Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Race Results:

1. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 25 laps, 44:21.758
2. Valentino Rossi, Honda, -3.075 seconds
3. Sete Gibernau, Honda, -4.344 seconds
4. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -4.935 seconds
5. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, -5.003 seconds
6. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, -20.587 seconds
7. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -22.982 seconds
8. Alex Barros, Yamaha, -24.989 seconds
9. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -27.159 seconds
10. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -30.376 seconds
11. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, -33.193 seconds
12. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, -40.443 seconds
13. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -40.445 seconds
14. Max Biaggi, Honda, -42.325 seconds
15. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -48.659 seconds
16. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, -64.721 seconds
17. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, -96.914 seconds
18. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, -13 laps, DNF, crash
19. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, -19 laps, DNF, mechanical
20. Akira Yanagawa, Kawasaki, -25 laps, DNF, crash
21. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, -25 laps, DNF, crash
22. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, -25 laps, DNF, crash


MotoGP World Championship Point Standings:

1. Rossi, 135 points
2. Gibernau, 88 points
3. Biaggi, 85 points
4. Capirossi, 61 points
5. Barros, 54 points
6. Ukawa, 52 points
7. Bayliss, 46 points
8. Nakano, 44 points
9. Tamada/Checa, TIE, 34 points
11. Hayden, 33 points
12. Jacque, 32 points
13. Edwards, 25 points
14. Haga, 21 points
15. Norick Abe, 18 points
16. Hopkins, 16 points
17. McWilliams, 14 points
18. Aoki/Kiyonari, TIE, 11 points
20. Melandri, 9 points
21. McCoy, 8 points
22. Kenny Roberts, 6 points
23. Alex Hofmann, 2 points
24. Pitt, 1 point


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

CATALUNYA GP/RACE

MONTMELO’ – Negative end of a promising week end for the Alice Aprilia Racing Team. A very hot race for Haga who made a bad start ending in 12th position while Colin started from the second row trying to catch the firsts for a couple of laps and suddenly the engine switched off due to a braking of the ignition pick up. The team will stay in Barcellona for two days more for testing in order to be more competitive for next Assen GP.

COLIN EDWARDS: “I do not stand this elements breaking that break off the bike in the middle of a comeback! For sure I did not make a good start once again but then I could easily stay with the firsts because my pace was good. This is a race to forget both for the bad start and the pick up problem”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “I usually make good starts but today I made a mistake. So I tried to catch immediately the firsts but I had the same problem with the front: not enough feeling. We need to get more competitiveness somehow”.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “I did not expect a race like this cause this week end seemed to be very positive for us. If I analyze the situation I do not feel satisfied: the pace of the other competitors was not so unreachable. But two bad starts and the braking of the ignition pick up did not give us the chance to get to the top. We will test some others spare parts from tomorrow the clutch for example. It’s a pity cause they could easily get a good result here”.


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH IN CATALUNYA

Carlos Checa gave the Fortuna Yamaha Team its best result of the 2003 season in one of the most thrilling MotoGP races since the introduction of the four-stroke championship. After a 25-lap race of paint swapping action the local hero completed the Catalunya Grand Prix in fourth position – 0.068 seconds ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Shinya Nakano (d’Antin Yamaha Team).

After a solid start, which placed Checa eighth on the opening lap, the Spaniard began a charge that saw him challenging the lead group within half a dozen laps – before finishing only 0.5 seconds off the podium.

At half race distance the top five podium candidates were separated by a mere 2.5 seconds, with less than five seconds covering the same number at the chequered flag, before a very unexpected conclusion. After a determined ride Italian Loris Capirossi gave the V-four Ducati its first race victory in the premier class after defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda) faltered under the intense pressure of the leading pack. On lap 16 Rossi out-braked himself into turn four, running off the circuit and out of contention for the race win. The Italian rejoined in sixth before riding like a man possessed – carving through the field to finish the sixth round of the year second ahead of Sete Gibernau (Honda) and a very happy Checa.

“I finally got a good result and everything went well; the practice, the start, and the race. We’ve made so much progress since Mugello,” beamed Checa. “As I said before, Sunday is the only thing that matters and today we did it, I was able to stay up front and find the consistency I needed to get a good result. I was close enough to fight for the podium but I couldn’t go fast in some areas. I managed to pass Nakano on the straight, though, and keep fourth position. It’s the first time this year I could get a really good feeling in the race and stay there. I saw Rossi coming past but it was impossible to do anything to catch him.

“We have made a lot of progress and actually changed less on the bike this weekend than before. Now that I have the confidence to stay in front I will keep the geometry I used today. This is more like my normal results, but when we have more stability with the rear in the mid-turn we can improve on this result.”

Once again Fortuna Yamaha Team-mate Marco Melandri initially showed the promise that led to his 2002 GP250 World Championship title, before clutch problems plagued his efforts during the closing stages of the race. Although disappointed with the eventual result, which placed him 13th overall, Melandri was satisfied that he rode the best race possible considering the deficit. The 20-year-old featured as high as ninth, after starting the race from 14th on the grid, before the technical gremlin became a factor.

“I made a good start and the first few laps were not so bad but the rear tyre kept sliding out and it felt really nervous,” said Melandri, who won the 250cc Grand Prix here last year. “On the long corners I didn’t have enough traction and was spinning the rear a lot. I couldn’t use full power because of the wheel spin. After seven or eight laps I seemed to have a clutch problem on top of this, and it was too difficult to do anything more. I think my set-up from this morning was better so we’ll have to look at whether to use something more like that for the future.”

“That was a very good result for Carlos and he has made great progress since Friday afternoon,” said team director Davide Brivio. “The team, mechanics and engineers pushed themselves really hard this weekend, so this result is like a ‘thank you’ to them. I’d like to thank all of them for their efforts, and I hope that this is just the start. We always thought that this bike could fight in the lead group but just needed a synergy between the rider and the bike. Now we’ll have to work harder than ever to improve from here.

“Marco had some problems with his clutch and we are checking it. Sometimes he feels frustrated because he wants to do more but it’s most important for us to see him improving gradually. His injury has also caused him some delay and we don’t want him to run before he can walk.”


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

A good race for Makoto Tamada – seventh in a day of extreme heat

The weather was so sweltering and humid, it seemed more like Malaysia than Catalunya. Extreme conditions – 52/53°C on the ground – gave Makoto Tamada’s seventh place today special significance. The final result, in conditions as difficult as those of today, also shows how successful Bridgestone’s development work has been so far: the great tyre manufacturer equipped Tamada’s Honda RC211V with some new materials that enabled the Japanese rider to put on a very good show. A medium-soft rear gave Makoto good handling and a hard front (a new tyre being specially used for the occasion) enabled Tamada to put in some excellent times in the last four laps of the race. Further proof of the consistent performance of the tyres over a long distance. After making a much better start than usual, but still not as good as it might have been, Tamada embarked on a race in which he fought some fine duels in which he moved up a number of positions, considering that he ended the first lap in 15th place.

There will be a repeat performance tomorrow, for the Pramac Honda Team will be back on track with two bikes for a test session. Shinichi Itoh, the official test rider came in to Montmelò today and will be continuing development work on the circuit alongside Tamada tomorrow. Itoh recently took part in two Superbike races in Japan – this was the first time he had been racing since he received a minor fracture in his foot right here in Catalunya during the IRTA tests in March. The two Pramac Honda riders will be facing an intense programme of tests to prepare for the forthcoming races in the north of Europe.

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 7th – 44:44.740

“A better start than usual but still not perfect, mainly because I still can’t maintain my grid position: I’ve got to work at it and improve. So I’m going to have to work hard to stay right up front. A tough race but not too physically demanding, for the intense heat didn’t tire me out so much, partly because I didn’t have that many really close duels and overtaking wasn’t too complicated. But I must say I really enjoyed those battles that let me gain ground and I’m very pleased with the tyres – they’ve got great endurance even in such tough conditions as we had today. A good race, even though I want to get up among the leaders and fight for the top places next time. It’ll be back to “work” tomorrow as we’re carrying on with development.”


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

HOPKINS 15TH IN GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA

MONTMELÓ, Spain (June 15, 2003) – John Hopkins finished 15th in the Grand Prix of Catalunya Sunday on his factory Suzuki GSV-R. Hopkins, 20, of Ramona, Calif., ran as high has 12th in the early stages of the race, but dropped to 15th by the end of the race. He rode with serious back pain sustained from an accident last weekend in the Italian Grand Prix. Hopkins scored a single MotoGP world championship point at Catalunya and remains in 16th in the standings. Loris Capirossi won the race on Ducati marking that company’s first MotoGP victory.

“I got a decent start,” Hopkins said. “Unfortunately the race sort of went downhill for me from there. I rode the bike as hard as I could in the early laps, but the tires went away and I was unable to keep the pace later in the race.

“It’s not the fault of the tire, it’s the chassis. The front end doesn’t stick going into the turns so you miss the apex and have to spin the rear to make the turn and it’s just too much abuse on the tire. We were really in trouble today with the heat. The tires went away that much faster.”

Hopkins soldiered on to finish in spite of the handling problems he encountered during the race and took the checkered flag 48 seconds behind winner Capirossi. It marked the first finish for Hopkins in three races. He crashed out of the wet French GP and was hit by his teammate in an accident last weekend in Italy resulting in another DNF.

Hopkins and the team was inspired by the visit from Suzuki’s former world champion Kevin Schwantz.

“Having Kevin here was great,” Hopkins said. “He confirmed a lot of things to the team that I’ve been saying. Hopefully we’ll take his input and make some changes.”

Hopkins will test on Monday and then retreat to the mountains to recharge, heal and get ready for the Dutch TT in two weeks.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Catalan GP, Catalunya
Race Day
Sunday, June 15 2003

CAPIROSSI AND DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM SCORE SUPERB FIRST WIN

Loris Capirossi scored a historic first victory for the Ducati Marlboro Team at searing-hot Catalunya today, winning a breathtaking battle with reigning champ Valentino Rossi (Honda). Team-mate Troy Bayliss had a torrid race, running eighth before he ran off the track to cross the line in tenth. Conditions were extreme, with ambient temperatures reaching 35 degrees C and track temperature soaring to 49 degrees C.

The Desmosedici’s maiden win – in only its sixth race – proved the brilliance of the legendary marque’s engineers, as well as the dedication of the entire Ducati Marlboro Team – who celebrated in style as Capirossi flashed across the finish line in front of 96,000 fans.

“This is a fantastic day for us, for everyone in the team, for everyone in the factory, for everyone involved in this project,” said an emotional Corrado Cecchinelli, Ducati Marlboro Team technical director. “We have all worked so hard for this, especially Loris, he rode an incredible race. This morning was the first time I thought we could really win this one – we knew we’d made a good tyre choice with Michelin and we knew we could do it if things went our way . Loris made a good plan for the race, he didn’t want to take the lead early on because he wanted to save his tyres. It all worked perfectly.”

Today’s success was the first premier-class win for the Bologna factory, who returned to GP racing at the start of this season after an absence of more than three decades. The factory’s previous best premier-class result (in the now defunct 500 class) was a third-place finish recorded by Italian Bruno Spaggiari in the 1972 Nations GP at Imola on May 21 1971. The win was also the first by an Italian rider on an Italian bike since Giacomo Agostini won the 1976 West German GP at the Nurburgring aboard an MV Agusta on August 29 1976.


DESERVING CAPIROSSI BASKS IN WINNING GLORY

Loris Capirossi’s remarkable determination paid off at Catalunya today, the hard-working Italian harrying Valentino Rossi into a mistake shortly after half-distance. The pair dominated the entire Marlboro Catalan GP, easing ahead of Max Biaggi (Honda) in the early stages to replay their brilliant duel in last Sunday’s Italian GP. Both men were aware that the scorching conditions required them to conserve their tyres, but when Rossi tried to up the pace after the midway point he made a mistake, running wide into the stadium on lap 16. That put Capirossi ahead and when Rossi tried to counter-attack the following lap he made another error, this time running into the gravel trap at turn four, demoting himself to sixth. He fought back to third but victory belonged to Capirossi, who last won a GP at Mugello in 2000.

“This is a fantastic day for me, the team, Ducati, Marlboro and for everyone who believes in us,” beamed the former 125 and 250 champ who was moved to tears while the Italian anthem played as he stood atop the podium. “The race was unbelievable. I had a big fight with Valentino, the rhythm wasn’t so fast because the conditions were so tough, especially for the tyres. We were trying not to push too hard, and when Valentino tried to go faster he ran wide. After that I rode 100 per cent. I knew that it was Biaggi behind me, but then I got signals that Valentino was coming back very fast, so I tried not to lose concentration or to spin the rear too much. I never believed we’d win a race so soon, we’re all so happy, but we also know there is much work to be done. The bike is very fast but we need to improve the set-up. There’s still a long season ahead of us and I promise to give my best throughout.”

Capirossi has scored two other podium finishes this year – third in April’s Japanese GP and second at Mugello last weekend.

TOUGH DAY FOR BAYLISS
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss rode another dogged race at Catalunya today, coming through brilliantly from a third-row start to move into eighth on lap 16. But a lap later he got into a turn too hot and had to take an off-track excursion that dropped him down to 12th. Undaunted, he fought back to take tenth at the flag.

“That’s one of the hardest race I’ve ridden in my life, just as far as the heat goes,” said the Aussie, who knows a bit about sweltering conditions. “Just finishing that won was almost like winning! It wasn’t a great race for me, but at least we did finish and get some points. We’re still missing something from the front end, so now we’ll go to the next race and try to work it out.”


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
ROUND 6 – GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA
15TH JUNE 2003 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

CONDITIONS AT CATALUNYA PROVE HARD WORK FOR MCCOY

Fuchs Kawasaki’s Garry McCoy rode a lonely race to 17th place in today’s energy sapping Grand Prix of Catalunya, which was run in a 35 degree heat wave before 96,000 race fans

McCoy was the sole Kawasaki finisher as his team-mates, Andrew Pitt and Akira Yanagawa, were involved in a crash at turn four on the opening lap. After making a good start and moving up a couple of positions Pitt attempted an inside pass on Jeremy McWilliams, but got into the turn too hot and collided with the Irishman. The collision forced both riders wide – right into the path of Yanagawa, who was on a wider line. All three riders went down but, while Pitt and McWilliams escaped injury in the incident, Yanagawa was transported to Granollers hospital with suspected fractured ribs.

Starting from 19th McCoy struggled to make an impression as track temperatures on a slippery and bumpy Montmelo circuit produced the anticipated reduction in grip levels. McCoy’s sideways speedway slides through a series of fast corners onto the main straight delighted the Barcelona race fans, who acknowledged the Australian’s display with similar enthusiasm accorded race winner Loris Capirossi.

The Fuchs Kawasaki Team will test at the Barcelona circuit on Monday and Tuesday this week with German test rider Alex Hofmann joining regular race riders McCoy and Pitt.

Garry McCoy – 17th
“It was really slippery and I was actually slow but sideways in the corners. But, judging from their reaction, I guess the fans enjoyed it! We knew after qualifying that if the temperature got up really high we would struggle for front and rear grip over the race distance, and that was the best result possible in the circumstances. I know 17th doesn’t look good and, like everyone else, I want it to be better, but it was important to do a full race distance as a test; for me, the team, Kawasaki and Dunlop. We learnt a lot today about the direction to go in for the future.”

Andrew Pitt – DNF
“I feel sorry for Akira, as he was the innocent victim today and it was probably my fault that both he and Jeremy McWilliams crashed. I passed a couple of guys through turn one and then thought I could get up the inside of Jezza, but got into the turn too hot. We touched, which forced us both to sit up and run wide, taking Akira with us unfortunately. I’m okay, but obviously I’m disappointed at what happened.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“I spoke to Akira briefly in the medical centre. He was in quite a lot of pain, which may be due to rib injuries sustained in the crash. He has been taken to Granollers Hospital for a more detailed examination and x-rays and we will have to wait for the medical report before we’re 100 per cent certain of his condition. Because I was in the medical centre I didn’t see the race, but we knew that it was sure to be a difficult day for both the bike and tyres in this heat.”



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

Aoki takes first race finish for brand new Proton KR

Round 6: Catalunyan GP, Montmelo
Race: Sunday, June 15, 2003

Nobuatsu Aoki: 16th
Jeremy McWilliams: Did not finish, crash

Team Proton KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki claimed the brand new V5 four-stroke prototype racer’s first finish in today’s punishingly hot Catalunyan GP, running consistently throughout to finish just one place out of the World Championship points.

It was an impressive result, just one week after the radical 990cc machine’s first race, and a clear step forward for the youngest motorcycle on the grid. The team were celebrating the result, after a series of round-the-clock sessions to cure the inevitable teething troubles with an all-new design that ran at a race-track for the first time only three weeks ago.

But the day could have been better still. Team-mate Jeremy McWilliams, who had qualified in an impressive 17th position, didn’t even complete the first lap of his 150th GP. The 39-year-old Ulsterman was skittled in a fourth-corner incident, when factory Kawasaki rider Andrew Pitt missed his braking point. He ran straight into McWilliams from behind, before both of them rammed Kawasaki-mounted wild card Akira Yanagawa in a dramatic triple crash. Yanagawa was knocked unconscious in the impact, and was being checked later for broken ribs. It was the second such incident this year for McWilliams, who was also the innocent victim in a start-line crash at Welkom in South Africa.

The only comfort was that Aoki handsomely beat the last surviving Kawasaki, ridden by former GP winner Garry McCoy, by a margin of more than 30 seconds. Aoki was just 16 seconds behind the 15th-placed machine, John Hopkins on the factory Suzuki, who claimed the last World Championship point.

The race was won by Loris Capirossi on the Ducati, the first GP victory by an Italian rider on an Italian machine since multi-champion Giacomo Agostini won the West German GP at the Nurburgring in 1976, riding an MV Agusta. Defending champion Valentino Rossi (Honda) was second, and Spanish rider Sete Gibernau (Honda) third.

The next race is the Dutch TT at Assen in two weeks, giving the England-based team more time to dial in further improvements to the impressive new racer.

Nobuatsu Aoki
Of course that was a tough race, but the bike ran all the way. It went as usual. It was a bit down on power at the top end, then after ten or 11 laps it dropped off a little more, but then it stayed at the same level. It wasn’t working perfectly, but it was for sure really important to get to the end of the race, for the team, and the mechanics, and for everyone. I really appreciate how they have been working, day and night. And in one week, we have taken an important step.

Jeremy McWilliams
What was that all about? The race is 45 minutes long, and I got hit before we’d even finished the first lap. I asked Pitt afterwards if he thought he was going to win the race in the first lap from the back row of the grid – but to be honest my main concern was for his team-mate, who didn’t look too well. If I’d have qualified 14th or 15th it probably wouldn’t have happened, but you tend to get the more dangerous riders at the back of the grid. I’m okay, but really disappointed. All we wanted was to get to the finish, and Nobu did that. But it could have been two Protons. This sort of thing shouldn’t happen at this level.

Kenny Roberts – Team Owner
Well, we got the fuel pump problem sorted out. It was pretty consistent. Give us a couple of weeks and we’ll make a step with performance. There’s a lot of work still to do, with tyres as well. But it’s a step towards the point that we’ll be racing the other guys.


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

HOPKINS PUTS LONE SUZUKI IN THE POINTS

Team Suzuki Press Office
Montmelo, Spain – Sunday, June 15, 2003

Team Suzuki rider John Hopkins overcame pain and stiffness in gruelling hot conditions to bring the lone Suzuki into 15th place, in the points again in today’s Catalunyan GP.

Still suffering back problems after he and team-mate Kenny Roberts Junior both crashed out of the Italian GP one week before, Hopkins put the pain and stiffness out of his mind to concentrate on 25 exhausting laps of the 4.727km Circuit de Catalunya outside Barcelona.

With Roberts back home in the USA to receive treatment for the injuries he sustained in Italy, Hopkins had the full attention of the factory Suzuki team, including top-level engineers from Japan, and special guest Kevin Schwantz, who won the 1993 500cc World Championship on a Suzuki.

The 20-year-old Anglo-Californian started from the fourth row of the grid after qualifying 13th fastest, and made a good start to finish the first lap 12th. As the race wore on he found himself engaged in battle with Japanese riders Noriyuki Haga and Ryuichi Kyonari, and after the tyres went off in the heat the injured Hopkins had to let them get away. But he kept his head down and stayed consistent in very difficult conditions, to remain in 15th place and claim a World Championship point.

Tomorrow, the team will stay on at the Montmelo circuit for two days of testing, with Suzuki endurance racer Jean Michel Bayle and factory rider Kousuke Akiyoshi helping Hopkins with the fast-forward development programme for the new 2003 Suzuki GSV-R V4 prototype four-stroke.

The race, run in blazing sunshine and with searing 45-degree track temperatures, was won by Italian Loris Capirossi, from defending champion Valentino Rossi in front of a crowd of 90,000.

The next race is the Dutch TT, at Assen in two weeks time. Roberts will be fighting to regain fitness to rejoin Hopkins for the race, the seventh of 16 on the World Championship calendar.


JOHN HOPKINS – 15th Position
I got a good start and went outside a few riders at Turn One, and tried to hang with people from there. The bike was pretty decent for the first laps when the grip was good, but we are having a problem getting it turned, and when the tyres got hot and lost grip it got pretty difficult. I was having to find different ways to ride to get around it – having to ride in an unnatural way. With my back pain it was hard to move around, and I was having to hang off a lot to stand the bike up to get grip out of the turns. But that wasn’t a real big factor. It was good to get through the race and to the finish, but this isn’t where we want to be. I just hope we can make a big improvement to the machine real soon.

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager
John has kept focussed all weekend in spite of his problems, and had a really brave ride today, going through the pain barrier to get into the points. He showed the old Kevin Schwantz spirit. We carry on testing tomorrow. Work goes on to get this bike to its full potential, so we can be fighting up at the front of the pack again.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Catalan Grand Prix at Catalunya
Raceday Sunday June 15

REMARKABLE ROSSI CANNOT PREVENT CAPIROSSI WIN

If Mugello provided excitement on a grand scale, Catalunya put MotoGP on a new plane for high drama and great deeds. Loris Capirossi won on a Ducati, with Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) second and crowd favourite Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) third. But a mere race order can never begin to convey the amazing events that transpired under a Catalonian sun in front of 96,000 race fans.

It was stifling at 35 degrees C, with a scorched track at 49 degrees C, but the on-track action was white-hot from the lights. Capirossi got the holeshot and led Rossi, Gibernau and Olivier Jacque (Yamaha) out of the tricky esses and into a 25-lap race that would come alive at just over half-distance with an intensity that has not yet been seen in the new four-stroke era. And the previous races have not exactly been average.

Only 2.5 seconds covered the first five riders at mid-distance and Rossi, Capirossi, Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V), Sete Gibernau and Carlos Checa (Yamaha) were looking as if the punishing conditions might force them to circulate in that order for the next half of the race. It was by no means processional, but it wasn’t exactly a festival of adventurous riding either.

Then all it took was a small mistake from Rossi at turn four. He ran wide and the predatory Capirossi seized the moment to dive inside and try to make a break from the World Champion. Rossi knew he couldn’t let him get away and immediately set about hauling Capirossi’s Ducati back in. But on the next lap and at the same place he ran straight into the gravel.

He kept his RC211V upright and fired it back on track in sixth place with nine laps to go. He then produced some of the most forceful riding yet seen to snatch back four places – three of them two laps from the finish. He almost looked as if he was lapping backmarkers when he stormed past Shinya Nakano (Yamaha), Checa and Biaggi in one lap. He then took Gibernau on the penultimate lap and for a moment even Capirossi, 2.9 seconds in front, looked vulnerable.

But the improbable in the end proved impossible and Capirossi responded sufficiently by pulling out a tenth of a second on his charging pursuer by the flag. If each of the 96,000 crowd tell a friend about this race, Catalunya can expect 192,000 in 2004. It was that good.

Rossi was almost confused with his second place. “I don’t know if I’m happy for the last part of the race, or angry for the big mistake,” he said. “I had problems with the tyres but pushed hard anyway. I had to push 120% at the end but it was great fun and we made a lap record and got second – which is good for the Championship.”

Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) was happy enough with third in front of his home crowd. And after a rousing rostrum reception he thanked his fans profusely before saying, “I would have liked to challenge Rossi and Capirossi – but it wasn’t to be, but we just have to pleased with what we got here.”

Things weren’t great for Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) in sixth. “We had the same engine problems as yesterday and we’re testing here tomorrow so we’ll finally get them sorted out. I’m very disappointed with today because things looked good here at the start of the year.”

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda RC211V) was a bit more upbeat with his seventh place. “A tough race, but the heat didn’t tire me out too much,” he said. “Mainly because I didn’t have too many tough duels and overtaking wasn’t too complicated. I want to get up with the leaders and fight for the top places next time. I’ve still got to work at my starts.”

Rookie American Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) got into the top ten with a ninth place. “I guess I should be pretty happy with the result because it was a pretty difficult weekend. With not so many laps to go Tamada and Barros got by – which wasn’t so good, but I’m scoring points and learning lots.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) just missed out on a top ten in 11th, but the Japanese rookie is getting to grips with the RC211V as the season goes on. “I’m happy enough,” he said. “It was better towards the end of the race when the riders in front upped their pace a bit and I got into a good rhythm.”

Which leaves Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) as the final Honda rider to complete the race in 14th. Biaggi was disputing third pl

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

125cc Grand Prix Race Results:

1. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 22 laps, 41:16.672
2. Thomas Luthi, Honda, -0.137 second
3. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, -0.315 seconds
4. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, -1.589 seconds
5. Stefano Pergini, Aprilia, -19.874 seconds
6. Jorge Lorenzo, Derbi, -22.560 seconds
7. Mika Kallio, Honda, -22.647 seconds
8. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, -22.856 seconds
9. Gabor Talmacsi, Aprilia, -22.916 seconds
10. Roberto Locatelli, KTM, -23.415 seconds
11. Gioele Pellino, Aprilia, -31.815 seconds
12. Mirko Giansanti, Aprilia, -34.948 seconds
13. Mike Di Meglio, Aprilia, -40.938 seconds
14. Arnaud Vincent, KTM, -41.163 seconds
15. Simone Corsi, Honda, -41.405 seconds

17. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, -51.330 seconds

29. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, -7 laps, DNF
30. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, -7 laps, DNF

32. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, -9 laps, DNF
33. Youichi Ui, Aprilia, -11 laps, DNF
34. Emilio Alzamora, Derbi, -12 laps, DNF
35. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, -13 laps, DNF


125cc World Championship Point Standings:

1. Pedrosa, 116 points
2. Cecchinello, 91 points
3. Jenkner, 73 points
4. Dovizioso, 67 points
5. Perugini, 65 points
6. De Angelis, 53 points
7. Ui, 51 points
8. Nieto, 47 points
9. Giansanti, 40 points
10. Luthi, 39 points

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn Le Santo

Hodgson grabs pole in Superpole thriller

Neil Hodgson took pole in a sun-drenched Superpole at Silverstone this afternoon, to the delight of the partisan crowd.

The brilliant sunshine made a welcome contrast to the awful conditions endured here last year. Hodgson took full advantage of the good weather to blast his way into pole for tomorrow’s sixth round of the World Superbike championship.

The session was interrupted when Vittorio Iannuzzo crashed heavily exiting the new, and widely hated, chicane. The chicane was added because the circuit doesn’t have sufficient run-off on the final turn to satisfy safety rules. Rather than go to the huge expense of remodelling the turn, or adding run-off, the circuit owners decided instead to opt for a cheaper option, a very tight chicane with two turns of more than 100 degrees in angle. The problem now is riders are prone to highsiding out of the turn – which is exactly what happened to Iannuzzo. He was unhurt in the tumble.

Two Suzukis will start from the front row on Sunday after wildcard rider Yukio Kagayama joined Gregorio Lavilla, who qualified fourth, on the front row. Kagayama went second fastest in Superpole, putting him ahead of Regis Laconi in third.


World Superbike Superpole Results:

1. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 1:52.875
2. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:52.919
3. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 1:53.043
4. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.044
5. Michael Rutter, Ducati 998F02, 1:53.327
6. James Toseland, Ducati 998Fo2, 1:53.381
7. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, 1:53.620
8. John Reynolds, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.790
9. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:53.843
10. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 1:53.871
11. Sean Emmett, Ducati 998F02, 1:53.880
12. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:54.308
13. Marco Borciano, Ducati 998RS, 1:54.766
14. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.297
15. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:55.471
16. Vittorrio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R1000, crashed, 1:54.663


More, from a press release issed by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Corser loses out in FPR Superpole struggle

Troy Corser will start tomorrow’s sixth round races of the World Superbike championship at the British circuit of Silverstone from the fifth row of the grid after Foggy PETRONAS Racing lost a qualifying session race against time.

With the seconds ticking away, the team were unable to make essential geometry changes to Troy’s FP1 in sufficient time to allow him to put in a crucial flying lap on a qualifying Michelin tyre.

Team manager Nigel Bosworth said: “We found a good set-up for Troy but ran out of time for him to use it and qualify for Superpole. It was a geometry change to the front head angle, which takes time to carry out, and we felt we needed to make it on his favourite bike in order to give him a chance of making the first 16.”

That left Corser in 18th place after the final qualifying session, with team-mate James Haydon ruled out of action with a neck injury sustained at the previous round. But progress was made during the afternoon’s final free practice hour,
when Troy set his fastest lap times on potential race tyres, finishing the session 14th quickest with a time of 1:55.973.

Troy said: “I wish I had found this rear, which was a bit harder on the right hand side, yesterday as I have been struggling with side grip. I might also now need to change the set-up tomorrow morning for the new tyre. It is really frustrating to be starting so far back, as it’s hard enough to get away when you are near the front. But I haven’t had an excellent start yet this season so tomorrow would be the ideal time.

“I’ll be looking to make progress through the first turn because the field will bunch at turn two. To make the top ten would be a good result and, with four fast wild cards in the field, would be an indication of the progress that we have made this weekend. But I really needed more time on the set-up as there have been so many things to try like the geometry, pivot positions, offset settings, head angle and mapping changes.”


More, from a press release issued by HM Plant Ducati:

Second row for HM Plant Ducati duo

James Toseland and Chris Walker have qualified on the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s two Superbike races. The HM Plant Ducati duo recorded the sixth and seventh fastest times at Silverstone in preparation for the sixth round of the Superbike World Championship.

Toseland has been in superb form all weekend, brimming with confidence after his debut victory in the series at the last round in Germany. He has carried that impressive form through to his home event where he is hoping to consolidate his second position in the championship overall.

“My qualifying time doesn’t really reflect how well I think I’ve performed over the weekend so far,” said the 22-year-old Sheffield rider. “I’m confident that there’ll be more to come from me tomorrow. I’ve managed to improve my time in every session and the race set-up on the HM Plant Ducati is looking good. The only doubt will be tyre choice, because of the variation in track temperature over the past two days. The Dunlops are working consistently well and it looks good for the warm weather that is forecast for tomorrow.”

Team-mate Walker had been on the provisional front row overnight, but he slipped down the rankings after today’s final qualifying and Superpole sessions – despite improving his time quite considerably. However, he is happy with his place on the middle of the second row alongside Toseland.

“That was the most hotly contested Superpole of the year,” said the popular Nottingham rider. “I knew that qualifying would be competitive with the British Superbike wild card riders’ local track knowledge paying dividends. I feel that my performance this weekend has shown how confident I am now riding the HM Plant Ducati. We’ve got an excellent race set-up, the Dunlop tyres are on song and hopefully I’m on course for my best two results of the year tomorrow to repay the fans for all their support.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Final 250cc Grand Prix Qualifying Results:

1. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, 1:47.117
2. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, 1:47.284
3. Toni Elias, Aprilia, 1:47.551
4. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, 1:47.904
5. Sebastian Porto, Honda, 1:48.022
6. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 1:48.122
7. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, 1:48.133
8. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, 1:48.891
9. Anthony West, Aprilia, 1:48.892
10. Sylvain Guintoli, Aprilia, 1:49.126
11. Hugo Marchand, Aprilia, 1:49.294
12. Klaus Nohles, Aprilia, 1:49.404
13. Johan Stigefelt, Aprilia, 1:49.442
14. Joan Olive, Aprilia, 1:49.708
15. Erwan Nigon, Aprilia, 1:49.713
16. Hector Faubel, Aprilia, 1:49.824
17. Alex Debon, Honda, 1:49.832
18. Eric Bataille, Honda, 1:49.906
19. Christian Gemmel, Honda, 1:50.546
20. Chaz Davies, Aprilia, 1:50.712

26. Katja Poensgen, Honda, 1:53.222


MS Aprilia Team Press Information:

A GOOD SECOND PLACE

Stifling hot in Barcellona for the second qualifying session on Montmelò circuit. Today the track is very slippery and it’s not easy to find the right point of reference for the choice of the tyres. But Manuel Poggiali worked hard with his team especially for this reason finding a good set up for the race. Manuel has been very fast as well improving his yesterdays lap time. The San Marino rider will start from the second position.

Manuel Poggiali: “Today we worked well and we found a better setting for my bike. Unfortunately this track is full of potholes and it’s difficult to find the right choice for the tyres. So there’s no problem for the first 4/5 laps then the tyres start to slide and I lost the feeling with the bike. Anyway I found a good solution and during the warm up I will push for a couple of laps to check the duration of the tyres. Even in the temperature is higher than yesterday I improved my lap time: this means that we are working in the right way”:

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Kneedraggers.com Yamaha’s Matt Wait was injured in a crash Saturday during Formula USA Sportbike qualifying at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Wait was riding his Yamaha in the closing moments of the 30-minute Sportbike qualifying session when he collided with Dana Stanley going into NHIS’s turn six, or the “Bowl” turn, according to Wait’s father John Wait.

Wait and Stanley both crashed and were taken to NHIS’s infield care center. Wait is expected to be transported to Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire for a suspected dislocated right shoulder and broken ribs on his right side, according to Wait’s family, but Stanley’s condition was not known at post time.

According to Wait’s team, Wait will most likely sit out Saturday night’s Formula USA dirt track event in nearby Rochester, New Hampshire and Sunday’s Formula USA Sportbike and Superbike races at NHIS.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn Le Santo

Lavilla on provisional pole at Silverstone

Gregorio Lavilla’s one-off fast lap set during Friday’s session has put him on provisional pole ahead of Superpole.

Lavilla was unable to repeat the lap and both his team and track officials denied suggestions that he had cut the new chicane on the lap before his fast lap. If a rider did cut the chicane they would enter the main straight at around 25 mph faster, thus giving them a head start for the next lap.

Regis Laconi qualified second but he’s the real fast guy around, being able to put in consistently fast laps in a way that still evades Lavilla. Laconi lapped today at 1:53.353, compared to Lavilla’s best Saturday time of 1:54.518. James Toseland and Frankie Chili complete the provisional front row.

Neil Hodgson, struggling again with set up on his Fila Ducati 999 only just made it onto the second row, improving late in the session to go seventh. He’ll be joined on the second row by Rizla Suzuki teammates Yukio Kagayama in fifth and John Reynolds in sixth. Chris Walker is provisional eighth.

World Superbike Championship
Round Six, Silverstone, Great Britain

Second qualifying, best laps:

1. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.162
2. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 1:53.353
3. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, 1:53.660
4. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:53.836
5. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.918
6. John Reynolds, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.960
7. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 1:54.245
8. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, 1:54.429
9. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:54.607
10. Michael Rutter, Ducati 998RS, 1:54.648
11. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:54.663
12. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 1:54.692
13. Sean Emmett, Ducati 998F02, 1:55.043
14. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.067
15. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.103
16. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.406
17. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.421
18. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:55.560
19. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.630
20. Nello Russo, Ducati 998RS, 1:55.971

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Final MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:43.927*
2. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:44.333
3. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:44.358
4. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:44.366
5. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 1:44.642
6. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:44.672
7. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 1:44.708
8. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:44.790
9. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:44.848
10. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:44.922
11. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:45.039
12. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:45.128
13. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:45.516
14. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:45.804
15. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 1:46.108
16. Akira Yanagawa, Kawasaki, 1:46.170
17. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 1:46.173
18. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:46.216
19. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 1:46.647
20. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:46.950
21. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 1:47.037
22. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 1:47.473

*New Circuit Best Lap Record


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA IMPROVE DESPITE EXTREME CATALAN TEMPERATURES

With conditions getting even hotter for the second day of qualifying for the Catalunya Grand Prix today, very few riders were expected to improve on their provisional times. But as the hour-long session came to a close both Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri were able to do just that, bettering their initial performances by 0.792 and 0.257seconds respectively.

Checa, who was pushing hard in the scorching conditions, gained ground not only in relation to the stopwatch but also on the starting grid for tomorrow’s 25-lap main event. The Spaniard, who won his first ever 500cc Grand Prix at this very venue, will now start the sixth round of the 2003 season from the second row. Although Checa only gained a four-place advantage over his Friday performance – up from 12th on the grid to eighth – the 30-year-old is feeling more confident after today’s qualifying performance because of the progress made with the base chassis geometry by the team overnight.

Provisional polesitter Valentino Rossi (Honda, 1:43.927) was one of a few riders who were unable to improve on their provisional time, but still the defending MotoGP World Champion was able to retain his place at the head of the pack. The Italian will lead Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 1:44.333) and third fastest man Olivier Jacque (Gauloises Yamaha Team, 1:44.358) off the line once the lights go green – the Frenchman finding over one second today to place the YZR-M1 on the front row.

“We changed the balance of the bike overnight and it seemed to work,” explained local-boy Checa. “We saw yesterday that we hadn’t gone in the right direction with the bike’s balance so we made changes to the chassis. We lost a day but at least we’ve recovered a little today, and we’re starting from the second row. We’ve done a good job and I’m happy to have found my confidence with the bike.

“There’s no doubt that the race will be very tough. There are many competitive riders who can be up front and it’s good to see all the Yamaha riders improving. The most important point will be after 15 laps when we’ll see who can keep a good pace. I think Rossi seems to be OK, but I’m quite confident as well.”

Like his Fortuna Yamaha Team-mate, Melandri was able to improve on his provisional qualifying time but despite all efforts made by the team the 20-year-old rookie couldn’t advance any further up the grid – remaining 14th fastest on combined times. Although a little disappointed with the result Melandri is fully aware that the high temperatures have played a significant role in reducing drive he was able to get off the long turns.

“We’re having a difficult time,” admitted Melandri. “I just don’t have grip through the turns and can’t really open the gas. We’ve tried a lot of different things yesterday and today but nothing has really helped. Some things improve one area, but make another area worse. It’s hard, but we’ll be working tonight and looking to find something for tomorrow in the warm-up.”

“I’m very happy to see our riders moving in the right direction,” said Yamaha’s YZR-M1 project leader Mr Ichiro Yoda. “We’ve changed the balance of the bike slightly and worked on some suspension settings. I think Michelin obviously have some good tyres here that seem to suit the Yamaha.

“The conditions are very hot and that will make it pretty tough for the riders and the tyres in the race. It’s like an endurance race. This track is not an easy one, so I’m happy with where we are, which is more in the direction of what we expect. However, we are all still working hard to make sure we’re up front all the time.”


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Sweltering Catalunya. Tamada on third row with yesterday’s time.

The burning heat made track conditions very different from yesterday’s in terms of grip. Only one of the four riders who made tomorrow’s front row managed to do so with today’s time. For the others, their best time remained yesterday’s. The same was true for Makoto Tamada, for he was unable to improve yesterday’s qualifying time and thus made tenth place, putting him on the third row of tomorrow’s grid.

The technicians’ thermometers recorded 54 °C on the tarmac today and the Pramac Honda Team opted for even harder tyres to test their endurance. If the temperatures during the race are similar to those of today, they might indeed jeopardise the endurance of the tyres, so the technicians concentrated on a number of targeted tests.

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 10th – 1:44.922

“The change of temperature was unmistakable, and this is why we intensified our tests on the tyres. And it must be said, it’s not that easy to adapt the general settings of the bike, so we had plenty to do during the qualifying session this afternoon. If the heat keeps up like this tomorrow too, we can certainly expect a race in which it’s going to be essential to manage the tyres perfectly so as to keep up a good level of performance towards the end of the race as well. It’s not going to be that easy, but we’ll see. During the tests today, I wasn’t able to maintain a constant pace as I’d hoped, so now we’ll be working with the technicians to find the best strategy for the race.”


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

CATALUNYA GP/ SECOND QUALIFYING SESSION

MONTMELO’ – Fast and determined since this morning free session, Colin Edwards lost the front row for a hair’s breadth. A good start for an exciting race. Some difficulties for the Japanese rider on Aprilia RS Cube who is trying to find the right feeling with the front after the last crashes in Mugello. But the Japanese usually improved his performance during the race. In the meantime the technical staff is checking the situation…

COLIN EDWARDS: “I am angry cause I lost the front row for a hair’s breadth but if I am able to make a good start tomorrow the situation will easily improve. The choice of the tyres is the most difficult problem to solve! Everybody is complaining about it but I feel ready as I have already made my choice. Moreover the setting found by Marcellino Lucchi at Mugello changed completely my RS Cube. I feel ready for the race! I think I can easily stay with the firsts and there will be a lot of surprises tomorrow. They told me that the track surface is about 45 degrees: no problem as 45 is my favourite number!

NORIYUKI HAGA: “I have some problem in the braking but I think it’s my fault. I do not want to find any excuse: last crashes in Mugello reduced my feeling with the front. Anyway the bike is quite good: I have just to clarify a setting problem. I will solve it tomorrow during the warm up session.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “The gap with the firsts is very small. This means that we are working in the right way. We have already chose the tyres with Michelin staff and I think we will be very competitive tomorrow. After the tests made in Mugello we improved the engine supply it works well with the tyres. I am sorry for Nori because he has not been able to exploit these days in the best way. We will d our best to give him a competitive bike after the warm up. Colin has been very good today”.


More, from a press release issued by Suzuki:

HOPKINS BRAVES PAIN FOR FOURTH-ROW START

Circuit de Catalunya, Spain– Saturday, June 14, 2003:
Team Suzuki rider John Hopkins took a break from treatment for back injuries to qualify 13th-fastest for tomorrow’s GP of Catalunya, to lead the fourth row of the grid for the sixth race of the season.

Hopkins is the sole Suzuki rider for the race, with team-mate Kenny Roberts Junior sidelined by injuries sustained at last weekend’s Italian GP. Roberts flew back to the USA today for treatment to his chest injuries; but Hopkins had the benefit of top-level advice, with not only test rider Jean Michel Bayle observing from the trackside, but also 1993 Suzuki World Champion Kevin Schwantz.

But 20-year-old Anglo-Californian Hopkins has more problems than just the usual concerns of setting up the machine chassis and suspension, and selecting racing tyres good enough to survive blazing sunshine and track temperatures that today soared to 55 degrees. Continuing pain and stiffness in his back drove him to take the advice of team physiotherapist Dean Miller and consult Clinica Mobile chief Dr Claudio Costa yesterday. Costa diagnosed back injuries, although no fractures, and after today’s final hour-long session Hopkins returned to the Clinica to check for soft tissue damage.

Hopkins feels the pain and awkwardness of movement while he is riding, but declined the offer of painkillers. “I’d rather feel the pain than have them messing with my head in this heat,” he said.

Hopkins was one of a handful of riders who did not improve his lap time of yesterday in this afternoon’s session, but he had already proved in free training in the morning that he can go faster, and was not dismayed. Although the single fast lap proved elusive this afternoon, he was pleased with overall progress that put him in better shape for the race.

Today’s simmering heat is expected to continue tomorrow, promising a second successive race in punishingly hot conditions. Huge crowds are expected to flock to the 4.727km circuit outside Barcelona.

Team Suzuki is staying on at the Montmelo circuit on Monday and Tuesday for two days of intensive testing. Hopkins will be joined not only by factory tester Akiyoshi but also French motorcycling legend and Suzuki endurance racer Jean Michel Bayle.

JOHN HOPKINS – 13th Position, 1:45.416: I was quicker this morning, but I think that’s a temperature issue. Right now I’m riding to the ability of the bike with the low grip here. This afternoon I was concentrating more on race tyres, and putting together a good number of laps with consistent times. I put in a new tyre at the end, but I just didn’t get the lap time I wanted. But I’m feeling pretty confident for the race. This morning I did a bunch of sets of laps consistently, and where yesterday I couldn’t do 1:47s with race tyres, today it was easy. We’ve made an improvement from yesterday to today. It just didn’t show on the lap times.

KEVIN SCHWANTZ – 1993 World Champion: It seems like the bike runs good, and I think it can be a competitive with the engine it has. We need to concentrate on handling. Watching John today, he’s having trouble getting into the turns, and getting back on the throttle on the way out. He’s on the power a metre and a bit later than the others.

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager: John dug really deep today, putting the pain out of his mind, and concentrating on the job. He’s had a lot of help from Dean Miller and from Dr Costa, but in the end he’s the one who is going through the pain barrier.


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

With temperatures only increasing during the second day of qualifying for the Catalunya Grand Prix, held June 14, very few riders were expected to better their provisional times, but as the hour-long session came to a close Olivier Jacque (Gauloises Yamaha Team) produced a stunning lap to find a 1.011 second improvement over his provisional qualifying time. The Frenchman produced a 1:44.358 in the final few minutes of the session to lift himself up from tenth on the time sheets to third – a front row start for tomorrow’s 25-lap race and Jacque’s first this season. Although much of the gain came from the team’s effort at improving the M1’s overall balance, Jacque admits the slipstream provided by defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda) helped.

In an impressive team performance Jacque’s Gauloises Yamaha Team-mate Alex Barros set the third fastest time of the day, a 1:44.642, to feature well on the front row until Sete Gibernau (Honda, 1:44.366) relegated the Brazilian to fifth. Meanwhile fellow Yamaha rider Shinya Nakano (d’Antin Yamaha Team, 1:44.672) was unable to hold onto his provisional fourth place and, despite improving his qualifying time, finished the combined session sixth fastest.

Checa, who was pushing hard in the scorching conditions, made up ground in relation to the stopwatch and on the starting grid for tomorrow’s 25-lap main event. The Spaniard, who won his first ever 500 race at this venue will now start the sixth round of the 2003 season from the second row. Although Checa only gained a four-place advantage over his Friday performance – up from 12th on the grid to eighth – the 30-year-old is feeling more confident since the progress made by the team with the base geometry.

Provisional polesitter Rossi (1:43.927) was one a few riders who were unable to improve on their provisional time, but still Rossi was able to retain his place at the head of the pack ahead of fellow Italian Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 1:44.333).

Gauloises Yamaha Team
Olivier Jacque 3rd, 1:44.358: “I didn’t intentionally wait for Rossi to come by, but being behind him undoubtedly helped – not in terms of trajectory – there wasn’t any big difference in our lines – but in terms of slipstream. At a circuit like this, for example, with a very long straight, you can gain significantly in top speed when you are tucked in behind someone. Obviously though, even to be able to do that your bike needs to be good and we have worked well here since the start of the weekend. Our set-up isn’t radically different from Mugello but we have made a number of small improvements that together make the bike more competitive. As far as the race is concerned tyre choice is going to be crucial. Whatever happens it is going to be a tough one, but hopefully starting from the front row I will be able to stay with the front runners and put in a good result.”

Alex Barros 5th, 1:44.642: “We have worked well since the start of practice and I’m quite happy with how everything has gone. The bike is better than it was at Mugello. We have tried a lot of different tyres and have managed to improve the amount of feedback I am getting from the front-end. If I hadn’t made a couple of little mistakes on my fastest lap I could have maybe gone 1/10th of a second faster, but still I think my grid position is good enough, and my bike fast enough to be able to stay with the front group. For the race the crucial factor is going to be tyre choice. We need to find the right compromise between grip and durability and at the moment have narrowed it down to three possibilities.”

D’Antin Yamaha Team
Shinya Nakano 4th, 1:44.765: “Today was a difficult day to try and improve, mainly because of the heat. Unfortunately I couldn’t keep my place on the front row, but I’m still confident for the race as I have a good pace and there aren’t big time differences between the front guys. Tomorrow we’ll be working in the warm-up to improve some things further with the suspension and I’m confident we’ll be able to do it.”

Fortuna Yamaha Team
Carlos Checa 8th, 1:44.790: “We changed the balance of the bike overnight and it seemed to work. We saw yesterday that we hadn’t gone in the right direction with the bike’s balance so we made changes to the chassis. We lost a day but at least we’ve recovered a little today, and we’re starting from the second row. We’ve done a good job and I’m happy to have found my confidence with the bike. There’s no doubt that the race will be very tough. There are many competitive riders who can be up front and it’s good to see all the Yamaha riders improving. The most important point will be after 15 laps when we’ll see who can keep a good pace. I think Rossi seems to be OK, but I’m quite confident as well.”

Marco Melandri 14th, 1:45.804: “We’re having a difficult time. I just don’t have grip through the turns and can’t really open the gas. We’ve tried a lot of different things yesterday and today but nothing has really helped. Some things improve one area, but make another area worse. It’s hard, but we’ll be working tonight and looking to find something for tomorrow in the warm-up.”


More, from John Hopkins’ publicist:

HOPKINS QUALIFIES FOR GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA DESPITE INJURY

MONTMELÓ, Spain (June 14, 2003) – Suzuki’s John Hopkins qualified 13th for Sunday’s Grand Prix of Catalunya in spite of serious back pain that lingers from his crash suffered last week in the Italian Grand Prix. Hopkins turned a time of 1:45.516 on the factory Suzuki GSV-R during Friday’s qualifying. He was unable to better the time during Saturday’s session. Defending World Champion Valentino Rossi took the pole with a time of 1:43.927.

Hopkins will be the sole Suzuki entry this weekend. His teammate Kenny Roberts, Jr., will miss the GP due to injuries he sustained last week when he lost control of his bike and collided with Hopkins at Mugello.

“The pain I had in my neck migrated down my back,” Hopkins explained. “Fortunately Desiree (Hopkins’ girlfriend) is a certified massage therapist and she gets a lot of credit for helping me to get to the point of being able to ride this weekend.”

The heat was oppressive at Catalunya Circuit on Saturday. Hopkins said the team concentrated on working towards a good race set up.

“We just ran the race settings today to try to make the bike as controllable as possible,” Hopkins said. “I’m just happy to be out here racing after looking at the tape of the crash last week. I like this circuit. It has a good combination of fast corners, tight corners and elevation changes.”

Hopkins will head up the fourth row on Sunday’s grid. He added that a clean race was what he was aiming for this weekend. Hopkins hopes to work back into the top 10 in the world championship standings over the next few rounds.

His 13th qualifying position matches his starting spot last year at Catalunya. He went on to finish 11th in that race.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Final 125cc Grand Prix Qualifying Results:

1. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, 1:51.043
2. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 1:51.220
3. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, 1:51.281
4. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, 1:51.349
5. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, 1:51.417
6. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 1:51.453
7. Youichi Ui, Aprilia, 1:51.686
8. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, 1:51.971
9. Stefano Perugini, Aprilia, 1:52.011
10. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, 1:52.076
11. Jorge Lorenzo, Derbi, 1:52.295
12. Gabor Talmacsi, Aprilia, 1:52.386
13. Gioele Pellino, Aprilia, 1:52.954
14. Thomas Luthi, Honda, 1:52.994
15. Mike DiMeglio, Aprilia, 1:53.052
16. Simone Corsi, Honda, 1:53.111
17. Arnaud Vincent, KTM, 1:53.122
18. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, 1:53.148
19. Mika Kallio, Honda, 1:53.160
20. Fabrizio Lai, Malaguti, 1:53.387