Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

1. McWilliams, Proton, 2:14.011
2. Gibernau, Honda, 2:16.165
3. Aoki, Proton, 2:20.602
4. Capirossi, Ducati, 2:21.350
5. Abe, Yamaha, 2:21.636
6. Kato, Honda, 2:22.143
7. Hopkins, Suzuki, 2:22.178
8. Rossi, Honda, 2:23.598
9. Biaggi, Honda, 2:24.147
10. McCoy, Kawasaki, 2:24.497
11. Hayden, Honda, 2:25.753
12. Jacque, Yamaha, 2:28.333
13. Pitt, Kawasaki, 2:30.017
14. Tamada, Honda, 2:31.545
15. Ukawa, Honda, 2:32.257
16. Bayliss, Ducati, 2:33.012
17. Haga, Aprilia, 2:33.469
18. Yanagawa, Kawasaki, 2:38.724
19. Edwards, Aprilia, 2:51.988



Combined times from (dry) Friday and (wet) Saturday sessions (All times from Friday’s sessions except for McWilliams’ time, which is from Saturday’s session):

1. Rossi, Honda, 2:06.838
2. Biaggi, Honda, 2:07.092
3. Ukawa, Honda, 2:07.298
4. Checa, Yamaha, 2:07.426
5. Tamada, Honda, 2:08.426
6. Gibernau, Honda, 2:08.251
7. Roberts, Suzuki, 2:08.670
8. Barros, Yamaha, 2:08.670
9. Edwards, Aprilia, 2:08.785
10. Nakano, Yamaha, 2:08.930
11. Kato, Honda, 2:09.104
12. Hopkins, Suzuki, 2:09.141
13. Bayliss, Ducati, 2:09.147
14. Abe, Yamaha, 2:09.162
15. Capirossi, Ducati, 2:09.325
16. Serizawa, Moriwaki Honda, 2:09.416
17. Haga, Aprilia, 2:09.690
18. Yanagawa, Kawasaki, 2:09.934
19. Aoki, Proton, 2:10.120
20. McCoy, Kawasaki, 2:11.514
21. Jacque, Yamaha, 2:11.924
22. Burns, Harris WCM, 2:13.074
23. Hayden, Honda, 2:13.588
24. Pitt, Kawasaki, 2:13.871
25. McWilliams, Proton, 2:14.011


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
Saturday, 5 April 2003
Suzuka, Japan

FRIDAY TIME ENSURES FRONT ROW START FOR CHECA AT DAMP SUZUKA

Fortuna Yamaha Team rider Carlos Checa will start his Yamaha YZR-M1 from the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s season-opening Japanese Grand Prix. His time of 2:07.426, set during the brief spell of dry track time in yesterday’s qualifying session, was not bettered today. The Spaniard decided to sit out today’s damp qualifying hour without risking an outing on the wet and dry track. In this morning’s fully wet free practice session Checa had completed a total of 11 laps to find a wet set-up in case conditions are the same for tomorrow’s 21-lap race.

“I wonder if I’ll get paid less because I haven’t ridden very much,” joked the 30-year-old Checa, who started from the same place in last year’s race before finishing third in the wet GP. “We decided not to test much because of the conditions today as it wasn’t worth risking a fall. I’m happy to be starting from the same position as last year, but it doesn’t really mean anything. I wasn’t that happy this morning in the wet but I would have also liked a bit more dry time. The weather forecast is better for tomorrow but I’ll just give it my best shot whatever it’s like and I hope to get a good result.”

Team replacement rider Norick Abe rode his Yamaha prototype YZR-M1 machine to fourteenth on the provisional grid yesterday, a result that still stands. The two-time Suzuka GP winner and MotoGP veteran switched to become Yamaha’s M1 factory test rider this year. He was already entered into this weekend’s GP as a wildcard before being drafted into the official squad today to replace the injured Marco Melandri.

“The only thing we achieved this afternoon was to establish grip levels with the cut-slick tyre in these conditions,” explained Abe. “The weather should be better tomorrow but I don’t mind if it’s wet or dry. We need to try a new dry setting tomorrow morning, if possible, as we made some changes after yesterday morning but haven’t had another dry session. My objective is to battle with the top riders. Even if this is a development bike we are always looking for a good result.”

“Today’s weather was as forecast and was not a surprise, so it was important to have secured the front row start yesterday,” commented Fortuna Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio. “Tomorrow we’re not sure about the weather, but I think Carlos can do well either way and I hope Norick can score some good points as well. We’re very pleased that Marco is back at the circuit and will be watching the race tomorrow.”

The team’s 20-year-old Italian rider, Marco Melandri, suffered a broken ankle and nose and a small chipped fracture of the femur in a high-speed crash during yesterday’s opening practice session. After one night in a local hospital Melandri was back at the circuit today in the care of the Clinica Mobile staff.

“I only had about one hour’s sleep last night,” said a groggy Melandri. “The staff at the Japanese hospital have been very good and I have to thank them. But I am happy to be back with the Italian Clinica Mobile staff as they are a little like family. I’ve had some serious painkillers so things are a little better today. I am looking forward to heading home on Monday. We’ll reassess the injury when I get back to Italy, but it is too early to say when I’ll be back on the bike. Thanks for all the messages of support from everybody that I’ve already received.” Those messages (around thirty so far) have been arriving from all over the world to a special e-mail address only set up by the team about two hours ago. The address is [email protected].


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

Hopkins qualifies 12th for Japanese Motorcycle Grand Prix

Californian was 7th fastest in Saturday’s rainy qualifying session

SUZUKA, Japan – John Hopkins pushed his factory Suzuki GSV-R to the seventh fastest time in Saturday’s wet qualifying session at Suzuka Circuit, but no one was able to improve on times set during Friday’s dryer qualifying session, so Hopkins will start 12th, for Sunday’s 2003 season opening Grand Prix. After doing so well in the wet conditions Hopkins is hoping for a wet race Sunday, but the forecast calls for sunny and cool conditions.

Hopkins survived a near crash during Friday’s qualifying session when it began to rain. “I was coming into Spoon Curve and the front end just washed out,” he said after clocking in a best time of 2:09.416 on a partially dry track. “Luckily I got it saved and ran off the track and brought it in and sat out the rest of the session pretty much.”

Hopkins, while not thrilled with his third-row starting position, does feel like there has been rapid improvement in the newly redesigned Suzuki factory GP bike. “We are much better off than we were just a week ago in testing,” he explained. “I’m ready to go for Sunday. Our bike is still a bit underpowered, but the handling is really improving. If I can manage to stay in the draft of the lead pack I think I have a chance for a good result.”

In Saturday’s wet session Hopkins showed that he will be a rider to reckon with in damp conditions. He steadily got faster during the session and ran a 2:22.178, good for seventh fastest in Saturday’s session.

“It’s kind of shame it’s going to be sunny tomorrow,” Hopkins said on the eve of his first GP with the factory Suzuki squad. “We were hoping for a good rain, with us being underpowered. Right now I think it evens out the field. It’s a bit of a shame. The Suzuki handles really good in the wet.”

Last year at Suzuka Hopkins qualified 18th and finished 12th in his Grand Prix debut.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

Suzuki Men second & third Rows
4/5/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan


Suzuka, Japan – Saturday, April 4, 2003: Team Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins will start tomorrow’s season-opening Japanese GP from the second and third rows of the starting grid, after rain on the second day of practice meant times from the drier Friday session determined the starting grid.

Good timing in yesterday’s session boosted the grid positions and hopes of both riders, as both were ready and able when there was a small window of opportunity in a brief break in the bad weather.

In fact, Roberts did not go out this afternoon. With track temperatures very low, variable weather and wet and dry patches on the track, the risks outweighed any value that the necessarily slow laps might yield.

Hopkins did go out, but for only four laps, just to check the conditions. He had already made a big leap forward in the fully wet morning session – the 19-year-old American’s first time ever to ride a four-stroke in the wet, and to ride Michelin tyres in the wet. His prowess was obvious: the first-timer was sixth fastest overall in the session, less than two seconds slower than the fastest man out there, defending World Champion Valentino Rossi.

The weather forecast promises dry weather for tomorrow’s race, the first of 16 rounds in the 2003 World Championship series.

Kenny Roberts – Seventh Position, 2:08.389
Every day so far the weather forecast has been spot on. They said it would start to rain yesterday afternoon, which it did; and that it would be wet today, and dry tomorrow. And they still say the same thing. So you always weigh up options and consider the risks. If it was definitely going to be a wet race tomorrow, then we would need every chance we could get to test rain stuff. But this afternoon the whole hour was half wet and half dry. Guys who went out on slicks went quicker, but they were ten seconds off the race pace, and guys on wet tyres went even slower than that. So it was one of those things – I didn’t want to go out and just ride round a couple of laps. Tomorrow, we need either a totally wet warm-up or a totally dry warm-up, so we can test what we have to test, and then get into the race. And we tested here for two days last weekend, so we shouldn’t be making huge steps either way.

John Hopkins– 12th Position, 2:09.141
I did a few laps this afternoon, but conditions were bad – kind of half and half, and I pulled in. Things went real well this morning. It was my first real test with Michelins and on this bike in the rain. I started to work with the set-up, and it just seemed to come naturally. I could slide the rear and steer with the power, and I’ve never been able to do that in the rain before. I’ve never got that comfortable before. After that, I was hoping for a rain race, but it looks like it’s going to be dry.

Garry Taylor – Team Manager
The track was so cold this afternoon there was a worry that the tyres wouldn’t get up to temperature. The potential risks outweighed any advantages of going out with the track like that. We got it just about right yesterday, and we shouldn’t complain about a second-row start for Kenny. John did a great job today, bearing in mind it is his first time on these tyres and on a four-stroke racer in the wet. The weather is a real pity, though. This is a miserable time of year to come to a superb circuit.


More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

Weather Stalls Kawasaki Progress
4/5/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan


Suzuka, Japan – Saturday: Kawasaki trio Garry McCoy, Andrew Pitt and wild card Akira Yanagawa endured a frustrating final qualifying session in preparation for tomorrow’s much-anticipated start to the 2003 MotoGP season.

The temperamental Suzuka climate dictated this afternoon’s proceedings. Although a torrential downpour that swamped the revised 3.619 miles track earlier in the day had abated, the track was still littered with large damp patches for the entire session.

The poor weather squandered hopes of lap times being reduced from yesterday’s provisional grid. The Kawasaki trio only completed 12 laps between them.

McCoy was 20th fastest and he will start on the fifth row, two places behind Yanagawa.

Pitt will begin his first full MotoGP campaign in 24th position.
Tomorrow’s forecast is for more favourable conditions, and all three riders are hoping they’ll be able to properly assess updates on the ZX-RR in full race conditions. The revisions include engine and chassis modifications.

Garry McCoy – 20th – 2:11.514
“Unfortunately the track was not totally wet. Most of the track was dry but there were still a few wet parts that made it real patchy, and there were a couple of little streams here and there. It just didn’t allow us to use intermediates. That was the tyre to use during the session but we just couldn’t match the times from yesterday. There was not a real lot to do other than try a few different things with the bike and practice a couple of starts. I don’t believe too many people about weather forecasts, so we’ll just have to see what happens when we wake up in the morning.”

Andrew Pitt – 24th – 2:13.871
“We tested a couple of Dunlop rain tyres this morning and I found that I didn’t get much feel from the harder one. I had to go to the softer stuff to get a bit more grip, but we needed to do some more laps on them to understand the situation better. We made some improvements in the rain, made the bike feel a bit more comfortable but it still doesn’t feel 100 per cent. If there’s rain tomorrow, we’ll try again in the warm-up. I only did four laps this afternoon because I knew I wasn’t going to go quicker than yesterday, so there was no point going out and just riding around for the sake of it.”

Akira Yanagawa – 18th – 2:09.934
“I’m disappointed about the weather conditions because I couldn’t find a good set-up for tomorrow. Fortunately we did some testing last week so if it is dry I can use that data, but it hasn’t been dry enough for me to make a decision about what tyres to use. We got a new chassis yesterday, but I still don’t know whether it is better or not. I’ll just have to do my best.”


More, from a press release issued by Camel Pramac Pons:

Camel Pramac Pons riders on the front row
4/5/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan


The Japanese Grand Prix hosts the start of the World Championship with Camel Pramac Pons riders on the front row of the grid

The adverse weather conditions once again affected the second day of practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, the first race of the season taking place tomorrow at the Suzuka Circuit. In persistent rain the riders could not improve on their times from yesterday, so both Max Biaggi and Tohru Ukawa held onto their front row grid positions and ensured an exciting race for the Camel Pramac Pons team. Biaggi and Ukawa are optimistic going into the inaugural race of the season, particularly if it takes place in dry conditions, as is forecast.

2nd Max Biaggi (2:07.092):
“I am satisfied with my front row grid position because the conditions during these two days of practice have been very difficult with not only rain but also very cold temperatures. Also to start on the front row of the grid in Suzuka is always important and makes me happy. I hope that tomorrow the track is dry as we will see a more exciting race and because my bike’s set-up is more suited to these conditions. In the wet I need more confidence and I must do more work because the bike is completely new for me.”

3rd Tohru Ukawa (2:07.298):
“It has been a complicated day, like yesterday. Yesterday we could put in a few laps, when the track was nearly dry, but today it was completely wet throughout the session and in these conditions it was impossible to improve on yesterday’s times. It has been a long time since I have been on the front row in Suzuka and this makes me happy. Now I hope to be able to fight for victory tomorrow.”

Antonio Cobas (Technical Director):
“We have only been able to do very little work during these two days and with both Max and Tohru we have not been able to finalise the decision on tyres in the case of a dry race, because Michelin gave us new compounds after the IRTA test and we have not been able to test them. The forecast for tomorrow is almost certainly sunny and warm conditions, so we will have a lot of work to do in the warm-up”.

Sito Pons:
“I hope that both Max and Tohru make a good start in the race tomorrow and are fighting for the lead. The only reference we have about dry conditions is from the IRTA test and then we were second and third fastest. The bike set-up is not ideal, but it is the same problem for everyone and I have utmost confidence in our riders and our chances”.


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Pramac Honda Suzuka QP1
4/4/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan


Suzuka, Japan Round 1 – 4/5/6 April – 2003
Friday – 4 April – Qualifying

Makoto Tamada makes fifth place and second provisional row at Suzuka.

Vexing drizzle hampers first round of qualifying in the 2003 World Championship at Suzuka. The successful strategy of the team and the determination of Makoto Tamada enabled the great Japanese rider to close the first qualifying session with fifth best time and second row on the provisional grid. The weather forecast for tomorrow promises nothing but heavy rain, so Tamada might yet find himself with his excellent position of today for the race on Sunday. Tamada started the timed laps on cut slicks and then, as soon as the track dried out, he moved over to slicks. Three ever-faster laps took him up to first place in the provisional ratings before it was taken by Rossi, who was then followed by the two Camel Pramac Pons team riders, Biaggi and Ukawa, and by Checa. At the end of the half-hour, there was more rain and nobody was then able to improve their lap times.

Pramac Group lands in China
Since this morning, the front fairing of Makoto Tamada’s RC211V has borne the Pramac logo with Chinese ideograms to celebrate the inauguration of the Group’s 16,000 square-metre factory in China. A new industrial plant for the manufacture of portable generators for the world market.


Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 5th – 2:08.103
“Our strategy worked perfectly, for just at the right moment, as the track began to dry out, we immediately shifted over to slicks and I just went flat out. It was 20 minutes from the beginning of the session and I was improving on each lap, trying to get the best possible time: after just a few times round, I took the top spot. Then there were some more drops of water and there was no way I could improve further. If it rains tomorrow, as the forecast suggests, today’s positions may be carried over to the starting grid on Sunday. I’d love to be able to get into the great atmosphere of the very first places on the grid in this debut MotoGP race.”


More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati:

Ducati Marlboro Men Fourth Row
4/5/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan


Suzuka rain Consigns Ducati Marlboro Men to Fourth Row

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi will commence the Desmosedici’s MotoGP adventure from the fourth row of the Suzuka grid tomorrow, after persistent rainfall throughout today prevented them from improving on their positions from yesterday afternoon’s weather-hit qualifying session.

Although rain did affect Friday’s qualifier, the track was very nearly dry at one point, allowing lap times within two seconds of the dry-weather pace, whereas heavy overnight rain and intermittent drizzle ensured that the surface was never less than damp during this afternoon’s final session.

Bayliss will line up for the race in 13th place, Capirossi in 15th, positions that don’t accurately reflect the performance of the Desmosedici, since Capirossi topped Friday morning ‘unofficial’ practice – the only dry outing of the weekend – and Bayliss was a storming second quickest in this morning’s rain-soaked ‘unofficial’ session.

“We are satisfied with what we have achieved, because we were very fast in the dry Friday morning session and again in the rain this morning,” said Ducati Corse managing director Claudio Domenicali. “This proves that the bike works well in very different conditions. But from every other aspect during the weekend, we’ve been very unlucky! We’ve not had enough dry track time to fully define our set-up, so tomorrow’s race will be a bit of a gamble. But that’s racing. It’s our first MotoGP race, we’re all looking forward to it, now let’s see what happens.”

To celebrate the marque’s first MotoGP event, the gates of the Bologna factory will be open from 6.30am tomorrow morning, allowing employees and fans to watch the race on a big screen. Ducati dealers all around Italy will also open their doors so that fans can witness Bayliss and Capirossi in action together for the first time.

Rookie Bayliss all Set For MotoGP Debut
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss needed dry track time today more than any other MotoGP rider – he’s the only man in tomorrow’s race who has yet to race at Suzuka, one of the longest, fastest and most complex tracks on the GP calendar. But the upbeat Aussie is unfazed by the prospect of making his MotoGP debut at a track that is still new to him.

“For sure it would’ve been better to have more dry laps, but rain, hail or shine, we’ll take it on the chin and hope to have a good race,” said Bayliss, who was second quickest in this morning’s rain-sodden outing. “I don’t really mind what the weather does tomorrow, though I guess I’d rather it was dry. As far as set-up goes, we made some good progress during the two-day tests at the start of the week, so we should be pretty good. We’ll probably run on the safe side on tyre choice.”

Capirossi Ready Whatever the Weather Brings
Loris Capirossi has already proved how fast he is aboard his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici – he was quickest yesterday morning, and three weeks ago he headed the Catalunya season prologue tests in Spain. But the weather has not been on his side this weekend, and like team-mate Bayliss he will start his first race for the Italian marque from the fourth row of the grid.

“Today was a strange day,” said the Italian star. “On the positive side, we were able to use this morning’s session to optimise our wet set-up, so at least we are ready whatever the weather brings tomorrow. But I hope the race will be dry, because yesterday morning’s session proved how fast we are in the dry. Starting from the fourth row will be difficult, especially if it‘s raining. Anyway, I’ll do my best, I like the track, we all believe in the bike and in this project, and we want to start the championship with a good result.”