From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Preview Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang
October 10, 11, 12

ROSSI READY TO REEL IN PREMIER TILTLE NUMBER THREE

After a dramatic Pacific Grand Prix at Motegi in Japan last weekend, where Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) got the best from his RC211V for his second win of the season, the MotoGP roadshow now hits Sepang in Malaysia. Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) was second and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) third. Honda machines filled the top four places in the results sheet with Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) fourth.

But last weekend, and its controversies, when Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda RC211V) who was stripped of his third place, for “riding in an irresponsible manner” (according to Race Direction), are now consigned to the history books. The focus is now on whether reigning World Champion Rossi can tie up his third premier class title here in Sepang.

The Italian is 58 points ahead of his Spanish challenger and if he finishes second, or indeed wins the race, his third title will be in the bag with two races to go. Rossi was second here last year, but it was Biaggi who scored the win in the oppressive heat and humidity that prevails in Malaysia at this time of year.

Gibernau is a long shot for the title, and barring disasters, it looks like Rossi will wrap things up here. But if Gibernau wins and Rossi finishes third or lower, there will remain a mathematical possibility of the Spaniard eeking out a title win against seemingly insurmountable odds – but few would bet on it.

But under the pressure of three back-to-back races in three weekends (the Australian Grand prix at Phillip Island immediately follows this race) strange things can happen. And with an ambient temperature in the mid-30 degree region with 80% humidity in Malaysia, sometimes even the strongest riders can wilt.

Sepang features two long straights and fast, open turns, a left/right flick and a very tight turn one at the end of the start/finish straight. And after last weekend’s race where a first turn incident led to John Hopkins (Suzuki) receiving a ban from this weekend’s contest for skittling Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and Carlos Checa (Yamaha), riders will be aware of the need to take things comparatively easy at the start.

Hard braking from high speed on the two long straights puts a premium on having the bikes set up for stability into the turns, and naturally power and a high top-end speed are absolute requirements too. But, as ever, it’s a compromise set-up that will be the key to success here. The track is very wide and offers better overtaking opportunities than many tracks on account of this feature.

Sepang is one of the longest tracks on the MotoGP calendar, only Assen and Suzuka are longer and the lap times are the longest-lasting of the MotoGP season. The track surface, combined with the withering heat is tough on tyres, but riders who can make the most of sliding tyres in the oppressive conditions are at a distinct advantage.

Rossi is ready for the challenge. “We’re going to Malaysia in a good position and I like Sepang very much. I’ll do my best to try for the Championship there. The bike is good there, but I’ll be fighting for the Championship on the same bike so we have no real advantage.”

Gibernau is going to give it everything while the title door is still open. “At Sepang we have to continue on the same successful line we have been following in the last races,” he said. “Although I have never had great results at the track, I go into the race having tested here in the winter with the RCV. The test was with the old bike but it will be of help to us, some of the data we collected will be useful.”

For Biaggi it’s a chance to confirm his status as one of Honda’s main men and the Roman is eager to notch more wins as the season concludes. “I hope we can work as well in practice here as we did at Motegi,” he said. “The team put in some great work and if we manage that again then we’ll be right up there fighting in the race.”

Nicky Hayden is itching for action. “The next race just can’t come quicke enough for me,” said The American rookie. “I’ve ridden Sepang before in testing and I like it, so I think I can get on the pace fast. I feel close to the front now and I just can’t wait to get racing.”

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda RC211V) is looking to continue his robust run of form. Mindful of his disqualification at Motegi, the Japanese will still be giving it everything. “Things happen in racing,” he said. “And you have to look to the next race. Sepang is a new race and another chance to get among the front runners.”

Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) sees Malaysia as a chance to prove what might have been this season. “I’ll be fit for Malaysia,” said the Japanese. “I’ve done a lot of testing there and we’ll have a very good base for finalising the settings this weekend. The start will be crucial and if I can get the best from the lights then we’ll see what happens.”

In the 250cc class things are tight at the top, especially after Tony Elias (Aprilia) won in Japan to catapult himself into the title reckoning. Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) finished a superb second to put even more pressure on title leader Manuel Poggiali (Aprilia) who he relegated to third last weekend.

As the top three open their Malaysian campaigns in Friday morning’s free practice session, Poggiali has 206 points to Rolfo’s 188, with Elias in the running on 176. Poggiali and Elias both have four wins each this season to Rolfo’s one, but the Italian Honda ace has scored at every round so far in a remarkable display of consistency. This race could prove pivotal.

“I like Sepang very much,” said Rolfo. “But the race will be difficult for our bike on the two long straights. The Aprilia’s have always been fast at Sepang. The high temperatures can make racing very difficult but if we can get everything on the bike working as well as we did at Motegi last weekend we will see what we can make of the race. Our aim is to be as fast as we were in Japan.”

Sebastian Porto (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS250RW) knows things will be tough too. “The two long straights at Sepang will be very difficult for us,” said the Argentine. “We will need all our power against the Aprilias. But the fast twisty sections should suit our bike. I finished fourth there last year so I have to aim to beat that this year, although of course it will be difficult.”

Daniel Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS125R) leads the 125cc World Championhsip by 198 points to Aprilia-mounted Stefano Perugini’s 159 with three rounds to go and the Spanish teenager is eager to get racing and take the fight to his rival.

“Sepang is okay for me,” he said. “Last year I had a really good race at this track. I think that if we work well and nothing unusual happens we will have a good chance here. I aim to attack right from the start of the race, just like I did at Motegi, then we will see what happens for us. There is no sense in racing just for points.”

Andrea Dovisioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) lies just one point behind Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) in fourth place in the overall standings. He’s eager to climb the points ladder, but feels he’s really up against it at a track he’s less than keen on.

“Sepang is the most difficult track on the calendar for me,” said the Italian. “Last year’s experience at the track didn’t leave me with a good feeling for the place. The temperature of my engine was too high and I had a rear tyre problem and didn’t ride well. We will have to work very hard when we get there, both on the bike set up and the rider’s mind.”


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

MARLBORO MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX – PREVIEW
Sepang, October 10/11/12 2003

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN GO TROPICAL AT SEPANG

This weekend the Ducati Marlboro Team makes its tropical race debut at Sepang, where riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss will compete in gruelling heat and humidity, wooing Malaysian fans with the awesome sound of the Desmosedici MotoGP bike.

The Desmosedici has been the star turn of the 2003 MotoGP season, scoring one victory, three pole positions and six podium finishes so far, even though this is Ducati’s first GP campaign in more than three decades. Ducati currently lies second in the 2003 manufacturers’ World Championship.

Intense development work has ensured that the Italian V4 has improved race by race, though the Ducati Marlboro Team is in a period of consolidation during this quick-fire succession of three back-to-back ‘flyaway’ events. Last weekend Capirossi and Bayliss raced in Japan and next weekend they’ll race in Australia, which means that racing, rather than development, is the priority at the moment.

After next Sunday’s Australian GP the MotoGP circus heads back to Spain for the season finale, the Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix, on November 2.

ROOKIE DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM NOW KNOWS ITS WAY AROUND
The Ducati Marlboro Team can breathe a sigh of relief as it approaches Sunday’s Marlboro Malaysian GP. This is the squad’s rookie MotoGP year, with many new circuits to learn, but last weekend the team got to know Motegi, the last venue that it went to ‘blind’, with zero track knowledge. From now on Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss can go into MotoGP events with a base set-up, which should allow them to compete on a more equal footing with their rivals.

The pair go into this weekend’s Marlboro Malaysian GP with three days of track knowledge behind them. Both Capirossi and Bayliss lapped inside the track record when they visited Sepang for tests last January, during the early stages of the Desmosedici’s gruelling but productive development schedule. That session gives them plenty of data from which to work, though the bike has undergone numerous chassis improvements since then.

“Our preseason test at Sepang was one of our first proper tests with the Desmosedici, after some earlier shakedowns,” says Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “It was a very important test for us because we really needed to know how the bike would perform in extreme conditions.

“Most important at Sepang is overall balance; the bike needs to be comfortable and easy to handle because the riders are performing in gruelling heat and humidity, so we need to make it as easy as possible for them. For example, that might mean we’d make a small compromise in stability to make the bike easier to handle.

“Reliability is a major issue in such extreme conditions but we had no problems there during preseason tests. What we really learned from that session was that we needed to improve rider comfort by reducing heat. We made improvements before the season and introduced another cooling package at Brno in August.”

If the heat and humidity of Sepang are a real issue this weekend, the logistics of these three back-to-back ‘flyaway’ races are awesome. The entire sport has to be transported from one country to the next – Japan, Malaysia and Australia on consecutive weekends – without a single hiccup. The travelling MotoGP paddock numbers around 1000 people, who make their way via commercial airlines, then there’s 280 tonnes of freight, including 140 motorcycles, which is transported from airport to track and back again by a fleet of 45 juggernauts. Two Jumbo 747 cargo planes carry the kit from country to country.

“The Ducati Marlboro Team carries around 9500 kilos of freight for the ‘flyaways’,” explains team coordinator Dario Raimondi. “We pack that freight into 35 crates immediately after each race, which takes around four hours. Those crates are then loaded onto a juggernaut that drives to the local airport. The two 747s fly as soon as they can, because the freight needs to arrive in the next country, clear customs and get to the track by Tuesday evening. It’s a huge job, and everyone needs to know exactly what they’re doing to avoid any complications.”

CAPIROSSI: THIS IS THE TOUGH ONE FOR RIDER, BIKE & TYRES
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi comes to Sepang aiming to score his fifth podium result of the year to consolidate his fourth place in the 2003 MotoGP World Championship. Winner of the factory’s first MotoGP victory at June’s Marlboro Catalan GP, Capirossi is confident he can once again run up front at Sepang.

“When we tested at Sepang we didn’t really have enough time to work on our set-up for the track, we were doing more general testing,” says Capirossi. “But even if we had worked on settings, we’d have to do it all over again because the bike is so different now. The machine has really grown up since January, it’s a much better package now, so I think we can have a good race at Sepang. The track is fast and open, which should be great for our bike. But the heat is always the major concern, it makes life tough for everyone and everything – the rider, the bike, the tyres, also the crew in the pits! We will need all the grip we can get because our bike has so much horsepower. I like the track a lot; it’s so wide in some places that you don’t even need to use all the track, which is very unusual. But the extra width makes Sepang great for overtaking.”

Capirossi has already tasted success at Sepang – he won the 1999 Malaysian 250 GP. Last October he finished ninth and highest-placed 500 in the MotoGP class. The previous year, when everyone was riding 500s, he was a close-fought second.

ROOKIE BAYLISS IS NOW A FULLY FLEDGED MotoGP MAN
Last weekend’s Pacific GP completed Troy Bayliss’ knowledge of current MotoGP tracks, so from now on the Ducati Marlboro Team rider goes into races better prepared. Currently fifth overall and highest-placed rookie, Bayliss has three days experience of Sepang from the team’s January tests, and he intends to put that to good use this weekend.

“I was pretty happy with how we were going by the time we’d done that Sepang test,” says Bayliss. “And I hope we’ll be going a fair bit quicker this time because the bike has come on quite a bit since then. Everyone at the factory and in the team has been working really hard, so the bike has been pretty much perfect at some tracks. Sepang’s layout is okay and the place is pretty wide, but as far as I’m concerned it’s really just another racetrack. Like any other place there’s a right way of getting around it quick. But it’s the weather that really gets to you – it’s always stinking hot and humid at Sepang. I know I’m Australian but I’ve not been in that kind of heat for a while! It’s a super test of strength and endurance.”

Bayliss has never raced in Malaysia before but his preseason pace at Sepang was impressive – 0.9 seconds inside the lap record.

THE TRACK
Sepang is one of the longest tracks on the World Championship calendar – only Assen and Suzuka are longer – and boasts the longest-lasting lap in Grand Prix racing, several seconds longer than the Dutch and Japanese venues.

The Malaysian GP venue is also one of the widest racetracks in the world, putting riders and machines to the test with an excellent variety of corners and high-speed straights. Withering heat and humidity are further challenges, not only for riders and machines, but also for technicians and everyone else working in pit lane.

Sepang hosted its first Grand Prix in April 1999 and was an instant hit with riders and teams. The state-of-the-art complex, built adjacent to Kuala Lumpur’s brand-new international airport, took circuit and infrastructure design to a new level, combining a fast, safe track layout with ultra-impressive pit, media and corporate facilities.

Sepang Circuit: 5.548 km / 3.468 miles

Lap record: Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team), 2:04.925

2002 pole position: Alex Barros (Honda), 2:04.487


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Sepang – (Malaysia)

Wednesday 8 October 2003

A brief comment on the disqualification of Makoto Tamada from the Motegi Grand Prix

At the end of the MotoGP race at Motegi last Sunday, we were informed by Race Direction of the disqualification of Makoto Tamada for his “riding in an irresponsible manner causing danger to rider Sete Gibernau”, when overtaking on the last lap of the race. On this matter, Art. 1.21.2 of the FIM World Championship Regulations – in other words the one that also sets the 85 kph speed limit in the pit lane – is absolutely clear: it requires all contestants to ride “in a responsible manner which does not cause danger to other competitors”. Our rider Makoto Tamada, found guilty of contravening Art. 1.21.2, was expelled from the order of arrival, thus losing the third place he had earned.

In accordance with the terms of Art. 3.4.7.1, the Pramac Honda Team, in the person of Team Manager Gianluca Montiron, made an immediate appeal to the FIM Commissioners, requesting a total review of the decision taken by Race Direction.

However, after about an hour and a half of consultation, the FIM Commissioners decided to reject the appeal and confirmed Race Direction’s decision. At this point the decision of the FIM Commissioners is final, as established by Art. 3.4.2.

Over the past two days, we have had plenty of time to examine the television pictures and reconsider this whole affair.

First of all, we would like to point out that we are beginning to be pleased with the results we have obtained so far, in our first season of MotoGP with Makoto Tamada and the Bridgestone-shod Honda RC211V. We believe that the level of competitiveness we have achieved so far shows that the work carried out by our team and by Bridgestone technicians has been going in the right direction. We are looking forward with confidence to the final races of the season, as well as to 2004, when we shall be able to give our gifted Japanese rider an absolutely top-class technical package.

It would be just too easy to simply take the side of Makoto Tamada and say that the decision to disqualify him was totally unfair. Like many motorcycling experts, and like many fans too, that is exactly what we think. But here we would like to ask everyone to consider the way “justice” is meted out in the MotoGP.

To keep things simple, we might mention a few episodes that have taken place this season: Perugini overtaking Pedrosa at Donington in the 125 race, Elias overtaking Poggiali in the 250 at Rio (the lap before the Spaniard fell), Sete Gibernau overtaking Valentino Rossi on the last lap of the Le Mans Grand Prix. In none of these manoeuvres, as in scores of other cases, did any of those involved ask “permission” before moving in front of the other. Sometimes the riders made contact, other times there was a fall. In some of these cases, everything turned out fine, but only because one of the two decided to back down.

This time, at Motegi, Tamada and Gibernau both left deceleration right to the end, and the Japanese got the best of it simply because he had cleverly managed to put himself in the best position. On the inside.

In none of the cases mentioned did Race Direction ever decide to remove a rider from the standings. But the episode in Motegi was evidently judged using a different yardstick, making reference to an absolutely generic and meaningless article (it would be nice if someone could explain to the riders where the borderline lies between correct behaviour and dangerous manoeuvring) and thus impossible to use fairly.

We are the first to maintain that the sport needs simple and clear rules, as well as intransigent judges able to treat everyone in the same way. We do not believe this is the case today in the MotoGP and an effort must be made by everyone to change the situation.

Having now got to know him, we feel we can vouch for the fair-play and sportsmanship of our rider, and this was confirmed in his meeting with Gibernau on Sunday evening after dinner at Motegi. We also like him because his approach is always the same, even in the face of decisions like this, which are totally unsportsmanlike, and which, in the long run, could destroy the spectacular nature of our Grand Prix.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI ONE MAN SHORT IN MALAYSIA
Wednesday 8th October 2003.

Team Suzuki will field two riders instead of three at Sunday’s Malaysian GP, after the controversial disqualification of team regular John Hopkins from the 14th of 16 World Championship rounds.

The 990cc GSV-R machines will be ridden by Hopkins’s regular team-mate Kenny Roberts Jr., the 2000 World Champion, and factory tester Akira Ryo. Ryo had already been entered as a wild card before the surprise decision to cut Hopkins from the race after the previous Sunday’s Pacific GP at Motegi in Japan.

Ryo (37, from Tokyo) will again be racing the development version of the V4 racer, with experimental parts and settings engine, suspension and chassis. The outward evidence is a different exhaust system, with the tailpipe on the left of the bike rather than the right. The internal changes take the technically adventurous machine a step closer to achieving the full potential of the cutting edge design. Ryo finished tenth at the Motegi race, ahead of 15th-placed Roberts, both riders scoring World Championship points.

Roberts, a double race winner at the showpiece Sepang circuit south of the capital Kuala Lumpur, will be racing the same machine he rode at Motegi – the stock chassis with upgraded engine parts, also part of the factory racing department’s fast-forward programme of development.

The Malaysian circuit is a demanding test of man and machine, combining complex sweeping curves with slow hairpins linked by straights. The bends test riding skill and chassis integrity, the drag-strip straights put the emphasis onto sheer horsepower. The weather is another factor: with blazing heat and energy-sapping humidity the default, and the ever-present threat of tropical rain.

This combination of tough conditions makes the Sepang circuit a popular testing venue, and it was here that the Suzuki riders made first acquaintance with the second-generation 2003 GSV-R racer at the start of the year.

“We’re coming towards the end of what turned out to be a difficult season,” said team manager Garry Taylor. Top placings have eluded the GSV-R, although team and factory race-department engineers have worked tirelessly at finding the right combination to unleash its full potential. The V4 uses experimental technology, with the inevitable teething problems.

“We measured a distinct step forward at the last round at Motegi. As well as improvements to the engine for the regular riders, the improved performance of Ryo-San’s development machine showed that things are moving in the right direction. Obviously now we are looking towards incorporating all these lessons into next year’s machine,” continued Taylor. “We hope to continue that positive progress at Sepang.

“Unfortunately, due to what we felt was a very harsh ruling by the racing authorities, we will have to do so without the input of John. He has been very severely punished for the sort of incident that is normally accepted as part and parcel for the sport.

“We protested the original decision by Race Direction to the FIM stewards, but unfortunately were not successful. We have to accept the officials’ authority, but it was a very surprising and disappointing outcome.”

Hopkins was the second of two riders disqualified at Motegi. The first was third-placed finisher Makoto Tamada, penalised after a strong outbraking move on the last lap ended with the other rider, Sete Gibernau, running off the track. Hopkins’s disqualification came later, as punishment for a self-admitted error of judgement after the start saw him run too fast into the first corner. He collided with another rider, Carlos Checa, and as both fell a third rider, Troy Bayliss, also crashed out.

Hopkins was quick to apologise profusely to all concerned, and it was generally accepted as the sort of incident that can happen on a regular basis. However, race authorities decided to make an example of Hopkins, and later that evening he was disqualified from the Malaysian GP.

The Malaysian race is the second in a trio of back-to-back “flyaway” races, one week after the Pacific GP at Motegi in Japan, and followed directly by the Australian GP at Phillip Island. Hopkins will be back in action in Australia.

There is one more race in Spain a fortnight later to conclude the season.

KENNY ROBERTS – KEEP ON WORKING
I’ve won twice in Malaysia, and it’s hard for me to go there now knowing that we don’t have a real chance unless rain or another change in conditions turns the race our way. We did have some improvements in Japan, and we’ll be working on taking those a step further.

AKIRA RYO – NEW BIKE MAKES NEW RULES
My last race was at Sepang last year, and since then I’ve been working as a tester. I have no idea what it will be like this year. The latest development bike is quite different, and though I could push at Motegi, it will be a new experience at Malaysia. Still, I like to test it at all different sorts of circuits, and the information all helps with development.

JOHN HOPKINS – A NORMAL INCIDENT
I took the blame for the Motegi incident, and apologised deeply to the other riders involved. Two out of the three said it was a normal racing incident, and that they’d made similar mistakes. I was amazed and angry when I was disqualified. I’ve never heard of that happening before, after one racing mistake. I don’t expect to stay for the Malaysian race. I’d rather go to Australia to prepare for that race. I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve had from other riders and teams.

ABOUT THIS RACE
The first Malaysian GP was held in 1991, at the Shah Alam circuit on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur – and since then it has become a firm fixture on the calendar. Shah Alam remained its home until 1997, but while the technical track was interesting facilities were poor, and in 1998 it moved for one year to Johor, in the south of the Malaysian peninsula. Thhe fine new Sepang circuit was soon to be constructed on a newly developed site close to the new Kuala Lumpur international airport, some way outside the city. The circuit was inaugurated with the motorcycle GP in 1999, and has since then also become a highly regarded F1 venue as well as regular home to the motorcycle GP, and a popular testing venue.

ABOUT THIS TRACK
The huge glass-clad pit buildings and arched-roof grandstands are the first striking thing about the Sepang circuit, where no expense was spared to provide ultra-modern facilities for a world-class racing venue. Nothing was stinted for the circuit either, which was laid out round an unfashionably long lap of 3.447 miles (5.548km), making it one of the longer circuits on the motorcycle calendar. A technically interesting layout comprises mainly medium-speed bends, with the lap finishing with a pair of straights running up and down the vast doubler-sided grandstand, linked with a crucial last hairpin bend.


More, from another press release issued by Pramac Honda:

PRAMAC RACING PREVIEW

MotoGP – Round 14 – Sepang (Malaysia)
10/11/12 October 2003

Preview

THREE RACES TO END OF SEASON – SEPANG, MALAYSIA, SET FOR SUNDAY’S RACE

Just the time it takes to pack up the flying cases and the World Championship “circus” wings its way to Malaysia. This weekend, Sepang will provide the setting for the third from last round of the 2003 season. Another extremely important week will follow, on Phillip Island in the south of Australia, before the grand finale back in the Old World in Valencia.

Fifty kilometres south of Kuala Lumpur, the international circuit at Sepang is a modern facility of colossal size. The track, one of the longest, covers no less than 5.548 kilometres. Recently built, the track is a monument to entertainment and speed. It was constructed in little over a year, fully respecting all the most demanding safety standards.

Four slow corners alternate with some very fast ones and the right amount of straights where the engines can unleash all the power they contain. The track is 25 metres wide and the length of the straights make overtaking possible at extremely high speeds. An eye has to be kept on the weather, however: it can be hot, sometimes torrid, with a high level of humidity in the air that can test the physical fitness of the riders to the limit. The weather is very often hard to forecast, and is another unknown factor to be taken into account. In other words, Sepang has all it takes to ensure a very special weekend. And of course the 2003 MotoGP world title may well be won on Sunday.

The circuit.
Length: 5,548 metres – 5 left-handers – 10 right-handers

longest straight: 920 metres

Maximum width: 25 metres

Year of construction: 1998.

2002 winners.
125 class: Vincent (FRA) Aprilia
250 class: Nieto (SPA) Aprilia
MotoGP class: Biaggi (ITA) Yamaha.

Circuit records
125: 2:13,919, Lucio Cecchinello, 2002
250: 2:08.858, Nieto, 2002
MotoGP: 2:04.925, Biaggi, 2002.

MAX BIAGGI: BRILLIANT VICTORY AT MOTEGI.

CAMEL PRAMAC PONS TEAM SECOND IN TEAM RATINGS.

Having led the way in the race at Motegi from the third lap right through to the end, four-times world champion Massimiliano Biaggi left his rivals breathless as he consistently maintained his phenomenal pace. A brilliant, peremptory victory that puts him even closer to second place in the overall ratings currently held by Sete Gibernau. And this could be exactly what Biaggi is aiming for in this 2003 season: making second place in the World Championship. The gap separating him from the Catalan rider is not that big: 25 points, the number given for victory, with 75 left to be assigned, so it’s not impossible. Max might yet make it.

With the help of Tohru’s seventh place at Motegi, the Camel Pramac Pons Team scored 34 points in the Land of the Rising Sun and is firmly in second place in the special team ratings. On Sunday the contest will take place at Sepang: last year it was won by Biaggi, who also set the new circuit record: 2’04.925. The conditions are just right for him to repeat his success.


MAKOTO TAMADA UNTROUBLED AND CONCENTRATING HARD ON SEPANG RACE

Excluded from the final race standings at Motegi after his disqualification by the Race Direction, just over an hour after making the podium for the second time in a row, Makoto Tamada found he had lost all he had gained. A pity, because the Japanese had ridden a determined and very exciting race, coming in third over the finish line. The strong personality and fibre of the Pramac Honda Team rider helped him get over a difficult moment, and after a couple of days with his family in Japan, Tamada flew into Sepang. His comment clearly shows his desire to look ahead and keep concentrating on the last three races leading up to the end of the 2003 season on circuits where he has already tried out his RC211V.

A slight advantage over the other races where he rode on tracks he had never seen before. In the long and exhausting winter test sessions – in the months of January and February – Makoto came both