Updated Post: Rossi, Hayden, Gibernau, Biaggi On Provisional MotoGP Front Row At Valencia

Updated Post: Rossi, Hayden, Gibernau, Biaggi On Provisional MotoGP Front Row At Valencia

© 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Grand Prix of Valencia
Valencia, Spain
Friday Afternoon MotoGP Qualifying Times:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Honda, 1:33.643
2. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:33.934
3. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:34.205
4. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:34.817
5. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:34.855
6. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:35.029
7. Tohru UKAWA, Honda, 1:35.128
8. Alex BARROS, Yamaha, 1:35.152
9. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:35.253
10. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:35.422
11. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:35.522
12. Colin EDWARDS, Aprilia, 1:35.811
13. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Proton, 1:35.960
14. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:35.992
15. Olivier JACQUE, Yamaha, 1:36.010
16. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:36.183
17. Shinya NAKANO, Yamaha, 1:36.280
18. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 1:36.333
19. Garry McCOY, Kawasaki, 1:36.725
20. Andrew PITT, Kawasaki, 1:36.864
21. Ryuichi KIYONARI, Honda, 1:36.933
22. David DE GEA, Harris WCM, 1:37.678
23. Noriyuki HAGA, Aprilia, 1:37.850
24. Chris Burns, Harris WCM, no time


More, from a press release issued by Alice Aprilia:

VALENCIA GP/1st QUALIFYING SESSION

SEARCHING THE RIGHT FEELING

A tough day for the Alice Aprilia Racing Team on the spanish track of the last round of the season. Low temperature, cloudy sky but no rain for the first qualifying session as expected. Moreover the string wind disturbed the riders especially when the bike lifts up in the exit of the corners due to gusts. Colin spent all the day to set up the bike no. 2 cause the first one was damaged in the free session after a crash. Many stops at the box for Haga in order to get the right setting and the good feeling with the RS Cube.

COLIN EDWARDS: “I do not like this track cause it is like a kart track! Moreover I was not able to find the right trajectories because of the wind gusts. Today I tried to find the right setting to push hard: we worked on the front fork and some other particulars. It won’t be difficult to regain some positions on the grid”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “The wind is annoying me too much like in Australia: I do not like to get the wrong trajectory because of the gusts. Anyway today I did not ride with a perfect setting so we changed many things. I found the right setting only at the end of the session”.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “Today we worked hard to get the right setting for both bikes. It was not easy but we did all the best. We found the solution quickly for Edwards whilst Haga had more difficulties”.


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

CHECA HEADS PROVISIONAL SECOND ROW IN VALENCIA

The final round of the 2003 MotoGP season commenced today in Valencia, Spain, and Fortuna Yamaha riders Carlos Checa and Norick Abe braved cold and windy conditions to secure fifth and eleventh positions on the provisional starting grid. Abe replaces Marco Melandri in the Yamaha factory squad this weekend while Melandri recovers from a shoulder operation, which took place in Italy on Monday. Having lost valuable testing time due to this morning’s wet free practice session neither rider tried Yamaha’s latest evolution of the M1’s Deltabox chassis.

Checa’s time of 1:34.855 set on the 23rd of his 26 laps looked set to place him in the top four, until last minute flyers first by Nicky Hayden (Honda) and then Max Biaggi (Honda) edged him from the provisional front row. Checa had earlier recorded the fifth fastest time in this morning’s cold and wet free practice session.

“Those were not easy conditions today,” said 31-year-old Checa. “We were testing the bike with some set-up adjustments to improve my feeling after Phillip Island, where I didn’t feel so comfortable. It already feels better, although this afternoon the grip level was down. We tested some tyres and focused on the small set-up adjustments. I finished the session with the feeling that I could go faster, and I think everyone felt the same. Basically I felt comfortable apart from a slight headache, which I think was caused by the cold wind.

“I didn’t test Yamaha’s new chassis today because we didn’t have that much time with the present chassis, and I wanted to focus on preparing for the race. I’m not sure if I will use the new spec tomorrow, we’ll see how it goes with the current spec and evaluate whether the time will allow us to test the new one.”

Yamaha test rider Norick Abe, who has been drafted into the Fortuna Yamaha Team to replace injured Marco Melandri this weekend, made a sudden impact as he headed the time sheets in this morning’s free practice. The experienced Japanese rider had ventured out to get more practice time on his YZR-M1 in damp conditions while many riders waited in their garages. When the damp turned to rain all the MotoGP riders joined the fray but none could beat Abe’s early time as the track started to dry at the end of the session. Unfortunately the treacherous conditions got the better of a number of riders, including Abe, who took a small tumble.

“It was nice to be on the top of the timesheets this morning,” said Abe. “I can relax now, I was a bit nervous before today as it’s been a while since I rode the M1 at a Grand Prix, in fact not since Sachsenring. This morning went well and I was so happy, despite falling off. I’m pleased with this afternoon’s eleventh position but I still don’t feel like I know this bike really well. I did race the M1 earlier in the year but it was quite different to this bike. I’m certain that I can improve my time tomorrow and may even test the new chassis, depending on how much progress we make with the current bike.”

Team Director Davide Brivio said, “This morning was a total wash-out and this afternoon we only really had time to start testing our set-up. We have a new chassis here but for tomorrow both riders will just concentrate on finding a good, solid race base. If we achieve this and if the weather is better, they might have the chance to test the new spec chassis. Carlos should be able to have a good race judging from today’s performance, and Norick is doing really well, considering the number of races he’s experienced this year. He should have had more time but the weather meant he only had one hour on the M1. I think what he’s done today is quite impressive.”

MotoGP World Champion-elect Valentino Rossi (Honda) set the benchmark during the session (1:33.643) but was closely followed in the timesheets by his team-mate, Nicky Hayden (1:33.934). Spaniard Sete Gibernau (Honda) didn’t disappoint home supporters with the third fastest time (1:34.205) while fellow Honda rider Max Biaggi’s late charge saw him complete the provisional front row (1:34.817). None of the riders beat Biaggi’s pole position time from 2002 set on the Yamaha YZR-M1 but the warmer weather forecast tomorrow might see a further reduction in lap times.


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

ILLNESS AND INJURIES HIT FUCHS KAWASAKI RIDERS AT COOL VALENCIA

Fuchs Kawasaki riders Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt completed first qualifying for Sunday’s Valencia Grand Prix feeling the worse for wear at a cold and windy Ricardo Tormo Circuit. Track temperatures hovered at an unfriendly 17 degrees for the whole of the qualifying session, following a morning practice period blighted by rain.

Both riders qualified on the fifth row of the provisional grid, with McCoy 19th and Pitt just a tenth of a second behind his team-mate in 20th position. Immediately the session was over both riders headed for the Clinica Mobile; Pitt for treatment to an injury following a crash and McCoy as a result of a severe bout of asthma.

Pitt suffered bruising to his right shoulder and wrist, plus a mild headache, when he crashed heavily 40 minutes into the qualifying session. The Australian lost the front at turn three, the first right-hander, and was forced to complete the session aboard his spare machine.

McCoy arrived at Valencia still suffering the effects of asthma and the demanding Ricardo Tormo circuit, together with the windy conditions, combined to worsen his symptoms. The Australian’s condition meant that he was unable to fully evaluate his Ninja ZX-RR, which for this weekend features a ‘softer’ and more flexible chassis feel, as well as revised engine mountings. McCoy intended to run the modified bike alongside his regular ZX-RR machine.

Both McCoy and Pitt are hoping for better fortune at a track that has been kind to them in the past. A year ago at Valencia, MotoGP rookie Pitt scored his best ever Kawasaki Grand Prix result with 12th place, while McCoy qualified fourth on the front row last year and was a race winner here in 2000.

Garry McCoy – 19th – 1:36.725
“Today was more about my physical condition than the bike; I don’t feel that flash and I’m off to the Clinica for some treatment. Earlier this week I had asthma pretty bad and this morning I felt okay, but in qualifying my chest was very painful and I’ve got a cold as well and the cool weather and wind really knocked me around. Today took me back to when I first rode the ZX-RR in testing here one year ago; the bike feels better, but also similar in many ways, and even after 12 months of riding it doesn’t feel like a huge difference. I tried the softer chassis for one run in qualifying, but I need more time on it to play around with the set-up; it seems to wheelie a bit too much and for the moment I prefer the standard ZX-RR.”

Andrew Pitt – 20th – 1:36.864
“I really struggled with the wind today and when the front lifts, which it tends to do a lot under acceleration, the wind hits you and you go sideways. It is difficult to compare the progress from this track a year ago with the wind the way it is. With the crash I locked the front up going into the first right and that was it; I got back on the spare but my right shoulder and wrist feel sore and I’ve got a bit of a headache as I banged my head when I went down. I guess I’ll be able to have a chat and compare notes with Gazza at the Clinica, I’m heading there now to get checked out.”


More, from a press release issued by Harris WCM:

David de Gea:22nd 1:37.678
“I like this track very much and know it well. The bike is going better then at the last race in Australia and I’m sure I can improve on my time again tomorrow. I made some small mistakes in this session, but I will push more tomorrow and improve my time.”

Chris Burns:DNS ­ Broken Collarbone in Free Practice
“I am gutted, it¹s been a absolutely disastrous Season for me and now it¹s all over. It’s unbelievable really, that I crashed how I did this morning. I was coming out of the corner onto the straight, the bike was upright and feeling good, no sliding or spinning in the wet conditions. I gassed it up a bit and I was thrown off and ended up breaking my collarbone, the same break that I had in Donington this year.

It’s happened now, I just have to deal with it and hope that David does well this weekend for our team.”

Peter Clifford ­ (Team Manager)
“Chris has had brilliant luck this year it was bound to run out eventually, NOT. It’s bad for him to miss the last race of the Season.

A good effort from Dave and we have a few tweaks to pull which might give him some more horsepower tomorrow and move him further up the grid.”


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Makoto Tamada tenth in chilly Valencia

Normally mild Valencia is in the grip of a cold autumn. After the rain in the morning, the first qualifying sessions took place under a lowering sky – and the weather forecast for the coming hours is very hard to interpret. On the dry tarmac this afternoon, with a ground temperature of 15 °C (59 °F), Tamada posted tenth best time, making third provisional row, even though a final attempt to improve in the closing minutes of the session failed to bring the result he was hoping for.

Makoto Tamada and the Pramac Honda Team technicians used some of the set-up references recorded during the tests in March, adapting them to the considerable improvements in the tyres made by Bridgestone during the season.

The cold weather on this first day of tests will mean that further examination of the most suitable tyre compounds will need to be made tomorrow in order to achieve a good level of competitiveness for the race.

MAKOTO TAMADA (PRAMAC HONDA TEAM): 10th – 1:35.422

“The tarmac’s cold, and I wasn’t expecting it to be quite like this. This means that you’ve got to do about five laps to bring the tyre temperature up high enough to be ready to go for the last lap – and thus for Sunday’s starting position. We’ve come a long way since the tests in March: we’ve got much more grip, so I was hoping to do a bit better today. But it really is very cold. The settings on the bike are right and I’m pleased, so now we’ve got to prepare for the different weather conditions we might be facing tomorrow and the day after. If the weather’s like it was today, the first few laps of the race sure aren’t going to be easy. But we’ll see tomorrow – we’ll try out various options.”


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

V5’s pick up pace
Valencia QP1 wrap



Jeremy McWilliams: 13th, 1:35.960
Nobuatsu Aoki: 18th, 1:36.333

Proton Team KR riders Jeremy McWilliams and Nobuatsu Aoki made a strong start to the final GP of the 2003 season, both well placed in today’s first qualifying session, at yet another track where the nine-race-old Proton KR V5 four-stroke had not turned a wheel before. At one point, McWilliams was as high as seventh, losing ground in the closing stages as rivals put on soft qualifying tyres for single fast laps.

The results were encouraging at a track neither had expected would suit the machine – Valencia is a very stop-and-go circuit, putting more emphasis on sheer engine power than other more flowing tracks. However the continual improvements to the prototype racer yielded better results than expected, while the traditionally sweet Proton KR handling paid dividends on the more technical sections.

Both riders are using machines basically the same as raced over the last three flyaway rounds, where the radical new 990cc four-stroke claimed its first championship points.

Today’s first practice took place on a cold but dry track, after showers in the morning, and with gusty winds.

The Valencia GP is the last round of the 2003 season, and the last race for the Proton KR V5, which raced for the first time only five months ago. The development programme for the V5 has taken it rapidly from troublesome first prototype stages to become a reliable racer in just nine GPs. The Valencia race will be the first version of the machine’s tenth and final race.

Development of the next version begins directly after this race, with a new chassis arriving later this weekend to carry the first principles further towards the goal of becoming fully competitive.

Jeremy McWilliams
You’re never happy to see yourself out of the top ten, but we’re going okay for the bike’s first time at this track. It’s quite nice to have that pressure, of having to learn everything quickly. We’ve already tried three different gearing combinations today, and though it’s still not right, it’s close. I expected to be at more of a disadvantage here because we still don’t have as much grunt as the other bikes, but in fact I could pull a lot of it back in the twisty mid section and the long last left-hander. The Bridgestone tyres are also working well. Last time we rode here in cold conditions like this, on the two-stroke, we had a lot of problems with grip. They’ve pulled their game up a bit since then.

Nobuatsu Aoki
I ran off the track in that session because of a gearbox problem I’ve been having – skipping gears or getting false neutrals. Otherwise it is coming pretty good. I’m struggling for grip on the right-hand side of the tyre. Even with a qualifying tyre it took three laps before it was warm enough . but by then the left-hand side was losing grip! We will make some suspension changes tomorrow to try and get more feeling.

Kenny Roberts- Team Owner
We’re going okay, in the mid-field. It shows that we’ve made a lot of ground, from where we started with this bike earlier in the year. There’s nothing new on these race bikes, but we have a new chassis arriving shortly for tests next week, to push things forward for next year.


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

Rain and wind affect the first day of qualification in Cheste

Adverse weather conditions affected the first day of qualification for the final race of the MotoGP World Championship, the Comunitat Valenciana Grand Prix taking place this weekend at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. The morning Free Practice session was run in stormy conditions with a wet track, however by the afternoon’s Official Practice session the track had dried, but strong gusts of wind and very cold temperatures were still the order of the day. The two Camel Pramac Pons riders worked on the set-up of their bikes to optimize the performance. Max Biaggi qualified on the provisional front row of the grid, while Tohru Ukawa was on the provisional second row.

4th Max Biaggi
“The differences are too big and there are many small problems that have stopped me getting nearer the pole position time. Logically this has not been a true reflection of my potential or of the bikes, but we have another day’s work ahead and we will try and be more competitive tomorrow by solving the things that have not gone well. I am fourth on the grid, but I cannot be happy with this since I have finished 1.2 seconds off the best time and at a circuit like this, such a gap is too much”.

7th Tohru Ukawa
“The track conditions were not good as it was very windy and the grip was not so good because of the cold track temperatures. We must carry on working on the set-up, especially to get more grip, because we lost the whole morning session because the track was wet and conditions were different in the afternoon session. I feel comfortable on the bike and I hope to have a good race to finish off the season”.

Antonio Cobas (Technical Director):
“The track is still not in ideal conditions to get the maximum performance out of the bike because the humidity present makes the track dangerous and unpredictable as it is easy for a rider to crash out. We have worked on the settings with both riders and the fact that the morning session was run in wet conditions has impeded our progress in this area. We are still working so that Max feels more comfortable with the engine brake of the new engine, since he tested here in winter with a different bike configuration”.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Marlboro men start season finale with promise

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss had a promising and eventful opening qualifying session at Valencia today, ending up sixth and ninth fastest.
Following this morning’s rain-affected session, both men were in the running for a place on the provisional front row until the crucial late stages of this afternoon’s qualifier, run in cold and grey conditions. Capirossi encountered heavy traffic during his final run with a qualifying tyre, while Bayliss suffered a spectacular crash.
“In race conditions we’re not so bad, but we didn’t make the best use of our qualifying tyres this afternoon,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “To me it’s always important to be on the front row on the first day when the weather looks unpredictable, and since it could rain tomorrow, I’m a little worried. But otherwise I’m reasonably happy, we showed some potential today even though we’ve only had one hour of dry track time at what is effectively another new track for our bike. We haven’t tested here since last November, so the machine isn’t the same as it was then. We’ve made no big set-up changes today, tomorrow we’ll work on detail adjustments.”

Capirossi begins 200th in style
Loris Capirossi contests his 200th GP this weekend, 14 seasons after he made his World Championship debut as a fresh-faced 16-year old at Suzuka, Japan. As always the Ducati Marlboro Team man was in the thick of the action today, running as high as fourth with seven minutes to go, ending the day sixth.

“This afternoon’s session was quite good considering we couldn’t try any of the settings we wanted to try this morning when the track was wet,” said the 30-year-old Italian. “I need a little more feeling from the bike, which I’m sure we’ll be able to fix tomorrow. Sixth is okay for today, and it would’ve been better if I hadn’t found too many riders in my way when I was doing my qualifying-tyre run. It’s almost a year since I tested the Desmosedici for the first time here. All I can say is that it’s now a totally different machine, it’s all different and it works very well. As for my 200th GP, it’s been a very happy 14 years for me. For sure I plan to make it to 232, though I hope to make it further than that, maybe to 300! So long as I’m happy and enthusiastic, I’ll keep racing.”

Bayliss ninth after tumble
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss crashed out of this afternoon’s session while in contention for a spot on the provisional front row. The Aussie went down at turn four with six minutes to go after he got sideways into the tight right-hander. He hurt his right shoulder in the accident but will be okay to ride tomorrow after undergoing physiotherapy at the Clinica Mobile.

“It was a little too much back brake and the thing snapped sideways,” said Bayliss. “I was on a hard qualifying tyre and I was in a hurry. Apart from that everything was going not so bad. We’re still searching for the perfect feeling, and we were just starting to get somewhere when I crashed.”

Bayliss’ Desmosedici slammed into the trackside barrier after he fell sustaining heavy damage. “The front wheel rim and the top yoke were damaged,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “When that happens we always change the frame, just to be sure.”


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

Roberts and Hopkins fight the wind at Valencia

Ricardo Tormo Circuit, Valencia, Spain – Friday, October 31, 2003: Team Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins were 14th and 16th fastest in today’s first qualifying session for Sunday’s Valencia GP, battling cold conditions and high winds at the twisty 4.005km circuit for the last race of the year.

Roberts had been well placed in the top ten during the session, but slipped back down the order when the last rush on qualifying tyres took place. His own chances of making a similar jump on the soft-compounds tyres were thwarted by niggling bike problems, almost causing him to lose control.

Hopkins did find some improvement, but was troubled by the gusty wind, upsetting the handling of the bike on several of the tortuous track’s corners. Hopkins nonetheless managed to get worthwhile tyre testing accomplished, and the prospect of better conditions for tomorrow’s final qualifying session offered the chance of better fortunes.

The Valencia GP is the final round of the 2003 World Championship, closing one of the most fiercely competitive seasons in the 55-year history of the World Championship. It has been a difficult year for the Suzuki pair, but improvements later in the season have boosted hopes that next-year’s machine, already under development, will offer improved performance without the teething problems that troubled this year’s technically innovative V4 GSV-R racer.

Footnote: Hopkins did have some good news today – the threat to the family home in Ramona, California, from runaway fires has eased. “I almost had to fly home last week – the fires were less than a mile from my house. Now that seems under control, which is positive. Though I’ve just heard that my older sister has been evacuated from her house in the LA district,” he said.

Kenny Roberts Jr. – 14th Position, 1:35.992
I had a race tyre on in the middle of the session, and I was able to get down to some decent race times, for my settings. Then we had a problem with the bike on my last two runs. The only thing I can say is I’m lucky I didn’t fall. I had to save the bike from crashing both times out.

John Hopkins – 16th Position, 1:36.183
We got off to a decent start, but everyone was at quite a slow pace at the beginning. Unfortunately everyone speeded up, as they should, and I lost positions. We’re not trying to change anything huge. I tested some tyres for Michelin, and then put in a qualifying tyre. Grip is not an issue for us right now, but I am really fighting the wind. Anywhere where there’s a headwind or when you’re turning in to the corners, it’s real difficult.





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