From Yamaha:

In the closest ever MotoGP combined qualifier, held at the Sachsenring, Germany (July 20), Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 teammates Olivier Jacque and Shinya Nakano broke through the four-stroke stranglehold to clinch a team one-two. Jacque, who was a regular pace setter throughout the Friday and Saturday sessions, tore up the 3704m Sachsenring with a 1’25.758 to take pole while also setting a new circuit best ever lap – 0.420 seconds better than his previous best.

With only 0.928 seconds covering the top 17 riders, and the full 21 bike field separated by a mere 1.547 seconds, placing a second Gauloises Yamaha YZR500 on the front row was an achievement in itself, but to line it up alongside ones teammate is nothing short of astounding at this level. Nakano was only 0.080 seconds shy of leading the Tech 3 charge with a 1’25.838, a time that put him ahead of the third Yamaha to start from the front row – the Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1 of Max Biaggi (1’25.875).

The Italian, who was 0.037 seconds off Nakano’s best, will be the lone four-stroke on the front row, with Alex Barros (Honda, 1’25.956) completing the quartet. Garry McCoy in only his second outing since his temporary withdrawal from the championship, placed the Red Bull Yamaha on the second row in eighth with a 1’26.095. His teammate John Hopkins (1’26.551) was on his way to a similar result when, on the last lap, he lost the rear of his YZR500 down through the fast right-hander. In spectacular fashion the bike disintegrated into the gravel pit while Hopkins was left with a fractured knuckle in his left hand. After discussions with Team Manager Peter Clifford the young American, who has scored points in every race so far this season, made the decision to withdraw from the German MotoGP to ensure he’ll be fully fit for the Czech MotoGP.

Carlos Checa (Marlboro Yamaha Team, 1’26.118), overcame chassis balance problems to challenge for a front row start but eventually ended the day tenth fastest.


Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3


Olivier Jacque 1st, 1’25.758: “After already taking second in yesterday’s opening qualifier there was a lot of pressure on me to take pole today, and when I saw that I got it I was very happy… and very relieved. I’m especially proud to be the first two-stroke to take pole in the MotoGP championship. I’m very confident about where we stand for the race tomorrow, you can’t do a pole like that without the bike set-up being in good shape, but it will be a difficult race. This track is so tight that it will all come down to the start.”

Shinya Nakano 2nd, 1’25.838: “I started the session with a good feeling, the bike was good after this morning’s session and I was sure we would do better when it mattered. Then in the final few minutes I saw how close the times were and I started to get a little worried. The front row is what I was after, getting second place next to my teammate is only a bonus. Since the beginning of the season it has been difficult, and I’ll admit it dinted my confidence, but here I’ve felt so good from the first moment and I think I’m now back on track.”


Marlboro Yamaha Team

Max Biaggi 3rd, 1’25.875: “I’m the four-stroke meat in a two-stroke sandwich. I’m also very happy to be the fastest four-stroke out there. This afternoon I tried everything for one or two laps because I knew lap times would be close. Everyone knew the 500s would be good here, because they’re lighter, so they can use their agility, and they also benefit through the corners from having less power, but I’m surprised to see they’re as strong as they are. Hopefully we can improve our race set-up in the morning warm-up, then we’ll see what we can do in the race.”

Carlos Checa 10th, 1’26.118: “I’m happy with my lap times and with the set-up of the bike, I’m just not happy about my grid position. We made a big improvement to the bike after yesterday and again after this morning’s session. We’ve been working on suspension and chassis settings to improve front-end feel for better turning and also stability. We don’t plan any real changes in the warm-up, my main focus is to be calm at the start and get away well, and if I can do that I think we can race up front.”


Red Bull Yamaha WCM

Garry McCoy 8th, 1’26.095: “Generally the set-up of the bike was a bit of a problem this morning, we were lacking feel and grip from the front, but this afternoon we made some big inroads. The only thing was we then had to get the back of the bike balanced with the front, and that took a little more time than I would have liked. Still it’s great to finally be able to get a good feel of the qualifiers and to find myself on the second row.

“It’s looking pretty good here for the race, the four-strokes don’t seem to have the advantage that they usually do, but it will still be a tough race tomorrow. There’s really only one place to slipstream past someone here, and that’s on what is a very short straight into a very tight turn one.”

John Hopkins 14th, 1’26.551: “Yeah, what can I saw? I feel all right; it’s really not such a big deal as I’ve broken bones in my hand before, but never this particular one. I was pushing things to the limit in an effort to make up time in the last section when I lost the back of the bike. It just flicked me over the ‘bars and all I could think of as I was tumbling was, ‘brace yourself this is going to hurt’.”


Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin

Norick Abe 15th, 1’26.555: “That was a very difficult session. I can’t believe I can be so close to the pole time and yet I’m 15th on the grid. I’m so surprised that everyone has made such an improvement over this morning. I’m feeling comfortable, and I can do those 26s almost every time I go out, but it wasn’t enough today. I’m still sure we’ll do well here in the race but it’s going to come down to the start.”

José Luis Cardoso 20th, 1’27.262: “We’re always improving, and I’m very close, but so is everyone else. We made a big improvement since yesterday and I hope that the few things we need to try tomorrow will help us continue in this direction.”


More, from Suzuki:

TELEFONICA MOVISTAR SUZUKI riders Yukio Kagayama and Sete Gibernau will start tomorrow’s German GP side by side on the third row of the closest-ever grid in motorcycle GP racing, after both carved chunks off their previous best times to qualify within around half-a-second of pole time.

Kagayama, in his first GP this year, was 0.474 seconds off the pole time set by French rider Olivier Jacque, with Gibernau one-and-a-half tenths slower. The whole field of 21 riders was covered by only 1.547 seconds, with 21st place taken by Suzuki factory rider Akira Ryo, a wild card entry for this GP. This is the closest ever time interval from first to last in the history of GP racing.

Kagayama improved the most of any rider from yesterday to today, slashing his previous best time by almost 1.5 seconds to move from 16th position to 11th. This huge improvement marked the Japanese factory rider’s progress as he adapts from his usual tyres to the Michelins used by the GP team. Kagayama’s regular job is to campaign a Suzuki GSV-R GP bike in the All-Japan Superbike championship. He is racing in Germany in place of team regular Kenny Roberts Jr, who is at home in California recovering from corrective surgery to his right arm.

Gibernau was not far behind in improvement, taking more than a second off his time.

Tomorrow’s race, the ninth of 16 rounds in the World Championship, closes the first part of the season, with the GP circus going on holiday until the end of August for the annual summer break.

YUKIO KAGAYAMA – 11th Position, 1:26.232

“I was behind Alex Barros for my fast lap, so I was able to use him to help me. All the same, I haven’t found much difficulty in adapting to the Michelin tyres. I have used them before, and also have a lot of experience on different types of machine, including 500cc GP bikes and heavier Superbikes. The different tyres demand a different way of riding, but I have been able to change my style without any hardship. This is my first GP this year, and my aim is simple. Of course I want to get a good result, but I have to remember that this is Kenny’s bike. I want to bring it back to the pits after the race, still in perfect condition. Also, after this I am racing in the Suzuka Eight-Hour race, so it is important to keep myself safe, without any injuries.”

SETE GIBERNAU – 12th Position, 1:26.387

“We’re pretty close. I know if we could have had a more consistent practice session we could have been better, and I was hoping to be on the second row – but as it is the third row is not so bad. I need a clear warm-up session tomorrow morning so we can improve the front-end performance. The team is working as hard as I have ever seen anyone working, and I’m hoping for another good race tomorrow.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager

“At Donington Park last weekend Sete had a worse starting grid position and fought his way up to sixth – a great ride. He’s starting further forward this time. One thing we do know is that he is a real racer … he always goes better in the race than in practice, which is when it really matters. Kagayama is doing a great job, qualifying so well on a grid with the first 16 riders all within the same second.”

RYO CONTINUES DEVELOPMENT

TEAM SUZUKI’S Akira Ryo qualified 21st for tomorrow’s 9th round of the MotoGP Championship at the Sachsenring in Germany, as he continues to test new settings on his GSV-R.

Ryo, who slashed 0.7seconds off his lap time from yesterday, was just 1.5seconds away from pole position. Normally that would put the Suzuki ace much further up the grid, but today’s final qualifying session was held in near perfect conditions and was hotly contested – 16 riders were within one second of the pole time.

All Japan Superbike Champion Ryo, who is deliberately trying different chassis, suspension and set-up from the Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki squad, is helping to develop the GSV-R into a race winner as soon as possible. His sights are firmly fixed on gathering development information rather than outright race results.

It is the 34-year-old Japanese rider’s first visit to the 3.707km track and he is pleased with how quickly he is picking up the fast lines. He is sure that he can run with the pack in the race tomorrow.

Ryo said: “Today I was working on the chassis set-up and really didn’t have an opportunity to attack my outright lap time.

“I am happy with the way the bike feels and the tyre selection for tomorrow’s race. The bike feels better than yesterday and I am confused why I wasn’t able to go a lot faster. But my role as a test rider is not to look for a result tomorrow, it is to find improvements so results and wins will come for the team later in the season.”

The GSV-R made its racing debut at the first round of the 2002 season, a full year earlier than expected. Ryo, riding as a wild-card entry at the first round of the Championship at Suzuka in April, finished runner-up in the bike’s first race, despite atrocious weather conditions. He has been called in as a Team Suzuki wild card rider for a total of five races mid-season to speed up the GSV-R’s development progress. He rode at Catalunya in Spain, finishing 11th, at the Dutch TT at Assen in Holland, finishing a credible 15th, and 13th at the British GP at Donington Park. After competing in the German GP at Sachsenring this weekend, he will finish his time on the GP circuit at Brno in the Czech Republic in August.

Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki riders Yukio Kagayama and Sete Gibernau qualified 11th and 12th for tomorrow’s race. Kagayama was within half a second of pole position and Gibernau close behind. Kagayama replaces regular rider Kenny Roberts Jr., who is recovering from an operation to his right forearm in the US. Roberts will return for the next race at Brno in the Czech Republic in August.


More, from Aprilia:

Régis Laconi and the Cube make fourth row at the Sachsenring

After ending the free practice with eleventh quickest time in the morning, Régis Laconi entered the afternoon qualifications where, after testing the race tyres, he entered the final rush in the closing stages in order to obtain a good placing on the grid tomorrow. The fast lap was, however, complicated by the yellow flag that went up when Hopkins went for a fall. There was no way Régis was going to give in and, even though the qualifying tyres were no longer able to provide the ideal level of performance, he still managed to take 16th place, just over 8 tenths behind Jacque’s pole time. A small gap by any manner of reckoning. The Cube today received the “Sound of the New Century” certificate of merit, awarded by the Netherlands-based Motor Magazine, for the captivating sound produced by its powerful engine. The prize for the Cube was withdrawn by Régis Laconi and will be exhibited at the Racing Department in Noale.

# 55 Regis Laconi – (MS APRILIA RACING) – 16th – 1’26.648

“I was doing a fast lap absolutely flat out when the flag came up in a place where I didn’t have a clear view of the danger it was indicating. I naturally slowed down, got past the “problem”, and then decided I’d give it all I’d got to make a second attempt even though the tyres were coming to an end. I came in with sixteenth quickest time, which isn’t actually all that bad considering the problems of grip we’ve got on this circuit. There’s still some chattering at the front end of the bike – this occurs with some types of tyre, while with others it’s barely perceptible. Still, I’m confident, for I was just 8 tenths from pole position and, if we don’t have any serious loss of grip tomorrow, I should be able to put up a good fight. I tested the duration of the race tyres today, so we’ll see how things go tomorrow.”


More, from Aprilia:

Marco “Macio” Melandri on front row of the grid tomorrow. 3 Aprilia 250s in top three places.

Neither of the two main rivals for victory tomorrow, Melandri and Nieto, managed to improve on yesterday’s placings in the second round of qualifying. The ground temperature, which was decidedly higher than in the previous days, was quite probably a factor in the final result. Yesterday, Nieto and Marco came in first and second respectively, and will again be up against each other on the front row tomorrow. The front line now also includes Locatelli (Aprilia) and Rolfo (Honda). Marco made a final rush during the last few minutes of the session but the track was overcrowded and it really appeared more like a city traffic jam during the rush hour. Marco worked hard to prepare for the race, and worked out the final details for his Aprilia RSW 250 with his technicians.

# 3 Marco Melandri – (MS APRILIA RACING) – 2nd – 1’27.171

“The tarmac was much hotter than yesterday and was much more slippery as the tyres were overheating. It’s worth recalling that some of the very long curves stretch tyres limits to the maximum. And one of the front tyres was oval, which made it pretty difficult to govern. Towards the end, I came up against the traffic jam, in which everyone was trying to hook onto one another, but I’m feeling quite confident as I’ve done some good work getting tomorrow’s tyres right. Things are just about worked out now, this is a very particular track and I’m pretty confident. I think it’s going to be a race between me and Nieto, since I don’t think anyone else will be able to keep up our pace. I just hope it’s not going to be a photo-finish as it almost was at Donington – and that the final result can be decided some time before we go under the chequered flag.