Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Final MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:30.122
2. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:30.222
3. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:30.613
4. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 1:30.625
5. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:30.716
6. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:30.757
7. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:30.767
8. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:30.819
9. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:30.873
10. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 1:30.927
11. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:31.093
12. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 1:31.191
13. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:31.359
14. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:31.377
15. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 1:31.491
16. Gregorio LAVILLA, Suzuki, 1:31.846
17. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:31.911
18. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:32.452
19. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 1:32.531
20. Garry McCOY, Aprilia, 1:32.712
21. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 1:32.857
22. James HAYDON, Proton, 1:33.317
23. James ELLISON, Harris WCM, 1:33.608
24. Youichi UI, Harris WCM, 1:35.280


More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

Alex Hofmann in superb from at Phillip Island

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Alex Hofmann will start from eighth place in tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix, his best ever qualifying position in MotoGP.

The 24-year-old German rider made good his promise after yesterday’s first qualifying, when he felt his Bridgestone-shod Ninja ZX-RR was capable of a top ten starting position. Hofmann moved forward from 13th on the overnight provisional grid.

This will be Hofmann’s first third row MotoGP start and it comes at one of his favourite circuits, the high-speed 4.4 km Phillip Island layout which typically rewards skill and bravery.

And Hofmann’s courage was tested when he just managed to save a massive, 280kph rear wheel slide through the downhill turn three midway through the session.

Japan’s Shinya Nakano just missed joining his Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate in the top ten and will start from 11th position, less than 0.2s behind Hofmann.

The top 12 riders in qualifying were covered by just one second, with Hofmann just three tenths of second off the front row.

However Hofmann had to work hard for eighth place. At its current stage of development the Ninja ZX-RR concedes about 15 kph in top speed to the front-running bikes, thus leaving Hofmann to make up time in the many fast, sweeping turns.

With a perfectly timed slipstream tow on the main straight Hofmann moved into fourth place with two minutes remaining, before being bumped to eighth as the session closed.

Meanwhile, Nakano’s bid for a top ten position was thwarted when Spanish rider Carlos Checa crashed in front of him on his final flying lap. The incident occurred through the fast turn eight on the back section of the track, forcing Nakano to back-off and abort the lap.

Nakano had not been happy with rear end traction in the morning practice session, but rear shock and spring adjustments cured the problem.

Hofmann made just minor adjustments today to fine tune chassis balance, and both riders say they have comfortable set-ups for tomorrow’s 27-lap, penultimate round of the 2004 MotoGP championship.

Final qualifying was conducted in cooler and calmer conditions than first qualifying, with overcast skies and reduced wind strength.

Alex Hofmann: 8th (1’30.819)
“I did it! I knew this time was possible here after yesterday. I have very good balance with the ZX-RR race set-up and was able to carry that into my fast laps on qualifying tyres. Our top end engine power is not enough at the moment, so I followed Sete Gibernau to keep my speed up on the straight and it worked. The wind was constant, but not as strong as yesterday. My biggest problem was a really scary rear-end slide through turn three, that was very fast and got my attention in a big way. I concentrated on improving my riding today and understanding the race set-up. We just need to confirm our rear tyre choice for the race in the warm-up tomorrow.

Shinya Nakano: 11th (1’31.093)
“I had a much better feeling his afternoon and I now have a very good balance, both front and rear, for the race. The morning practice was very difficult for me because I couldn’t find enough rear traction. When Checa crashed in front of me on my final flying lap this afternoon I had to close the throttle, so 11th place is okay under the circumstances, although a little disappointing. For sure I have to make a good start and, hopefully, the wind speed will stay low, which will make conditions better for the race.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“At this track I didn’t expect such a big difference in top speed between the Ninja ZX-RR and the other bikes at the front; it’s between 15 to 20kph and clearly we are suffering with a lack of top end power. On the other hand our riders and their crews worked hard to improve rear end grip and balance, which is critical here through all the long and fast corners. I’m certain Shinya could have been in the top ten, but he was slowed when Checa crashed. Eighth position is the best start for Alex in MotoGP and shows the upward trend of his form at recent races. I just hope both Alex and Shinya can make good starts and stay with the lead group in tomorrow’s race.”


More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

Rossi on front row at Phillip Island

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Carlos Checa had very different finishes to their Phillip Island final qualifying session today, Rossi just missing out on pole position while Checa fell without injury in the final minutes of the session.

Rossi was not quite able to improve on his provisional pole position time from Friday due to some set-up difficulties. The reigning World Champion will start tomorrow?s Australian Grand Prix from second place on the grid. His team-mate Checa will now start the race from the fifth row, having set overall 13th best time today.

Rossi, who came in for a new rear tyre just before his final assault on the stopwatch, was only overhauled by one rider today, his sole championship rival Sete Gibernau (Honda), who took the best time of 1430.122s. If Rossi finishes anywhere ahead of Gibernau in tomorrow?s showdown he will win the championship, and even if Gibernau wins the race, second place would be enough for Rossi to lift the trophy.

Checa made rapid improvements in the first part of the hour-long session, improving his position twice inside the first ten minutes, going to fifth fastest on race tyres. Slowly dropping through the order, he was to finish 13th, crashing out on his final attempt to set an improved time.

Valentino Rossi (2nd, 1’30.222s)
“Unfortunately we are not in pole position as we are not at 100% with the set-up. If we were at 100% I think we could have made the 1’29s. My rhythm is good, but the feeling with the bike is not perfect, especially from the front. But it is difficult here to have the perfect set-up for the whole track. We lost time this morning trying some tyres with Michelin, but finally we won’t use them. We will make set-up changes tomorrow morning. As for the championship, fortunately I have good experience of being in this position, but every time is like the first. It won’t be a problem sleeping tonight though. Sete is very strong here, and we know it will be a good contest.”

Carlos Checa (13th, 1’31.359s)
“That was a big crash and I still don?t understand it. I went out for a fast lap and had let some riders get ahead on the previous lap in order to get some clear track. When I went into turn six both tyres just went. My feeling was that it was the front, but it felt a bit strange. With a race tyre the bike is quite good here. We had a good pace, and I was confident I could improve my lap from before but it was not the case.”

Davide Brivio, Team director
“We are in the first row with Valentino so that is not so bad and we can improve our bike and settings. I think Valentino had the fastest pace on race tyres in this qualifying, but he is still not completely happy. Jerry and the engineers are studying the situation now. We were running short of time and needed more practice time. But to be on the front row is a good thing for tomorrow, as it is a very important race for us. Carlos crashed on his hot lap but his race pace is not so bad. With a race tyre it is a lot better. Starting from the fifth row will be hard for him but he can fight.”


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Marlboro Team back on the front row

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss achieved one of their best qualifying performances of the year at Phillip Island today, putting their Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4s on the first and third rows of the grid.
In cool, blustery conditions this afternoon, the pair were two of the strongest men on the track, running third and fourth in the closing minutes, Capirossi completing the session in third, just 0.491 seconds off Sete Gibernau’s pole position. Bayliss ended up ninth, less than three tenths off the front row despite losing time when he ran into a corner too hot.
“I really believe that both Loris and Troy can ride a good race tomorrow – they deserve it and so does everyone else in the team,” said Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “Getting back to the front row is important for the team’s morale. Loris rode a great session, his lap times were very competitive. The times are incredibly close, so while Troy was only 0.26 seconds slower, he ended up on the third row, though he was even faster on race tyres than Loris.”

Capirossi finds what he needs to push 100%
Loris Capirossi scored his second front-row start of the year today, after making important overnight improvements. The Ducati Marlboro Team rider, who finished second here last year, worked at improving front-end performance by making adjustments to geometry and suspension, giving him the confidence to attack the track’s high-speed curves.
“I’m very happy, we have to make sure we enjoy this moment,” said Capirossi, who also started July’s British GP from third place on the grid. “My thanks to the team who have worked so hard to improve the bike. We have made the front end better, so today I had the confidence to push really hard into the fast corners. I really enjoyed riding the bike and I could give it 100 per cent. We will see what happens tomorrow.”

Bayliss feeling optimistic about home GP
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss was in the hunt for a front-row start at his home GP and would have been tantalisingly close to the top three if he hadn’t made one tiny error on his final and fastest lap of the day. Like his team-mate the Aussie made crucial improvements to his Desmosedici GP4 during today’s sessions which should help him in tomorrow’s race.
“I really thought my last lap would be good but I ran on a little at Honda hairpin and that must’ve cost me a couple of tenths,” said Bayliss. “We’ve been working hard in the bike, trying a few different settings and wheelbase adjustments. We’ve got a reasonably good set-up for the race and I did a lot of laps on race tyres so I’m feeling quite optimistic. If we can make one more little step forward I’ll be over the moon. The times were real close today so there should be a bit of action out there tomorrow.”


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

Proton KR pair slash times at Phillip Island

Nobuatsu Aoki: 21st, 1:32.857
James Haydon: 22nd, 1:33.317

Proton Team KR riders Nobuatsu Aoki and James Haydon slashed their lap times but retained their 21st and 22nd grid positions for tomorrow’s Australian GP, both reporting real improvements on a dry day of practice, after yesterday’s first session was spoiled by rain.

Aoki made an improvement of 1.2 seconds today, further exploiting the better handling possibilities discovered yesterday, with a revised setting for the rear swing-arm pivot point. More adjustments to make the most of the changed geometry combined with improved tyres to enable significantly faster lap times.

Team-mate James Haydon, riding for a third race in place of injured team regular Kurtis Roberts, is still gaining familiarity with the machine, and at least had prior knowledge of the scenic 4.448km Philip Island circuit, south-east of Melbourne. The British rider cut more than a second off his lap time to stay hard on Aoki’s heels. More importantly, his pit crew continued the adjustments changing the bike towards his ideal, and took another important step forward.

Today’s practice took place in cool and overcast conditions, but with yesterday’s strong winds and morning showers mercifully in abeyance. More dry weather is forecast for tomorrow’s race, the 15th of 16 World Championship rounds.

Nobuatsu Aoki
We made progress today with the different pivot point setting. It’s working well, as yesterday but now with some fine tuning to improve the feel. During the session I ran into some chatter problems, but the crew were able to work it out and make me comfortable with the bike again. Finally I made it into the 32-second bracket, which was a better lap time than we had expected. It seems that Kenny Roberts was happy … and that is important.

James Haydon
At the start of the session we were still lacking a little bit, but the team made some changes and instantly I was happier, and quicker. This is the closest so far to how I like my bikes to feel. The attitude and weight balance still isn’t quite right, but I can ride harder, with a lot more confidence. It was disappointing at the end … the qualifying tyres work really well here, and your second run is usually better. But you only get one chance, and when I was out on that tyre Melandri came out of the pits ahead of me, and just didn’t look round at all. He nearly put me off the track at Turn Two, and I must have lost about a second. I was still in the 33s.

Kenny Roberts – Team principal
We’re one day closer to moving on from this bike, and they’re all running well. In fact we’re lapping better than we thought we would be. The long flowing lap helps us, and the tyres are coming up a bit. I can’t imagine how the race will go, though.


More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

McWilliams sets new Aprilia best at Phillip Island

MS Aprilia Racing’s Jeremy McWiliams set the best ever time recorded by the Cube three-cylinder at Phillip Island on his way to claiming 15th position on the grid for tomorrow’s 27-lap Australian GP.

McWilliams shrugged off the niggling pain of a broken left rib to post a best time of 1.31.491s in this afternoon’s final qualifying session. That smashed the Cube’s previous best lap at the fast and technical circuit by 0.5s – Colin Edwards’ 2003 benchmark being a 1.31.938s.

Having taken more pain-killers to alleviate some of the pain caused by the rib injury suffered in a crash yesterday morning, McWilliams managed to climb as high as 13th in the decisive session as he quickly found a set-up at his favourite circuit.

The British rider has scored three pole positions in his career at Phillip Island, and he is confident of beating his previous best result of 12th this season tomorrow afternoon, when the penultimate round of the series takes place around the challenging 4.44km coastal track. “I’m as happy as I can be with 15th, “said McWilliams. “I’ve found quite a good race set-up but we still need to find a tyre. I think a lot of guys were struggling with tyres out there today. The last two fast left-handers are destroying the tyre, but I think the race pace for a lot of guys will be in the 1.32 bracket. I managed a lot of them today, though one engine is a little bit down on power and it is in the good chassis, so we need to sort that out tonight, “he added.

McWilliams said he anticipates another close and frantic battle that has become a feature at Phillip Island, and he said: “Nobody seems to get away here, so there’s no reason why I can’t stay with the bunch. It’s always close racing and I’m really up for it.”

Stand-in team-mate Garry McCoy had a tough day and will start his home race from 20th on the grid. Despite knocking almost a second off his provisional time, the Australian found the going tough as he ended with a best of 1.32.712s on a circuit he has vast experience on. “This circuit is more difficult than I expected on this bike because I want to ride like I know I can at Phillip Island. I just don’t know enough about the bike with only one race of experience on it, so it has been pretty difficult. In the corners I don’t have a good feeling with the throttle, so sometimes I am in the middle of a turn and I can’t manage the power of the bike. It’s strange to say this but I found it easier in Malaysia.”

Like most of the MotoGP field, McCoy still has to make his final tyre choice for tomorrow’s race, and he added: “I think I can get a good result. I have two tyres to try in the warm-up before I make a final decision, but hopefully I can score some points because it is good to be racing at home again.”


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Makoto and Max end Phillip Island qualifying in 5th and 7th

The weather was virtually a repeat of the first day on day two of practice at Phillip Island, with grid positions having been finalised for tomorrow. Even though both Camel Honda riders were unable to conquer the front rows for the penultimate race of the season, they both nevertheless had a good rhythm going that allows them to be confident for tomorrow’s race. Max Biaggi was quick and looking particularly determined in the morning free, whilst Makoto Tamada looked in better shape in the afternoon. With their respective 7th and 5th places on the grid a fast start is imperative if they want to be up front setting the rhythm, on a fast-flowing track which usually allows lots of riders to fight for victory.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“Apart from the front two, around eight riders are separated by thousandths of a second. It shows that there is a good balance in performance which means there will be lots of riders fighting for a top result tomorrow. We will need to get a good start though, because our riders have shown they can battle for victory. Max always knows how to get the best out of himself in a race and that could make the difference. In the warm-up tomorrow we will be able to put the finishing touches to the set-up to try and get some last-minute improvements. I think our riders are capable of being in the front group and we have a chance to fight for victory here.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 7th – 1’30.767
“The foot is a little better today, the bike’s about the same, but just for a few thousandths we are on the third row, and that’s a shame. To be honest we haven’t got the whole set-up right yet, because there is still a bit of a chatter problem as I turn in, but in the twenty minutes of the warm-up tomorrow, we will try to change the setting on the rear suspension. I can see another challenging race ahead, but like in Malaysia, I want to stay positive, because if it doesn’t rain tomorrow we have the chance to go one better.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director)
“To adapt to the Phillip Island circuit we worked harder than ever. From the base set-up we have progressed towards a set-up more suited to this kind of circuit, by working for example on the control of the brakes, It’s a new direction for us, but one which allows us to widen the choices we have to make tomorrow morning and which should ultimately allow us to improve our race pace. Along with the rider we have made the final tyre choice, those we have been trying over the last couple of days have performed well and shown good endurance levels too”.

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres)- 5th – 1’30.716