Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Final Qualifying Results:

1. Max Biaggi, Yamaha YZR-M1, 1:44.523
2. Tohru Ukawa, Honda RC211V, 1:44.859
3. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki GSV-R, 1:44.940
4. Valentino Rossi, Honda RC211V, 1:44.950
5. Loris Capirossi, Honda NSR500, 1:45.133
6. John Hopkins, Yamaha YZR500, 1:45.148
7. Carlos Checa, Yamaha YZR-M1, 1:45.253
8. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki GSV-R, 1:45.532
9. Alex Barros, Honda NSR500, 1:45.573
10. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha YZR500, 1:45.750
11. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha YZR500, 1:45.955
12. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton KR3, 1:46.022
13. Jurgen vd Goorbergh, Honda NSR500, 1:46.146
14. Akira Ryo, Suzuki GSV-R, 1:46.280
15. Daijiro Kato, Honda NSR500, 1:46.306
16. Regis Laconi, Aprilia RS3, 1:46.313
17. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR3, 1:46.529
18. Norick Abe, Yamaha YZR500, 1:46.535
19. Alex Hofmann, Yamaha YZR500, 1:47.025
20. Tetsuya Harada, Honda NSR500, 1:47.169
21. Pere Riba, Yamaha YZR500, 1:47.903

According to sources in Europe, Red Bull Yamaha’s John Hopkins held the fastest qualifying lap time with four minutes to go in the session, before his mark was bettered.


HERO HOPKINS – QUALIFIES 6TH IN THE SIXTH GP OF HIS CAREER

In the searing heat at the Catalunya circuit, north of Barcelona, Spain, Red Bull Yamaha rider John Hopkins rode his way into his best starting grid position of his short, but remarkable MotoGP career. Hopkins who finished yesterdays provisional qualifying session in 8th was aiming today to hold that place on the second row of the grid, but he underestimated his ability.

“Hopper” was comfortable with his bike, the tyres and the practice conditions today and he attacked the track in the remaining 5 minutes of the sun-drenched session with gusto. Riding on Dunlops, Hopkins’ 6th position today proved the depth of talent that this 19-year-old American superfit rookie has. In the closing minutes Hopkins jumped from 9th to provisional pole position only to be pushed to a final 6th in the last qualifying seconds.

Team Mate to Hopkins this weekend, German Alex Hofmann improved his performance today also and moved into 19th position, slashing a massive 2.038 seconds off his Friday qualifying time. Hofmann who now has racked up only 700 km on the YZR500 Yamaha is happy with the improvement he has made and is becoming far more comfortable on the bike.

JOHN HOPKINS – 6th 1’45.148
“That feels really good. I went out there today pushing it really hard in the last few minutes and it paid off. We put on some brilliant Dunlop qualifiers and I just put my head down and went for it. I made some small mistakes in T1 and T2 so I knew I had to push hard in the last section. I saw a 45.1 on the big screen and than bike no. 21 and said ‘That’s me!’ So I’m really excited and it’s a great confidence booster for me.

“The team has done an unbelivevale job on the bike and we really work well together. They’re great guys to work with and be around and we are building a strong team. Colin sets up the bike with such a great base setting and we just keep getting better.

“The testing here in March certainly helped and I know my way around the next few tracks so I think we can continue at this level.”

Colin Davies (Race Engineer – John Hopkins)
“An excellent performance from John and the crew today. Dunlop is supplying us with a great selection of tyres and John is performing really well on them. John continues to improve at each race and I’m sure he can finish in the Top 10 tomorrow.”

ALEX HOFMANN – 19th 1.47.025
“I am happy with my performance today, I set out to do a 1.46.900 and I ended up only 0.125 seconds away from that. I lost a bit of time in the early part of the session but now I feel much more comfortable on the bike. It was good today and I am really looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

Christophe Bourguignon(Race Engineer -Alex Hofmann)
“We had a good afternoon and Alex improved by 2.038 seconds in the session. Alex is more comfortable on the 2 stroke now and we have a good race set-up for tomorrow.”

Peter Clifford – Team Manager
“Heart-stopping. Just brilliant for John and I don’t think this will be the last time.

“Alex rode very well today also and has moved up 2 places from yesterday ahead of much more experienced riders.”


More, from Telefonica Movistar Suzuki:

STEADY IMPROVEMENT FOR RYO

2002 MotoGP Championship – Round 6, Catalunya, Spain, June 15, 2002.

All Japan Superbike Champion, Akira Ryo continued to make steady progress in today’s warm-up and final qualification sessions, finishing with a best lap time of 1.46.280 and 14th place on the start grid for tomorrow’s MotoGP race. Ryo’s time was just 1.75 seconds off of the pole position time of Max Biaggi (Yamaha), with Toru Ukawa (Honda) second and Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki’s Sete Gibernau in third.

Ryo used both sessions to improve the set-up of his latest specification GSV-R machine and to gain familiarity with the Michelin tyres that he is using for the first time on the new Suzuki. The GSV-R machines of Ryo and Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki riders Sete Gibernau and Kenny Roberts have all benefitted from new engine components and electrical management systems, and Gibernau‘s third place on the grid shows that the continuing development programme is heading in the right direction.

Ryo is delighted with the engine performance of the GSV-R, but admitted that he is struggling to get the right chassis set-up to suit the Michelin tyres after racing with Dunlops for so long – “It is just taking a while to adjust, but I think that for the race tomorrow I must try to get a good start and work my way through. The race will give me more experience on the Michelins and I will be more competitive for the next round in Assen,” he explained.

Garry Taylor, the Team Manager of Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki, was impressed with Ryo’s efforts – “Ryo-San has done really well considering that this is his first race here. He only has one machine at this race and so during the qualification sessions he has to wait for his team to change settings before going out again. It is a big job to learn a new track and new tyres all in one go and he is up against the best riders in the world. For the next round he should have a second machine and so will get more actual track time during each session. We know that he is a racer and when tomorrow’s race starts, I am sure that his experience and talent will show.”


More, from an Aprilia press release:

Régis Laconi and the Cube on fourth row. Heat oppresses Montmelo’.

The sweltering heat at the Catalan circuit showed no sign of letting up: over 30°C in the air and 46°C on the tarmac. After making top speed in the free practice in the morning, Régis and the Cube worked on their programme to prepare for the race. The tyres being tested for Sunday’s race needed more trials, so Régis rode a number of consecutive laps to test their duration. The rider’s work was certainly complicated by the very high temperatures out on the track. The tough work testing the tyres got the better of the fast lap for tomorrow’s line-up: Régis made 13th quickest time and will thus be starting from fourth row. Even so, the references acquired today should help out in tomorrow’s race, for which scorching heat is forecast yet again.

# 55 Regis Laconi – (MS APRILIA RACING) – 13th – 1’46.057
“A demanding day – I really had to work hard on testing the tyres. Both in the free practice and in the qualifying session, I was doing 7 or 8 laps to test the duration of the tyres. The extreme temperatures today made it even more hard and tiring. I don’t think I’ve got the right set-up for the bike yet: yesterday I was making 46.0 easily but today it was difficult and exhausting. It’s going to be an uphill race, even though I’m hoping the references we’ve got during this shattering day will help bring some results tomorrow.”