Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Final MotoGP Qualifying Order
Assen, Holland

1. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:59.770
2. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:59.941
3. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:59.964
4. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 2:00.169
5. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 2:00.294
6. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 2:00.501
7. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 2:00.553
8. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 2:00.553
9. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 2:00.579
10. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 2:00.693
11. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 2:00.929
12. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 2:00.998
13. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 2:01.147
14. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 2:01.188
15. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, 2:01.601
16. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 2:01.715
17. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 2:02.172
18. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 2:02.351
19. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 2:02.996
20. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 2:03.371
21. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 2:03.407
22. Ryuichi Kiyonari, 2:03.707
23. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 2:06.172



Final 250cc Grand Prix Qualifying
1. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, 2:04.050
2. Randy de Puniet, Aprilia, 2:04.586
3. Toni Elias, Aprilia, 2:04.712
4. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 2:04.866
5. Sebastian Porto, Honda, 2:04.920
6. S. Guintoli, Aprilia, 2:05.190
7. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, 2:05.190
8. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, 2:05.547
9. Anthony West, Aprilia, 2:05.755
10. N. Matsudo, Yamaha, 2:05.755


Final 125cc Grand Prix Qualifying
1. D. Pedrosa, Honda, 2:10.724
2. A. De Angelis, Aprilia, 2:10.777
3. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, 2:10.814
4. S. Perugini, Aprilia, 2:11.052
5. T. Luthi, Honda, 2:11.545
6. C. Stoner, Aprilia, 2:11.632
7. Y. Ui, Aprilia, 2:11.700
8. J. Lorenzo, Derbi, 2:11.714
9. H. Barbera, Aprilia, 2:11.741
10. M. Kallio, Honda, 2:11.957


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON TOP AGAIN!

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi scored his team’s second pole position of the year at Assen today, less than two weeks ago after he scored the Desmosedici’s first MotoGP at Catalunya, Spain. But there was little joy for team-mate Troy Bayliss, who ended the session 13th fastest and planning some major set-up changes for tomorrow’s race, round seven of the 2003 MotoGP World Championship.

“It’s great to get pole again, it’s another sign that the bike works wherever we go, though it’s only the race that really counts,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “We made some small detail changes for Loris – just a few clicks on damping and some different spring rates – then let him get out there and get used to the bike. He did his fastest lap on a race tyre, and he’s done race distance on the same tyre, so we’re pretty sure that we’ll run that Michelin for the race. We’re confident for tomorrow, though I have to say that Rossi seems to have a slightly better overall pace. We’re a bit disappointed that we couldn’t do better for Troy – he was faster in this morning’s session – so we’ll sit down with him and decide on some changes for the race.”

Capirossi scored the Ducati Marlboro Team’s first pole position at May’s Marlboro Spanish GP at Jerez.


CAPIROSSI SCORES SECOND POLE OF 2003
Loris Capirossi was in glorious form at sun-blessed Assen this afternoon – grabbing pole position from Valentino Rossi with seven minutes of the final session remaining and ending the day 0.171 seconds ahead of Max Biaggi. Capirossi – who made history a fortnight back by scoring Ducati’s first MotoGP victory – made some more history today, recording the first-ever sub-two-minute lap around the ultra-quick Dutch track, GP racing’s longest-running venue. And the Italian is confident for tomorrow’s race, because he ran his fastest lap with race tyres.

“I’m delighted,” smiled the former 125 and 250 king after scoring his sixth consecutive front-row start. “We’ve made a lot of progress with the bike over the past two days – we’ve made many small changes to the chassis settings, really changing things around. The machine is working really well now, and so are the tyres. I feel the Michelins we’ve chosen should be perfect for the race – I rode a lot of laps with the same set, riding at a very fast pace. The only thing that could change things is the weather, but I’m not worried if it rains, this track is very grippy when wet, and when it rains, it rains on everyone. I’m also really happy to be the first guy to get under two minutes here – I wanted to be the first, so I tried 110 per cent. Finally, I’d like to dedicate this pole to my mechanic Davide ‘Bibone’ Manfredi – it’s his birthday today.”


BAYLISS PLANS RADICAL CHANGES
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss ended today’s session an unlucky 13th quickest, and planning some radical changes to the set-up of his Desmosedici for tomorrow’s race. The Australian, who made good progress on settings during tests at Catalunya last week, hasn’t found those settings so useful at Assen, which has a character unlike any other MotoGP track.

“I’m not getting on with the bike, so we’re going to have to try something different,” said Bayliss, who nevertheless improved on his Thursday times by almost a second. “I can’t ride any harder than I’m already riding, I’m putting so much force into the bike, but I’m still banging my head against the wall. So we’re thinking of making some radical changes, going in the same direction as Loris, even though we usually run something a bit different. But where we are now, and looking at Loris’ lap times, we’d be crazy not to have a go in his direction.”


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP 2003
ROUND 7 – GAULOISES DUTCH TT
27TH JUNE 2003 – QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2

KAWASAKI TRIO UP THE PACE AT SUNNY ASSEN

Fuchs Kawasaki wild card Alex Hofmann continued his high-speed run in final qualifying at a sunny Assen circuit, to claim 17th place on the grid for tomorrow’s 19-lap Dutch TT.

Joining Hofmann on the fifth row of the grid is Andrew Pitt – who qualified 20th – with his Ninja ZX-RR team-mate Garry McCoy moving up one spot from yesterday to line-up in 21st position.

All three Kawasaki riders produced dramatic improvements in their lap times from first qualifying, as they continued the process of development on the ZX-RR MotoGP project. The six kilometre Assen circuit provides a unique challenge in motorcycling and overnight set-up changes produced positive results, especially in front-end steering response.

Test rider Hofmann made further progress with a longer rear swinging arm set-up, and was disappointed not to have gone faster after he was baulked on his final flying lap by another rider. The 23-year-old German rider is in confident mood going into tomorrow’s race.

Pitt’s one hour qualifying session was interrupted when his preferred race bike suffered an electric problem out on the circuit and he was forced to switch to his back-up machine with just 12 minutes of the session remaining. Despite differences in set-up between his number one and number two machines, Pitt still managed to improve on his previous best time.

After Thursday first qualifying, McCoy had the most room for improvement and the hard-riding Australian delivered by slashing 2.9s off his best time. A wide range of changes, including a rear swinging arm adjustment, were made on McCoy’s bike, which helped improve the steering response through the fast sections.

Alex Hofmann – 17th – 2:02.172
“On my last run I had a good flying lap going behind Valentino Rossi and then Carlos Checa came past me and I had to lift; Carlos destroyed the lap for both of us and I’m a little disappointed because I would have liked to have seen a 2:01 on my display. We made some good steps forward today and the longer swinging arm set-up helps keep the front down and not wheelie so much. The steering is better, although it is still something we struggle with here, but I think I’ve got a good set-up for the race.”

Andrew Pitt – 20th – 2:03.371
“I did my best time halfway through the session after making some steps forward with the set-up – moving some weight over the front and getting the steering better through the fast sections. My best bike just stopped, an electrical problem I think, and the spare wasn’t feeling the same. I’m doing the times on race tyres while running on my own without a tow, so I think I can keep punching out the laps in the race. Dunlop have got a new tyre here and it went well today; I think I’ll be using that for the race.”

Garry McCoy – 22nd – 2:03.407
“We played around with a lot of settings and the bike feels more comfortable than yesterday, but we still haven’t found all the answers. It’s still hard work and a handful through the long, fast twisty sections and that’s where I am having the main problem. It’s a little cooler than the last couple of races and the tyres seem to be working consistently, but I’m out of time; practice is over, so now I’ve just got to get on with it and have a big go in the race.”



More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Assen TT
Friday, 27 June 2003
Assen, The Netherlands

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM GO FROM STRENGTH TO THE TT FRONT ROW

The Fortuna Yamaha Team made a significant improvement during the Dutch TT final qualifying session in Assen today, with both Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri featuring well on the provisional front row during the closing stages of the hour-long session. As the final five-minute jostle for positions began, a front row start was open to all. Among the contenders, MotoGP rookie Melandri made a charge for pole, setting the fastest time to T3 before crossing the line with the third fastest time – until a flurry of YZR-M1s relegated the 20-year-old Italian to eighth.

Checa also jumped in on the last minute rush for the ultimate lap to eventually close the day as the fastest Yamaha rider – producing a time of 2:00.169 to complete the front row in fourth. The Spaniard made a significant improvement over his provisional qualifying time by 1.643 seconds, the result of a further improvement that his team made to the M1’s overall chassis balance since yesterday.

Valentino Rossi’s (Honda) provisional pole looked set to remain at the top of the time sheets during the early stages, with very few able to dislodge the defending MotoGP World Champion. That was until the possessed performance of Loris Capirossi (Ducati), who made history as the first MotoGP rider to break the Assen two-minute barrier with a time of 1;59.770. His performance secured a pole position start for the Italian, with Max Biaggi (Honda, 1:59.941) and Rossi (1:59.964) rounding out the top three, and Fortuna Yamaha’s Checa in fourth.

“Last year I started the TT from sixth place so it’s great to be on the front row here,” said a very happy Checa. “To say that I’m confident to fight for the victory is not an easy statement because the competition is so tough, but we’re getting close. I’m certainly up with the top riders here, and the team have worked so hard for me to be in this position. We have made some minor changes to the bike’s balance since yesterday, and once you get the bike dialled in as you want it here you can push harder. I just hope we can fight for the podium tomorrow.”

Like his Fortuna Yamaha team-mate, the majority of Melandri’s 1.431 seconds over his provisional qualifying performance was the result of a better base geometry set-up. But part of the progress was also influenced by the 250cc World Champion’s increased understanding of how to get the maximum out of the 220 horsepower plus machine. Although the young Italian will start the 19-lap race from eighth on the grid, his performance today was in fact the seventh fastest combined lap-time – his time of 2:00.553 is identical to that of seventh place starter Sete Gibernau (Honda).

“I’m happy today,” said Melandri. “I made a small mistake on my best lap at the last chicane and ran off the track, which was annoying as I was fighting for pole position. But my feeling for the bike is improving all the time and it was better today than it has been for a while. When I tried a soft tyre I tried to push again at the last exit but I had a big slide and couldn’t improve my lap-time. For sure I will have a better race here than I had in Barcelona. I hope that I can be close to my team-mate Carlos. I think I can!”

Team Manager Geoff Crust was very pleased with the improvement in the performance of both riders, “It’s nice to see Carlos back on the front row because it’s been quite a long time since he was last there for the start of a race, in fact since Motegi last year,” he explained. “He’s become more and more confident and comfortable with the bike at the last few races and now he is where we expect him to be. Also for Marco to challenge for pole position is great. He was maybe a little bit too aggressive and lost time on that last chicane but he’s going for it, which is nice to see, especially since his difficult start to the year. Both the bikes are working well, both riders are working well, and the team is working well. We’re ready to race!”


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

SUZUKIS MAKE PROGRESS AT ASSEN

Team Suzuki riders Yukio Kagayama and John Hopkins both slashed their lap times and moved higher up the grid in a scorching final qualifying session for tomorrow’s Dutch TT. They will start side by side from the fourth row of the grid, after qualifying 15th and 16th.

Team regular John Hopkins had led the way, running strings of consistently fast laps as he concentrated on race set-up. Although his best time was set using a softer-compound tyre, he had been within a couple of tenths on full race rubber, and could measure significant progress after a difficult first day.

In fact, it was GP part-timer Yukio Kagayama who ended up the faster, with a single flying lap in the last minutes of a sun-baked hour of qualifying, run in almost 30-degree heat. Assen first-timer Kagayama had already significantly improved from the day before, as he gained knowledge and technique on the beguiling Dutch circuit’s subtle corner sets. Now he found himself behind experienced former Assen winner Max Biaggi, and could follow him for his best lap yet. “Thank you to Max,” quipped the popular Japanese rider, who is taking the place of injured team regular Kenny Roberts Junior.

The Suzuki GSV-R riders had both improved radically today. Hopkins cut almost 1.5 seconds off his time, as he settled in to the routine of getting himself and his motorcycle in the best possible condition for tomorrow’s race. Kagayama cut his time by a similar margin.


YUKIO KAGAYAMA – 15th Position, 2:01.601
I have been learning more and more about the track. It is not so easy, with many different possible corner lines. Assen is a great circuit, but very tiring to ride. The bike feels very heavy when you try to change direction at such high speeds. The GP bike is harder to ride than the Superbike, because of the extra speed. Because now I know the circuit a little better, I’ve been able to concentrate on working on my biggest problem with the bike – which is to understand the engine control, and how to use it. The feeling is coming better.


JOHN HOPKINS – 16th Position, 2:01.715
I was feeling comfortable today – just trying to let the lap times come to me. It went better, but we’re still nowhere near where we want to be, up with the front runners. I wanted to really focus today on what we need for the race. I spent almost the whole time on race tyres, doing numbers of consistent laps and working with the crew to try and make the bike easier in the up-and-over when you change direction. It feels super-heavy there, and I’m also having some trouble running wide and not holding the line on the long sweeping corners. That’s what’s costing us lap time. Rain tomorrow won’t help us, because I’ll be having the same trouble in the wet.


GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager
Both riders made a big improvement today, and the fact that they are so close shows they are getting the best out of the bike as it is at the moment. Like everybody in the team and at the factory, the riders have been working very hard, and they deserve thanks for their patience and their application. It’s still a bit early to measure the full benefits, but we’re confident we will reach our ultimate goal.


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:


Assen – (Holland) 26/27/28 June 2003
Friday – qualifying sessions

Makoto Tamada has difficulty getting to grips with Assen circuit

Despite thinking back over the day and going over the circuit in his mind, studying all the various impressions he had during the practice laps, Makoto Tamada was still not able to find the right technique to interpret the tough and selective track at Assen in the best possible way. He again found himself in difficulty today as he tried to find the right rhythm that would let him slice his lap times at what is known as the “university of motorcycling”. His top time in the qualifying sessions, 18th out of 23, puts him on the fifth row of tomorrow’s starting grid for a race that looks as though it’s going to be a truly uphill battle.

The choice of set-up and tyres was also difficult because Makoto was still working hard to improve his level of riding and his feel for the circuit. The race, the determination it requires, the fact that he is in the pack with all the rest, might well prove to be the key to overcoming the difficulty that he has found in getting the right interpretation during these first two days. For the record, Tamada improved the time he made yesterday on his final sortie in the official sessions, clocking up the 2:02.351 that put him into 18th place on the starting grid. But this Japanese rider is tenacious, and he is certainly not going to be giving in.


Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 18th – 2:02.351
“There are two sections of the track where I just haven’t been able to maintain speed. Two key points that are very important if you’re going to be competitive on the six thousand and twenty-seven metres of tarmac here at Assen. I’m going to have to up the ante because in these conditions I’m not able to advance the development work and I’m not providing useful data. So I’m going to be starting off with the disadvantage of not having acquired a good feeling for the track, and it’s going to be an uphill struggle all the way. The race will probably be a good opportunity to find out more about the circuit. One thing’s sure, and that’s that I’d like to come back to Assen for a test session, and have a bit more time to learn.”



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

McWILLIAMS BEATS NIGGLES TO MOVE PROTON KR FORWARD

Round 7: Dutch TT, Assen
Final Qualifying: Friday, June 27, 2003

Jeremy McWilliams: 19th, 2:02.996
Nobuatsu Aoki: 23rd, 2:06.172

Team Proton KR put at least some of their teething troubles behind them in the second day of practice for tomorrow’s Dutch TT at the challenging and exacting Assen circuit. Although Nobuatsu Aoki was still struggling with time-wasting technical problems, team-mate Jeremy McWilliams managed some strong laps, cutting more than two seconds off his time of yesterday to get in touch with mid-field rivals, and give himself the hope of looking for championship points in only the all-new machine’s third race.

McWilliams only gained one place on the grid, and was frustrated that a last-minute gearbox glitch cost him the chance of a final attempt on soft qualifying tyres. At the same time, he finished the day much stronger than yesterday, after another late night in the pit garage had improved oil control problems and reliability, after a difficult first day at the fast and long 6.027km circuit.

Aoki also made a one-second improvement in his time, but this was a long way short of his target, since he was battling with machine problems. Like McWilliams, he was concentrating on just one of the two bikes available, but continued teething problems with oil control meant that he managed only eight laps in the final session, compared with a maximum of 24 (by Max Biaggi), and was in no way up to anything like full qualifying or racing speed.

While disappointing after the radical all-new 990cc V5 prototype’s strong debut performance in its first two races, the fact that the Proton KR’s are easily qualified for tomorrow’s race is in itself an achievement. Rather than a racing programme, the bike is still in the earliest stage of development.

Pole position was set by the winner of the previous race, Loris Capirossi, on a Ducati.


JEREMY McWILLIAMS
I was quite happy, until my gearbox stopped. My target was to get into the 2:02 bracket, and I was pretty pleased to have got there. We’d decided to concentrate on just one bike, and I was testing things just to get set-up for the race, and trying race tyres. With about 20 minutes to go, I wanted to go for some fast laps, to get further up the grid. That’s when everything started to go wrong. It seems there was a small component failure in the gearbox, that locked me in one gear, and I had to come back to the pits.

NOBUATSU AOKI
Trouble all day! In the morning, after it seemed there was still a little problem with one engine, the team decided to rebuild that, and to concentrate on just one bike for the final session. Unfortunately, that bike had a few problems. There was exhaust blow-by; and then some more oiling problems at the end of the session. I had something to worry about all the time, and it meant I didn’t even get one lap that I could concentrate, without wondering if there might be an oil leak or something.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Dutch Grand Prix at Assen

Track temperature: 39 degrees C
Humidity: 29%
Ambient temperature: 29 degrees C, bright sunshine

Final Qualifying Friday June 27

CAPIROSSI TAKES POLE, BIAGGI SECOND, ROSSI THIRD

Fresh from taking the Ducati to its maiden win at Catalunya two weeks ago, Loris Capirossi continued in a rich vein of form today by recording the first ever sub-two minute lap of the 6.027km Assen circuit to take pole position. The Ducati man wasn’t the only rider to shine in the bright sunlight, both Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V), second, and Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) in third also broke the two minute barrier.

Capirossi’s time of 1m 59.770s smashed the previous fastest ever lap time set by Rossi last year of 2m 00.973s. The fact that it was more than a whole second faster suggests the pattern of absolute destruction of lap and race records by the new generation of four-strokes is set to continue – here at Assen at least.

At the half-way point of the hour-long session only Rossi, Capirossi and Biaggi were dipping below the 2m 01s mark. And it looked like they were the only three to be able to match each other as the session reached its climax in the final ten minutes and the times began to tumble.

Marco Melandri (Yamaha) hoisted himself to a temporary third place before Alex Barros (Yamaha) dislodged the Italian. By this stage all the top ten qualifiers were lapping under the two minute one second barrier. And it was with six minutes remaining that Capirossi made Assen history.

Capirossi and Biaggi were on the same lap and it was the Ducati man who crossed the line first to record a 1m 59.770s lap of this twisting track that demands so much physical input and inch-perfect technique to match the more muscular requirements of the narrow racetrack. Carlos Checa (Yamaha) moved up to complete the front row in fourth place.

Biaggi was understandably delighted to be the first Honda qualifier but the realistic Roman is still searching for even more from his V5 machine. “I’m very happy to be the first Honda on the ladder,” he said. “Yesterday and this morning we were still having front end problems. But we found a tyre that cured the chatter this morning and it was fine this afternoon. We are still looking for more power in the lower rev-range but the rest of the bike is good.”

Rossi had to relinquish provisional pole to another Italian, but the reigning champ is happy enough with a front row start. “I knew that if the two minute lap was to go, it would be Loris,” he said. “Okay, so I lost two places from yesterday but this is not a problem and for the race I think we have a good set-up. At the end I tried to beat the lap time but I made a mistake and the rear tyre we used was too soft.”

Alex Barros (Yamaha) is sixth on the grid next to Yamaha rider Olivier Jacque in fifth with Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) in seventh and on the all-important second row which is vital for a good run into the tricky turn one here.

“Today I feel much more satisfied,” said Gibernau. “I was back having fun on the bike. Both Honda and my team have helped a lot and although there is still a long way to go – we are moving forward. The times have been very close and the pace was very fast. I’ll try to adjust the set-up some more tomorrow in the warm-up and find a balance that will allow me some consistency.”

Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) is still struggling to get the best from his machine and the resilient Japanese is hopeful that his recent run of mediocre form can be ended, despite his 11th place qualifying performance. “My lap times have improved from yesterday,” he said. “But not enough to make any real difference yet. The bike feels good and we think we may have a race tyre for tomorrow, but the race will be hard.”

Rookie Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) impressed with a 12th place on his first visit to this super-demanding track. “Every time out I’ve been getting faster and faster,” he said. “It just feels good when you’re getting faster. It’s the best I’ve qualified for some time and if I can make a good start like I’ve managed to do with some races this year, then we should have a good race.”

Things got better for Ryuichi Kiyonari (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) too. The Japanese first-timer at Assen qualified 15th. “My objective was to continue gaining experience,” he said. “And after two days here, I’ve made considerable progress. Today I realised the importance of not rushing. In the final ten minutes when I was trying for a fast time I didn’t consider the difficulty of this circuit and I ended up going slower.”

The so-far powerful performances of rookie Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda RC211V) failed to show themselves in qualifying but the bullish Japanese has a habit of racing better than he qualifies and his 18th place on row five came as a disappointment.

“I’m starting with the disadvantage of not having got a good feeling for the track,” he said. “And it’s going to be an uphill struggle all the way. The race will have to be a good way of finding out more about this track. I’d love to come back here for a test session to find a bit more time to learn.”

Aprilia continues to dominate the 250 qualifying grid with four of the Italian machines on the front row courtesy of Manuel Poggiali on pole, Randy de Puniet in second and Tony Elias and Fonsi Nieto third and fourth. Argentine Honda star Sebastian Porto (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS250RW) did his utmost to get a front row start but has to make do with fifth at the front of row two.

“We made major changes to the bike from yesterday,” he said. “It led to a much better lap time and we detected a chassis problem which could be at the root of all the trouble we’ve been having, especially in the races. Today the bike went much better and I really hope I can consolidate this tomorrow.”

Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) qualified eighth on row two. “We still have work to do in the warm up,” he said. “We are in an adequate position at the moment and I think we are in a position to make a good race here. I think I could have improved my time a little bit today, but the truth is that when I tried to find a fast rider for the all-important slipstream, I couldn’t find one. That and the heavy traffic conditioned my lap times.”

Daniel Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS125R) qualified on pole for tomorrow’s 125c Grand Prix despite falling in the final minute of the session. The Spanish World Championship leader was unhurt and his time of 2m 10.724 seconds which he set at just before the halfway point of the half-hour final qualifying was enough.

“Obviously I’m very happy with my first pole of the season,” said the Spanish rider. “It boosts morale even though it means little for the race. We sorted out yesterday’s problems and the bike was definitely working better this afternoon. I crashed at the end but I wasn’t hurt and from Honda we have a bike that’s working as I want it.”

Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) will line up next to Pedrosa in second with Steve Jenkner (Aprilia) third with Stefano Perugini (Aprilia) completing the front row in fourth. Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) qualified fifth. “Final qualifying went well,” said the 16-year-old. “The engine is good and the chassis and suspension. I was playing cat and mouse with the other riders and it was fun.”

Mika Kallio (Ajo Motorsports Honda RS125R) starts in the top ten qualifiers in tenth place on the third row even though he could not better the 2m 11.957s time he set yesterday.


HONDA TEAM QUOTES

MotoGP:

Max Biaggi, Camel Pramac Pons: 2nd: “I’m very happy to be where I am and it’s great to be the first Honda on the grid too. Yesterday and this morning I was having front end problems and in the morning we found a tyre that really reduced the chatter. The bike is maybe still a bit short of power in the lower rev range but everywhere else it’s good and I’m just happy for the moment to be second and on the front row.”

Valentino Rossi, Repsol Honda, 3rd: “I’m pretty happy about today. I knew that if the two minute lap was to go it would be Loris! That’s OK! I lost two places from yesterday but this is not a problem – today we work very much for the race and I think we have a good set-up. We have found a good rhythm and have good settings. At the end I try to beat the lap time but I made a mistake and the rear tyre we used was too soft. Already on the second lap it starts to spin. I push very hard but it was not possible to go faster. For the race I will use the old pipe because the difference between the old and new pipe is not so great. And also it’s very difficult to ride the bike and keep concentration with all the noise.”

Sete Gibernau, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, 7th: “Today I feel much more satisfied – yesterday I said I was not comfortable but today I was back having fun on the bike. Both Honda and my team have helped out a lot – there is still a long way to go but we have moved forward. Today I had a good rhythm. The times have been very close and the pace was very fast. This circuit has two sections – a fast one where I am gaining time, and a slow one where I loose. Tomorrow in the warm-up I will try to adjust the set-up of the bike and find a balance that will allow me to be more constant. I would have liked to have started from the front row but I will try and get a good st