. close behind, in 12th and 13th positions, marking an improvement in team fortunes and reflecting a raft of technical improvements for the Suzuki GSV-R racer’s second home GP of the year.

Hopkins’s best lap came at the end of the hour-long session, and put him third overall, a position he held until near the end of the session. He was bumped to tenth as all riders fitted soft qualifying tyres for their own single fast laps, but the Anglo-American rider still finished up barely a second off provisional pole time, the closest yet for the GSV-R.

All three riders (Ryo is a wild card entry for this race and next weekend’s Malaysian GP) were using different variations of the 990cc V4 engine, under the close scrutiny of top factory race department designers and engineers. This is part of the programme not only to realise the full potential of this year’s machine, but also development for the 2004 version, already in an advanced stage of design at the Hamamatsu headquarters.

Roberts chose a different variation of the new settings from Hopkins, while Ryo’s engine is different again in internal details and specifications.

For Ryo, today’s outing was the first chance to blow away cobwebs and get used to riding in fast company again. The last time the 36-year-old rider from Tokyo raced was at last year’s Malaysian GP. This year he has been engaged full time as factory tester for the MotoGP project, riding mainly at the factory’s Ryuyo test track, and generally alone.

Today’s practice took place in warm and sunny conditions, with the fine weather forecast to stay for the whole weekend. There is one more day of practice before Sunday’s race, the 13th of 16 rounds, and the first of a trio of back-to-back flyaway races on consecutive weekends, in Japan, Malaysia and Australia.

JOHN HOPKINS – Tenth Position, 1:49.887

My left wrist and calf that I injured in Rio two weeks ago are still bugging me a little, but it’s not so bad on the bike. Today’s practice went pretty good: this track somewhat suits our bike, and also my riding style. I like the hard braking, and to me this is a real fun circuit. We have a lot of new parts here, but so far I’m only using the new exhaust, which might make a difference that shows on the data, but not much to the rider. We’ll test some of the new stuff tomorrow, but today I concentrated on finding a liking for what we’ve been running. We’re looking for the best grip possible, and we were struggling a little bit today, because the crash in Rio affected my confidence. But I got to feeling comfortable out there, and it wasn’t too bad a day.

AKIRA RYO – 12th Position, 1:50.362

The feeling today was not so bad. The latest engine makes it easier than ever before to follow the other machines, and when I used a qualifying tyre I was following Capirossi, at a good pace. Then I almost crashed and lost a lot of time … but even so that was my fastest lap! I am confident that tomorrow I can get into the 1:49s. One reason is that I am getting back to racing speed. It is almost a year since my last race. It is also my first time at Motegi this year, except for one test a month ago.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr. – 13th Position, 1:50.436

Here we seem to have quite a few more things from the factory – I think it’s the best race of the year from the point of new stuff to try, and actually quite big stuff, in terms of engine specification. It definitely seems to be a better way, if not for lap times, for understanding what the bike needs to do to go faster round a lap. Suzuki would like me to concentrate in this direction, and they have something different for Ryo, so at the moment all three riders are using different engines. We haven’t made a gigantic step, but at least we have a lot of things to try, and they do what the factory says they’re going to do, so they understand the way we need to go.

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager

We’re just about on a second off pole, and that’s the direction we want to go in. The factory people have been working very hard, and gradually the tide is turning. John did really well considering his condition, and as always Kenny put in a hard day’s work. Having Akira adds another dimension. It’s good to see some progress after all the effort.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN GET TO KNOW MOTEGI
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss rode their first laps of Motegi aboard their Desmosedici MotoGP bikes today, Capirossi impressing with fifth-fastest time in qualifying, Bayliss learning his way around the Japanese circuit in 15th.

“Considering we’ve only had two hours of track time I think we’re doing reasonably well,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “From morning to afternoon we improved more than the other guys, but that’s what we’ve had to do this year at many tracks that are new to us. This circuit isn’t too complicated, there’s nothing that makes it stand out from others in what it demands of the bike or the rider. Unlike Troy, Loris has raced here before, so he wasn’t so far off the pace this afternoon. After this morning we changed gearbox ratios and various settings. So far we’re not yet satisfied with the front end – both riders are saying that they’ve not got enough confidence to push harder, so that’s our priority for tomorrow.”

Significantly this is the sixth and last MotoGP track that the Ducati Marlboro Team has had to get to know this season during a GP weekend. From now on, Capirossi, Bayliss and the crew have a good knowledge of every current MotoGP venue.


IMPRESSIVE CAPIROSSI ONLY 0.4 SECONDS OFF POLE
Loris Capirossi ended this afternoon’s opening qualifying session just 0.488 seconds off pole position, even though the Ducati Marlboro Team man had never ridden his Desmosedici here before today. The Italian has therefore been working closely with his crew to adapt the awesome V4 to the demands of this track, around which braking performance and acceleration are primordial.

“It’s been a hard day, we’ve done a lot of work on settings to find a good overall balance,” said fourth-quickest Capirossi, who was just 0.072 seconds off the front row. “I’m not totally satisfied so far, we need to improve the feeling, but this is our first time here with the Desmosedici, and we have plenty of ideas for tomorrow, so I feel we’re doing okay. This is not a technical circuit – you simply need a bike that brakes well and accelerates out of the turns well. We already seem quite close to the front-running pace on race tyres, but we need to perfect our set-up before we can use the bike’s full potential on qualifying tyres.”


MOTEGI FIRST-TIMER BAYLISS LEARNS HIS WAY AROUND
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss rode his first laps of Motegi yesterday – on a bicycle – before switching to his MotoGP machine for this morning’s first practice session. Initially more than two seconds off the pace of his more experienced MotoGP rivals, Bayliss was less than two seconds down during this afternoon’s qualifier, which he ended in 15th spot. And the Aussie plans to be closer to the front tomorrow, once he has made some detail changes to his bike’s set-up.

“One track is pretty much like another,” said the former World Superbike champion, shrugging off the demands of learning yet another circuit. “This place seems fairly straightforward, but we’re not really where we want to be as far as bike set-up goes. The track is very much stop and go in character, but at the moment the bike doesn’t seem to be doing what we want it to do. I’ll sit down with my crew and have a chat about how we can get that sorted for tomorrow.”