Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.


250cc Grand Prix
Final Qualifying
Sepang, Malaysia

1. Toni Elias, Aprilia, 2:07.535
2. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, 2:08.419
3. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 2:08.836
4. N. Matsudo, Yamaha, 2:09.278
5. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, 2:09.353
6. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, 2:09.380
7. Sebastian Porto, Honda, 2:09.407
8. S. Guintoli, Aprilia, 2:09.687
9. Anthony West, Aprilia, 2:09.827
10. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, 2:10.231


125cc Grand Prix
Final Qualifying
Sepang, Malaysia

1. Jorge Lorenzo, Derbi, 2:14.403
2. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, 2:14.485
3. Mike Kallio, KTM, 2:14.541
4. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, 2:14.569
5. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, 2:14.655
6. Thomas Luthi, Honda, 2:14.844
7. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, 2:14.887
8. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 2:14.980
9. S. Perugini, Aprilia, 2:15.036
10. S. Bianco, Gilera, 2:15.052


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda:

Rolfo improves feel for machine without finding all solutions to his problems

Sepang – Malaysia October 11, 2003. Roberto Rolfo slightly improved the performance of his Fortuna Honda overnight but problems still remain. Rolfo is still experiencing problems running into the corners but he is confident that in the morning warm up for the Malaysian Grand Prix he has the solutions to the problems.

In spite of the difficulties he ran into today Rolfo was just 1/1000th of a second outside his qualifying time of yesterday. He is hopeful of finding solutions in order to keep alive his championship aspirations, he will fight to the end. But at this moment he is not worried about the situation, even if he has to start the race from the third row of the grid.

“We have improved from yesterday but we still have work ahead of us. I hope that during the morning warm up tomorrow we will be able to find the necessary solutions to our problem and ride comfortably on this circuit.” Explained Rolfo.

“The particular problem we are suffering is with the front end, it’s costing me a real effort to get the bike to run into the corners and hold my line. We have improved a little in that respect from Friday but I still do not feel confident enough on the bike to ride at my maximum on my race lines.” Confirmed the Altadis rider.

“The circumstances are going to make the race very hard for us. At the time we start the race tomorrow the winner is going to be the heat out on the track, its not good We have to recognise that Elias’ qualifying time is very good. But I think sincerely that if we can take a step forward in the warm up tomorrow I can fight with the leading group.” Rolfo asserted.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Final Qualifying Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang, Malaysia

Final Qualifying Saturday September 11

Track temperature: 46 degrees C
Humidity: 47%
Ambient temperature: 32 degrees C, strong sunshine, light breeze

Tony Elias (Aprilia) dominated the hour of 250 class qualifying just as he had yesterday. He was the only rider to dip into the 2m 07 second territory and factory Aprilia rider Manuel Poggiali was a full eight tenths of a second behind his Spanish rival in second. Fonsi Nieto (Aprilia) qualified third and surprise package Naoki Matsudo fired his Yamaha to fourth on the front row.

Sebastian Porto (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS250RW) had a torrid time, crashing early in the session and then rejoining the fray – but he couldn’t improve his time from yesterday’s session and the Argentine starts in seventh place on row two.

“In the afternoon we were not so good,” said Porto. “We had a second problem with the engine and I wouldn’t be surprised if the heat had something to with it. We’ll be going back to Friday’s settings for the warm-up. That was quite a difficult session because of my crash after just a few minutes.”

Things weren’t much better for Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) who did his crashing yesterday, but failed to squeeze any real improvement from his machine. The Italian title contender starts from tenth on row three, but of more concern is his lap time, 2.696 seconds off Elias’ pole marker.

“The problem is with the front end,” said the Italian. “It’s costing me real effort to get the bike turned into the corners and then to keep it on a line. Things are better than Friday, but I still don’t feel confident on the bike to be able to ride at my maximum.”

Derbi rider Jorge Lorenzo qualified on pole for tomorrow’s Malaysian 125 Grand Prix after finding a clear route to a flying lap amid the hectic traffic of today’s final half-hour of 125 qualifying. Title leader Daniel Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS125R) lines up next to him in second spot.

Pedrosa headed the timesheets after yesterday’s session and despite running into some technical problems, the Spanish teenager proved he has the speed to be in contention in the race – he was only eight hundredths of a second slower than Lorenzo and was baulked on one of his fastest laps. He also crashed early on.

Mika Kallio (KTM) and Casey Stoner (Aprilia) complete the front row, while Swiss newcomer Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) marks a return to his best by lining up on row two in sixth. Andrea Dovisioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) also grabbed a second row start with eighth place.

Pedrosa was content, if not entirely ecstatic. “My crash made it quite a difficult session. The track conditions changed quite a lot from the morning to the afternoon and I lost the front end. The damage was minimal but we lost time. In any case I’m feeling calm because yesterday and this morning we found a good set-up.”

Luthi was happy with his performance. “The second row is okay,” said the young Swiss. “I felt smooth and comfortable from the start of the session and when I came in and changed tyres, the bike was absolutely perfect for the nest four or five laps – engine, chassis, suspension, everything. But tomorrow I need a better start than I have had lately.”

Dovisioso was equally delighted. “That was good because I set my fastest times with a race tyre riding alone,” said the Italian. “I didn’t slipstream anyone and that’s encouraging for the race. The only concern is engine temperature which right up between 58 and 60 degrees.”


HONDA TEAM QUOTES:

250cc:

Roberto Rolfo, Fortuna Honda, 10th: “We have improved from yesterday but we still have work ahead of us. I hope that during the morning warm up tomorrow we will be able to find the necessary solutions to our problem and ride comfortably on this circuit. The particular problem we are suffering is with the front end, it’s costing me a real effort to get the bike to run into the corners and hold my line. We have improved a little in that respect from Friday but I still do not feel confident enough on the bike to ride at my maximum on my race lines.The circumstances are going to make the race very hard for us. At the time we start the race tomorrow the winner is going to be the heat out on the track, its not good We have to recognise that Elias’ qualifying time is very good. But I think sincerely that if we can take a step forward in the warm up tomorrow I can fight with the leading group.”


Sebastian Porto, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, Jnr Team, 7th: “It was quite a difficult session because I crashed after just a few minutes. The track conditions changed quite a lot from the morning to the afternoon and I lost the front end. The damage was minimal but we lost a lot of time setting the bike up again and weren’t able to get it working as it had done. In any case I am feeling calm because yesterday and this morning we found a good set-up and we know which way to go for the race.”


125cc.

Dani Pedrosa, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, Jnr Team, 2nd: “I am not completely satisfied although it is positive to be on the front row. The free practice went perfectly but in the afternoon, with the heat, we had a few more problems than we expected. The high temperatures affected the performance of the engine a lot, and it is now one of the slowest in the class. As far as the chassis is concerned we thought we had the right settings but this afternoon the bike began to slide a lot. To add to that, I was held up by a slower rider on my fast lap and I lost all the advantage I had. We have to keep working to solve these problems because the only thing for sure right now is that tomorrow will be a tough race.”

Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda, 8th: “That was good. I’m happy because I set my fastest times with a race tyre while I was riding alone, and without slipstreaming anybody. In the morning we had problems with the front suspension but it was much better this afternoon. In the warm up we will try a couple of small changes on gearbox ratios because we don’t have the best solutions for a couple of corners. Our only other problem is with engine temperature, in qualifying it was between 58 and 60′.”

Simone Corsi, Scot Honda: Simone Corsi will not race due to a leg injury sustained in practice on Friday.

Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda, 6th: “I’m happy with my second row starting place on the grid. I was comfortable and smooth from the start of the session. I came in and changed tyres and for the next four or five laps the bike was absolutely perfect, engine chassis, suspension, everything. I will be looking for a good start, or a better start than I have made lately.”

Masao Azuma, Ajo Motorsports Honda, 12th: “Yesterday and this morning I had no problems at all and I had a good feeling with the bike and I was lapping very fast. In qualifying the front wheel was sliding too much, I don’t understand why because I had the same tyre on as yesterday. We have to check out everything because it’s happening in the high-speed corners. Anyway, I hope for a good race tomorrow, better for me if it rains but I will also be confident if it’s dry.”


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

MANUEL POGGIALI SECOND FASTEST TODAY, THREE APRILIAS IN THE FRONT ROW



After an innocuous sliding in this morning free session and the fourth lap time Manuel Poggiali improved his yesterdays lap time of 0.769 achieving the second position today. A good performance for the San Marino rider who is fighting to maintain the leading of the world standing as he has 18 points of advantage far from Rolfo who was only tenth today.

Manuel Poggiali: “This morning we made some tests about the chassis setting but we did not get any excellent result and I did not feel comfortable: that’s why I crashed but I did not suffer any injury. In the qualifying session the bike was quite good and I got a good pace with the race tyres. But I am not able to use the qualifying tyres in the proper way like Elias. Anyway during my best lap time I found some slow riders but honestly I would have not been able to do that performance. The expectations for the race are quite good and I want to make a perfect start trying to fight for the victory also because I like this track very much and I am enjoying myself with the 250 bike”.


More, from a press release issued by KTM:

Kallio and KTM Red Bull Front Row

A perfectly timed qualifying run by Flying Finn Mika Kallio means the KTM Red Bull Team will start from the front row of the grid for the first time in tomorrow’s Malaysian Grand Prix. In the sauna conditions of Sepang Kallio was third fastest in final qualifying and just .13s off pole position. It was a brilliant effort by Kallio and a timely reward for the hard working KTM, which has endured a steep learning curve in their first year of 125cc Grand Prix competition.

Kallio sliced 1.3s from his Friday time following the arrival of a performance boosting new exhaust system from Europe. The new pipes were airfreighted in overnight and fitted to the KTM machines for today’s morning free practice. While this is 20 year-old Kallio’s second career front row start it is the first for KTM who only hired the young Finnish rider in August. Teammate Roberto Locatelli, who crashed heavily yesterday, also dramatically reduced his lap times by 1.1s but will start 19th on the fifth row.

# 36 Mika Kallio
3rd / 2:14.541

Finally I’ve done, a front row start for KTM, and the second for me. Three laps from the end of the session I was on a fast lap and I could the new pipes were something special in performance. But I got delayed by a group of slow riders and had to push again on my final lap to do the time. For the race there is only aim: Full throttle from the start to the finish.

#10 Roberto Locatelli
19th /2:15.720s

I was still feeling a little stiff from my crash yesterday although it is disappointing to improve my best time by more than one second but still only be 19th on the grid.

Harald Bartol
Team Manager

This is a very positive result because when you are far from home base on the flyaways it is not easy to develop new parts but the team have been working hard back in Europe. I knew Mika could do the times today and for Roberto the performance is OK considering he crashed yesterday. I’m looking forward to the outcome of tomorrow’s race.