Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Provisional MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 2:00.496
2. Max Biaggi, Honda, 2:00.677
3. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 2:00.698
4. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 2:01.040
5. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 2:01.608
6. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 2:01.812
7. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 2:01.872
8. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 2:01.968
9. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 2:01.984
10. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 2:02.019
11. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 2:02.109
12. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 2:02.318
13. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 2:02.346
14. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 2:02.815
15. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 2:02.849
16. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 2:03.308
17. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, 2:03.349
18. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 2:03.363
19. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 2:04.603
20. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 2:04.928
21. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 2:06.049
22. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 2:06.330
23. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 2:07.169


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

ASSEN GP/ FIRST QUALIFYING PRACTICES

Assen – First qualifying session on the Dutch track and Colin Edwards got the fifth fastest lap very close to the front row. Anyway the American rider did not use the major part of the session for getting the best lap as he was testing together with his team mate Nori, some new materials of his RS Cube. This work could be useful for Saturday race.

COLIN EDWARDS: “Not so bad. I have a good feeling with the bike on this track that I like very much. Today we had many parts to test, including the tyres, so I concentrated my session on the development of my bike even if I am sure I could improve my lap time. A positive day of work in order to be ready for the race: we have a good way to follow to improve our competitiveness”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “I feel satisfied as I have a good feeling both with the bike and the track. I could not do many laps as we were testing several parts and the setting I had was not suitable to get fast laps. Since tomorrows free session I will use this morning regulations cause I am sure to become faster”

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “Colin and Nori did not search the fastest lap time today cause we had to test new parts. It was necessary but tomorrow they will concentrate on the performance. The fifth position achieved by colin is not so bad but we still have to work. Our problem is the stability of the front in the fast corners but we found the right way to solve it”.


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

SOLID START TO THE TT FOR THE FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM

The high-speed sweeping Assen circuit proved challenging for most of the MotoGP line-up during the first day of the Dutch TT including the Fortuna Yamaha Team, which spent the opening qualifying session focusing its efforts on finding the ideal chassis balance to deal with the unique circuit characteristics. Both Yamaha factory team riders Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri made significant improvements from their performances during this morning’s free practice to post lap times of 2:01.812 and 2:01.984 respectively this afternoon.

Checa found a momentum throughout the hour-long session that should prove competitive on race day and the Spaniard is still confident that he and the team will find a suspension package that will allow for a more aggressive riding style, without sacrificing the sharp feel of the YZR-M1. Despite a less than ideal set-up Checa still set the sixth fastest time of the day – two tenths shy of the fifth-placed Colin Edwards (Aprilia, 2:01.608).

One rider unperturbed by the challenging 6027m Dutch venue was defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda). The Italian attacked the stopwatch from the outset and never relinquished his spot at the head of the timesheets – eventually posting 2:00.496 for provisional pole. He was closely followed by Max Biaggi (Honda, 2:00.677), the ever improving Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 2:00.698) and Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Alex Barros 2:01.040, who completed the front row.

“If this was my starting position on the grid sixth would not be too bad, but I am still concerned about my pace and want to improve my times by at least one second,” said Checa, who finished fourth here in last year’s race. “It’s not going to be easy to do that, I’m having a big problem at T1. That’s where I’m losing most of the time and I think we might be too soft with the rear spring. The front tyre is difficult to keep on the ground there as a result. We will adjust the set-up slightly before tomorrow and recheck how well it works. Generally not too bad a day.”

Although Melandri, who won last year’s 250cc Assen TT, made a significant improvement in this afternoon’s session over his morning performance it wasn’t all plain sailing for the 20-year-old Italian. During this morning’s free practice Melandri was showing great promise on the YZR-M1 when mud kicked up from the knee of Capirossi sprayed the front of the 250cc World Champion who was following him at the time, causing his M1 to lose traction on the slippery surface. The MotoGP rookie fell, damaging his number one bike. Although Melandri was able to rejoin the practice session his preferred machine was not so lucky, and he completed the remainder of the track time on his second bike.

“I’m quite happy about today and obviously I like this track,” said Melandri. “I feel much better with the bike here than I did in Barcelona or Mugello. This track is different because it is smoother. I enjoyed the feeling more today, but obviously I lost a bit of time this morning after my small fall. I was following Capirossi when he touched the dirt with his knee. I had no time to react and came off.

“We are going to make a small change to our settings before tomorrow to see if I can get a better feeling in the fast corners. I would like to feel more comfortable with the rear weight, and hopefully we can adjust that for tomorrow.”

“This circuit always treats the Yamahas well, and seems to have done so again today,” commented Team Director Davide Brivio. “Marco had a tumble this morning but he is absolutely fine, and seems to be feeling a lot more comfortable with the bike than he has done at the last two races. I think that if he can do the same again tomorrow he will be in for a good race on Saturday. Carlos is having some problems, particularly at the first turn, and we need to concentrate tomorrow on resolving them. He is speaking with his team and engineers and has a clear idea of which direction to go in. I think both riders will be in a good position for the race if we can keep up this good work.”


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

Makoto Tamada gets a feeling for the Assen circuit.

The Assen circuit, which is unlike any other, requires Makoto Tamada to embark on a painstaking and by no means easy apprenticeship. The tenacious Japanese rider of the Pramac Honda Team started getting to grips with the historic Dutch circuit with a full three-second improvement in the official afternoon sessions over his initial practice time. Not enough to stay up with the top riders at the front of the pack. Tamada got a practical taste of how hard it is to interpret the track, especially for those who, like him, have never seen Assen before. Demonstrating once again his renowned humility, Makoto did not ask the technicians to make any particular modifications to the settings on his bike, knowing full well that he is not yet able to pull out all the stops on his potential. Basing the set-up of his RC211V on some good past experience, the talented Japanese rider concentrated on getting a good feel for the circuit. Like this, he will certainly be able to learn faster and of course his proverbial serenity will be a great help.

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 15th – 2:02.849

“It’s too early to start talking about changes in the settings and choice of tyres. I’ve still got to get the right feeling for the circuit. It’s hard to say right now if I like it: I’ve still got to get to know it, then I’m sure I’ll like it. It’s precisely because I haven’t got a feeling for it that we haven’t made any particular changes to the bike. There’s no doubt: the bike needs to handle well here, especially when changing direction, but now the most important thing is to find out the secrets and the “rhythm” of the track. After these first two hours at Assen, I’m going to have to make best use of the time I’ve got until tomorrow morning to go through the circuit in my mind. I need to think about all the impressions I had today so that I can make the most of what I’ve learnt.”


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

HOPKINS FRUSTRATED WITH Mechanical Problems In First Qualifing Sesssion At Assen

ASSEN, Netherlands – John Hopkins’ frustration with the seemingly constant problems of Suzuki’s GSV-R Grand Prix machine boiled over Thursday after the first qualifying session of the Dutch TT. The young Californian sat helplessly on the sidelines much of the session with the bike experiencing numerous gearbox and electrical malfunctions.

“I want to make it clear that I’m still happy to be a part of a factory team at the highest level of motorcycle racing. However, I feel that the poor performance of our bike is preventing me from showing my true capabilities as a rider. Instead of making progress, we seem to be going backwards at the moment.”

Hopkins qualified a disappointing 18th in Thursday’s session with a time of 2:03.363. His time was nearly three seconds off the provisional pole set by defending world champion Valentino Rossi. Hopkins missed half of the session because of machine breakdowns. Qualifying continues Friday in preparation for Saturday’s TT.

“I’m trying to maintain a positive attitude,” Hopkins continued. “But it’s difficult when you are sitting there watching the other riders go by as my bike is being worked on. I hope that Suzuki will listen very closely to what myself, Kenny and other riders are saying, as well as the mechanics that work everyday with the machine. I believe when that happens then progress is possible. I know I have the skills to run up front and even win a Grand Prix. I just want to help Suzuki to produce a motorcycle that will give me the chance to prove what I can do.”

Hopkins comes into the Dutch TT ranked 16th in the world championship standings. His best result so far this season was a seventh in the Spanish Grand Prix. Last year Hopkins qualified tenth fastest at Assen with a time of 2:02.764.


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

Max Biaggi challenges strongly for pole position in Holland

The first day of qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, the seventh race of the MotoGP World Championship, saw the Camel Pramac Pons rider Max Biaggi put in a strong performance and take the battle for pole position to Valentino Rossi. In the end he had to settle for second place but in doing so showed his true potential for victory ahead of Saturday’s race. Tohru Ukawa, meanwhile, qualified in eighth place and is optimistic about his chances in the race.

The Camel Pramac Pons team, meanwhile, celebrated the thirty second birthday of Max Biaggi by presenting him with a birthday cake in the Team Hospitality. His bike also displayed the number 32 throughout the two sessions today to mark the special occasion.

2nd Max Biaggi
“I am happy because I have set a good time, but to be one place higher I need to solve the problems we have been having during recent races. The bike is too light in the front end and in the rapid changes of direction this is really notable. However, I should say that the set-up we have found is correct and tomorrow we only need to try a few minor tweaks. The objective tomorrow is to maintain the second position, because even though we are very close to the pole position time I think it will be complicated to beat it”.

8th Tohru Ukawa
“The time I have set is not so good, because I have not improved on last season’s time, but the feeling I have with the bike is not bad. During the testing we carried out in Catalunya we tried new solutions and now the bike slides less and is more comfortable to ride. We still have work to do on the suspension settings and we can improve on the gear change, but the fuel injection problems we suffered in recent races have disappeared”.

Sito Pons:
“Max has started the weekend off in the best possible fashion, improving significantly on last season’s times and getting very close to pole position. We shall have to wait and see what the weather is like tomorrow, as many have predicted rain, but clearly the objective is to fight for victory and Max is lapping at the moment with a good rhythm. Meanwhile, Tohru has benefited greatly from last week’s testing in Barcelona and I am convinced he will reap the rewards here”.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Marlboro Team Bang on the Pace again

Two weeks after his historic victory at the Catalan GP, Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi was right back on the pace at Assen this afternoon, breaking the lap record as he posted third-fastest time in a closely contested first qualifying session. Team-mate Troy Bayliss ended the day in 11th spot.

Capirossi’s pace proves once again that the Desmosedici is a well-balanced bike that’s at home at every kind of circuit, even Assen which is characterised by a uniquely cambered road surface and ultra-fast changes of direction.

“This is the first circuit we’ve been to that’s also used by Superbikes, but that doesn’t help us much because MotoGP bikes are quite different,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “The only thing we knew before coming here was that it’s always difficult for riders to get through all the changes of direction as quick as they want to. There are many fast direction changes here, plus the track is cambered, so the loads involved are very big. That’s why it’s always difficult to find a satisfactory compromise between stability and manoeuvrability. We need to make the bike better through the direction changes – that’s what both Troy and Loris are asking for at the moment.”

Capirossi third and hoping for better

Loris Capirossi lapped inside the circuit lap record to end this afternoon’s opening Dutch TT qualifying session in third place, a tantalising 0.202 seconds off provisional pole position. The Ducati Marlboro Team man was also two tenths inside the record, established at last year’s Dutch TT, but looking for a faster passage through the new section of the track around Ruskenhoek, where riders flick from one direction to the other at over 240kmh.

“I’m pretty happy so far, considering we’ve no data for our bike at this track,” said the Italian. “The bike is fine around most of the circuit, but we need to work on the new section, I need the bike to change direction more quickly. Overall the bike feels good and we’re making progress, we just need to improve some more. We have some ideas for changes to chassis set-up which we hope will make the bike easier to ride through the fast direction changes. Anyway, I’m third, I’m close to pole and faster than last year.”

Earlier today Shell Advance presented Capirossi with a special trophy to commemorate his historic Catalunya MotoGP win. “The development of the bike is an ongoing process, made quicker thanks to Shell Advance motorcycle oil technology,” commented Capirossi.

Bayliss 11th and working hard on Suspension

This is the first MotoGP track which Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss knows from his World Superbike days. The Aussie won both legs of the Dutch round of the 2001 World Superbike series here, and was hoping that his circuit knowledge would help him this weekend.

“That’s what we were hoping, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference – MotoGP is a different kettle of fish,” said Bayliss after recording 11th quickest time of the day. “We had a good test at Catalunya after the race, but the front-end settings that worked so well there don’t seem to be working so well here. We’re just working on normal stuff – suspension set-up, really – and that’s the kind of stuff you’re always talking about, even when you’re fastest. We’re looking for something to give us a better lap time, hopefully we’ll be there for tomorrow.”


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

Kagayama Learns Fast at Assen; Hopkins Thwarted

Assen, Netherlands – Thursday, June 26, 2003: Team Suzuki riders Yukio Kagayama and John Hopkins qualified side by side on the provisional starting grid for Saturday’s Dutch TT, setting 17th and 18th-fastest lap times round the long, fast and challenging classic Assen circuit.

But while Kagayama could be more than pleased with his lap time and position, in his first ever attempt at a 6.027km circuit that is notoriously difficult to learn, 18th was a significant disappointment for Hopkins. Assen is a favourite track for the 20-year-old Anglo-Californian, but just as he was getting it sized up in his first four-stroke experience, niggling bike problems intervened to prevent the improvement he confidently expected, denying him the chance to make a meaningful attempt at a better lap time.

Hopkins is now recovered from injuries sustained at the Italian GP three weeks ago, but team-mate Kenny Roberts Junior was still not recovered from his Mugello chest injuries, and missed not only the Catalunyan GP but also this Dutch race.

Factory rider Yukio Kagayama is taking the 2000 World Champion’s place at this race, part of a hectic schedule that means this may be the third of nine consecutive weekends of racing. Over the last two weeks, Kagayama raced his Suzuki GSX1000-R to a top five finish in the British round of the World Superbike championship at Silverstone, then resumed his regular duties on the same bike at a Britsh Superbike championship (BSB) round at Brands Hatch. This weekend he races the new 2003 Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP prototype for the first time, next weekend he is back on the BSB. One week later, he is in reserve for the GP machine again, in the unlikely event that Roberts will not be fit enough to return for the British GP. Then he races for the next four weekends, at BSB and the Suzuka Eight-Hour endurance race.

The 29-year-old Yukio did not only make his first acquaintance with the classic Dutch TT circuit today. It was also his first time out on the radically changed 2003 version of the V4 Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP machine. Kagayama played a key role race-developing last year’s first prototype, and is still listed as a development rider for the factory. However, his busy racing schedule and work with the successful GSX1000-R racer meant he had not yet had the chance to ride the second-generation 990cc four-stroke.

Today’s practice took place in bright sunshine and 26-degree heat. There is one more hour-long timed qualifying session tomorrow for Saturday’s race, but with the treacherous Dutch weather offering an ever-present threat of rain, today’s qualifying session could prove crucial for final grid positions.


YUKIO KAGAYAMA – 17th Position, 2:03.349
I feel very happy to be here, but I am very busy at the moment, with a race every weekend. It was interesting to ride the new bike for the first time, and chassis-wise it feels good, but the engine is quite difficult at the moment. It’s my first time at Assen, but I’m not finding it so difficult. I am riding at new English tracks all the time with a lot of climbs and dips, and this is just flat, so the corners are not so hard. But it is a long lap to learn! I hope to go faster tomorrow.


JOHN HOPKINS – 18th Position, 2:03.363
We started this morning with an electrical problem with one bike. We figured we had it fixed, but when I took it out again this afternoon it was messing up the shifting everywhere. There’s something wrong in the electronics that the guys are going to have to figure out tonight. I jumped on my other bike, and I was just getting confident. I really like this track, and I was comfortably in the low threes. I thought I could improve, but then that bike messed up as well. I was only able to do a total of 12 laps on both bikes, and spent half the session in the pits.


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

MotoGP : Barros posts provisional TT front row start

The high-speed sweeping nature of the Assen circuit proved challenging for a majority of the 23-bike MotoGP line-up during the first day of the Dutch TT, with all but a handful struggling to keep defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda) in sight. Then, during the closing stages of the session Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Alex Barros (2:01.040) showed the form more associated with the Brazilian, challenging Rossi’s provisional pole benchmark before eventually finishing the day with the fourth fastest time – 0.544 seconds off pole.

Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri spent the opening qualifier focussing their efforts on finding the ideal chassis balance to deal with the unique circuit characteristics, making significant improvements over their morning session performances to post a 2:01.812 (sixth) and 2:01.984 (ninth) lap-times respectively. Despite the improvement Checa is still confident that he, and the team, will find a suspension package that should allow for a more aggressive riding style, without sacrificing the sharp feel of the YZR-M1.

Fore Melandri, however, it wasn’t all plain sailing. During free practice the 20-year-old Italian was showing great promise on the YZR-M1 before misfortune struck in the most unexpected way. Mud kicked up from the knee of Capirossi sprayed the front of the 2002 250 World Champion, causing the M1 to lose traction on the slippery surface and the MotoGP rookie to fall.

Rossi, unperturbed by the challenging 6027m Dutch venue, attacked the stopwatch from the outset and never relinquished his spot at the head of the timesheets – eventually posting a 2:00.496. He was closely followed by Max Biaggi (Honda, 2:00.677), the ever improving Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 2:00.698) with Barros completing the front row.

Gauloises Yamaha Team
Alex Barros 4th, 2:01.040: “I’m pretty happy with how the two sessions have gone. Because this track is so different we didn’t have a good base set-up to start with and as a result we have made many changes throughout the day. However the team worked really well and every time I went out we improved. Now, although the bike isn’t perfect, it isn’t too bad – certainly a lot better than it was at the start of the day. Tomorrow we need to keep refining the set-up so that I can stay on the front row – particularly important at Assen.”

Olivier Jacque 7th, 2:01.872: “We started off with a set-up based on the one we used during the Barcelona test, but we initially struggled to find a good balance with it. Now it is a lot better and I’m reasonably happy with my second row position, but we need to improve the feedback from the front end if I’m to hold my ground.”

Fortuna Yamaha Team
Carlos Checa 6th, 2:01.812: “If this was my starting position on the grid sixth would not be too bad, but I am still concerned about my pace and want to improve my times by at least one second. It’s not going to be easy to do that, I’m having a big problem at T1. That’s where I’m losing most of the time and I think we might be too soft with the rear spring. The front tyre is difficult to keep on the ground there as a result. We will adjust the set-up slightly before tomorrow and recheck how well it works. Generally not too bad a day.”

Marco Melandri 9th, 2:01.984: “I’m quite happy about today and obviously I like this track. I feel much better with the bike here than I did in Barcelona or Mugello. This track is different because it is smoother. I enjoyed the feeling more today, but obviously I lost a bit of time this morning after my small fall. I was following Capirossi when he touched the dirt with his knee. I had no time to react and came off. We are going to make a small change to our settings before tomorrow to see if I can get a better feeling in the fast corners. I would like to feel more comfortable with the rear weight, and hopefully we can adjust that for tomorrow.”

D’Antin Yamaha Team
Shinya Nakano 12th, 2:02.318: “Today we had a few problems with the set-up. We took a step in the right direction this afternoon, and that improved my confidence with the bike, but we still have a long way to go. This is a very special circuit, which requires a very special chassis package.”


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

SUN AND SPEED AT ASSEN AS HOFMANN LEADS ZX-RR SQUAD
Warm, sunny and near-perfect track conditions welcomed riders to the dauntingly fast Assen circuit with Fuchs Kawasaki wild card rider, Alex Hofmann, leading the Green Team charge in first qualifying.

The robust German ace is 16th on the provisional grid for Saturday’s Dutch TT, a traditional classic race on the MotoGP calendar. Hofmann was one row ahead of team-mate Andrew Pitt (19th) with Garry McCoy down in 22nd place on the time sheets, a position unfamiliar to the five-time GP winner.

Hofmann comes to Assen in his role as test and development rider for the new Ninja ZX-RR project and is continuing to utilise the ‘softer’ chassis and suspension set-up that he used to good effect at the recent Italian GP and that was refined further at last week’s Barcelona test. Both McCoy and Pitt continue to use the latest variant of their regular 990cc ZX-RR race bikes.

Although a Supersport 600 regular at the famous six kilometre Assen circuit, a venue that demands precise handling and inch-perfect racing lines, Pitt is confident he is back on track for a strong race performance after recent disappointments.

Meanwhile, lightweight Australian McCoy was puzzled but surprisingly upbeat about his inability to find the speed he knows he is capable of. McCoy and his Kawasaki technicians are searching for answers that will produce a lighter handling bike, thus enabling him to move up the grid in final qualifying.

Alex Hofmann – 16th – 2:03.308
“It’s our first time here with the ZX-RR, so I wasn’t sure how the bike and the track would fit together. At the moment you could say that they are not a perfect couple. It is very hard work to keep the pace through the high speed sections and we need to work on the set-up to make the bike turn more easily. But we’ve got quite a few ideas to try tomorrow and I expect a bit more in final qualifying. Today I pushed too hard on my qualifying tyre and destroyed that lap.”

Andrew Pitt – 19th – 2:04.603
“I’m just chipping away at it, getting my confidence back in the front end and aiming for a comfortable race set-up. I did my best time today on a race tyre, so I think I can get down to Alex’s pace and run at that speed. The main thing here is getting the bike to steer under acceleration through the fast changes of direction, but it’s not easy, its hard work. I made a couple of mistakes on my qualifying run, so there should be more to come tomorrow.”

Garry McCoy – 22nd – 2:06.330
“I’m struggling a lot because I’ve never ridden a bike that feels so heavy to steer; it really takes it out of you. In the fast corners I have to hang right off the bike, pulling with my arms and pushing with my legs just to stay on. It’s hard work physically, which is a bit strange, as the suspension set-up and tyres don’t feel too bad. Maybe it’s something in the chassis or engine that’s not helping me to turn. We’ll obviously be looking for answers tonight and hoping for an improvement tomorrow.”