From a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:
ROSSI TAKES SECOND POLE OF THE SEASON; CHECA THIRD FASTEST
Slippery track conditions during this afternoon’s final qualifying session at the 4.423 km Jerez circuit ensured that none of the MotoGP challengers would improve on their opening day qualifying times. Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi relied on his first day lap time of 1:40.818 to take his second pole in as many races on the Yamaha YZR-M1, whilst his team-mate Carlos Checa secured a front row start in third. They share the revised three-rider front row of the grid with Checa’s fellow Spaniard, Sete Gibernau (Honda), second fastest.
The weather-affected session started with the track surface still seriously wet in places, drying out faster in others, with the final section of the session providing the quickest lap times. Fastest in the session, although not affecting the grid positions for Sunday’s 27-lap MotoGP race, was Kenny Roberts’ Suzuki with a time of 1:46.997, second quickest being Troy Bayliss (Ducati) 1:48.224.
Rossi’s first day brilliance on the YZR-M1 makes his pole lap the fastest ever at Jerez, a particularly impressive achievement as it came after only two one hour practice sessions. The 25-year-old Italian has an enviable record at Jerez, having won the past three premier class races at the Andalucian track.
VALENTINO ROSSI (1st, 1:40.818)
“Yesterday was fantastic and that lap was finally what gave us pole position. We did a very good lap time at the end and the bike was also not so bad with race tyres. This afternoon was a bit of a waste of time. It was raining and we were not able to make some modifications we had wanted. We were just going around and around. For tomorrow I hope, for all the riders and all the fans, it will be dry. I have great memories of this circuit, it has always been good to me; from the first test I did on the 125 to now. I always like the longer corners here. I think that Sete and Max can be very fast in the wet, also Bayliss.”
CARLOS CHECA (3rd, 1:41.427)
“Finally here I was able to get a good feeling thanks to the technicians and team. They have understood quite well what I have said and we’ve made improvements. I am able to ride the way I want to, braking and getting on the gas where I want and that has given us a front row start.”
JEREMY BURGESS, ROSSI’S CREW CHIEF
“We tested here and went fastest but it’s good to know that we got a good set-up as quickly as we did yesterday. It was a phenomenal lap time so everything worked well for us yesterday. We need to do a little bit of work if there are wet conditions. That session was neither one nor the other.”
ANTONIO JIMENEZ, CHECA’S CREW CHIEF
“All our references are from yesterday. We just went around today to use up time. The conditions changed every five minutes and we can learn very little in those conditions. We have the base from yesterday, and we can work from that. Everyone had only two hours yesterday so they will all be on the same level. We just hope for a dry race tomorrow. Then it will be an enjoyable race.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:
SUPER SHINYA TO START SIXTH IN SPAIN
Fuchs Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano will start tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix from the second row of the grid, after intermittent rain during this afternoon’s final qualifying session at Jerez meant that none of the 24 MotoGP riders were able to improve upon their best lap times from yesterday.
After torrential rain this morning, conditions looked to have improved considerably as this afternoon’s final qualifying drew near. But for those riders hoping for a dry qualifying session there was to be only disappointment. A brief rain shower shortly before the start ensured that all the riders headed out for this afternoon’s final timed session on full wet tyres.
Well aware of the fact that rain might prove a deciding factor today; Nakano went all out during yesterday’s dry qualifying session to ensure a good grid position for tomorrow’s 27-lap race. Having achieved his aim by qualifying sixth fastest in the dry, the 26-year-old Japanese rider was able to concentrate today on perfecting the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR on both full wet and cut slick tyres, eventually ending the wet session third fastest, to give himself the best possible chance for tomorrow’s race regardless of the weather conditions.
With the rain robbing him of any chance to improve upon his time from yesterday, Alex Hofmann will start tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix from 14th position and the fifth row of the grid. Like his Fuchs Kawasaki teammate, Hofmann spent the first part of this afternoon’s qualifying session refining the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR on full wet tyres, before doing the same with cut slicks as the track dried towards the end of the hour long timed period.
Shinya Nakano: 6th – 1:41.645
“Although there was no chance of improving on my time, qualifying was not so bad for me today. We got to work on setting up the bike on full wets at the start of the session, and then on cut slicks as the track dried out towards the end. I think we now have a reasonable set-up for the race, whatever the weather throws at us. I just hope it is dry tomorrow, not just for me but also for the fans, who always turn out in their thousands for this race. If it does rain, then I will just have to push as hard as I can for a good result.”
Alex Hofmann: 14th – 1:43.004
“We needed it to be dry today, so I wasn’t too happy when it started to rain just five minutes before we were due out on track, forcing us to abandon all the plans we’d made to improve the dry set-up of the bike this afternoon. But you can’t control the weather, so it was on with the full wets as we concentrated on refining the wet set-up of the bike. When a dry line started to appear towards the end of the session we tried a set of cut slicks, and these worked really well. So, although I’d have preferred to start from nearer the front of the grid, I’m confident that, whatever the weather, we will have a good set-up on the bike for tomorrow’s race.”
Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“I’m happy with the fact that Shinya has shown this weekend that his qualifying position in the opening race of the season at Welkom wasn’t just a one off, but more a reflection of just how strong the Ninja ZX-RR is after a winter of development work. I’m also pleased that our tyre situation for this race is a good one, especially if it stays dry tomorrow. Bridgestone have worked hard to increase the choice of slicks open to us and this could give Shinya the edge he needs to secure the team their first top ten finish of the season. Should it rain tomorrow, which is highly likely, then the race will be more of a lottery, but I have every confidence in the performance of the Bridgestone wet tyres and I am still hopeful of a good performance on the part of our riders. Alex was unlucky to suffer some small technical problems during the dry sessions yesterday and his 14th position on the grid does not properly reflect his potential for tomorrow’s race. I am confident that he will be able to make up places tomorrow, and that a top ten finish for him is a realistic possibility also.”
More, from a press release issued by KTM-Red Bull:
The second day of practice started and ended under a heavy rain which just stop sporadically around none time. The bad weather in 125cc class didn’t allowed any improvements in yesterday time; therefore in the official combined practice the Australian Casey Stoner ended 3rd while the Finnish Mika Kallio finished 8th .
Stoner – We didn’t really find a new setting in this conditions but I’m confident: also under the rain I am quite fast.
Kallio – We couldn’t improve our lap time with this weather but at least I will start from the second row. Let’s hope in a sunny day for tomorrow…
Bartol – Everything is fine.We are confident for the race. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do for the weather (tomorrow should rain again all day) but at least it’ s a common problem.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Racing:
Alex in confident mood
Aprilia racing rider Alex De Angelis is confident that rain or shine he will be able to make a big impact in tomorrow’s Spanish 250 GP at Jerez.
Today’s weather-hit free practice and qualifying sessions mean that the San Marino rider will start his second world 250 championship race from the second row of the grid after he set the eighth fastest time yesterday in much more favourable conditions.
Last year, de Angelis claimed a rostrum finish at Jerez, and he’s confident of repeating that feat tomorrow despite predictions of yet more rain that badly hampered today’s proceedings. In the rain today, de Angelis posted the fourth quickest time and he said: “I am confident in the dry or rain. This morning I was fourth in the wet conditions and that was the first time I’ve ridden the RSW in the rain. That has made me confident that whatever the weather I will be competitive. Last year I finished on the podium in 125s and I hope to do the same again.”
More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:
Aprilia work on updated Cube
With rain forecast for the Spanish GP, MS Aprilia Racing’s Shane Byrne and Jeremy McWilliams showed they are ready for whatever the elements throw at them after finishing fifth and sixth respectively in this afternoon’s rain-hit final qualifying session.
Both Byrne and McWilliams tried a new heavier crankshaft on the RS Cube today at Jerez for the first time which helped them post competitive times in the wet. The new crank is 70 per cent heavier than the previous version and has helped greatly improve traction for the British pairing, which was evident as adverse conditions hit southern Spain.
Although the revised three-cylinder engine is still producing the same horsepower output, the power delivery is now more user-friendly throughout the rev range, giving Byrne and McWilliams more feedback from the rear tyre because of reduced wheelspin under hard acceleration. Aprilia engineers confirmed that the new crank will be used in tomorrow’s 27-lap race by both riders.
With conditions making it impossible to improve on yesterday’s times, Byrne will start from 16th position on the grid, and McWilliams from 19th with times from yesterday’s dry qualifying session counting for grid positions.
For rookie Byrne, today saw him clear another major hurdle. He has never tested the RS Cube in wet conditions, but undaunted he set the fifth quickest time in this morning’s rain-soaked free practice session. What made his display even more impressive was the fact he’d never ridden on Michelin’s wet weather tyre before.
Despite a gloomy forecast for tomorrow’s, it is unlikely to dampen the spirits of an expected 120,000 strong crowd for the first European race of 2004.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:
ROBERTS FASTEST IN SPANISH GP!
Team Suzuki MotoGP rider Kenny Roberts Jr. set the fastest time in today’s final qualifying session, an amazing 1.227 seconds quicker than the next-best rider. But with the track still damp in patches after a drenching shower at the start of the session, overall times were slower than yesterday afternoon, and grid positions remain as yesterday. Team-mate John Hopkins used the mixed conditions of the afternoon session to try as many different solutions as possible, to be ready for whatever the race conditions will be. He was happier with the fully wet morning session and he was able to reel off laps to rebuild his confidence in the rain.
Roberts’s comment on his fastest afternoon time was succinct: “It just means we outsmarted everybody,” he said, adding: “But I guess that’s better than not doing that.”
Yesterday’s dry times put the Suzuki pair on the fourth and fifth rows of the grid, with Roberts remaining tenth-fastest overall and Hopkins 13th.
The weather forecast for tomorrow is for rain all day – conditions that would be better than today’s wet-and-dry session which left damp patches around the 4.423km Jerez circuit for some time after the rain had stopped.
Tomorrow’s Spanish GP is the second round of the year and marks the start of the European season. Already the roads around the circuit are heaving with motorcycles with 120,000 or more fans expected to flock to the Andalucian circuit tomorrow.
KENNY ROBERTS Jr: 10th Position, 1:42.312:
“Basically we’re starting in a decent spot considering some of the fundamental problems we’re having. We need it either wet or dry, obviously, and tomorrow’s forecast is for rain. Hopefully it will do one or the other. Today was kind of a wasted day – just going round in circles waiting for the conditions either to improve or worsen so we could achieve something. But it was just one of those days. We couldn’t anticipate what we needed to do, just react off what the bike felt like. The grid positions were set already. I don’t believe in our current situation that rain will favour us, because of our engine braking and some other things. Sometimes you can ride around problems easier in the rain, or other people make mistakes more easily – which could help our position – but from a competitive standpoint, it shouldn’t make much difference.”
JOHN HOPKINS – 13th Position, 1:42.954:
“The only good thing to come out of today was that I was able to get my confidence back up in the rain. To be honest, my wet confidence was shot ever since Le Mans last year when I was thrown over the high side. Even though the bike is much better this year, it was good to get some wet laps and get comfortable with it. The afternoon was really a ‘what would you do if?’ situation –what would you do if the race conditions are like this. We tried soft wet tyres, hard wets, intermediates – all sorts – so I guess I’ll be ready for anything. I would have liked to improve my grid position, but that wasn’t possible.”
More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:
Weather spoils second practice in Spain
Nobuatsu Aoki: 21st, 1:44.536
Kurtis Roberts: 22nd, 1:45.899
Rain in the morning and mixed conditions in the afternoon meant that Proton Team KR riders Nobuatsu Aoki and Kurtis Roberts – in common with the rest of the MotoGP field – were unable to improve on their lap times and grid positions set yesterday, and they will start tomorrow’s Spanish GP from the seventh and eighth rows of the grid.
The bad weather did give them a chance to test wet-weather Dunlop tyres for the first time, with Aoki reporting encouraging results.
Kurtis was less pleased with the conditions. Injured in pre-season testing and forced to withdraw from the opening round in South Africa as a result, he is desperate to gain experience on the new Proton KR V5, as well as to regain speed and confidence after a long layoff. He has been working hard to rebuild the strength in his dislocated shoulder: “I rode eight out of nine days back home before this race, and wore out three minibike tyres,” he said.
Tomorrow’s race, the first European round, finds the second version of the England-built Proton KR V5 still at an early stage of development. The innovative machined-from-solid chassis is already giving good results, but the team is still awaiting upgraded engine parts for the revised motor, and is still at a very early stage of testing the Dunlop tyres used for the first time this season. A revised engine is expected for the next round, the French GP at Le Mans, with more to follow during the season.
Defending champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), winner of the South African GP, remained on pole position by virtue of the time he set in dry weather yesterday. None of the 24 MotoGP entrants was able to improve times today. More rain is forecast for tomorrow.
Nobuatsu Aoki
I hate mixed conditions, with wet patches, so this afternoon didn’t go so well. But in the morning we found a Dunlop rain tyre that worked quite well and I felt comfortable, so if it is very wet it will be better for me. One of my engines was working better than the other, with a better throttle connection, and that was also better for the wet. I wish for heavy rain tomorrow.
Kurtis Roberts
I wish this GP curse of mine would go away. I’ve done barely 50 laps on the new bike all year, and today the weather and some bike teething problems meant I only managed 12 laps in the morning and 13 in the afternoon. I only got out after 15 minutes this afternoon, then I had to pull in and switch to my other bike. Still I made some progress with myself and the bike in the last few laps . mainly in confidence and feel. I’m trying to get back to the feeling I had in my first test in Valencia last year, but I have to build up to it, and it takes time. Some good weather would be nice, and I’m looking forward to testing on Monday. But today was a bit of a turnaround, and in the afternoon I was doing the same or slightly better times than Nobu, which is good. I can’t say enough for how hard the team is working, and I didn’t wear out three dirt-bike tyres last week for nothing. It’ll pay off eventually.
Kenny Roberts – Team Principal
The intermediate tyres didn’t work that well today, and we’re struggling along. Right now there’s not much to talk about. We barely tested with Dunlop before the season, so I think it will be a while before we start seeing some better tyres. I hope it rains like hell tomorrow. That will be the best chance for us.
More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:
Rain in Jerez. Yesterday’s times count towards the
qualifying grid. Max and Makoto starting
from row two
Rain and some weak sunshine. There has been a little bit of everything today in the second set of practices before Sunday’s race. The track was never once completely dry today, and so yesterday’s lap-times remained unchanged. As such those laps decide tomorrow’s grid positions, meaning Max Biaggi and Makoto Tamada will start side by side from 4th and 5th place respectively, lining up on row two of the grid.
It seems that the weather conditions will ultimately be the decider of the 27 lap second-round of the championship, with forecasts confusingly unclear.
Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“It all depends on the weather, the conditions are certainly changeable and the race could be a real lottery. If the sun wins through and it’s dry, then we’ll use the warm up to fine-tune the last details of the set-up. If it’s a dry race like in South Africa, then the Camel Honda riders start alongside each other from a good grid position and they’ve shown themselves to have some good pace already. It will be a race with times well under those of last year, and it will be important to get a good start and put on a good show for the fans. We’re also expecting an all-time crowd record here, and seeing as we’re riding at home, I’d love it if we could celebrate some good results in front of the Spanish fans.”
Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) – 4th – 1:41.546 – yesterday’s time
“I’m unhappy that we haven’t been able to test the bike in dry conditions. We had the day planned out, and even up until minutes before the qualifying session it seemed as though the rain would hold off. It’s a shame, we would have had the chance to make some assurances about the work we’ve done. Instead we’ve had to make do with in-between conditions, the worst possible. I kept practically the same settings as those for the dry so as to test the endurance of the front tyre. We’re still unsure as regards tomorrow also, because the forecasts are for variable weather. I hope that it’s either a totally dry race, or completely wet. This year the fourth best time no longer gets you a front row spot, so I’m on row two, so it will be important to get a good start, which won’t be easy if the conditions remain the same.”
Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“Makoto Tamada’s time from yesterday is more than satisfactory and this means he’ll be on the second row. It’s a shame about today’s weather, it’s been nearly wet throughout and we still haven’t got the settings right for these conditions. In fact, I can see that Makoto doesn’t have a perfect ‘feeling’ in the damp, so we’re hoping for good weather tomorrow, for a good start, and for an opening part of the race which sees Tamada near the front of the pack. Meanwhile, if it does rain, I don’t think that we will be quite ready to be completely competitive.”
Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres)- 5th – 1:41.631 – Yesterday’s time
“I’m not at 100% in the wet, and so I’m hoping for a sunny day. I’ll be setting off from the second row and I’ve got a good rhythm going. So if everything goes according to plan, I’ll be fighting to be with the front guys and to give my all. I can foresee an extremely quick race. After the South African race my general feeling with the bike is much better, and I hope to go well. Now we’ll have to wait to see what the weather will be tomorrow morning in Jerez.”
More, from another press release issued MS Aprilia:
Rain keeps Poggiali on Jerez front row
Reigning world champion Manuel Poggiali will go in search of his first ever podium at Jerez from the front row of the grid.
The San Marino rider will start his MS Aprilia Racing RSW250 from second position on the grid with his best time from yesterday’s opening qualifying session standing as rain prevented anybody bettering their times today.
Although the 4.423km had almost completely dried towards the end of the session after earlier rain, the track was still sufficiently damp in places to keep times slower than yesterday. “We were unable to try anything new today because of the rain. I am very happy to be starting from second position but I really hope that for the race it is dry. The bike is working fine in the rain but it is better in the dry, “said Poggiali.
More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:
DRIZZLE KEEPS HOPKINS FROM IMPROVING AT JEREZ
JEREZ, Spain (May 1, 2004) – A persistent on and off rain Saturday in Jerez kept Suzuki’s John Hopkins and the other MotoGP riders from improving on their times from Friday’s qualifying session. Hopkins will head up row five, starting in 13th position in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, the second round of the 2004 world championship.
“The one positive that came out of the rain session is I feel I’ve got my confidence back riding in the rain,” Hopkins said. “After LeMans last year, where I highsided three times in the rain, I really needed to get out and put some wet laps in. I did that and now I feel I’m ready to race in the rain should that happen. On and off rain is what they’re calling for tomorrow.”
Friday’s qualifying didn’t go as planned for the team.
“In Friday’s session we kept having little nagging problems that kept us from turning in a good time,” Hopkins added. “It’s unfortunate because that’s the time that ultimately set the grid. I think the guys have everything figured out and I’m looking forward to the race.”
In the final qualifying session on Saturday the Bridgestone technicians kept Hopkins busy by testing differing compound and tread pattern combinations. Hopkins said he came agonizingly close to getting in a dry lap.
“The track started out wet and began drying, so we were just hoping that it would get totally dry. With about 10 minutes to go it looked like it would and then it rained again. Since they’re going with only three riders per row I’m going to be pretty far back at the start.”
Hopkins enters the race ranked 13th in the championship point standings.
More, from a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:
RAIN IMPEDES XAUS´ AND HODGSON´S PERFORMANCE
[01.05.2004]
Jerez (Spain), 01.05.04 The forecast for rain today in Jerez was spot on and produced conditions that didn´t allow for any improvement in times from the first qualifying session. The d´Antin MotoGP riders worked on the set up of their Ducati Desmosedici as a precaution against possible wet conditions tomorrow.
Xaus and Hodgson will start from the fourth and sixth row on the grid, with the hope of at least clocking up some points. Both are confident of getting a good result whether in wet and dry conditions.
RUBEN XAUS set the second best time barely a month ago testing here in Jerez in very heavy rain, but today he was unable to match this: “Today has been a very strange day because of the rain making conditions very unstable. In the morning´s free practice I tried some new things and the truth is I wasn´t at all happy. It seemed like a completely different bike to the one I rode a month ago, and I crashed twice. In the afternoon I went back to the configuration that I used during the IRTA tests and I regained my confidence, enabling me to enjoy the last session. I knew that nobody was going to better yesterday´s times and I´ve really enjoyed riding. It´s strange because I started the day badly but finished with a good feeling and this gives me hope of a good result in the forthcoming race.”
The times set by NEIL HODGSON in the wet didn’t go unnoticed either, and the Briton is confident of his chances if the rain were to come during the race: “Today was a bit of a waste of time for us really but there’s not a lot we can do about it. As far as tomorrow is concerned I’ve got mixed feelings. I’m not too bothered what happens with the weather, although I suppose I’ve got a better feeling in the wet than I have in the dry. The problem is that I have never liked racing in the wet because it’s so hit and miss. This is not what we wanted at this stage of the season because really we need dry time on the bike to help us get the right set-up and get up to speed. We’ve made a little bit of progress during the dry spells here this weekend but not enough. We’ll see what happens tomorrow”.
TIMES:
1st V.ROSSI 1.40.818
2nd S.GIBERNAU 1.41.198
3rd C.CHECA 1.41.427
4th M.BIAGGI 1.41.546
5th M.TAMADA 1.41.631
…
12th RUBÉN XAUS 1.42.945
18th NEIL HODGSON 1.43.627
More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:
RAIN SPOILS THE SECOND QUALIFYING SESSION AND MAKES THE WORK MORE DIFFICUL
Jerez de la Frontera – Rain showers during the free practices and before the beginning of the qualifying practices made much more difficult the work on the set up of the bikes for the riders of the Telefonica MoviStar Honda MotoGP Team. The track was whether dry nor wet so the team could not solve the chatter problem occurred in South Africa. Because of track conditions the riders could not better the time of yesterday so the starting grid remains the same: Sete Gibernau will start from the front row (second position), while Colin Edward will take the start from the third row (8th position).
#15 SETE GIBERNAU (2nd-1:41.198)
“Between one GP and another there is not enough time to solve the chattering problem we had in South Africa, the only thing we can do it’s to try to understand more the problem and keep on working. Here I’d like to win in front of my public but I know that it’s going to be difficult. Racing in front of all these aficionados it’s great and helps a lot and for sure I’ll do my best pushing hard but I know that I don’t have the right pace to fight for the win.
Today the track was neither wet nor dry so we couldn’t work on the problem of chatter, in fact we needed dry track to test in order to fix this problem. I hope that tomorrow the track will be dry so at least we can understand more of this bike and work in preparation of the following races. Tomorrow
#45 COLIN EDWARDS (8th-1:42.000)
“During the qualifying practices the conditions of the track were neither wet nor dry so it was clear that we couldn’t improve yesterday’s time. So it was no worth risking. I don’t know the weather forecast for tomorrow but I hope that we will race on wet track because – at this moment – the wet setting is ok whereas on dry we have the same chattering problems occurred at Welkom.”
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“What can I say! Today’s weather conditions didn’t help us in developing of the bike. The results tomorrow will depend a lot from the weather conditions. Sete is very motivated because he is racing in the home GP whereas Colin is eager to show his talent.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:
HONDA RIDERS SET TO PUT PRESSURE ON POLEMAN ROSSI
Spanish rain played havoc with final qualifying here at Jerez in Andalucia today. Minutes before the premier class was set to hit the track for a final showdown for grid positions, a cloudburst put paid to any hope riders had of clawing their way up the rankings after yesterday’s session. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) heads the grid, with Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) in second place and Carlos Checa (Yamaha) filling the other slot on the three-man front row.
The majority of the MotoGP riders had planned to try final chassis settings and test potential race tyre choices over a simulated race distance this afternoon. But unpredictable weather threw the best-laid plans into confusion, and as so often happens, it paid to put in the best possible lap in the opening session.
The only benefit anyone derived was trying various chassis adjustments to cope with a drying track where rivulets of draining water made efforts to control the 200bhp MotoGP machines hazardous. But the chances of tomorrow’s conditions replicating the rare combination produced today are slim. Much work this afternoon was in vain.
For spectators, however, the sight of the world’s best riders struggling to contain the brute power of the big bikes was a big plus. And although teams derived little benefit from a bleak hour of final qualifying, the crowd will rarely see riders hanging the rear ends of their machines out in spectacular efforts to assess grip levels on the exits to Jerez’s turns.
Gibernau is playing down his chances in tomorrow’s race. “My heart says win, but my head is telling me different,” he said. “I don’t have a good rhythm for the race although I am really motivated for it. I will be going for the win but I know it will be hard. I just want a dry race so we can understand better what’s been happening to us so far.”
Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) heads the second row in fourth. “We needed to test the bike in dry conditions. Minutes up until the final session it seemed the rain would hold off but instead we’ve had to make do with the worst conditions possible – in-between weather. I’m on row two which won’t be easy to get a good start from.”
Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), riding on Bridgestone tyres, made progress here with a fifth place. “I’m not 100% in the wet so I’m hoping for a dry race. I’ve got a good rhythm going and if everything goes to plan I’ll be fighting with the front guys. My general feeling with the bike is much better and we’ll just have to see what the weather brings.”
Things went less well for Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) in seventh on row three. “We had a lot of what we wanted to try today, but we didn’t get round to it.
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