Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday MotoGP Qualifying Session Times:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 2:01.833
2. Alex BARROS, Honda, 2:02.228
3. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:02.278
4. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 2:02.283
5. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 2:02.399
6. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:02.446
7. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:02.473
8. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:02.588
9. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 2:02.602
10. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 2:02.852
11. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:02.860
12. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 2:03.014
13. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 2:03.384
14. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:03.500
15. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 2:03.956
16. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 2:04.284
17. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 2:04.830
18. Garry McCOY, Aprilia, 2:04.875
19. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 2:05.225
20. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 2:05.285
21. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 2:06.126
22. James HAYDON, Proton, 2:06.443
23. James ELLISON, Harris WCM, 2:08.554
24. Youichi UI, Harris WCM, 2:08.995


Final Combined MotoGP Qualifying Results From Friday And Saturday Sessions (Each Rider’s Fastest Time Used To Determine Grid Position):

1. V.ROSSI, 2:01.833
2. A.BARROS, 2:02.228
3. S.NAKANO, 2:02.278
4. S.GIBERNAU, 2:02.283
5. M.TAMADA, 2:02.394
6. N.HAYDEN, 2:02.399
7. M.BIAGGI, 2:02.446
8. J.HOPKINS, 2:02.588
9. C.CHECA, 2:02.602
10. M.MELANDRI, 2:02.852
11. L.CAPIROSSI, 2:02.860
12. C.EDWARDS, 2:03.014
13. A.HOFMANN, 2:03.321
14. T.BAYLISS, 2:03.384
15. R.XAUS, 2:03.956
16. N.ABE, 2:04.284
17. N.HODGSON, 2:04.738
18. J.McWILLIAMS, 2:04.830
19. G.McCOY, 2:04.875
20. Y.KAGAYAMA, 2:05.285
21. N.AOKI, 2:06.126
22. J.HAYDON, 2:06.443
23. J.ELLISON, 2:08.554
24. Y.UI, 2:08.995



More, from a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Rossi takes pole at steamy Sepang

Valentino Rossi wrestled the psychological advantage from Sete Gibernau in their personal battle at the top of the MotoGP World Championship in hot and humid conditions at the Sepang circuit today. Rossi dislodged provisional pole setter Makoto Tamada from the top of the time sheets midway through the session with a new record lap, increasing his pace in the late push for times to leave the benchmark at 2’01.833.

Gibernau himself was bumped off the front row at the chequered flag by his factory Honda colleague Alex Barros, who burst into second place to outdo a stunning qualifying performance by Shinya Nakano on the Kawasaki. Nakano had propelled himself to within touching distance of pole before Barros’ late effort, but will still start from the front row for the first time riding the Kawasaki on his 27th birthday tomorrow.

“We did a great job and we worked a lot on the race set-up,” commented Rossi. “Tomorrow’s race will be hard on the riders, on the bikes and especially on the tyres. We did a long run with the same tyre and on both the rear and the front we started some laps with used tyres to simulate real race conditions. My rhythm is good, and I think it will be possible to make 2’02 laps at the beginning, and it will then be down to the condition of the tyres. But we will try to stay not far from that pace.”

Gibernau’s late relegation to fourth place from third sees him start just metres behind Rossi at the head of the second row. The Spaniard also chases the Italian in the championship, with a 14-point deficit at the top of the standings and only three races remaining. Tamada was unable to improve on his provisional pole time in today’s session and slipped to fifth place, whilst Nicky Hayden recovered from an unconvincing performance in yesterday’s first qualifying session, knocking over two seconds off his provisional time to seal the final second row position in sixth.

Max Biaggi also made progress after a disappointing first day, knocking a second and a half off his lap time to move up to seventh at a circuit where he celebrated victory two years ago. The Honda rider is joined on the third row by John Hopkins on the Suzuki and Carlos Checa, the closest Yamaha rider to Rossi. Colin Edwards and Ruben Xaus, who both finished on the podium at the last round in Qatar, struggled today and qualified 12th and 14th respectively.

Sebastián Porto hung on to pole for the 250cc race after a brief rain shower interrupted the final session, when Randy de Puniet and Anthony West were the only two riders to improve their times. Porto was in dominant form yesterday but will be well aware of the threat of Dani Pedrosa, who set the fastest time in both the morning and afternoon sessions today and needs just eight points more than the Argentinean to be crowned World Champion in tomorrow’s race.

Pedrosa starts his title quest from second place on the grid thanks to his efforts yesterday, whilst De Puniet’s quick lap during a brief dry spell propelled him to the front row in third. De Puniet’s success was at the expense of Toni Elías, who dropped to the second row in fifth place, with Alex de Angelis hanging on to the front row in fourth.

Andrea Dovizioso gave himself the ideal chance to charge for the 125cc World Championship title tomorrow after sealing the front slot on the grid with a dominant performance. The Italian youngster only needs to finish on the podium to secure the crown but is a clear favourite for victory after a sensational record lap time today which set himself almost a full second apart from nearest challenger Hector Barberá and beat the previous pole record by 0.879 seconds.

With Dovizioso starting the session on provisional pole and quickly improving his time, Barberá, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo all made unsuccessful efforts to take control, with Barberá and Stoner settling for front row starts in second and third respectively and Lorenzo bumped down to the second row by Marco Simoncelli on the last lap.



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang
Final Qualifying
Saturday, October 9 2004

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN STAY STRONG AT SEPANG
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss both seem confident of riding a strong race in tomorrow’s Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix, despite a difficult final qualifying session that left both of them outside the top ten. Capirossi improved on his Friday best by almost a whole second, while Bayliss also improved by seven tenths, but that was only enough to put them 11th and 14th.

“The times are really close here, with the top 12 guys covered by just 1.2 seconds,” said the Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “Although our grid positions don’t look great, Loris made a big improvement on race tyres this afternoon, which means he should be able to ride a good race. Unfortunately Troy crashed, which spoiled his rhythm, although he also went well on race tyres using his number-two bike. We hear that tomorrow’s weather could be quite severe, so obviously we are hoping for a dry race.”

This afternoon’s session took place in sultry 33-degree heat under foreboding skies. Latest weather forecasts predict that tomorrow’s race – which starts at the later-than-usual time of 3.30pm – could be hit by heavy rain, thunder and lightning storms.

CAPIROSSI IMPROVES BY 0.965 SECONDS
Loris Capirossi focused on improving the front-end performance of his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4 at Sepang today, significantly raising his pace and ending up less than half a second off a second-row start.

“I’m much happier than I was after this morning’s session, though still not totally satisfied,” said the talian. “Things weren’t quite right this morning, so I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike. This afternoon we made a lot of adjustments, working on the front end because I was having problems tucking the front in the long corners. We have improved things quite a bit, though we will try another few adjustments in the morning warm-up session. On race tyres I think I can run high 2m 03s laps and shouldn’t be too bad for the race”.

BAYLISS CONFIDENT AFTER MINOR SPILL
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss is confident of having a good run in tomorrow’s race after bettering his Friday best by 0.695 seconds, despite using his second bike after he had crashed his number-one machine midway through the session.

“As bad as it looks, we actually made an improvement in that session,” said Bayliss. “The crash was the usual – I lost the front in the middle of the corner. After that I hopped on my other bike but the mapping wasn’t right. I hadn’t ridden it at all until then, so we made some changes, including a few clicks on the rear compression. That made it quite a bit better, another step on from what we did yesterday with my other bike. In the end I went as fast on race tyres as I did with a qualifying tyre, so I’m looking forward to the race.”



More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
MARLBORO MALAYSIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX – SEPANG
9TH OCTOBER 2004 – QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2

FIRST FRONT ROW START FOR NAKANO AND KAWASAKI

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano will start his Ninja ZX-RR from the front row of the grid in tomorrow’s Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, after setting the third fastest time in today’s closely fought final qualifying session.

The Japanese ace was at his brilliant best today, delivering Kawasaki’s first front row start since the factory team joined the MotoGP World Championship in October 2002.

It was an early birthday present for the popular Nakano, who turns 27 tomorrow, and his personal best qualifying of the season so far.

Nakano cut 1.3s seconds from his provisional qualifying time to advance to the front row, and in the process become the fastest rider on Bridgestone tyres.

He was one of just seven riders on the 24 rider grid to go under the previous Sepang qualifying record of 2’02.48s, held by Valentino Rossi.

Nakano’s fastest lap was timed perfectly, tucking in behind Rossi late in the session to post a time just 0.4s off pole position.

More importantly, Nakano ran a string of consistent and fast laps at race pace that indicates he has a strong bike and tyre package for tomorrow’s 21 lap Grand Prix.

While Nakano swept to the front row, his German team-mate Alex Hofmann was frustrated to have slipped to 13th, and a start position on the fifth row of the grid.

Hofmann could not reproduce the rhythm that saw him fifth fastest on the provisional grid yesterday, and his late session bid to improve his time was delayed by traffic on the 5.5km Sepang circuit. Hofmann’s Friday time stood for his qualifying place.

However, like Nakano, he has a strong race set-up, although he would clearly prefer to be starting closer to the front to maximise his race opportunity.

The pace of Nakano’s Ninja ZX-RR in today’s practice and qualifying session was boosted by revised rear geometry settings, and adjustments – both electronic and mechanical – to the engine braking system.

In the hot and humid conditions of Sepang, with track temperatures of over 45 degrees, control of rear end slides is critical to fast, consistent lap times, as demonstrated by Nakano’s impressive pace today.

Shinya Nakano: 3rd (2’02.278)
“A great result today, especially after the disappointment of the Qatar GP when my bike stopped while I was in third place. I’m very motivated for a good result here and, as always, the support from Kawasaki and Bridgestone has been fantastic; it is really great to come back to the garage and see everyone smiling. I got a tow behind Rossi for a fast time, but the changes to the bike today have given me a strong set-up on race tyres. Everything is working very well.”

Alex Hofmann: 13th (2’03.321)
“I’m not happy with today. I just didn’t have the rhythm of yesterday, although I’m happy with the race set-up and the Bridgestone tyre choice here. The problem is that starting so far back on the grid means I have to make a good start to have any chance in the race. On my final fast lap I thought I could go quicker, but I came up on the outside of Loris Capirossi and I think he just didn’t see me – that cost quite a lot of time. And the two fast straights in the final sector are not really made for me.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“Firstly, congratulations to Shinya and to everyone at Kawasaki and Bridgestone for all the hard work that contributed to this fantastic qualifying performance. The indicators are that our performance is on an upward curve, not only in qualifying but in race conditions also. I have no doubt that we can expect something special from Shinya in the race. Alex is disappointed, but he has a higher potential than 13th place, he just needs more experience to be able to deliver the times he is capable of when it really counts.”

QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2 – COMBINED TIMES
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 2’01.833; 2. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +0.395; 3. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.445; 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +0.450; 5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team +0.561; 6. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +0.566; 7. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +0.613; 8. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +0.755; 9. Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +0.769; 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +1.019; 11. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +1.027; 12. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +1.181; 13. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.488



More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

Malaysian Grand Prix
Sepang, Malaysia
Saturday 9th October 2004

ROSSI ON POLE FOR MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi took his YZR-M1 to a new all-time qualifying best of 2’01.833s this afternoon to secure pole position for tomorrow’s Malaysian Grand Prix. His team-mate Carlos Checa will make a third row start after finishing with the ninth-best time, 0.769 seconds from the pole time. Rossi will share the front row with Alex Barros (Honda) and Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki).

Rossi was quickly out of pit lane as threatening dark clouds gathered near the Sepang circuit. The track stayed dry, however, until the final minutes of the session, and Rossi duly posted the best lap of the weekend mid-way through the one hour. A further attempt to improve his time was on course until an isolated spot of rain affected the track adhesion so that few riders could improve their times. Rossi’s 2004 lap time was almost two full seconds better than his own circuit best lap from the 2003 event.

Checa, who worked hard to improve his qualifying and race set-up, secured ninth place on the grid after spending the early part of the session in the top ten. The Spaniard went over 1.5 seconds faster today than he did in his crash-affected session on Friday.

VALENTINO ROSSI (1st, 2’01.833s)

“We did a great job and we worked a lot on the race set-up. Tomorrow’s race will be hard on the riders, on the bikes and especially on the tyres. We did a long run with the same tyre and on both the rear and the front we started some laps with used tyres to simulate real race conditions. My rhythm is good, and I think it will be possible to make 2:02s laps at the beginning, and it will then be down to the condition of the tyres. But we will try to stay not far from that pace. I hope we can have a dry race tomorrow as the Michelins are running well here.”

CARLOS CHECA (9th, 2’02.602s)

“We made quite a big improvement in the lap time. This morning we had a general improvement in pace and that allowed us to make a better lap time in the final session. We qualified faster than last year as well, which is satisfying. There was a little rain in the last minutes of qualifying, when I tried to go even faster, and because of this I lost some tenths of a second. We are still losing in some areas, so we need to adapt and use what we have in the best way. It’s always hard here in Malaysia but this year the weather is a little bit more confusing than normal.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO, TEAM DIRECTOR

“A very good day today for us. The team worked very well and Valentino is quite happy with the bike. We tested the race tyres so I think we will be ready in dry conditions. If it rains we will miss the show of a very good battle so we all hope for dry conditions. Valentino’s ideal time is a 2’01.4, even more unbelievable. Carlos did well and could have done even better but he felt some drops on his visor so he had to slow down. Carlos has made a big improvement in his lap time, so I’m sure he can have a good race tomorrow.”

FRONT ROW
1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 2’01.833
2. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda Team 2’02.228
3. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team 2’02.278

SECOND ROW
4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 2’02.283
5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda 2’02.394
6. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team 2’02.399

9. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 2’02.602



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

SETE READY FOR ANOTHER CHALLENGE

MALAYSIAN GP – 2nd MOTOGP OFFICIAL QUALIFYING PRACTICE

Sete Gibernau met the harsh demands of the final qualifying session for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the fourteenth round of the MotoGP season, with a lap time which puts the Telefónica MoviStar rider at the front of the second row of the grid. Gibernau knocked four tenths of a second off his provisional time after focussing on his rhythm for the race. The Spaniard was in optimistic mood after checking the lap by lap time sheets, whilst his team-mate Colin Edwards was also pleased to have taken a step forward, but faces a stiff challenge as he starts from the fourth row.

SETE GIBERNAU (4th, 2’02″283)
“Today, unlike yesterday, we weren’t able to get the best out of the qualifying tyres but I am happy because we have improved in terms of race pace. Obviously I would have prepared to start on the front row, but I wouldn’t swap that for the progress I have made. We’ll keep working in the warm-up tomorrow to see if we can improve th! e pace even further and have a good race”.

COLIN EDWARDS (12th, 2’03″014)
“The bike has improved from yesterday but not enough to move me much further forward on the grid. Tomorrow we will need to find something in the warm-up which will allow me to set a quicker and more consistent pace, although I know it will be tough starting from the fourth row”.

FAUSTO GRESINI (team manager)
“Today we have worked well thinking about therace and we can be happy with Sete’s result, although there are a couple of details still to refine. Sete will start from the second row and it will be a tough race because of the heat. The weather forecast for tomorrow in fact is 33° with 60% of humidity. I hope that it won’t rain in the afternoon as it is foreseen for tomorrow.”



More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

Malaysian GP – Round 14 – MotoGP
Sepang – Saturday October 9th 2004

Second and third rows for Makoto and Max in Sepang

With a tropical storm on the horizon, Sepang today saw the second and final qualifying session to set up tomorrow’s definitive starting grid at the 14th and third last race of the championship. Makoto Tamada was held up by two slower riders on his fast lap, as he looked to confirm the provisional pole he took yesterday, and had to content himself with yesterday’s time, which put him in fifth place overall. The Japanese Camel Honda rider nevertheless concentrated on endurance tests, which leave him in confident mood for tomorrow’s race. Max Biaggi improved his Friday time considerably, as well as his overall pace, and now looks to the race with a lot more hope.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“The rhythm that both our riders have shown means that we can be optimistic for the race. It will undoubtedly be a tough race and the tyre choice will be crucial. We expect it to be hot and consistency throughout will be the key. It depends on who is able to keep a high rhythm like the one we saw today. Our work isn’t over, and in the warm-up we will be looking for the finishing touches to be as competitive as possible.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) – 7th – 2’02.446
“Things went better today, more than anything we made steps forward compared to yesterday, but what is annoying me most is that we can’t get to the level of performance we showed in pre-season here, from which we have data on the computer. Starting from this base, and with all the experience I have at this circuit, I hoped for a very different result. As soon as I got my wheels on the track yesterday I realised that the bike was giving me different sensations, above all in braking, where it’s really hard work. With the qualifying tyres I only improved by two tenths, which isn’t normal either. I don’t think I will make any substantial changes though, the set-up is decided and the race tyres too.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Technical Director)
“We continued to work hard, choosing a harder rear tyre to try and improve the endurance, and we picked an ideal set-up for these tyres. We got the consistency of performance that we were looking for, but we’re not sure how it compares to the rest yet, because lots of riders upped the tempo this afternoon. Now it just remains to be seen how many riders will be able to maintain the rhythm throughout the whole race. We’re confident and it’s a similar situation to Motegi, where we prevailed in the race.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres)- 5th – 2’02.394
“Traffic, a lot of traffic. When I went out for my fast lap to confirm the provisional pole I came up behind two slow riders and I lost the chance. We can now choose harder tyres and still be competitive on endurance and I’m satisfied with this and with the data we have collected from them. Rossi has picked up his rhythm from the off this morning, but now we just need to see if he and the others are capable of keeping it up throughout the race. In tomorrow’s warm-up I will try some more little things and then I will be able to say that I’m ready to go.”



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

PROTON KR PAIR READY TO GO FOR MORE POINTS AT SEPANG

Round 14, Malaysian GP, Sepang
Final
Qualifying: Saturday, October 9, 2004

Nobuatsu Aoki: 21st, 2:06.126
James Haydon: 22nd, 2:06.443*

Proton Team KR riders Nobuatsu Aoki and James Haydon will start tomorrow’s Malaysian GP- home race for the team’s long-standing sponsors – from 21st and 22nd positions, after each slashed well over two seconds off his best lap time of yesterday.

Aoki was helped by an improvement in his condition, after a hard night fighting off a fever that hit the Japanese star on Wednesday. He improved by 2.4 seconds from yesterday to today, as his team found chassis settings that gave him a better feel for the machine and the tyres.

Haydon had an excellent day, in only his second race on the Proton KR V5, as a substitute for the injured Kurtis Roberts. He saw the 5.548km Sepang track for the first time this week, and as his circuit knowledge has improved so also have his bike settings. Today’s best time was more than three seconds better than yesterday, slotting the British rider in just over three tenths behind his experienced team-mate.

Proton Team KR’s aim is to continue a four-race run of points-scoring finishes, with both riders in the top 15 by the end of the 21-lap race. Ever-improving machine reliability is in their favour. In the heat of Qatar last weekend none of the 990cc KR V5 machine’s skipped a beat, while seven rival bikes suffered mechanical problems in the blazing heat. Malaysia’s sultry climate is not quite as hot, but asks similar questions of hard-pressed engines working to their limits. So far the machines have run perfectly.

With just two more races left before the end of this season, the team is looking towards next year. Team principal Kenny Roberts confirmed that he has been in talks with, among others, his long-standing Malaysian backers Proton Cars, as his plans come closer to finalisation.

Today’s final session was hit at the end by a sprinkling of rain, which could portend more of the same tomorrow. The forecast is for storms, and the MotoGP race is at the unusually late time of 3:30, to avoid clashing with the Japanese F1 GP … just the time that tropical showers tend to strike. Wet weather would suit both Proton riders, reducing the advantage of machines with a higher top speed.

*NOBUATSU AOKI*
I’m feeling better than yesterday, and much better than last night. It was horrible. My temperature was up to 40°C , though I was able to get some sleep, thanks to Dean Miller (team physiotherapist), who gave me some pills that helped. The riding was okay today, though the lap time was more than I expected. We picked a race tyre, and both my bikes are going okay. It could be better for me if it rains.

JAMES HAYDON
A lot of thanks to the boys. They worked away, with some quite subtle changes. I also switched to larger discs for the first time, and they made a huge difference. I could brake later and stop more easily. I’m starting to have a bit of fun – racing the bike rather than just riding it. It’s not 100 percent for me mid-turn, but a lot closer . We made some good steps. The guys said before the weekend that 2:06s would be a good time, based on Dunlop’s tests here, so that was the target, and we made it. I’m relatively happy … and I won’t mind if it rains. I always enjoy racing in the rain.

KENNY ROBERTS – TEAM PRINCIPAL
The bikes were running okay, and I’m happy because it’s one day closer to putting them into the museum. As well as racing, we’ve put a bit more time into preparing for our next test of the KTM engine, after the last GP at Valencia, and that’s going well. We’re talking to a lot of people about next year, including Proton. Personally I’d think it a great shame if we can put together a good package for next year, and they’re not still with us. They have spent a lot of money with us, to get to this point.



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Grand Prix of Malaysia, Sepang

Final Qualifying October 9

BARROS ON FRONT ROW, GIBERNAU ON ROW TWO

MotoGP final qualifying here in steamy Malaysian humidity belonged to Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). Rossi starts from pole in tomorrow’s 21-lap race. But the Honda men are right in contention with Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) qualifying second for the second consecutive race and Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) lining up right behind Rossi as fourth fastest on the second row. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) qualified third.

Spots of rain fell towards the end of the hour-long session and riders’ times in the third sector of the track suffered. This section of the track had also been rained on yesterday, and the threat of sporadic showers remains for tomorrow.

Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), riding on Bridgestone tyres, had held provisional pole overnight, but the Japanese ace was one of the few riders not to manage an improvement today. His 2m 02.394 second lap was still enough to secure him a second row start from fifth, and he’s only 0.561 seconds away from the pole time.

Many riders opted to put in their swiftest qualifying laps on race rubber in the early stages, but Gibernau and Tamada had not improved their times with 20 minutes still to go. Tamada was second after Rossi dislodged him and Gibernau was fourth with the final third of the session to go.

With ten minutes remaining Tamada lay third and Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) was fourth with Barros fifth fastest. Then came the frenzy of qualifying tyres. Gibernau couldn’t quite maximise his speed on sticky tyres and briefly flirted with the front row before Barros clocked his 2m 02.228 second lap to knock the Spanish title contender down to row two. Nakano was his other problem in third.

“I’m happy because we’ve improved in terms of race pace,” said Sete. “Obviously I would have preferred to start on the front row, but I wouldn’t swap that for the progress I’ve made. We’ll keep working in the warm-up tomorrow to see if we can improve the pace even further and have a good race.”

Barros said, “We all seem to have grip problems here – normally this is not an issue at Sepang but this weekend is terrible. The race will be very tough and it’ll be really hard on tyres towards the end of the race. I just want to make a good start and keep out of trouble and fight for the win.”

Tamada is in typically positive mood here. “I’ve tested a lot on this track, and our settings have changed slightly since the winter tests here. But thanks to a consolidated base setting we could go quickly almost immediately. The tyres have also improved a lot. The heat doesn’t bother me, in fact it feels a bit chilly here,” he quipped.

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) qualified sixth. “This was a whole lot better than yesterday,” said the American. “The conditions are so different than they were back in the February tests. We just need another big step tomorrow because it’s so close out there. I’m pretty excited about the race.”

Max is not at ease here in seventh, 0.6 seconds off pole. “This isn’t a new track,” he said. “I always have a good feeling here and instead of that we’re unable to get close to the top times. The problems are the same, chatter on the brakes and too sharp a power delivery. But we have another chance tomorrow to show how good the bike is and we never stop trying.”

Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) is less than delighted with his 12th place on the grid. “The bike has improved form yesterday,” he said. “But not enough to move me much further forward on the grid. We’ll need to find something in the warm-up to allow me to run at a more consistent pace. And it’ll be tough starting from the fourth row.”

In the 250cc class it was Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) who retained pole from his provisional efforts yesterday when light spots of rain fell throughout most of today’s final hour-long session. Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) qualified in second place with Randy de Puniet and Alex de Angelis (both Aprilia) in third and fourth.

Dani suspected his efforts yesterday would not be in vain as the weather here has proved unsettled in the run-up to tomorrow’s 20-lap race. As it turned out, the canny Spanish star is now well placed to be in contention for at least a podium finish as he bids to wrap up the World Championship here.

If Dani wins and his main rival Porto finishes lower than second, the 19-year old from Barcelona will win his second title in consecutive years after his 125cc success last season.

Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) qualified fifth and starts from the second row with Dani’s team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) alongside him in sixth. Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) qualified tenth.

“Tomorrow’s race may be hard to deal with,” said Dani. “Today the weather stoppe