Final MotoGP Qualifying Results: 1. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:59.710 2. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:59.873 3. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:00.480 4. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:00.666 5. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 2:00.747 6. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 2:00.821 7. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 2:00.902 8. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, 2:01.081 9. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 2:01.085 10. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:01.098 11. Alex BARROS, Honda, 2:01.117 12. Troy BAYLISS, Honda, 2:01.328 13. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 2:01.401 14. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:01.502 15. Olivier JACQUE, Kawasaki, 2:02.072 16. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 2:02.869 17. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 2:03.886 18. Tohru UKAWA, Moriwaki, 2:04.223 19. Jurgen vd GOORBERGH, Honda, 2:04.594 20. Franco BATTAINI, Blata WCM, 2:05.468 21. James ELLISON, Blata WCM, 2:06.496 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: NAKANO TO START TENTH IN SHANGHAI RACE Shinya Nakano will start his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR from tenth place, on the fourth row of the grid in tomorrow’s history-making Chinese Grand Prix. The always competitive Japanese ace was frustrated by a couple of small mistakes on his qualifying lap, but is confident of his pace for the 22-lap race. French rider, Olivier Jacque, continues his impressive debut with the Kawasaki factory team and today qualified 15th, despite having his first experience of the latest soft compound Bridgestone qualifying tyres. Jacque is racing here and in his home race, the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in two weeks, as a replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann. While admitting he felt the pressure of the new, single-session MotoGP qualifying format, after a long absence from the series, Jacque delivered a fast and consistent performance. The 31-year-old Frenchman was briefly as high as 12th while, with four minutes remaining, Nakano surged to sixth before slipping to tenth in a late flurry of fast times. Nakano is just one of five riders using Bridgestone tyres to qualify in the top ten. Kawasaki engineers will assess the data collected over the past two days of practice and qualifying to improve the engine brake settings on the new ZX-RR motor. Technical Director, Ichiro Yoda, says that more time is required to fully understand its character, especially at new circuits like the 5.4 km Shanghai track, which features three first gear corners. Conditions were warm but humid and overcast for qualifying, with threatened rain holding off for a session that saw lap times drop dramatically from Friday’s free practice. Similar conditions are forecast for tomorrow’s first-ever MotoGP event to be staged in China at the Shanghai circuit. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Tenth – (2’01.098) “The fourth row of the grid is not the best position for the race. I made a couple of mistakes on my qualifying lap; I braked too hard at the end of the straight and then lost the rear-end with some slides in the hairpin. But I have collected a lot of tyre data, so I hope it is hot and dry for the race, because I think I have a good tyre option from Bridgestone. On the bike we need to adjust the engine brake settings, I’m not comfortable with it at the moment. The track is okay, it is tight in parts but I’m getting used to it.” Olivier Jacque: #19 – Fifteenth – (2’02.072) “It was a big surprise for me to experience the incredible grip levels and performance of the latest soft qualifying tyres, which have improved dramatically since the last time I raced in Grand Prix. Getting the best from a qualifier is all about confidence, so I was under a lot of pressure in this session. I don’t think I got the maximum from the soft tyre, but I’m happy with the chassis balance and engine for the race. With three first gear, and some long, slow corners this is not a very fluid track for MotoGP bikes; it is not easy to get a lot a pleasure from this layout.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director “We need more time, especially to find the correct engine brake settings. In some corners the braking force is too strong, but we have only had this new engine for three months and we are still trying to understand all the data. For the race it seems we now have a very good tyre option, both front and rear, from Bridgestone, so I’m not so worried about that.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Gibernau sets first ever MotoGP pole in Shanghai Sete Gibernau took a historic pole position for Honda at the inaugural Taobao.com Grand Prix of China on Saturday afternoon. Despite tremendous pressure from factory rivals including Ducati’s Loris Capirossi and Suzuki youngster John Hopkins, Gibernau and his team-mate Marco Melandri posted a series of fast laps at the end of the qualifying session to seal the top two places on the starting grid. “It’s good to see that we’re competitive at yet another track and particularly here, where we arrived without any previous data to work from,” reflected Gibernau at the end of the session. “I think it’s a difficult circuit but once again we’ve been at the maximum level. We’re doing a great job, which hasn’t been reflected in the race results yet, but I know that everything will be back to normal soon and we will be rewarded for our efforts.” Whilst second place for Melandri represents his best ever qualifying position and continues an excellent start to his first season with Honda, third place for Capirossi was enough to secure his first front row start since last October. Meanwhile, Hopkins narrowly missed out on the front row after being held up on a fast lap at the very end of the session but secured Suzuki’s highest grid position of the year so far in fourth. Hopkins is joined on the second row by Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi, who qualified over a second adrift of pole position for the first time since Donington Park in 2001 a race he went on to win. Carlos Checa slid to seventh place and a third row start after leading the session in the early stages, the Ducati rider clocking his fastest time on only his seventh lap but failing to improve in twelve further attempts. The surprise of the session was Yamaha rookie Toni ElÃas, who set the eighth fastest time in just his third MotoGP qualifying session. The Spanish youngster also starts on the third row, just ahead of Kenny Roberts on the Suzuki. Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano completed the top ten ahead of Alex Barros, who currently lies second in the championship after winning the last round in Portugal. Meanwhile Nakano’s team-mate Olivier Jacque enjoyed an impressive return to MotoGP riding as a replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann, qualifying in fifteenth place. Casey Stoner became the first Australian rider to set pole position in the 250cc class since 1979 as he continued his early run of form on the Aprilia. Stoner lies fifth in the championship after crashing out of the opening round and taking victory in the second but will start from the front of the grid tomorrow ahead of Honda trio Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo. Mika Kallio will defend his early championship lead from pole position for the second successive race after setting the fastest time in the 125cc class. The Finnish rider is joined on the front row by Marco Simoncelli, Gabor Talmacsi and Thomas Lüthi. More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: GAULOISES YAMAHA RIDERS GETTING TO GRIPS WITH SHANGHAI Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards continued with the difficult task of adapting their YZR-M1 machines to the Shanghai International Circuit on just the second day of MotoGP action in China today. After brief rain showers interrupted proceedings yesterday, cracks of sunshine broke through the hazy clouds this afternoon and gave the riders crucial time to find a suitable setting for the dry conditions. Whilst Rossi will be looking to run with the lead group from the second row of the grid after setting the sixth fastest time of 2’00.821, Edwards faces another charge through the pack after again suffering from the run of bad luck that has dogged his otherwise encouraging start to the season. The American was unable to make the most of his qualifying tyre today and actually set his best lap of 2’01.401 on a race tyre, confirming his excellent consistency and pace but limiting him to a fifth row start in thirteenth place. Sete Gibernau (Honda) set pole position with a time of 1’59.710 and the Spaniard will be joined on the front row by Italian pair Marco Melandri (Honda) and Loris Capirossi (Ducati) in what promises to be another close and exciting race, with the top fourteen riders on the grid all qualifying within 1.8 seconds of pole. VALENTINO ROSSI, 6th (2’00.821, 20 laps) “We tried a lot of things yesterday and today with the set-up but I’m still having problems, mostly because of a lack of front feeling. This is causing the tyres to not work properly, more on the right than the left. We made slight alterations to the forks today and we have some more things to try in the warm-up tomorrow. After the session I had a long briefing with my crew to decide where we can make any improvements. Unfortunately it wasn’t possible to start from the front row and I’m only in sixth position, which is not ideal. If all is okay tomorrow, including the work we do tomorrow morning, I might be able to finish on the podium. It’s going to be a really difficult race because it’s such a demanding circuit – I think it’s going to test the riders and the bikes to the maximum.” COLIN EDWARDS, 13th (2’01.401, 21 laps) “It’s the first time we’ve ridden at this circuit and after a wet day yesterday we just did everything we could today to improve the general set-up of the bike. I finally found a setting I liked but we were unable to use the qualifying tyre on it and I actually set my fastest lap on a race tyre. It is encouraging because I know I have a good race pace but the problem is that I’m starting from the fifth row and it won’t be at all easy to make my way through the pack, especially at such a tight circuit. Because we’ve had so little dry time we haven’t been able to run endurance tests on the tyres, so I think there is a big question mark for everybody about what is going to happen in the second half of the race. I guess I’ll just have to lose a few friends on the opening couple of laps, get as close to the front as I can and take it from there.” DAVIDE BRIVIO TEAM DIRECTOR “Today wasn’t an easy day for either of our riders, but I think both Valentino and Colin have the pace to run at the front of the pack. It is going to be tough for Colin to start from so far back but his lap times show that he has the potential to get a good result if it stays dry. Of course, there is a good chance it could rain and in those circumstances nobody knows what will happen. We still have a few doubts about the setting of the bike but we have 20 minutes in the warm-up tomorrow and we have to use that time carefully.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Hopkins secures season’s best start for Team SUZUKI MotoGP Team SUZUKI MotoGP racer John Hopkins qualified in a fantastic fourth place for the Taobao Grand Prix of China tomorrow. Hopkins (2’00.666) recorded his fastest lap towards the end of this afternoon’s Qualifying Practice at a hot and humid – but dry – Shanghai International Circuit. His quickest lap-time was less than a second behind pole-setter Sete Gibernau on a Honda. Hopkins said: “I’m quite pleased with my position. It’s a shame I didn’t get on the front row because I know that was achievable. “Fortunately it was dry this afternoon, but unfortunately it was the only clean session we had with plenty of grip. We needed more time to practice and get the set-up right and run more race tyres. We only had half a session on Bridgestone race rubber and like all the other riders we spent most of this afternoon on qualifiers. I’m almost sure of what tyres I will use in the race though and that is a positive thing. “In my mind, if I can keep my Suzuki GSV-R and the Bridgestone tyres up the front from the start, I’ll be doing all I can to stay there. It’s now just a question of what the weather will do, I would prefer it dry but if it’s wet I want it full wet and not half and half like yesterday.” Kenny Roberts Jr (2’01.086) will start from the third row tomorrow following his best qualifying session of the season so far. Roberts Jr produced his quickest time on the second lap of a qualifying tyre that is only designed to do one lap. He said: “I took it tentatively on the first lap on the tyre because I didn’t have such a confident feeling, but I managed to do my fast time on the second lap. “Today was a strange day again, it was semi-wet this morning and the only dry session we had was the qualifying in the afternoon. Either way I feel fine but I think I would prefer it wet for the race because of the characteristics of the circuit and where the Suzuki GSV-R is at the moment. “That said we will try as hard as we can, third row is a happy medium – it’s not too far back from the front – and I will try to get into a groove over the first couple of laps and see how things go from there.” Hopkins’ Chief Technician Stuart Shenton was pleased with the Anglo-American’s performance. He said: “It was a good effort by John and it was a shame that another rider got in the way on his out lap as I’m sure it would have been even better. “We now have a good choice of Bridgestone tyres for race day, but we have too wait and see what the weather does. “John and I are happy with the set-up for the bike and we will also now look at the data we have collected from today’s session to see if we can make anymore improvements for the race.” Team SUZUKI MotoGP will be racing in round three of the MotoGP World Championship – the first ever Grand Prix of China – tomorrow at 15.00hrs (local time) 09.00 (CET) from the futuristic and spectacular Shanghai International Circuit. More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: SETE TAKES FIRST POLE OF THE SEASON IN SHANGHAI Marco Melandri also on the front row after a sensational qualifying session for Movistar Honda GP OF CHINA – MOTOGP OFFICIAL QUALIFYING Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri will start the inaugural Grand Prix of China from the front of the MotoGP grid tomorrow morning, with the action getting underway at 9am CET. Sete and Marco were seperated by just a tenth of a second as they took pole position and second place respectively, dominating the closing stages of the session and becoming the only men to lap inside 1’59″ at a track which the riders saw for the first time this weekend. Sete Gibernau stopped the clock at 1’59″710, knocking almost three seconds off his time in yesterday morning’s dry first free practice session. His impressive improvement was enough for pole position, his first of the season, and he will now look to win the first ever race to be held at Shanghai, as he did at Qatar last season. Marco Melandri’s performances are improving with each Grand Prix that goes by, the Italian returning to the front row of the g! rid today and confident of challenging for the podium as he did in the opening round of the season at Jerez. SETE GIBERNAU (1st, 1’59″710): “It’s good to see that we’re competitive at yet another track and particularly here, where we arrived without any previous data to work from. I think it’s a difficult circuit but once again we’ve been at the maximum level. In the end we managed to improve the set-up of the bike quite a lot and, without doubt, that is thanks to the hard work being put in by my team, together with Honda and Michelin. We’re doing a great job, which hasn’t been reflected in the race results yet, but I know that everything will be back to normal soon and we will be rewarded for our efforts.” MARCO MELANDRI (2nd, 1’59″873): “I’ve enjoyed myself at this circuit ever since we rode it for the first time on Friday morning. It’s a really different type of track but we ! had a good setting straight away and we’ve just worked to improve on that, eventually setting the second fastest time today, which is fantastic. I’m back on the front row and I’m going out to win tomorrow, even though I know it will be difficult because a lot will depend on the weather. It was a good battle with my team-mate Sete at the end of the session.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: Changeable weather affects MotoGP qualifying The rain, or rather the lack of, rendered the MotoGP official practice a real lottery, as both Alex Barros and Troy Bayliss will be forced to get a good start in tomorrow’s race in order to make the most of the good rhythm they have found over the two practice days. Around half an hour into the session the first drops of rain began to drop onto the track, and the marshals brought out the white flag with a red cross on to signal a damp surface. Several riders, the Camel Honda duo included, decided to make the most of the qualifying tyres straight away in order to cleverly avoid being caught out. However this weekend’s inclement weather had the last laugh as the sun decided to make an appearance, favouring those who were able to make the most of their soft set of tyres at the end of the session when the track was drier, warmer and subsequently quicker. Sito Pons Camel Honda “I think the race will be really unpredictable tomorrow because nothing has been certain this weekend, no-one has been obviously quicker and at a higher pace. Our riders clearly need a good start tomorrow whether it is a dry race or not because they have the pace to do a good race, but I think that the most important thing is to think about the championship and try to keep our position in it or even improve it if possible.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 2’01.117 11th fastest “The weather has been really changeable all weekend and even today it began to rain halfway through the session. So I put on the first of my soft tyres and then the second straight after, and I improved half a second, but obviously not enough to beat those who used them at the end. It’s a bit annoying after the weekend we’ve had, because by the end of the session I was riding as quick with the race tyres as with the qualifiers. I’m now on the fourth row when I could have been in fifth or sixth place for sure. However with the weather so unstable as this it’s not easy to work. If it is dry tomorrow I should be able to ride in the low 2’01s or even less, but choosing the race tyre won’t be easy because we have tried a few things but nothing has been able to make the endurance. If it rains meanwhile, it will be much easier because you know what tyres you will use, and that’s that.” Troy Bayliss Camel Honda 2’01.328 12th fastest “We could have gone a little better than we did, but the conditions were so variable all weekend. I’ve no idea what it will be like tomorrow, perhaps we can decide in the warm-up and try a few things, but we have to wait and see, the race could be wet or dry, you just can’t say. I will be hoping to have a good race though, and will try to get the best result out of this as possible.” More, from a press release Honda Racing Information: GIBERNAU AND MELANDRI ON TOP FORM IN CHINA Team Movistar Honda riders Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri put their Honda RC211Vs on pole and second place on the grid for tomorrow’s inaugural MotoGP race here in Shanghai. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) will start from third, completing the front row, after qualifying today. With weather conditions unpredictable and spots of rain falling in the first half of the hour-long session, it was important for riders to make the most of what could have been valuable dry early track time. As it turned out, the rain held off in the final half-hour. Carlos Checa (Ducati) had been fastest in the three free practice sessions and another surprise showing came from Suzuki rider John Hopkins, an eventual fourth fastest. But the biggest upset of the day was Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) who could manage no better than 14th fastest on row five. With rain forecast for tomorrow’s race, and the entry to the tight turn one promising to be tricky, grid position here is vital to success and reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) starts from the second row of the grid from sixth. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) rode a strong session to capture fifth fastest time and a second row start after running as high as third fastest at the mid-point of the hour. But the American is just over one second shy of Gibernau’s pole time of 1m 59.710 seconds. Sete and Marco are the only riders to go under the 2 minute barrier here so far, Melandri’s time being a mere 0.163 seconds slower than his team-mate’s. Both riders clocked a staggering 338km/h (210mph) on the 1202m main straight at this 5.281km long circuit. Capirossi held pole with two minutes to go after stealing top spot off Gibernau, and it looked as if the Italian rider could hang onto it until the most consistent qualifiers of the season so far; Gibernau and Melandri made the most of their Honda RC211V’s poise and power. As track temperature rose slightly under a shining sun during the final 15 minutes the Team Movistar men got the best from their set-up and Michelin qualifying tyres to put the rest of the grid in the shade with a crushing display of superiority. “This is very encouraging,” said Sete. “The team is working well here, and we’ve been competitive at every track so far this season. We took a big step forward here on a tricky track and the team has been brilliant. We need more points tomorrow but I think we’re working well enough to deserve them.” His team-mate Marco said, “I’ve enjoyed riding here from the beginning it’s very different. The bike settings are good although the weather has been tricky. It’s good to be on the front row as second fastest and I’ll be going for a win although I haven’t looked too closely yet at how the other riders’ race rhythms are for Sunday.” Nicky in fifth said, “This definitely hasn’t been easy. The weather has made things difficult. In qualifying it was spitting with rain and then the sun came out. The track surface is changing so much and there are so many tyre options that I’m not fully sorted yet. The biggest problem is the front-end of the bike.” Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) only qualified 11th after his victory two weeks in Portugal and said, “The weather has been really changeable all weekend and it’s not easy to work. If it’s dry tomorrow I should be in the low 2m 01 seconds area, or even lower. But choosing a race tyre won’t be easy.” Alex’s team-mate Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V) lines up next to him in 12th. “We could have gone a little better than we did,” he said. “But the conditions were so variable weekend. The race could be wet or dry, you just can’t say. But I’ll be hoping to put together the best race possible whatever the conditions.” Max knows he’s in trouble here and said, “How can I explain 14th on the grid and 1.7 seconds off pole? Cornering is more important at this track than anywhere else and my trouble is in the turns just like at Jerez. I have to close the throttle tem metres early into the turns and ten metres too late on the exits. I’m losing a tenth of a second in each corner.” Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh, standing in for the injured Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V), qualified 19th and said, “I’ve been trying to get the best from this amazing motorcycle but the weather has not helped. The aim was to get as many laps in as possible, although I could have used my Michelin qualifying tyres better.” In the 250cc class Casey Stoner (Aprilia) secured his first pole in the division with a late lap of 2m 06.196 seconds to deny Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) a second pole of the season. Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) qualified third with Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) fourth. It looked highly likely that the front row would be an all-Honda affair until Stoner’s final efforts yielded him the pole, but he will have his work cut out tomorrow trying to keep his Aprilia ahead of massed Honda riders who will be aiming to deprive the Australian of his second victory of the season. Dani was the only rider to broach the 2m 7 second barrier until the final 15 minutes of the session and at one stage he was a 0.6 seconds faster than Stoner. But Pedrosa is only 0.018 seconds slower than his Aussie rival and knows he is in for a fight on Sunday. “We’ll have to see what the weather brings,” said Dani. “I hope it’s dry but whatever happens, the set-up will change a little bit and we might have to even go for a compromise if the weather is too hard to predict.” “I think the race will split into a lead group tomorrow, judging from the times,” said Dovizioso. “We all hope for good weather, but what happens will happen. My set-up is good here at a track we’ve never seem before, so we’ll see how the race unfolds.” Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) qualified fifth on row two, with Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) next to him in sixth. Yuki Takahashi (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) qualified tenth fastest. Mika Kallio (KTM) proved the man to beat in 125cc qualifying. The Finn got the measure of the track today after being only ninth fastest after yesterday’s timed session. Marco Simoncelli (Aprilia) qualified second, Gabor Talmacsi (KTM) third and Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) fourth. The track was still damp as 125cc qualifying began and water had pooled in the depressions in the kerb conditions were not easy. But the top 13 riders only took ten minutes to go faster than Friday. Fabrizio Lai (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125RW) and Luthi looked strong until Talmacsi squeezed them down the grid. With ten minutes to go the front row was covered by just under half a second until Kallio stormed to his 2m 13.535 second pole lap. The front row is covered by 0.8 seconds, suggesting that the race might feature a breakaway by one of the faster riders. Luthi could be the man, as his race set-up is strong. “That’s three front rows in three races,” said Luthi. “The long turn one is a problem because you’re on the edge of the tyre for so long so you need the set-up to be absolutely perfect there. We’ve got it right now and the engine is really strong so I’m optimistic.” Lai, who will start the race from sixth place on row two said, “We went out with wet settings from yesterday and then adapted to suit the conditions. We’ll need to check again in warm-up tomorrow because it looks like things might change again.” Both Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) and Toshihisa Kuzuhara (Angaia Racing Honda RS125R) qualified in the top ten in eight and ninth places, while Alvaro Bautista (Seedorf Racing Honda RS125RW) managed 13th on row four. Honda riders quotes: MotoGP: Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda MotoGP: 1st: “It’s good to see that we’re competitive at yet another track and particularly here, where we arrived without any previous data to work from. I think it’s a difficult circuit but once again we’ve been at the maximum level. In the end we managed to improve the set-up of the bike quite a lot and, without doubt, that is thanks to the hard work being put in by my team, together with Honda and Michelin. We’re doing a great job, which hasn’t been reflected in the race results yet, but I know that everything will be back to normal soon and we will be rewarded for our efforts.” Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda MotoGP: 2nd: “I’ve enjoyed myself at this circuit ever since we rode it for the first time on Friday morning. It’s a really different type of track but we ! had a good setting straight away and we’ve just worked to improve on that, eventually setting the second fastest time today, which is fantastic. I’m back on the front row and I’m going out to win tomorrow, even though I know it will be difficult because a lot will depend on the weather. It was a good battle with my team-mate Sete at the end of the session.” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: 5th: “It definitely hasn’t been easy here. The weather has made things difficult even in the qualifying session it was spitting with rain sometimes and then the sun comes out. The track surface has been changing so much. We’ve had a lot of Michelin tyre options and we’re not fully sorted yet. My biggest problem is the front and getting it to hold the line. We’re not in a bad position on the grid although I was hoping for a front row. I didn’t get as much as I wanted from my qualifiers or as I should have. Anyhow, I look forward to race day. It’s my favourite part of the weekend. It’s where the fun’s at.” Alex Barros, Camel Honda: 11th: “The weather has been really changeable all weekend and even today it began to rain halfway through the session. So I put on the first of my soft tyres and then the second straight after, and I improved half a second, but obviously not enough to beat those who used them at the end. It’s a bit annoying after the weekend we’ve had, because by the end of the session I was riding as quick with the race tyres as with the qualifiers. I’m now on the fourth row when I could have been in fifth or sixth place for sure. However with the weather so unstable as this it’s not easy to work. If it is dry tomorrow I should be able to ride in the low 2’01s or even less, but choosing the race tyre won’t be easy because we have tried a few things but nothing has been able to make the endurance. If it rains meanwhile, it will be much easier because you know what tyres you will use, and that’s that.” Troy Bayliss, Camel Honda, 12th: “We could have gone a little better than we did, but the conditions were so variable all weekend. I’ve no idea what it will be like tomorrow, perhaps we can decide in the warm-up and try a few things, but we have to wait and see, the race could be wet or dry, you just can’t say. I will be hoping to have a good race though, and will try to get the best result out of this as possible.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team: 14th: “Fourteenth on the grid, with more than 1.7 seconds gap from the pole: how to explain my performance today especially after last race’s third place? In this circuit cornering is much more important than everywhere else and it’s exactly in the turns that my bike shows its biggest problems. It’s the same condition I had to face in Jerez. I must close the throttle ten meters before entering the turn and open it ten meters after going out. I’m losing more than one tenth in each corner: if you multiply it by the 14 turns of the track the count is right. It must be evident that the top speed doesn’t count when you have to corner and here we spend 80 % of the time banking over. It seems that the bike that made me struggle in Spain comes back here in China, surprisingly after the good race I did in Estoril. There I got the podium, a few meters from Rossi, so no one can tell that I forgot how to ride. The situation is very heavy. I must start once again from the back of the grid, with no chance to fight for the positions I deserve.” Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Konica Minolta Honda: 19th: “Today I have surely got to know much better the Honda RC211V, but the weather conditions of these two days didn’t allow me to develop the incredible potential of this bike. In the last few minutes of the qualifying session I could have used much better the qualitative tyres that Michelin has given us, but today’s objective was to cover as many laps as possible. It’s clear that a rider always aim the highest positions, but with the Team we decided to don’t concentrate to conquer a top position on the starting grid, as today it couldn’t be possible. The work done allowed us to have at my disposal a comfortable bike which will consent me to fight to conquer some championship points. I want to thank the Konica Minolta Honda Team for the work they are doing for me. I really appreciate them because they have a true professional way to work and are great persons. I never expected such a gift.” 250cc: Dani Pedrosa, Movistar Honda 250cc: 2nd: “Today was much better than yesterday because the track conditions improved and it made a big difference. Two dry sessions allowed us to improve certain parts of the bike and now we just need to choose the tyre. I hope the race takes place in the same conditions tomorrow because if it rains it will be a lottery. Pole position was not our objective but it is important to be on the front row because the first section of the track is quite tricky, a bit narrow, and it will be important to get a good start and stay out of trouble.” Andrea Dovizioso, Team Scot Honda: 3rd: “Two tenths from the pole position is a good result. Now I’m not worried for tomorrow because I feel to have good chances even if the weather conditions will have a great influence on the race. The bike and also the cyclistic are ok, of course the choice of tyre will depend on the weather. I hope in a dry race but also on wet I’m ok. Pedrosa is the best rider to beat but, race by race, I feel stronger and ready to face him! “. Jorge Lorenzo, Fortuna Honda, 4th: “I was not down, but I realise that I lack confidence in myself. Each time I get closer to the leaders it grows and confidence in this sport is very important. My riding style has changed, I am not riding as I did in 125 and I try to save the tyres as much as possible. The team understand me more all the time, but they are not completely sure of me yet. I must keep on working, I’ve improved my starts and I hope to show that tomorrow.” Hiroshi Aoyama, Movistar Honda: 5th: “I missed out on a front row start right at the end of the session because two riders got in my way when I was on a fast lap. Despite that I’m looking forward to the race fifth place is a good starting position and even though this is a strange circuit my feeling has improved in every session. I think that Dani will get away and it will be difficult to follow his pace, but I will give my maximum to make the most of the opportunity we have here.” Hector Barbera, Fortuna Honda: 6th: “I went better today than yesterday but I’m still some way behind pole. I’ll start from the second row, but I was more than second behind pole. We are heading in the right direction although I was a position better off in Portugal. I hope to have a good race, though, and my rhythm is good. We need to do some more work on the tyres but we are not in bad shape.” Yuki Takahashi, Team Scot Honda: 10th: “Today I have finally found the right setting after many solutions adopted in this two days of practice. I feel ok on dry and wet conditions but I prefer a dry race. I would like to improve my performance race by race. I’m learning the Le Mans track on computer! ” Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR: 14th: “I’m very happy with qualifying. I like the circuit its difficult and very technical. Yesterday I was faster, I was in seventh place, but today I had a front tyre problem. The track is very difficult in the wet dry conditions the characteristics can change in 10 minutes. The bike is good, my engine is strong and the set up is much better. I am confident that I will have a good race.” Dirk Heidorf, Kiefer Bos Castrol Honda: 18th: “Qualifying was not so bad the set up was good we just had to work a little on suspension. I came into the box to change tyres and found a good group to run with but Lorenzo was at the front but when he saw us behind he closed the throttle. But I ran the last lap alone and ended up 18th. I hope to get a good start and have a good race. “ Radomil Rous, Wurth Honda BQR: 20th: “This morning I had a crash in the long fast corner, I just lost the front end but I’m OK. But still I improved my time by three-seconds. The track is very technical but I’m sure I will improve more in the race because my engine is strong and the handling is not so bad, even in the long corner.” Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda: 19th: “We made some changes to the suspension settings for the qualifying session. At first it was not too bad but when I got faster I could feel it needed to be better. We tried a harder rear but we will go back to a setting we had on the front yesterday ready for the warm up and see if the bike feels better for me.” 125cc: Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 4th: “Everything is working really wel. This is my third front row start in three races so I have to be happy. When qualifying started on Friday it was difficult to find a good set up fpr the long corner after the start finish straight you are riding for so long on the edge of the tyre it’s difficult to stop the bike moving around. But the team worked well, brought me in to the pit to change tyres and a little on the set up and that has improved the feeling through that section so and I’m sure I will be OK for the race.” Fabrizio Lai, Kopron racing World Honda: 6th: “The setting of the bike was perfect for a wet track but we had some problems getting the rear end to stick in the dry. Now we have a short time to find a new setting, and more over on a new and complex track like this one.” Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport: 8th: “I’m happy with the second row. We had wet and dry practice and in the qualifying session it was dry so changed the gearbox to put in a shorter second gear and we improved. Tomorrow I hope to get a good start and run with the top group. This track is new for all rides so I think I will have a good race tomorrow.” Toshihisa Kuzuhara, Angaia Racing Honda: 9th: “After the wet practice yesterday we changed the set up to find a better balance for the bike and we have found the right direction. We still have some small problems but we will work on them tonight in time for the warm up.” Mike Di Meglio, Kopron racing World Honda: 12th: “Like Fabrizio (Lai) I have some rear-end grip problems but today I had a better feeling with the track and improved my time. Now we have to better the setting for the race, even though I am quite satisfied with the solutions we found today.” Alvaro Bautista, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 13th: “This is the second qualifying session in the dry and the feeling with the bike is much better than yesterday. We had some front-end chatter at some corners and a problem with the front tyre in the fast corner. We know what we have to do to improve the handling by front fork adjustments and a different tyre in time for the warm up tomorrow morning.” Aleix Espargaro, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 16th: “Yesterday I was third fastest but that was not real because it was wet. Now I am in a more normal position. The front tyre is a little worry but I am very optimistic because the bike is very fast.” Alexis Masbou, Ajo Motorsport: 19th: “Not so bad we had some setting problems in the morning but the bike was better in qualifying. The track is very technical and it’s hard on tyres. Towards the end of the qualifying session I had a clash with Espargaro coming off a corner but no problem.” Sandro Cortese, Kiefer Bos Castrol Honda: 18th: “The bike is good in the conditions the only real problem I had today was in the long fast corner. It is s struggle in the lower gears, the bike is on it’s side for too long. Still I’m happy with my qualifying in the circumstances.” Raymond Schouten, Molenaar Honda: 32nd.: “At the beginning of the session I felt good on the bike but the setting was not the best so I came in and changed the suspension a little to make it stiffer but we had gone in the wrong direction. There was not much time left so I tried for a fast lap but got caught up with other riders and didn’t get a good time. We know what we have to do on set up for the morning warm up so I’m not worried.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON FRONT ROW AGAIN Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa will start tomorrow’s Chinese Grand Prix, the first-ever motorcycle GP to be staged in the People’s Republic of China, from the first and third rows of the grid. Both men played starring roles in the battle for pole position during this afternoon’s entertaining qualifying session, proving once again that the Ducati Marlboro Team is back. The past two days have been a challenging time for the squad, with rain affecting two of the four practice sessions at this spectacular new circuit, which features MotoGP’s longest straight. “This is the second race in a row that we’ve had one of our riders starting from the front row, so it’s been another very positive day for us,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “Last time it was Carlos, this time it’s Loris, but what’s most important is that both riders are happy with their race set-up and their Bridgestone race tyres. We were praying for a dry qualifying session today, and our prayers were answered, so we’re hoping for the same tomorrow!” CAPIROSSI STARS IN THE BATTLE FOR POLE POSITION Loris Capirossi turned in a stunning qualifying lap in the closing stages of this afternoon’s qualifying session to hold pole position until the final moments when he slipped to third. That was still good enough to give the Ducati Marlboro Team man an all-important front-row start for tomorrow’s race. “I’m really happy with that, though I know the race will be more difficult,” said the gritty little Italian. “The ankle I cracked at Jerez wasn’t a problem today, so I hope it doesn’t cause me any serious trouble over full-race distance. This track is pretty difficult, especially the really slow first section, but the bike’s going well, it seems to like the place. I tried three different race tyres and there’s one that seems really good. I’m expecting a nice fight because there’s a few riders really close on lap times.” CHECA: ‘I’VE NEVER BEEN SO FAST, EXCEPT IN A PLANE!’ After dominating this morning’s free practice, Carlos Checa led the first half of the session but slipped down the order as he focused successfully on choosing the best race tyres for tomorrow’s race, round three of the 2005 MotoGP series. With a light drizzle falling on some parts of the track in the early stages of the session, the Ducati Marlboro Team man went out with his first qualifying tyre after a few laps to set a lightning-fast pace. He ended up seventh, just 0.081 seconds off row two. “We fitted a qualifier early, in case it rained some more,” explained the Spaniard. “After that we focused on trying different things for the race. Then when I did fit another qualifier near the end, I lost the rear then spoiled another lap but I ran into some traffic. I know I can run a good pace, so we just need to get a good start. I feel comfortable on the bike and it’s nice to know I’ve got the fastest bike on the track. I’ve never been as fast as I was today, except in a plane! Braking into the hairpin at the end of the main straight is amazing – from 343kmh to 55kmh in 350 metres!” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: The Fortuna Yamaha riders Toni Elias and Ruben Xaus ended the second qualifying session with divergent fortunes. On the one hand Elias continued his progression in the class with a superb performance throughout the day which saw him take eighth place on the grid. His team-mate Ruben Xaus, after various technical problems, had to settle for 16th position. Toni Elias 8th – 2.01.081, 1.371 behind pole “I am very satisfied. This Yamaha is very demanding but I am getting more comfortable on it all the time. I remember that in one of my years in 250 I won six races, but that bike had many problems and I had to work very hard, but this Yamaha is in no way inferior. I believe in Estoril things were made more difficult by my falls, but here things have gone much better and we are getting closer all the time. However, everyone is so close here and so good that you could just as easily finish 8th as 14th.” Ruben Xaus 16th, 2.02.869, 3.159 behind pole “I have had better days, but I’m not downhearted. I am giving 100 percent and things are proving more difficult than I expected. I am not comfortable and am having to do a lot of work on the bike to keep up. I am not looking for excuses because there are none, but we are looking at different options to find the jump in quality that we need. They are only small things, but are important if we are to improve above all in coming out of corners.” Antonio Jimenez (Chief mechanic for Toni Elias) “When it was dry in the morning we clocked the sixth best time and the bike was working perfectly for Toni. In the afternoon we continued to work hard in difficult conditions and our strategy paid off which allowed Toni to make the difference. He is learning very quickly and the results are coming. However, this was only a qualifying session, we’ll have to see how the race goes tomorrow.”
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