Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

First Qualifying Session
Friday, April 25
Welkom, South Africa

1. Valentino Rossi, Italy, Honda, 1:33.442
2. Loris Capirossi, Italy, Ducati, 1:33.586
3. Sete Gibernau, Spain, Honda, 1:33.961
4. Troy Bayliss, Australia, Ducati, 1:34.322
5. Tohru Ukawa, Japan, Honda, 1:34.334
6. Max Biaggi, Italy, Honda, 1:34.364
7. Colin Edwards, USA, Aprilia, 1:34.413
8. Alex Barros, Brazil, Yamaha, 1:34.426
9. Shinya Nakano, Japan, Yamaha, 1:34.535
10. Jeremy McWilliams, UK, Proton, 1:34.617
11. Noriyuki Haga, Japan, Aprilia, 1:34.731
12. Nicky Hayden, USA, Honda, 1:34.739
13. Carlos Checa, Spain, Yamaha, 1:34.806
14. Kenny Roberts, USA, Suzuki, 1:34.907
15. Olivier Jacque, France, Yamaha, 1:34.963
16. Nobuatsu Aoki, Japan, Proton, 1:35.061
17. John Hopkins, USA, Suzuki, 1:35.068
18. Norick Abe, Japan, Yamaha, 1:35.156
19. Makoto Tamada, Japan, Honda, 1:35.392
20. Andrew Pitt, Australia, Kawasaki, 1:36.274
21. Garry McCoy, Australia, Kawasaki, 1:36.583



More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Africa’s Grand Prix
Friday, 25 April 2003
Welkom, South Africa

FORTUNA YAMAHA RIDERS MAKE PROGRESS IN AFRICA’S GP OPENER

Day one of the African’s MotoGP, held at Welkom’s Phakisa Freeway circuit today, proved to be a challenging venture for Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Norick Abe – the latter filling in for the injured Marco Melandri. The notoriously bumpy Welkom circuit has retained some of its former character, although recently resurfaced. The combination of bumps and the dusty surface hindered the Fortuna Yamaha Team’s attempts at finding a balanced chassis set-up during this morning’s free practice session. However as the circuit conditions gradually improved so did Carlos Checa’s confidence, with the Spaniard eventually finishing the day 13th, with a best lap time of 1:34.806.

Much of the improvement was the result of a change to the base set-up, with Checa’s best placing him only 1.364 seconds off the provisional pole time, set by defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda, 1:33.442). Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 1:33.586), Sete Gibernau (Honda, 1:33.961) and Troy Bayliss (Ducati, 1:34.322) completed the front row.

Carlos Checa 13th, 1:34.806: “Overall I felt better this afternoon compared to this morning. We changed the balance and chassis set-up a little since this morning’s practice session, so it feels more like last year’s set-up. The progress we made today is good – we have a better and clearer direction, and I have already got a better lap time than last year. However I am still a step behind the others so we might need to adjust the balance again. We need to use all the materials we have to progress. The circuit feels a bit better than last year because of the new asphalt. It’s still bumpy but I quite like that and I like the racing line of this circuit.”

After spending much of the pre-season testing programme and the opening race of the 2003 season on the Yamaha Factory Testing Team prototype YZR-M1, today Abe made his debut performance on the 2003 spec YZR-M1. The likeable Japanese spent the opening day of the Welkom MotoGP weekend working on a base chassis set-up, eventually finishing 18th fastest with a lap time of 1:35.156.

Abe replaces MotoGP newcomer Marco Melandri, who fell at the Suzuka Grand Prix three weeks ago breaking his leg in three places, and has been out of action since. Melandri is making impressive progress and hopes to return to the MotoGP class soon.

Norick Abe 18th, 1:35.156: “We went step by step today. It was almost the first time on this bike for me as I was only able to ride it for about three hours at the Suzuka test after the race there due to the rain. My feeling on the bike is not too bad but I do need to get a better lap time. It’s not easy with such a small time separating the riders. For tomorrow we are going to change the front geometry slightly, and take it from there. Hopefully I will be able to improve.”

Davide Brivio (Fortuna Yamaha Team Director): “Carlos was in one of the top
positions when he came into the garage to change tyres before the last five minutes of the session. Unfortunately when he went back he only had one lap before the end and was unable to improve his time. He made some improvements compared to this morning. There are many riders that are very close in the top positions so a few tenths of a second difference makes all the difference.

“Norick had his first full day on this bike, and it’s quite different to the prototype that he tested during the winter. This circuit is quite a difficult one to start with as it’s so bumpy. He is still finding his general set-up. We will use today’s feedback from both riders to make the necessary changes, and then we will see what happens tomorrow.”

PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW

1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Repsol HONDA 1:33.442

2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) DUCATI Marlboro Team 1:33.586

3. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar HONDA 1:33.961

4. Troy Bayliss (AUS) DUCATI Marlboro Team 1:34.322

13. CARLOS CHECA SPA Fortuna YAMAHA Team 1:34.806

18. NORICK ABE JPN Fortuna YAMAHA Team 1:35.156



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

Tough luck slows Hopper

WELKOM, South Africa – A dusty track and a failing engine made for a tough first day of qualifying for John Hopkins at the South African Motorcycle Grand Prix Friday. Hopkins qualified 17th in Friday’s session after the motor on his factory Suzuki went down to three cylinders on the second-to-last corner on the final lap of qualifying. Qualifying continues Saturday.

“It’s been a tough day,” Hopkins said. “This morning I went out and tested with the Suzuka set up. This track is out in the desert and the racing surface gets really dirty. In practices I ran wide in a turn and got off line out in the dust and tucked the front end. I didn’t get a scratch on me, it was just one of those things that happen.”

Hopkins went to his back-up bike and was struggling to find speed in qualifying.

“The elevation here is something like 4500 feet so everybody is down on power,” Hopper explained. “For some reason it seems to be affecting us more than some of the other teams. I was hoping to get behind some faster bikes to get a draft. On the last lap of the session everything fell into place. I tucked in behind Sete Gibernau and Alex Barros. I had a really good lap going and then on the second-to-last turn the bike went down on three cylinders. Even with that it was by far my best lap of the day. The team figured I lost maybe three or four-tenths of a second on that last lap because of the motor going down. So even though qualifying looks bad I came really close to having a decent run.”

Now Hopkins and the Suzuki squad will focus on getting a good set-up for Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.

“Welkom is a really bumpy track so we’ll try to get it to where the bike rides smoothly,” Hopkins explained. “Tomorrow I’m hoping for the same situation where I can get a tow around to make a good qualifying run.”

Hopkins said the elevation is not bothering him. “I’ve been here for a few days and have been jogging around the track so it’s not a problem,” he said. “The weather here reminds me a lot of Southern California with the dry heat.”



More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI RIDERS UP THE PACE AT WELKOM

Welkom, South Africa – April 25, 2003

Team Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins claimed 14th and 17th places on the provisional starting grid for Sunday’s Africa’s Grand Prix, after the first of two days of qualifying, held in blazing sunshine at the high-altitude South African circuit.

Roberts was faster, cutting half-a-second off his previous best lap of the 4.242km circuit, outside the gold mining town of Welkom. Hopkins was only a tenth or so slower, after a desperate end-of-session fast lap went wrong in the last stages, spoiling a potentially better time.

Both riders were riding the all-new Mk2 version of the 990cc four-stroke V4 racing prototype GSV-R, which is still at an early stage of development at this, only the second of 16 races this season. While a clear improvement on last year’s machine, riders and team are still working on finding the right settings for chassis and suspension, while the factory race department is continuing crucial engine development in Japan.

Hopkins had a minor spill in the morning untimed session, but escaped unhurt.

The Phakisa Freeway circuit has been fully resurfaced, reducing the problems caused last year by worsening bumps, and also offering improved levels of grip, often a problem here in the past. Provisional pole position was won by defending champion Valentino Rossi.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr. – 14th Position, 1:34.907
Not a lot to say. It’s a big struggle at the moment. I feel like I’m going about a million miles an hour out there, but the lap time is not where it needs to be. We made the bike better as the day went on, and I was quite surprised to see the lap times we did get in the end, compared with the morning. It’s the same thing. You can’t ride the bike 100 percent at the moment. You can only do what it wants to do. With any type of tyre or setting it seems very similar, because the engine still controls everything. So we’re in difficult circumstances right now.

JOHN HOPKINS – 17th Position, 1:35.068
This track’s fairly dirty, and this morning I ran a bit off line. I was trying to get the bike turned when I lost the front. Nothing spectacular, and I went back out and ran some laps to work on the set-up. This afternoon I was trying some different tyres, and working with the suspension to try and improve corner entry and mid-corner speed. We succeeded a little bit, though I’m not where I want to be. At the end I put on a new tyre and managed to get together with Alex Barros and Sete Gibernau. I was really struggling … having to brake extra hard to make up time lost on the straights, but I was still on their back tyres until the second last turn, when the engine went on to three cylinders. I knew it would still be my fastest lap, so I nursed to nurse it back, and ended up where I did. I’m sure the lap would have easily been a couple of tenths better.

FRIDAY OFFICIAL QUALIFYING TIMES WELKOM, SOUTH AFRICA

1. Valentino Rossi (Honda) 1’33.442

2. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) + 0.144

3. Sete Gibernau (Honda ) + 0.519

4. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) + 0.880

5. Tohru Ukawa (Honda) + 0.892

6. Max Biaggi (Honda) + 0.922

7. Colin Edwards (Aprilia) + 0.971

8. Alex Barros (Yamaha) + 0.984

9. Shinya Nakano (Yamaha) + 1.093

10. Jeremy McWilliams (Proton KR) + 1.175

14. Kenny Roberts (Suzuki Grand Prix Team) +1.465

17. John Hopkins (Suzuki Grand Prix Team) +1.626