Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Thursday’s Provisional MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:49.876
2. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:50.212
3. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:50.234
4. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:50.322
5. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:50.844
6. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 1:50.876
7. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:50.957
8. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:51.240
9. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:51.254
10. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:51.385
11. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 1:51.395
12. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:51.420
13. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:51.802
14. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 1:51.870
15. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:52.099
16. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:52.266
17. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:52.583
18. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 1:52.848
19. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 1:52.857
20. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 1:52.883
21. David De Gea, Harris WCM, 1:53.521
22. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 1:53.708
23. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:53.913
24. Chris Burns, Harris WCM, 1:55.314


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

SEVENTH QUICKEST, MAKOTO TAMADA MAKES SEVENTH PROVISIONAL PLACE IN RIO.

On the circuit for the first time, Makoto sliced two seconds off his afternoon’s time and came seventh in the first day in Brazil. Not a bad result by any means. The team technicians worked hard on the calibration of the suspension and enabled Makoto, who in the morning reported considerable vibration due to the uneven terrain, put the problem to rest in the afternoon’s qualifying round. Makoto’s RC211V was thus able to match up almost exactly to the harshness of the terrain and give the rider the right feeling to go really fast.

This meant the tyre tests could be carried out today and the initial choices could be made. Now that he is happy with the front tyre, Makoto still needs to make his choice of rear since he pointed out that the grip on the corners was not perfect when the tyre remains down for a long time.

The weather – cloudy but without rain – should stay exactly the same for tomorrow. This means it will be possible to test the tyres better and find the ideal solution. This initial day of tests in Brazil also shows how a good basic level of settings has been obtained for the RC211V, enabling Makoto to get straight into the job of working on the individual characteristics of each different circuit.

MAKOTO TAMADA (PRAMAC HONDA TEAM): 7th – 1:50.957

“I like Rio. I like the circuit, and already in the afternoon the bumps weren’t a problem for me any more. The front of the bike’s fine now, the tyre’s great, but we’ve still got to do some work to get better grip at the back. On the tyre bead, when the bike leans down for a long time, I still don’t have the grip I’d like to have, so I can’t open up the gas fast enough. This is a snag we know about and we’re trying to get it solved. We’ve been working very well on the settings and we’ve still got time to achieve the result we’re aiming for.”


More, from a press release issued by Harris WCM:

QUALIFYING THURSDAY ­ 19TH SEPTEMBER

David de Gea – 21st ­ 1:53.521

“I like this track very much, yes very much, I am happy with my time from today but I think it is possible for me to faster tomorrow. Today a 53.5, tomorrow I am aiming for a 52.5 ­ 52.8.

My mechanics are working on some problems that I had through the session with the exhaust, but overall I am happy with today.”

Chris Burns – 24th 1:55.314

“I haven¹t been to this track before and I find the track a little tricky to learn quickly. I’m happy though that I¹ve had a full day of qualifying on the four stroke without too many dramas, which is a good sign for tomorrow.

Today I rode both the 4 stroke that I rode in Estoril but qualified today with the even newer engine we have here. So I was switching back and forth, which is a bit of a handful, but the new engine is faster and I just have to get on with it and keep my head down. I’ll think about the track tonight to work out how I can improve my time tomorrow.”

Peter Clifford – Team Manager

“Overall a good day. Chris struggled a little bit with the new circuit and minor frustration’s with the motorcycle but David enjoyed his day I’m sure, even though he had a couple of technical problems that prevented him from being further up the grid.

It leaves me optimistic that both guys can improve tomorrow.”


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

BRAZIL GP/1st QUALIFYING SESSION
WAITING FOR A BETTER POSITION ON GRID
Chattering problems for the RS Cube of Alice Aprilia Racing Team. Colin and Nori did all the best to get a good lap time but all th e technicians are working hard in order to improve: the main objective is a better grid positions for tomorrow. They already made some changes on the setting especially in the front. Unfortunately a technical problem for the American rider forced him to use the bike no. 2 with different regulations compared with the first one.

COLIN EDWARDS: “I feel disappointed cause the day was not so positive but we are trying to get a better setting for tomorrow in order to start from the firsts positions for the race. I am ready cause I studied the track today: this is my first time on this circuit”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “Well. there’s a lot of things to do but I got a good lap in the final part of the session. Anyway we will have to work hard tomorrow as well”.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “Unfortunately we still have chattering problems on this track as well. We are ready to try different settings tomorrow concentrating our efforts in the fork. We had a technical problem on Colin bike no. 1 and he was forced the use the second one with different regulations. So we lost the chance to exploit the qualifying tyre. its’ a pity!”


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

DARK SKIES IN RIO AS FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM COMPLETE FIRST QUALIFYING

The first day of the Rio Grand Prix proved more than challenging for Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Marco Melandri and Carlos Checa as they struggled with set-up difficulties in today’s qualifying session. Both riders endeavoured to find a suitable base set-up for the slick and bumpy Nelson Piquet circuit and focused on feeling rather than lap times, finishing this afternoon’s session 15th and 16th fastest respectively. Although weather conditions gradually improved throughout the day after a damp morning, the dry but gloomy afternoon qualifying session didn’t offer any relief for Yamaha’s Factory squad, who moved to Brazil from the European continent earlier this week with the rest of the MotoGP paddock.

Camel Pramac Honda Pons rider Max Biaggi led the rider board today with a lap time of 1:49.876, breaking his own circuit best lap record of 1:50.568 which gave him pole position here last year. Biaggi was closely followed by riders Loris Capirossi (1:50.212), Sete Gibernau (1:50.234) and Valentino Rossi (1:50.322), completing the provisional front row for Sunday’s race. The Rio Grand Prix marks the first of four intercontinental ‘flyaway’ races, followed by rounds in Japan, Malaysia and Australia.

After initially producing the 12th fastest time in this morning’s practice, Melandri showed some promise of improvement during this afternoon’s hour-long qualifying session. However he eventually finished 15th, with a best lap time of 1:52.099. Although the 250cc World Champion was able to show flashes of speed on his YZR-M1, instability over the bumpy tarmac hindered his feeling and consistency and, in turn, a competitive lap. Stability will be the target of Melandri’s crew and engineers this evening when they will work to put the 21-year-old back in the hunt for another front row start.

“That was a really difficult day, and I’m quite disillusioned because I thought I could start from a comfortable set-up straight away,” said Melandri, who has started from the front row of the grid twice this season.

“Instead I feel quite a long way behind the top riders and I can’t get a good feeling. It’s hard to know which tyres to use here, so we have to work hard to sort out these problems. I tried using softer tyres towards the end of the session but it didn’t make that much of a difference and I couldn’t even try for a fast lap. I really hope tomorrow will be better.”

Today’s qualifying session was equally disappointing for team-mate Carlos Checa, who produced one of his most determined rides in last year’s Rio Grand Prix. The Spaniard was unable to match his morning practice performance of seventh fastest, despite improving his lap time significantly. Checa sits in 16th place on the provisional starting grid with a time of 1:52.266.

“We have probably tested too many things today,” said a frustrated Checa, “and I couldn’t find the right way to go with the bike. We altered more than the suspension; we altered both the chassis and the engine set-up. I started this morning with my base set-up from Estoril, but the balance didn’t feel right and I didn’t have the confidence to push at all, so we have changed many things. We have lost one day doing this. For tomorrow we will go back to the base set-up. I hope that we can make up for lost time and that the weather stays dry so I can get a better lap time and grid position.”

Team Director Davide Brivio said, “We have some serious work to do tonight! Both riders had difficulties finding the right direction for setting. We need to check all the information from today and sit the riders down with the engineers to discuss every possibility. For sure we can improve tomorrow. Both riders were so busy changing their set-ups that, for different reasons, they were unable to try for a hot lap. We need the weather to hold out for tomorrow so they can move up the starting grid.”


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

Proton KR pair on fast learning curve in Rio

Jeremy McWilliams: 18th, 1:52.848
Nobuatsu Aoki: 22nd, 1:53.708

Team Proton KR riders Jeremy McWilliams and Nobuatsu Aoki made an encouraging start to the radical new four-stroke Proton KR V5’s sixth race at Rio today – but ran into problems in the afternoon that slowed progress of the fast-developing new racer.

Both riders lost track time to small but costly problems. All the same, results were encouraging, after the team achieved the new bike’s first double race finish at the Portuguese GP two weeks ago. The four machines in Rio are basically the same as those used in Portugal, but the all-too-public race development programme continues to give improvements, while back in England engineers are working on the next upgrade to the unique 60-degree V5 engine. The sweet-sounding KR V5 is already on the heels of back end of the pack of factory MotoGP four-stroke racers, although still in relatively rough prototype form.

The 4.933km Nelson Piquet circuit at Jacarepagua outside Rio poses special problems because of its extremely bumpy surface. This makes it a severe test not only of chassis design and integrity, but also of geometry and suspension settings. The newness of the KR V5 means that riders and team technicians are still learning fast, as they work towards base settings of a machine that raced for the first time only in June, at the Italian GP.

McWilliams was concentrating on suspension developments, and was in and out of the pits trying different rear suspension links. The down time meant he completed only 14 laps in the afternoon, compared with more than 25 for most runners. Aoki ran 12 laps, but ran into engine trouble that kept him off the track for the last half of the session – a disappointment after his latest chassis adjustments yielded a significant improvement.

Today’s first practice took place in overcast conditions, with some rain leaving the track damp in the morning. The forecast for tomorrow is for similar conditions, and rain would prove costly to Proton Team KR, needing as much track time as possible to push the development forward.

Jeremy McWilliams
I didn’t get anywhere near enough laps today. We’ve been making too many changes . clutching at straws to try and find more rear grip, and none of them really worked out. They’re changes that we haven’t tested before at the bike’s first time at this track, and today we went almost full circle, getting back to more or less where we started in the morning. The lap time was better, but it was hard work. We’re messing with rear suspension links, trying to get the rear to grip over the bumps. I’m losing the racing line because the bike won’t settle and dig in. It’s not the tyres. It’s a chassis issue. It will take us until tomorrow afternoon to get it right. We really need for it not to rain.

Nobuatsu Aoki
I have a bad cold, but that’s not the real problem. One of my bikes has some engine problem . just no power. The other was working well, then halfway through the session there was an oil problem, and I pulled in. I tried the other bike again, but only for a couple of laps, so that was the end of my session. Until then, things were going pretty well. The biggest benefit is that I was able to use a new Bridgestone rear tyre for the first time – it’s not new, but we couldn’t get it to work before. This afternoon I tried it again, and immediately went one second quicker. It’s easier to turn, and to control the slide.

Chuck Aksland – Team Manager
We were struggling a bit this afternoon. On Jeremy’s side it’s a set-up thing, with chassis that work differently from morning to afternoon. We’ll have to look at the data to understand what is happening. We are struggling to keep Nobu’s engine going. He was doing good, with his lap times coming down, until he had that problem.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Marlboro Team Immediatly on the pace at Rio

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi was in the thick of the battle for provisional pole position at Jacarepagua this afternoon, even though this is the Italian factory team’s first visit to the high-speed circuit outside Rio de Janeiro. The Italian ended the day second quickest, just 0.336 seconds off provisional pole position. Team-mate Troy Bayliss had never ridden the track before this morning but was a promising ninth fastest this afternoon, 1.378 seconds off pole.

“This track isn’t so complicated,” explained Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “The only thing we’ve really got to work on is grip, because the surface is pretty slippery. We started today with the set-up we ran at Estoril, with different gearbox ratios, and we were pretty close from the start. Once we had made some changes Loris was able to run up front, while Troy just needs another day to keep learning the track, so we hope for good weather tomorrow.”

Capirossi second by a fraction of second
Loris Capirossi was in the hunt for provisional pole position throughout today’s first qualifier. Three minutes from the end of the session the Ducati Marlboro Team went fastest, but was then demoted to second in the final minute. However, Capirossi and his crew learned plenty from their first day together at this bumpy, slippery circuit and are confident of upping their pace tomorrow.

“I’m really happy because we improved the settings from this morning,” said the Italian, currently fourth in the World Championship. “We worked mainly on suspension and gearbox set-up and we were able to run a good pace. This is only our first day here with the Desmosedici, but things are going well and they can be better tomorrow because we’ve already found the right direction in which to work. This afternoon’s session helped us to understand what kind of pace we’ll be able to run here, because we are always working towards the race.”

Rio newcomer Bayliss 0.014 seconds off row two
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss quickly got to grips with the Jacarepagua circuit, ending the day ninth fastest, just one hundredth of a second off the provisional second row. Australian Bayliss has his two Desmosedicis equipped with different Ohlins forks here – one bike uses the latest, larger diameter Ohlins, the other is fitted with the forks that he’s used for much of the season.

“It’s not a bad track,” said the hard-riding MotoGP rookie. “It’s easy enough to learn but like most places it’s getting the last little bit out of it which isn’t so easy. The only thing that most people are complaining about is that there isn’t much grip, so we’re working on the settings to improve feel from the rear, and we’ve a few ideas about what to do for tomorrow. I’ve liked the new forks since I tested them at Mugello last week. Why? Because they give me a better lap time! They just seem more stable under braking. I’ve been using the new forks most of today but I may give the old forks a bit of a try tomorrow just to see how they go.”