Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Race Results:

1. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 25 laps, 44:21.758
2. Valentino Rossi, Honda, -3.075 seconds
3. Sete Gibernau, Honda, -4.344 seconds
4. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -4.935 seconds
5. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, -5.003 seconds
6. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, -20.587 seconds
7. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -22.982 seconds
8. Alex Barros, Yamaha, -24.989 seconds
9. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -27.159 seconds
10. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -30.376 seconds
11. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, -33.193 seconds
12. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, -40.443 seconds
13. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -40.445 seconds
14. Max Biaggi, Honda, -42.325 seconds
15. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -48.659 seconds
16. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, -64.721 seconds
17. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, -96.914 seconds
18. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, -13 laps, DNF, crash
19. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, -19 laps, DNF, mechanical
20. Akira Yanagawa, Kawasaki, -25 laps, DNF, crash
21. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, -25 laps, DNF, crash
22. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, -25 laps, DNF, crash


MotoGP World Championship Point Standings:

1. Rossi, 135 points
2. Gibernau, 88 points
3. Biaggi, 85 points
4. Capirossi, 61 points
5. Barros, 54 points
6. Ukawa, 52 points
7. Bayliss, 46 points
8. Nakano, 44 points
9. Tamada/Checa, TIE, 34 points
11. Hayden, 33 points
12. Jacque, 32 points
13. Edwards, 25 points
14. Haga, 21 points
15. Norick Abe, 18 points
16. Hopkins, 16 points
17. McWilliams, 14 points
18. Aoki/Kiyonari, TIE, 11 points
20. Melandri, 9 points
21. McCoy, 8 points
22. Kenny Roberts, 6 points
23. Alex Hofmann, 2 points
24. Pitt, 1 point


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

CATALUNYA GP/RACE

MONTMELO’ – Negative end of a promising week end for the Alice Aprilia Racing Team. A very hot race for Haga who made a bad start ending in 12th position while Colin started from the second row trying to catch the firsts for a couple of laps and suddenly the engine switched off due to a braking of the ignition pick up. The team will stay in Barcellona for two days more for testing in order to be more competitive for next Assen GP.

COLIN EDWARDS: “I do not stand this elements breaking that break off the bike in the middle of a comeback! For sure I did not make a good start once again but then I could easily stay with the firsts because my pace was good. This is a race to forget both for the bad start and the pick up problem”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “I usually make good starts but today I made a mistake. So I tried to catch immediately the firsts but I had the same problem with the front: not enough feeling. We need to get more competitiveness somehow”.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “I did not expect a race like this cause this week end seemed to be very positive for us. If I analyze the situation I do not feel satisfied: the pace of the other competitors was not so unreachable. But two bad starts and the braking of the ignition pick up did not give us the chance to get to the top. We will test some others spare parts from tomorrow the clutch for example. It’s a pity cause they could easily get a good result here”.


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH IN CATALUNYA

Carlos Checa gave the Fortuna Yamaha Team its best result of the 2003 season in one of the most thrilling MotoGP races since the introduction of the four-stroke championship. After a 25-lap race of paint swapping action the local hero completed the Catalunya Grand Prix in fourth position – 0.068 seconds ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Shinya Nakano (d’Antin Yamaha Team).

After a solid start, which placed Checa eighth on the opening lap, the Spaniard began a charge that saw him challenging the lead group within half a dozen laps – before finishing only 0.5 seconds off the podium.

At half race distance the top five podium candidates were separated by a mere 2.5 seconds, with less than five seconds covering the same number at the chequered flag, before a very unexpected conclusion. After a determined ride Italian Loris Capirossi gave the V-four Ducati its first race victory in the premier class after defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda) faltered under the intense pressure of the leading pack. On lap 16 Rossi out-braked himself into turn four, running off the circuit and out of contention for the race win. The Italian rejoined in sixth before riding like a man possessed – carving through the field to finish the sixth round of the year second ahead of Sete Gibernau (Honda) and a very happy Checa.

“I finally got a good result and everything went well; the practice, the start, and the race. We’ve made so much progress since Mugello,” beamed Checa. “As I said before, Sunday is the only thing that matters and today we did it, I was able to stay up front and find the consistency I needed to get a good result. I was close enough to fight for the podium but I couldn’t go fast in some areas. I managed to pass Nakano on the straight, though, and keep fourth position. It’s the first time this year I could get a really good feeling in the race and stay there. I saw Rossi coming past but it was impossible to do anything to catch him.

“We have made a lot of progress and actually changed less on the bike this weekend than before. Now that I have the confidence to stay in front I will keep the geometry I used today. This is more like my normal results, but when we have more stability with the rear in the mid-turn we can improve on this result.”

Once again Fortuna Yamaha Team-mate Marco Melandri initially showed the promise that led to his 2002 GP250 World Championship title, before clutch problems plagued his efforts during the closing stages of the race. Although disappointed with the eventual result, which placed him 13th overall, Melandri was satisfied that he rode the best race possible considering the deficit. The 20-year-old featured as high as ninth, after starting the race from 14th on the grid, before the technical gremlin became a factor.

“I made a good start and the first few laps were not so bad but the rear tyre kept sliding out and it felt really nervous,” said Melandri, who won the 250cc Grand Prix here last year. “On the long corners I didn’t have enough traction and was spinning the rear a lot. I couldn’t use full power because of the wheel spin. After seven or eight laps I seemed to have a clutch problem on top of this, and it was too difficult to do anything more. I think my set-up from this morning was better so we’ll have to look at whether to use something more like that for the future.”

“That was a very good result for Carlos and he has made great progress since Friday afternoon,” said team director Davide Brivio. “The team, mechanics and engineers pushed themselves really hard this weekend, so this result is like a ‘thank you’ to them. I’d like to thank all of them for their efforts, and I hope that this is just the start. We always thought that this bike could fight in the lead group but just needed a synergy between the rider and the bike. Now we’ll have to work harder than ever to improve from here.

“Marco had some problems with his clutch and we are checking it. Sometimes he feels frustrated because he wants to do more but it’s most important for us to see him improving gradually. His injury has also caused him some delay and we don’t want him to run before he can walk.”


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

A good race for Makoto Tamada – seventh in a day of extreme heat

The weather was so sweltering and humid, it seemed more like Malaysia than Catalunya. Extreme conditions – 52/53°C on the ground – gave Makoto Tamada’s seventh place today special significance. The final result, in conditions as difficult as those of today, also shows how successful Bridgestone’s development work has been so far: the great tyre manufacturer equipped Tamada’s Honda RC211V with some new materials that enabled the Japanese rider to put on a very good show. A medium-soft rear gave Makoto good handling and a hard front (a new tyre being specially used for the occasion) enabled Tamada to put in some excellent times in the last four laps of the race. Further proof of the consistent performance of the tyres over a long distance. After making a much better start than usual, but still not as good as it might have been, Tamada embarked on a race in which he fought some fine duels in which he moved up a number of positions, considering that he ended the first lap in 15th place.

There will be a repeat performance tomorrow, for the Pramac Honda Team will be back on track with two bikes for a test session. Shinichi Itoh, the official test rider came in to Montmelò today and will be continuing development work on the circuit alongside Tamada tomorrow. Itoh recently took part in two Superbike races in Japan – this was the first time he had been racing since he received a minor fracture in his foot right here in Catalunya during the IRTA tests in March. The two Pramac Honda riders will be facing an intense programme of tests to prepare for the forthcoming races in the north of Europe.

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 7th – 44:44.740

“A better start than usual but still not perfect, mainly because I still can’t maintain my grid position: I’ve got to work at it and improve. So I’m going to have to work hard to stay right up front. A tough race but not too physically demanding, for the intense heat didn’t tire me out so much, partly because I didn’t have that many really close duels and overtaking wasn’t too complicated. But I must say I really enjoyed those battles that let me gain ground and I’m very pleased with the tyres – they’ve got great endurance even in such tough conditions as we had today. A good race, even though I want to get up among the leaders and fight for the top places next time. It’ll be back to “work” tomorrow as we’re carrying on with development.”


More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

HOPKINS 15TH IN GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA

MONTMELÓ, Spain (June 15, 2003) – John Hopkins finished 15th in the Grand Prix of Catalunya Sunday on his factory Suzuki GSV-R. Hopkins, 20, of Ramona, Calif., ran as high has 12th in the early stages of the race, but dropped to 15th by the end of the race. He rode with serious back pain sustained from an accident last weekend in the Italian Grand Prix. Hopkins scored a single MotoGP world championship point at Catalunya and remains in 16th in the standings. Loris Capirossi won the race on Ducati marking that company’s first MotoGP victory.

“I got a decent start,” Hopkins said. “Unfortunately the race sort of went downhill for me from there. I rode the bike as hard as I could in the early laps, but the tires went away and I was unable to keep the pace later in the race.

“It’s not the fault of the tire, it’s the chassis. The front end doesn’t stick going into the turns so you miss the apex and have to spin the rear to make the turn and it’s just too much abuse on the tire. We were really in trouble today with the heat. The tires went away that much faster.”

Hopkins soldiered on to finish in spite of the handling problems he encountered during the race and took the checkered flag 48 seconds behind winner Capirossi. It marked the first finish for Hopkins in three races. He crashed out of the wet French GP and was hit by his teammate in an accident last weekend in Italy resulting in another DNF.

Hopkins and the team was inspired by the visit from Suzuki’s former world champion Kevin Schwantz.

“Having Kevin here was great,” Hopkins said. “He confirmed a lot of things to the team that I’ve been saying. Hopefully we’ll take his input and make some changes.”

Hopkins will test on Monday and then retreat to the mountains to recharge, heal and get ready for the Dutch TT in two weeks.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Catalan GP, Catalunya
Race Day
Sunday, June 15 2003

CAPIROSSI AND DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM SCORE SUPERB FIRST WIN

Loris Capirossi scored a historic first victory for the Ducati Marlboro Team at searing-hot Catalunya today, winning a breathtaking battle with reigning champ Valentino Rossi (Honda). Team-mate Troy Bayliss had a torrid race, running eighth before he ran off the track to cross the line in tenth. Conditions were extreme, with ambient temperatures reaching 35 degrees C and track temperature soaring to 49 degrees C.

The Desmosedici’s maiden win – in only its sixth race – proved the brilliance of the legendary marque’s engineers, as well as the dedication of the entire Ducati Marlboro Team – who celebrated in style as Capirossi flashed across the finish line in front of 96,000 fans.

“This is a fantastic day for us, for everyone in the team, for everyone in the factory, for everyone involved in this project,” said an emotional Corrado Cecchinelli, Ducati Marlboro Team technical director. “We have all worked so hard for this, especially Loris, he rode an incredible race. This morning was the first time I thought we could really win this one – we knew we’d made a good tyre choice with Michelin and we knew we could do it if things went our way . Loris made a good plan for the race, he didn’t want to take the lead early on because he wanted to save his tyres. It all worked perfectly.”

Today’s success was the first premier-class win for the Bologna factory, who returned to GP racing at the start of this season after an absence of more than three decades. The factory’s previous best premier-class result (in the now defunct 500 class) was a third-place finish recorded by Italian Bruno Spaggiari in the 1972 Nations GP at Imola on May 21 1971. The win was also the first by an Italian rider on an Italian bike since Giacomo Agostini won the 1976 West German GP at the Nurburgring aboard an MV Agusta on August 29 1976.


DESERVING CAPIROSSI BASKS IN WINNING GLORY

Loris Capirossi’s remarkable determination paid off at Catalunya today, the hard-working Italian harrying Valentino Rossi into a mistake shortly after half-distance. The pair dominated the entire Marlboro Catalan GP, easing ahead of Max Biaggi (Honda) in the early stages to replay their brilliant duel in last Sunday’s Italian GP. Both men were aware that the scorching conditions required them to conserve their tyres, but when Rossi tried to up the pace after the midway point he made a mistake, running wide into the stadium on lap 16. That put Capirossi ahead and when Rossi tried to counter-attack the following lap he made another error, this time running into the gravel trap at turn four, demoting himself to sixth. He fought back to third but victory belonged to Capirossi, who last won a GP at Mugello in 2000.

“This is a fantastic day for me, the team, Ducati, Marlboro and for everyone who believes in us,” beamed the former 125 and 250 champ who was moved to tears while the Italian anthem played as he stood atop the podium. “The race was unbelievable. I had a big fight with Valentino, the rhythm wasn’t so fast because the conditions were so tough, especially for the tyres. We were trying not to push too hard, and when Valentino tried to go faster he ran wide. After that I rode 100 per cent. I knew that it was Biaggi behind me, but then I got signals that Valentino was coming back very fast, so I tried not to lose concentration or to spin the rear too much. I never believed we’d win a race so soon, we’re all so happy, but we also know there is much work to be done. The bike is very fast but we need to improve the set-up. There’s still a long season ahead of us and I promise to give my best throughout.”

Capirossi has scored two other podium finishes this year – third in April’s Japanese GP and second at Mugello last weekend.

TOUGH DAY FOR BAYLISS
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss rode another dogged race at Catalunya today, coming through brilliantly from a third-row start to move into eighth on lap 16. But a lap later he got into a turn too hot and had to take an off-track excursion that dropped him down to 12th. Undaunted, he fought back to take tenth at the flag.

“That’s one of the hardest race I’ve ridden in my life, just as far as the heat goes,” said the Aussie, who knows a bit about sweltering conditions. “Just finishing that won was almost like winning! It wasn’t a great race for me, but at least we did finish and get some points. We’re still missing something from the front end, so now we’ll go to the next race and try to work it out.”


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
ROUND 6 – GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA
15TH JUNE 2003 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

CONDITIONS AT CATALUNYA PROVE HARD WORK FOR MCCOY

Fuchs Kawasaki’s Garry McCoy rode a lonely race to 17th place in today’s energy sapping Grand Prix of Catalunya, which was run in a 35 degree heat wave before 96,000 race fans

McCoy was the sole Kawasaki finisher as his team-mates, Andrew Pitt and Akira Yanagawa, were involved in a crash at turn four on the opening lap. After making a good start and moving up a couple of positions Pitt attempted an inside pass on Jeremy McWilliams, but got into the turn too hot and collided with the Irishman. The collision forced both riders wide – right into the path of Yanagawa, who was on a wider line. All three riders went down but, while Pitt and McWilliams escaped injury in the incident, Yanagawa was transported to Granollers hospital with suspected fractured ribs.

Starting from 19th McCoy struggled to make an impression as track temperatures on a slippery and bumpy Montmelo circuit produced the anticipated reduction in grip levels. McCoy’s sideways speedway slides through a series of fast corners onto the main straight delighted the Barcelona race fans, who acknowledged the Australian’s display with similar enthusiasm accorded race winner Loris Capirossi.

The Fuchs Kawasaki Team will test at the Barcelona circuit on Monday and Tuesday this week with German test rider Alex Hofmann joining regular race riders McCoy and Pitt.

Garry McCoy – 17th
“It was really slippery and I was actually slow but sideways in the corners. But, judging from their reaction, I guess the fans enjoyed it! We knew after qualifying that if the temperature got up really high we would struggle for front and rear grip over the race distance, and that was the best result possible in the circumstances. I know 17th doesn’t look good and, like everyone else, I want it to be better, but it was important to do a full race distance as a test; for me, the team, Kawasaki and Dunlop. We learnt a lot today about the direction to go in for the future.”

Andrew Pitt – DNF
“I feel sorry for Akira, as he was the innocent victim today and it was probably my fault that both he and Jeremy McWilliams crashed. I passed a couple of guys through turn one and then thought I could get up the inside of Jezza, but got into the turn too hot. We touched, which forced us both to sit up and run wide, taking Akira with us unfortunately. I’m okay, but obviously I’m disappointed at what happened.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“I spoke to Akira briefly in the medical centre. He was in quite a lot of pain, which may be due to rib injuries sustained in the crash. He has been taken to Granollers Hospital for a more detailed examination and x-rays and we will have to wait for the medical report before we’re 100 per cent certain of his condition. Because I was in the medical centre I didn’t see the race, but we knew that it was sure to be a difficult day for both the bike and tyres in this heat.”



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

Aoki takes first race finish for brand new Proton KR

Round 6: Catalunyan GP, Montmelo
Race: Sunday, June 15, 2003

Nobuatsu Aoki: 16th
Jeremy McWilliams: Did not finish, crash

Team Proton KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki claimed the brand new V5 four-stroke prototype racer’s first finish in today’s punishingly hot Catalunyan GP, running consistently throughout to finish just one place out of the World Championship points.

It was an impressive result, just one week after the radical 990cc machine’s first race, and a clear step forward for the youngest motorcycle on the grid. The team were celebrating the result, after a series of round-the-clock sessions to cure the inevitable teething troubles with an all-new design that ran at a race-track for the first time only three weeks ago.

But the day could have been better still. Team-mate Jeremy McWilliams, who had qualified in an impressive 17th position, didn’t even complete the first lap of his 150th GP. The 39-year-old Ulsterman was skittled in a fourth-corner incident, when factory Kawasaki rider Andrew Pitt missed his braking point. He ran straight into McWilliams from behind, before both of them rammed Kawasaki-mounted wild card Akira Yanagawa in a dramatic triple crash. Yanagawa was knocked unconscious in the impact, and was being checked later for broken ribs. It was the second such incident this year for McWilliams, who was also the innocent victim in a start-line crash at Welkom in South Africa.

The only comfort was that Aoki handsomely beat the last surviving Kawasaki, ridden by former GP winner Garry McCoy, by a margin of more than 30 seconds. Aoki was just 16 seconds behind the 15th-placed machine, John Hopkins on the factory Suzuki, who claimed the last World Championship point.

The race was won by Loris Capirossi on the Ducati, the first GP victory by an Italian rider on an Italian machine since multi-champion Giacomo Agostini won the West German GP at the Nurburgring in 1976, riding an MV Agusta. Defending champion Valentino Rossi (Honda) was second, and Spanish rider Sete Gibernau (Honda) third.

The next race is the Dutch TT at Assen in two weeks, giving the England-based team more time to dial in further improvements to the impressive new racer.

Nobuatsu Aoki
Of course that was a tough race, but the bike ran all the way. It went as usual. It was a bit down on power at the top end, then after ten or 11 laps it dropped off a little more, but then it stayed at the same level. It wasn’t working perfectly, but it was for sure really important to get to the end of the race, for the team, and the mechanics, and for everyone. I really appreciate how they have been working, day and night. And in one week, we have taken an important step.

Jeremy McWilliams
What was that all about? The race is 45 minutes long, and I got hit before we’d even finished the first lap. I asked Pitt afterwards if he thought he was going to win the race in the first lap from the back row of the grid – but to be honest my main concern was for his team-mate, who didn’t look too well. If I’d have qualified 14th or 15th it probably wouldn’t have happened, but you tend to get the more dangerous riders at the back of the grid. I’m okay, but really disappointed. All we wanted was to get to the finish, and Nobu did that. But it could have been two Protons. This sort of thing shouldn’t happen at this level.

Kenny Roberts – Team Owner
Well, we got the fuel pump problem sorted out. It was pretty consistent. Give us a couple of weeks and we’ll make a step with performance. There’s a lot of work still to do, with tyres as well. But it’s a step towards the point that we’ll be racing the other guys.


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

HOPKINS PUTS LONE SUZUKI IN THE POINTS

Team Suzuki Press Office
Montmelo, Spain – Sunday, June 15, 2003

Team Suzuki rider John Hopkins overcame pain and stiffness in gruelling hot conditions to bring the lone Suzuki into 15th place, in the points again in today’s Catalunyan GP.

Still suffering back problems after he and team-mate Kenny Roberts Junior both crashed out of the Italian GP one week before, Hopkins put the pain and stiffness out of his mind to concentrate on 25 exhausting laps of the 4.727km Circuit de Catalunya outside Barcelona.

With Roberts back home in the USA to receive treatment for the injuries he sustained in Italy, Hopkins had the full attention of the factory Suzuki team, including top-level engineers from Japan, and special guest Kevin Schwantz, who won the 1993 500cc World Championship on a Suzuki.

The 20-year-old Anglo-Californian started from the fourth row of the grid after qualifying 13th fastest, and made a good start to finish the first lap 12th. As the race wore on he found himself engaged in battle with Japanese riders Noriyuki Haga and Ryuichi Kyonari, and after the tyres went off in the heat the injured Hopkins had to let them get away. But he kept his head down and stayed consistent in very difficult conditions, to remain in 15th place and claim a World Championship point.

Tomorrow, the team will stay on at the Montmelo circuit for two days of testing, with Suzuki endurance racer Jean Michel Bayle and factory rider Kousuke Akiyoshi helping Hopkins with the fast-forward development programme for the new 2003 Suzuki GSV-R V4 prototype four-stroke.

The race, run in blazing sunshine and with searing 45-degree track temperatures, was won by Italian Loris Capirossi, from defending champion Valentino Rossi in front of a crowd of 90,000.

The next race is the Dutch TT, at Assen in two weeks time. Roberts will be fighting to regain fitness to rejoin Hopkins for the race, the seventh of 16 on the World Championship calendar.


JOHN HOPKINS – 15th Position
I got a good start and went outside a few riders at Turn One, and tried to hang with people from there. The bike was pretty decent for the first laps when the grip was good, but we are having a problem getting it turned, and when the tyres got hot and lost grip it got pretty difficult. I was having to find different ways to ride to get around it – having to ride in an unnatural way. With my back pain it was hard to move around, and I was having to hang off a lot to stand the bike up to get grip out of the turns. But that wasn’t a real big factor. It was good to get through the race and to the finish, but this isn’t where we want to be. I just hope we can make a big improvement to the machine real soon.

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager
John has kept focussed all weekend in spite of his problems, and had a really brave ride today, going through the pain barrier to get into the points. He showed the old Kevin Schwantz spirit. We carry on testing tomorrow. Work goes on to get this bike to its full potential, so we can be fighting up at the front of the pack again.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Catalan Grand Prix at Catalunya
Raceday Sunday June 15

REMARKABLE ROSSI CANNOT PREVENT CAPIROSSI WIN

If Mugello provided excitement on a grand scale, Catalunya put MotoGP on a new plane for high drama and great deeds. Loris Capirossi won on a Ducati, with Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) second and crowd favourite Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) third. But a mere race order can never begin to convey the amazing events that transpired under a Catalonian sun in front of 96,000 race fans.

It was stifling at 35 degrees C, with a scorched track at 49 degrees C, but the on-track action was white-hot from the lights. Capirossi got the holeshot and led Rossi, Gibernau and Olivier Jacque (Yamaha) out of the tricky esses and into a 25-lap race that would come alive at just over half-distance with an intensity that has not yet been seen in the new four-stroke era. And the previous races have not exactly been average.

Only 2.5 seconds covered the first five riders at mid-distance and Rossi, Capirossi, Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V), Sete Gibernau and Carlos Checa (Yamaha) were looking as if the punishing conditions might force them to circulate in that order for the next half of the race. It was by no means processional, but it wasn’t exactly a festival of adventurous riding either.

Then all it took was a small mistake from Rossi at turn four. He ran wide and the predatory Capirossi seized the moment to dive inside and try to make a break from the World Champion. Rossi knew he couldn’t let him get away and immediately set about hauling Capirossi’s Ducati back in. But on the next lap and at the same place he ran straight into the gravel.

He kept his RC211V upright and fired it back on track in sixth place with nine laps to go. He then produced some of the most forceful riding yet seen to snatch back four places – three of them two laps from the finish. He almost looked as if he was lapping backmarkers when he stormed past Shinya Nakano (Yamaha), Checa and Biaggi in one lap. He then took Gibernau on the penultimate lap and for a moment even Capirossi, 2.9 seconds in front, looked vulnerable.

But the improbable in the end proved impossible and Capirossi responded sufficiently by pulling out a tenth of a second on his charging pursuer by the flag. If each of the 96,000 crowd tell a friend about this race, Catalunya can expect 192,000 in 2004. It was that good.

Rossi was almost confused with his second place. “I don’t know if I’m happy for the last part of the race, or angry for the big mistake,” he said. “I had problems with the tyres but pushed hard anyway. I had to push 120% at the end but it was great fun and we made a lap record and got second – which is good for the Championship.”

Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) was happy enough with third in front of his home crowd. And after a rousing rostrum reception he thanked his fans profusely before saying, “I would have liked to challenge Rossi and Capirossi – but it wasn’t to be, but we just have to pleased with what we got here.”

Things weren’t great for Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) in sixth. “We had the same engine problems as yesterday and we’re testing here tomorrow so we’ll finally get them sorted out. I’m very disappointed with today because things looked good here at the start of the year.”

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda RC211V) was a bit more upbeat with his seventh place. “A tough race, but the heat didn’t tire me out too much,” he said. “Mainly because I didn’t have too many tough duels and overtaking wasn’t too complicated. I want to get up with the leaders and fight for the top places next time. I’ve still got to work at my starts.”

Rookie American Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) got into the top ten with a ninth place. “I guess I should be pretty happy with the result because it was a pretty difficult weekend. With not so many laps to go Tamada and Barros got by – which wasn’t so good, but I’m scoring points and learning lots.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) just missed out on a top ten in 11th, but the Japanese rookie is getting to grips with the RC211V as the season goes on. “I’m happy enough,” he said. “It was better towards the end of the race when the riders in front upped their pace a bit and I got into a good rhythm.”

Which leaves Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) as the final Honda rider to complete the race in 14th. Biaggi was disputing third pl