Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Final MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:58.988
2. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:59.119
3. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:59.126
4. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:59.187
5. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:59.232
6. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:59.281
7. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 1:59.352
8. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:59.494
9. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:59.551
10. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 1:59.582
11. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:59.944
12. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:00.063
13. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:00.638
14. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 2:00.660
15. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 2:00.826
16. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 2:00.924
17. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 2:01.303
18. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:01.531
19. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 2:02.151
20. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 2:03.281
21. James HAYDON, Proton, 2:03.845
22. James ELLISON, Harris WCM, 2:04.627

Not qualified (Out 107%) 2:07.317

23. Youichi UI, Harris WCM, 2:07.466


More, from a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Checa clinches historic pole in Qatar

Carlos Checa will make history as the first man ever to start a MotoGP race from pole position in Qatar on Saturday after setting the fastest time in the final qualifying session at the Losail International Circuit this afternoon. The battle for top spot on the grid started as early as the seventh minute of the session, when vastly improved track conditions allowed Sete Gibernau to swiftly dislodge provisional pole holder Ruben Xaus.

Eventually Xaus’ time would be bettered by some 2.4 seconds as a host of riders took their turn at the top of the time sheets, culminating with a series of hot laps at the end of the session from Checa and a decisive pole time of 1’58.988.

“I’ve waited a long time and so I’m going to enjoy it,” said Checa, who last set pole position in Portugal just over a year ago. “I’m confident of a good result especially as we’ve worked very hard on tyre selection. It will be tough in the heat tomorrow and overtaking will be hard because the surface is so slippery off the racing line. Starting from pole is the perfect position to be in.”

Alex Barros pulled a fast time out of the bag on his last lap to gatecrash the front row in second place, relegating Sete Gibernau to third after the Spaniard’s own late pole attack faltered in the final corner. Barros’ effort knocked his team-mate Nicky Hayden off the front row, the American dropping to fourth place ahead of Shinya Nakano and Loris Capirossi.

Despite his early optimism and an improvement of almost two seconds on his provisional time today, Xaus was eventually forced back to the front of the third row in seventh place. He is joined by current World Champion and series leader Valentino Rossi, who was over half a second off the pace of his Yamaha team-mate Checa as he qualified back in eighth.

Troy Bayliss made huge strides to move up to ninth on the grid, knocking 4.5 seconds off his provisional time, whilst Colin Edwards suffered the biggest disappointment of the afternoon as he slipped to tenth despite being the fastest man in the morning practice, when he became the first rider to complete a lap of this circuit in less than two minutes.

Lap times also tumbled in the 250cc class but Sebastián Porto continued his dominance with the fastest time of the session. The Argentinean starts tomorrow’s race from pole position having set the pace in every practice so far this weekend, with the man he is desperately trying to catch at the top of the championship, Dani Pedrosa, alongside him on the front row.

Pedrosa was almost two seconds off Porto yesterday but closed to within just a couple of tenths today in what looks likely to be a direct head-to-head between the pair. Alex de Angelis was third fastest, over a second behind Porto, whilst Randy de Puniet also starts from the front row of the grid in fourth.

Toni Elías, who finished second to Pedrosa at the last round in Japan, faces a battle from the front of the second row in fifth place whilst Hiroshi Aoyama, who took his first podium of the season at his home round, lines up in sixth. Franco Battaini and Fonsi Nieto complete the second row.

Jorge Lorenzo laid down the gauntlet in the 125cc class, clocking the fastest time in both the morning and the afternoon sessions to comfortably take pole position for Saturday’s race. The Derbi youngster was over a second faster than nearest challenger Andrea Dovizioso in the free practice but the series leader closed to within 0.284 seconds in the afternoon, sealing second place on the grid with his last lap on the Honda. Aprilia rider Steve Jenkner also mounted a late assault on the front row, moving up to third place but never really threatening Lorenzo’s pole time, whilst Casey Stoner made it four manufacturers on the front row by sealing fourth on the KTM.

Roberto Locatelli gave himself a good chance of success in tomorrow’s race by sealing the front spot on the second row in fifth place but fellow title challenger Hector Barbera was not so lucky and will start from 14th place. The Aprilia pair trail Dovizioso at the top of the standings by 52 and 45 points respectively.



More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR – LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
1ST OCTOBER 2004 – QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2

NAKANO MAKES PERFECT RUN TO QUALIFY IN FIFTH PLACE

With impeccable timing Fuchs Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano made a dramatic surge to secure fifth on the grid for tomorrow’s inaugural Qatar Grand Prix.

Nakano carved four seconds off his time from first qualifying to go within 0.24s of pole position.

His second row start comes just two weeks after his best race result of the season so far, a third place podium at last weeks Japanese Grand Prix.

With just two seconds remaining of the session, Nakano began his final qualifying lap and produced a superb performance, getting the best out of his Ninja ZX-RR and Bridgestone qualifying tyre.

Start positions will be critical for the 22 lap race, which will be run in heat wave conditions at the sand blown Losail Circuit on the outskirts of Doha.

There is a narrow racing line on the strip of track swept clean by riders, and both Nakano and his Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate, Alex Hofmann, say that overtaking will be extremely difficult.

Hofmann has set himself a massive task for the race by qualifying 18th, after a frustrating session in heat wave conditions with track temperatures officially reaching 58 degrees.

Despite set-up changes to improve rear end grip, Hofmann was unable to go any faster on a soft qualifying tyre than his standard race tyre set-up. His consistent speed on a race set-up is a positive for the race, but not so his starting spot on the sixth row.

Overnight set-up changes to front fork and spring settings produced much improved front end feel on the brakes and turn-in on Nakano’s ZX-RR. The Japanese ace is also more confident with the consistency of his race set-up for the 16 turn Losail track.

This will be Nakano’s third second row start of the season, backing up his fifth place qualifying efforts at Assen and the Sachsenring.

Shinya Nakano: 5th (1’59.232)
“After yesterday I would have been happy to be on third row today, so going to fifth place is much better than my target. I was much more confident with the front end and spent a lot of time trying to understand the conditions; it is like racing on a wet track with just a dry racing line. To make a fast lap here it helps to follow someone, because it is difficult to judge the braking markers. On my final lap I had a very good run behind Alex Barros. I’m very confident with my race set-up, but the start will be the most important part of the race, as trying to overtake here is almost impossible.”

Alex Hofmann: 18th (2’01.531)
“This is not the result I was looking for; 18th on the grid at this track and in these conditions is going to make the race very difficult. Overtaking will be tough, the dust and dirt gives you virtually no grip if you run wide. Today I just couldn’t get any extra speed out of my qualifying tyre compared to race tyres, it is very frustrating and hopefully there is a set-up solution for the race. I was sliding more on the soft qualifier than the race tyre, which probably made for great photos but not a fast time.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“This is a great qualifying performance by Shinya, coming as it has just two weeks after his podium in the Japanese Grand Prix. He did a fantastic job, and from the second row he has an excellent chance in the race with overtaking being so difficult. Alex also has good pace on race tyres, but today he paid the penalty for not maximising the speed from the qualifying tyres – although I think he can join Shinya in the points in the race. It’s going to be tough, but I think we have a good bike and tyre package for these conditions.”

QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2 – COMBINED TIMES
1. Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 1’58.988; 2. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +0.131; 3. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +0.138; 4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +0.199; 5. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.244; 6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.293; 7. Ruben Xaus (SPA) dAntin Ducati Team +0.364; 8. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +0.506; 9. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.563; 10. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +0.594; 11. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +0.956; 12. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +1.075; 18. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.543



More, from a press release issued by Team Telefonica Movistar Honda:

2004-10-01
SETE READY FOR THE BATTLE

2nd OFFICIAL MOTOGP QUALIFYING PRACTICE

In one of the most exciting qualifying sessions of the season, intensified by extremely high temperatures (35ºC ambient and 54ºC track) and constant changes at the top of the time sheets, Sete Gibernau managed to seal a valuable front row start in Qatar. The Telefónica MoviStar Honda MotoGP rider is sure of giving his best once again in what promises to be a physically and mentally tortuous race due to the heat and the dirt on the track. Any mistake tomorrow will be paid for dearly. Colin Edwards, perhaps the most consistent rider over the four practice sessions, had to make do with tenth place after making a mistake as he chased a fast time at the end of the session.

SETE GIBERNAU (3rdº, 1’59″126): “There are two really striking things about this Grand Prix – firstly the heat and secondly the dirt on the track. This will require an extra effort from everybody, but apart from that I think this front row is important and we! have done a good job alongside Michelin. After two tough GPs I am enjoying myself again on the bike again and, even though it will be a long, tough race, the rhythm we have should give us a chance of fighting for a good result”.

COLIN EDWARDS (10th, 1’59″582): “We continued working on the set-up today and we found a good rhythm, but unfortunately in the second half of the session we lost a lot of time on my preferred bike and I had to go out on the other one. We weren’t able to make the most of the qualification tyres because I made a small mistake in the final corner and ran off track by half a metre, losing the front. It will be tough tomorrow because to overtake you have to run off the racing line and that is risky”.

FAUSTO GRESINI (team manager): “We have to be ready for a really tough race. What happened to Colin was a shame because he did a good job in qualifying without being able to get a time on the qual! ifying tyre at the end. Sete, on the other hand, will start from the front row and it will be important to get away well at this circuit”.

LAP TIMES
1. Rubén Xaus (Esp/Ducati) 2’01″309
2. Colin Edwards (USA/Honda) + 0″308
3. Sete Gibernau (Esp/Honda) + 0″573
4. Carlos Checa (Esp/Yamaha) + 1″435
5. Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) + 1″745
6. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) + 1″965



More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

Max and Makoto confident of finding ideal race set-up in tomorrow’s warm-up

Max Biaggi and Makoto Tamada registered the 12th and 13th fastest times in today’s final qualifying session in Qatar. They will start therefore from the fourth and fifth rows of the grid respectively, which means it will be a crucial start to the race for the Camel Honda team duo. So tomorrow’s warm-up will be vital for both riders to find the ideal solution so they can be competitive in the race, where without a doubt the main rival will be the suffocating heat.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“It’s clear that this track is giving us more problems than we thought it would. Max couldn’t make the most of the qualifying tyres and his position on the grid isn’t ideal. We’re not running at the peak of our capabilities and our rhythm isn’t up with the top guys either; tomorrow’s warm-up will be crucial to try and find more answers so we can be competitive in the race and we will be trying to use all the data we’ve collected on this second day of practice.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) – 12th – 2’00.063
“We haven’t made the steps forward that we were expecting, because as the track began to pick up rubber and allowed us to push harder, the chattering problem in the front was accentuated, and we hardly had any issue with that yesterday. It’s a shame, because we were quite optimistic but now whenever I try to brake a bit harder in the turns, the front becomes unstable. I will try to get a good start but as soon as you get off the racing line here it’s a big risk. Furthermore we don’t have a competitive rhythm. Basically I’m expecting a difficult race and that’s a shame because I came here with a lot of confidence after having got the bike in good shape before both the Estoril and Motegi races.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director)
“We’ve still not got the set-up that we managed at other more difficult circuits, because of the lack of grip at this track. We are working hard to give Makoto confidence in the front which is vital for him to be fast and competitive. There have been improvements, but not enough to be up with our main rivals. There shouldn’t be any problems on the tyre front, especially in terms of their durability, but we haven’t completed all the necessary tests to make that a certainty. Tomorrow’s warm-up will be when we make our final decisions for the race.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 13th -2’00.638
“We have so many things to improve, but at the top of the list is the feeling with the front end. This lack of confidence means I’m not as quick in the turns, so the lap time and the rhythm both suffer. By working hard to solve this problem we have left out some other things too, so I’m a little behind at the moment. I’m confident however that in tomorrow’s warm-up we will find the solutions so we can be quicker and more competitive.”



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Grand Prix of Qatar, Losail, Friday September 30, October 1, 2, 2004

Final Qualifying October 1

GIBERNAU BACK ON FORM WITH FRONT ROW START

MotoGP final qualifying got underway in oppressive 45 degree heat with track temperature at a stratospheric 58 degrees here in Qatar. Carlos Checa (Yamaha) rode to pole with Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) second and Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) completing the front row in third.

Conditions were more than punishing. Besides the sky-high temperatures, riders had to contend with a wafer-thin racing line on this virgin tarmac, which was used for the first time yesterday. There is very little rubber ‘laid down’ and grip is very hard to come by if riders deviate from the racing line.

Gibernau, whose reputation as a rider who excels in difficult conditions, reinforced that here with an aggressive, but measured ride to get a vital front row start and rebuild a title challenge that has faded slightly over the past two races. Series points leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) start from eighth place on row three.

Gibernau recorded a best lap time of 1m 59.126 seconds – just 0.138 seconds shy of Checa’s pole time. And Barros in second further reinforces his resurgence with a best time only 0.131 seconds adrift of Checa’s mark.

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) heads the second row after showing what he can do when back to full strength after his recent injuries. His 1m 59.187 second best being a mere two tenths shy of the pole time.

Less than one second covers the top 11 riders and with three Hondas in the top four positions, the RC211V is clearly suited to mastering the tricky turns and reduced grip here at the 5.4km Losail International track.

Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) had looked in good shape throughout qualifying, but the Texan could only manage tenth place when the pace was upped and the times dipped into the mid 1m 59 second bracket. Edwards was the first rider to lap in less than two minutes during this morning’s free training session.

Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) and Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), the Japanese riding on Bridgestone tyres, could not get to grips with things here and Max starts from row four in 12th with Tamada one row behind in 13th.

Qualifying assumed even more significance than usual here because of the state of the track. A good start will be crucial to any rider’s hopes of a podium – and after the first turn incident at Motegi two weeks ago, the grid will be mindful of avoiding a pile-up, but equally aware that a lack of aggression into turn one, and places lost as a consequence, will be very hard to recover.

“There are two things about this Grand Prix,” said Gibernau. “The heat and the dirt on track. This means a lot of extra effort from everybody. But apart from that the front row is vital here and we’ve done a good job along with Michelin. After two tough races I’m enjoying myself again and although it will be a long, tough race, the rhythm we have should give us a chance.”

Barros said, “Because the track’s in the middle of the desert it’s hard to keep clean, but today it had more grip than yesterday. We saw the times come down with each session. Everything is fine for me and we’ve found the suspension and gearbox settings we need. I’m quite confident about tomorrow.”

Nicky Hayden is ready to race. “We really made some big improvements over yesterday,” he said. “The track’s getting better all the time and we seem to have more grip out there now. The front-end that felt nervous yesterday feels much better today. Fourth might not be so bad because it means I’m on the clean side of the track. The big thing tomorrow will be to not make any mistakes.”

Edwards was disappointed. “We found a good rhythm, but in the second half of the session we lost a lot of time with my preferred bike and I had to take my number two machine out. We couldn’t make the most of the qualifying tyres because I made a small mistake in the final turn and ran off track by half a metre. It’ll be tough tomorrow because to overtake you’ll have to run off the racing line – and that’s risky.”

Max said, “My 12th position is a real shame because I came here full of enthusiasm. I was optimistic yesterday because I thought we were going in the right direction. I’ve got problems at the front end under braking. We can see the problem on the telemetry – but we can’t seem to solve them. I’ll just try to start well and see what happens.”

Tamada is not in great shape either. “There are many things we need to improve,’ said the Japanese. “I’m short of feel from the front-end and with this lack of confidence I can’t be strong in the turns and my rhythm’s no good. We’ve spent so much time trying to solve this that all the other areas need work too. The warm-up tomorrow will be my last chance to sort things out.”

The final hour of 250cc qualifying was Sebastian Porto’s chance to put the heat on his rivals. The Argentine grabbed pole with 2m 02.710s lap, but title chase leader Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) is in good shape having qualified second.

The other front row men are Alex de Angelis and Randy de Puniet (both Aprilia) while the second row will feature Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) in fifth with Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) lining up next to the Spaniard in sixth.

The best Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) could manage was 16th on row four, while Alex Debon (Würth Honda BQR RS250R) starts from row three in 11th. Eric Bataille (Würth Honda BQR RS250R) is not riding, having decided to take the rest of the season off to recuperate from injuries. His replacement David de Gea qualifed 24th.

“The race will be difficult,” said Dani. “The heat is severe and it’s going to be so hard on tyres. The racing line is really narrow and the dirt, if you get off line, is a real problem. The start will be critical and I just hope to do well and finish.”

The final half-hour of 125cc qualifying ended with Jorge Lorenzo (Derbi) on pole with title race leader Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) next to him on the front row. Steve Jenkner (Aprilia) and Casey Stoner (KTM) complete the front row.

Lorenzo clocked a lap of 2m 9.644 seconds and Dovizioso is a mere 0.284 seconds shy of that pole time. Dovi has been consistently quick here at this new track and is in no mood to let his title challenge lose any momentum. A front row start will be vital here where the racing line is narrow and overtaking will prove to be difficult.

“I couldn’t find anyone to slipstream on the last two laps,” said Dovi. “I had to go it alone. The bike is okay although the engine is running at 65 degrees. I’ve got a small problem with the suspension in turn ten, but aside from that everything’s good. The tactic will be to try and race normally and keep an eye on my rivals.”

The second row comprises Dovi’s main title challenger Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia) in fifth, with Pablo Nieto and Marco Simoncelli (both Aprilia) in sixth and seventh. Julian Simon (Angaia Racing Honda RS125R) lines up on row two in eighth for tomorrow’s 18-lap race.

HONDA TEAM QUOTES:

MotoGP:

Alex Barros, Repsol Honda Team: 2nd: “At my age and at my time in the championships it’s hard to find a new track but I’m happy to be here. They make a great job and I like the track. Congratulations to all who have been involved. Because the track is in the middle of the dessert it is hard to keep clean but today it had much more grip than yesterday. We see the times come down and down today with each practice session. Even now we are not on the limit. Everything for me is fine. The bike goes well. We have just spent the weekend trying to find the good settings for the suspension and the gearbox and which tyres will work best. I am quite confident for tomorrow.”

Sete Gibernau, Telefonica MoviStar Honda , 3rd: “There are two really striking things about this Grand Prix – firstly the heat and secondly the dirt on the track. This will require an extra effort from everybody, but apart from that I think this front row is important and we! have done a good job alongside Michelin. After two tough GPs I am enjoying myself again on the bike again and, even though it will be a long, tough race, the rhythm we have should give us a chance of fighting for a good result”.

Nicky Haydon, Repsol Honda Team: 4th: “Pretty good session really. We’ve really made a big improvement over yesterday – the guys have been working real hard. The tracks coming better all the time and we seem to have more grip out there now. The front that felt nervous yesterday feels much better today. Fourth might not be so bad actually – we’re on the good clean side of the track – just point two off pole! The big thing tomorrow will be to make no mistakes. We gotta’ keep out of trouble, get a good start and ride a smart race. The tyre choice will be critical but I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be wild!”

Colin Edwards, Telefonica MoviStar Honda: 10th: “We continued working on the set-up today and we found a good rhythm, but unfortunately in the second half of the session we lost a lot of time on my preferred bike and I had to go out on the other one. We weren’t able to make the most of the qualification tyres because I made a small mistake in the final corner and ran off track by half a metre, losing the front. It will be tough tomorrow because to overtake you have to run off the racing line and that is risky.”

Fausto Gresini: (team manager): “We have to be ready for a really tough race. What happened to Colin was a shame because he did a good job in qualifying without being able to get a time on the qualifying tyre at the end. Sete, on the other hand, will start from the front row and it will be important to get away well at this circuit”.

Max Biaggi, Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) , 12th: “We haven’t made the steps forward that we were expecting, because as the track began to pick up rubber and allowed us to push harder, the chattering problem in the front was accentuated, and we hardly had any issue with that yesterday. It’s a shame, because we were quite optimistic but now whenever I try to brake a bit harder in the turns, the front becomes unstable. I will try to get a good start but as soon as you get off the racing line here it’s a big risk. Furthermore we don’t have a competitive rhythm. Basically I’m expecting a difficult race and that’s a shame because I came here with a lot of confidence after having got the bike in good shape before both the Estoril and Motegi races.”

Sito Pons, Camel Honda (Team Principal) : “It’s clear that this track is giving us more problems than we thought it would. Max couldn’t make the most of the qualifying tyres and his position on the grid isn’t ideal. We’re not running at the peak of our capabilities and our rhythm isn’t up with the top guys either; tomorrow’s warm-up will be crucial to try and find more answers so we can be competitive in the race and we will be trying to use all the data we’ve collected on this second day of practice.”

Makoto Tamada, Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres), 13th: “We have so many things to improve, but at the top of the list is the feeling with the front end. This lack of confidence means I’m not as quick in the turns, so the lap time and the rhythm both suffer. By working hard to solve this problem we have left out some other things too, so I’m a little behind at the moment. I’m confident however that in tomorrow’s warm-up we will find the solutions so we can be quicker and more competitive.”

Giulio Bernardelle, Camel Honda, (Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director):
“We’ve still not got the set-up that we managed at other more difficult circuits, because of the lack of grip at this track. We are working hard to give Makoto confidence in the front which is vital for him to be fast and competitive. There have been improvements, but not enough to be up with our main rivals. There shouldn’t be any problems on the tyre front, especially in terms of their durability, but we haven’t completed all the necessary tests to make that a certainty. Tomorrow’s warm-up will be when we make our final decisions for the race.”


250c:

Dani Pedrosa, Telefonica MoviStar Honda Jr: 2nd: “It was a tough session because of the heat but we were able to improve over the course of the session and the track also got better. It was difficult to stay on the same line because the track is really shiny and you can’t see too well. But the important thing is that we have done tyre tests and we are pretty clear about what we need for tomorrow. It will be a tough race for everybody and it will last for ever but I hope to leave here with a good result.”

Toni Elías, Fortuna Honda: 5th: “After the two sessions yesterday and having not suffered so many problems this morning, we spent the final session trying out a few things, even when I was pushing for a fast lap we were experimenting. “The tests at least showed us the way forward and a few possible solutions but once we had that in mind i didn’t have time to go out for a fast lap. “I think I could have been on the front row without a doubt if I had time. The race will be tough – not only for the heat but also for tyre wear, especially on the front”.

Hirosi Aoyama, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, 6th: “I am not completely satisfied today because I was hoping to knock more off my time to get more comfortable on the track. I think we’ll have to make a couple of changes in the warm-up and get a good start in the race to get as close as possible to the podium”.

Alberto Puig: (team manager): “Dani has done a good job – a front row start here is important. It will be a really hard race here because of the heat and he will have to be very careful not to get off line into the dirty part of the track. I hope Hiro can get a good start and make up a few positions”.

Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR, 11th: “Not so bad, I’m happy with myself. We have some setting points to work on because we had a small problem with the forks and one front tyre. I was in 8-9 place for a while and ended the session 11th. But for the race everything will be good and my shoulder is OK, I will be strong in the race.”

Roberto Rolfo, Fortuna Honda, 16th “Roberto Rolfo (16th): “I am constantly suffering from the same problem on the front end of the bike and even though I worked hard and tried things I hadn’t done yet it was impossible to find a solution. “I am way down the grid but I am confident of improving tomorrow in the race because I started to go better at the end of the session. Tomorrow I’ll go out to try an improve my time and push to the limit to join the front group. “I am a long way back but I will keep working and I won’t throw the towel in.”

Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda, 17th:Ï’mreally angry about that session. The bike worked well but I lost 5-6 places when I got blocked on my fast lap. This morning the bike was perfect and I was in 11th place so I know I can be fast in the race. The only question mark will be the tyre performance we just have one type of tyre.”

David de Gea replacement for the injured Eric Bataille, Wurth Honda BQR, 24th: “All weekend I have had a good feeling with the bike until this afternoon when I just could not get comfortable. I just don’t now why. This race is only my second race two-stroke in three years and I hoped to use the event as a build up for the last three races of the year. I ran 2.08.3s this morning and expected more this afternoon but ran exactly the same time. Basically I am not happy with myself and I will have to improve in the race. I have confidence in the bike so I can have a good race.”


125cc:

Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda, 2nd: “Basically the bike is very good just a couple of small problems. The engine is running at 65′ and we have a suspension problem in turn 10 but we can fix that in the warm up. I could not find anybody to slipstream in the final session and I set my time running alone so I’m happy with that. My tactics will be to race as normal we want to win but wit