Copyirght 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
Saturday’s Wet MotoGP Qualifying Times:
1. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton KR3, 1:50.666
2. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:51.583
3. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR5, 1:51.641
4. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:51.951
5. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:52.179
6. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 1:52.453
7. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:52.736
8. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:53.049
9. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 1:53.234
10. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:53.639
11. Andrew Pitt, Kawaskai, 1:54.276
12. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:55.326
13. Norick Abe, Yamaha, 1:55.892
14. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:56.130
15. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:56.244
16. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:56.606
17. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:57.113
18. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 1:57.121
19. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:57.325
20. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 1:57.419
21. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:58.176
22. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:58.300
23. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:59.139
Final MotoGP Qualifying Results:
1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:35.208*
2. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 1:35.985
3. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:36.019
4. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:36.161
5. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:36.169
6. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:36.240
7. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:36.314
8. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:36.402
9. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:36.512
10. Norick Abe, Yamaha, 1:36.617
11. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:36.673
12. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton KR3, 1:36.720
13. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:36.773
14. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:36.782
15. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:36.868
16. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:36.962
17. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:37.033
18. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 1:37.122
19. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 1:37.239
20. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR3, 1:37.515
21. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 1:37.647
22. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 1:38.956
23. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:39.263
*New Circuit Best Lap Record
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
French GP, Le Mans
Final Qualifying
Saturday, May 24 2003
DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RETAINS FRONT-ROW START AT WET LE MANS
Rain ruled all day at Le Mans today but there was a silver lining to the clouds for the Ducati Marlboro Team, with Loris Capirossi retaining his front-row start thanks to his performance from yesterday’s dry opening session. Team-mate Troy Bayliss wasn’t so lucky – he rode his first laps of the French track yesterday, setting 14th fastest time, but was obviously unable to improve during this afternoon’s soaking and slippery session.
“This is our first time here with the Desmosedici, so the weather hasn’t been kind to us,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “We’ve only had two hours of dry track time so far, and tomorrow’s forecast suggests that the race will be dry. Really we don’t mind what the weather does because Troy was great in the wet today but lacked something in the dry yesterday, while it was the other way around for Loris! If morning warm-up is dry we’ll be able to evaluate some of the suspension adjustments we wanted to try in the dry today. Either way, the race looks like being a gamble for us.
“Anyway, I’m happy that Troy was fast today, it proves that the bike is user-friendly in the wet. All we change for the wet is tyres, brakes and suspension settings, we don’t touch the engine mapping.”
CAPIROSSI PRAYS FOR SUN!
Loris Capirossi had a storming first day of qualifying yesterday, putting his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici on the provisional front row despite serious stomach problems that had put him in hospital on Tuesday. That dogged ride paid off today when rain effectively cancelled out this afternoon’s final qualifying session. Capirossi was 16th in the wet as he experimented with different rain settings but retains his front-row start for tomorrow’s French GP, round four of the 2003 MotoGP series.
“The rain wasn’t what we wanted but it gave us the chance to do some very important work on our wet-weather set-up,” said Capirossi. “We changed a lot of things but I’m not 100 per cent happy with the results because I’ve not go as much rear traction as I’d like. If it’s wet again for morning warm-up I hope to try some more adjustments, but I don’t want a wet race. The good thing is that I’m on the front row, apart from that we must just hope for the best with the weather.”
BAYLISS PRAYS FOR RAIN!
Le Mans first-timer Troy Bayliss needed dry weather more than most today, so he could continue learning his way around the tricky French circuit. But luck was against the Ducati Marlboro Team rider, rain falling throughout the day. Undaunted, Bayliss got to grips with the super-slippery circuit, ending up fourth quickest in this afternoon’s rain-soaked final qualifier, though that didn’t improve his grid position from yesterday’s dry and therefore much faster opening qualifying session. Given the choice, Bayliss would prefer a wet race, but he doesn’t expect Lady Luck to shine on him.
“Honestly, I always like a dry race,” said the Aussie, renowned as a super-fast rider whatever the conditions. “But I’ve had so little dry-track time here that I’d prefer rain tomorrow, but that won’t happen! Today wasn’t so bad, in fact it was quite good. We’ve found a really nice front rain tyre if it is wet for the race. But this place is super slippery – wet or dry it’s got nowhere near as much grip as tracks like Jerez and Assen. In the wet you’ve got to be really careful on the gas…”
More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:
French Grand Prix
Saturday, 24 May 2003
Le Mans, France
WET LE MANS FINAL QUALIFIER CEMENTS MELANDRI’S DEBUT MOTOGP FRONT ROW START
As predicted the weather for the French Grand Prix took a turn for the worse during the final qualifying session today, however cementing MotoGP rookie Marco Melandri’s debut front row start for tomorrow’s 28-lap race. The young Italian posted a 1:36.161 time aboard his Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1 in yesterday’s dry qualifier to be the fourth fastest, from a field of 23 entries. This will only be Melandri’s second MotoGP race, since the high-speed incident in Suzuka that put him out of contention for the first two races this season. The talented 20-year-old will start Sunday’s main event alongside riders in the calibre of polesitter and defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda, 1:35.208), Alex Barros (Gauloises Yamaha Team, 1:35.985) and third place qualifier Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 1:36.019).
With no opportunity to improve his time in the wet conditions Melandri spent both free practice and qualifying focusing heavily on finding a competitive wet weather set-up in preparation for what could possibly be a wet Le Mans Grand Prix tomorrow. Although the 2002 250cc World Champion feels confident that he and the team have found what they were looking for Melandri is still hopeful for a dry race for both himself and the fans.
“I’m actually not as happy as I was yesterday as I couldn’t go really fast today because of the weather,” joked Melandri. “But I can’t complain because I’m on the front row and it’s only my second race of the year with the M1. Riding this bike in wet conditions is completely different to riding it in the dry but I do have some wet weather experience from winter tests, as we had some really bad weather in our tests in Jerez. Seriously I am delighted with today’s result because two weeks ago I was on the fourth row, which was a totally different situation. I also wasn’t at my best physically then but I am feeling so much better now. Many riders crashed today so I am quite glad I didn’t push too hard. I’m going to keep thinking positive, that the weather will be better tomorrow, and let’s see what happens.”
For Melandri’s team-mate Carlos Checa the poor conditions during the second qualifier had the adverse effect of hindering any opportunity at making an improvement on his provisional grid position. The Spaniard produced a 1:36.240 in the opening dry session yesterday, placing him sixth behind Max Biaggi (Honda, 1:36.169), and was confident of advancing further up the grid if the conditions remained the same for today… they did not. As with Melandri, this left Checa with no other option other than to prepare the Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1 for a possible wet race, setting the fifth fastest time in the process – 1.513 seconds shy of the web-footed Jeremy McWilliams (Proton KR).
“We’ve been working on our wet weather set-up and I feel much more comfortable this afternoon than I did this morning,” said Checa. “We have tested the right tyres with Michelin and I got a good feeling. There are still some parts of the track where I’m finding it difficult to go faster, at the exit of many turns particularly. I had so much speed and maybe not enough traction. It’s quite difficult here to transfer all the power through the tyres onto the asphalt. Anyway we have a good base from yesterday, and I have a good position on the grid so hopefully we will do well. The only thing that we can’t control is the weather!”
Fortuna Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio had this to say: “The team have worked really hard this weekend and put in every extra effort to help the riders as much as possible. The weather meant we had to spend a lot of time to find the right set-up and tyres for these conditions today, but with Michelin, the riders and the team we have obviously found a good combination. Marco’s performance yesterday and today has been outstanding considering the bad luck he has had until now. It’s only his second race with this bike and he is already showing great maturity in his style and his speed adapting to different circuits and conditions. I have every confidence in him for tomorrow. Carlos had a difficult morning this morning but this afternoon with his team he has managed to find a good set-up and he is feeling comfortable for tomorrow. Both riders have good grid positions so let’s go for it tomorrow!”
