From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

NEW SUZUKI IN TOP TEN AS GP SEASON BEGINS

Team Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins placed seventh and 12th in today’s first timed practice session for Sunday’s Japanese GP – opening round of the 2003 season. This puts Roberts on the second row of the provisional grid, and Hopkins on the third.

The weather took a hand in proceedings at the slightly revised Suzuka circuit, which has gained four metres in length and an extra zig-zag to the chicane. It was cool but dry for the morning free practice session, but intermittently drizzling and damp in patches in the afternoon. Riders were still able to use slick tyres, but lap times were down by two seconds or so, and there were several crashes or near misses in the tricky conditions.

Roberts and Hopkins are riding the all-new Suzuki GSV-R 990cc V4 four-stroke racing prototype, which took to the test circuits for the first time late in January. The new bike is a significant improvement on last year’s Mk1 version, but is still at an early stage of development, with factory engineers hard at work to increase the power output, to achieve the new bike’s full competitive potential.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr. – Seventh position, 2:08.369
The damp this afternoon was a nice change, because it gave us an opportunity to do a little better than we had expected. We were on the track at the right time with the right tyres. Now we’ll have to wait and see how the weather is going to pan out tomorrow, though obviously it needs to be either wet or dry for the race. Like this it is difficult for the riders and the teams, Our target in the dry is to get down to a low six or a mid five, and just try to be consistent. I’m working more on race pace than a fast practice lap. It seems like it will be extremely difficult to get on the first three rows in the dry, and there’s not a big difference between the fourth or the fifth row. I need to concentrate on getting the bike as good as I can for the race. The engine is dictating everything we do at the moment, and the Japanese are trying to come up with things to improve that.

JOHN HOPKINS – 12th position, 2:09.141
This morning I got a pretty decent time – the fastest we have done so far here. It helped getting a tow behind Rossi. The afternoon session was a bit iffy. I started out on full wet tyres, but it was like riding on butter, so I came in and went out on slicks, and started to find the limits of the machine in the conditions. I could have probably dropped another second or so, but I got stuck behind Bayliss, and he was much faster down the straights. No matter how much harder I braked, I just couldn’t get past him.

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager
If the weather stays damp for the rest of the weekend, at least we’re in the top half. But it’s a pity we weren’t able to get more laps this afternoon, as all the factory staff are here, and taking a keen interest in speeding up the development of the new machine.

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Both Carlos Checa (Fortuna Yamaha Team) and Alex Barros (Gauloises Yamaha Team) kicked off the 2003 season by setting the fastest laps at some stage during the first half of a damp Suzuka MotoGP opening qualifier, held April 4, only for rain to prematurely end any hope of improving their times. Checa eventually ended the day on the front row, fourth fastest with a 2:07.426, only moments after initially setting a provisional pole time. Second quickest was Italian Max Biaggi (2:07.092) closely followed by his Honda teammate Tohru Ukawa (2:07.298).

Barros, also set a provisional pole time, a 2:08.670 in the early stages, which was some four seconds faster than his nearest challenger at that time. The Brazilian then entered the pits for a set-up change to his factory Yamaha YZR-M1, to suit the drying conditions, during which time Valentino Rossi (Honda) took provisional pole – setting a 2:06.836 just prior to the arrival of a light rain shower.

Shinya Nakano (d’Antin Yamaha Team, 2:08.930) also featured well on the time sheets during the early stages, finishing tenth fastest with a 2:08.930 – 0.145 seconds behind 2002 World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards (Aprilia, 2:08.785). Wildcard entry and Yamaha Factory Test rider Norick Abe (2:09.162) was 14th.

Marco Melandri (Fortuna Yamaha Team) was absent from the qualifying session after crashing heavily during the morning practice session, sustaining injuries to his right leg. The 20-year-old Italian was 29 minutes into the first official session when he slid from his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine on the fast right-hand corner after the hairpin (the exit of T12). Initial reports from the Suzuka circuit medical center indicate that Melandri has suffered a fracture to his right femur and ankle. He has been taken by helicopter to Mie General Medical Centre near Yokkaichi and the team is waiting for further details of his injuries.

Fortuna Yamaha Team
Carlos Checa 4th, 2:07.426: “My position is OK and I’m happy because I was able to improve the feeling a bit from this morning. I found a little bit more stability and a better front braking package, but I only had five laps out there, which is a shame. I just need to concentrate and keep working with the bike and the team to improve my level in the dry. I went out on slicks and it seems that my timing was good, but on the last lap I saw some drops of rain on my visor and the rear was sliding, so I came in to wait it out… but it didn’t dry.

“It’s a real shame to see what happened to Marco – he’s been doing a really good job until now. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he comes back with the same enthusiasm he’s had so far.”

Gauloises Yamaha Team
Alex Barros 8th, 2:08.670: “In this situation qualifying is just a gamble. I was initially quickest, but then everyone else went faster while I was in the pits. As with everybody, I started out on wets just to check the conditions, before changing to my second bike with a dry set-up, and did a couple of laps to see how it was. I came in for a new rear tyre and a few chassis changes to help set a qualifying time, but on my first flying lap the rain caught me out and I lost the opportunity.

“Tomorrow I still want to compare the two different fairing sets we have, that’s why I used it today. Each one has certain advantages, but I’m confident with the setting as it is and hope I can improve my time tomorrow.”

Olivier Jacque 21st, 2:11.924: “This morning I had a very good session and improved my feeling on the bike a great deal since our test here a few days ago. We had a good discussion with the team and the Yamaha engineers, and now I understand the bike better. It is a big pity that I did not get an opportunity to set a good time this afternoon. I went out on a wet set-up, changed to intermediates for a few laps, and then went out on slicks with a dry set-up to do a time. I left it a bit late and lost the front end in the wet Spoon Curve… I was lucky, I barely managed to keep the bike up.”

d’Antin Yamaha Team
Shinya Nakano 10th, 2:08.930: “These conditions are so tricky. At this stage I did not want to take too many risks. In the first 20 minutes the track was reasonably dry, much too dry for wet tyres anyway. On dry tyres I tried to find the limits and got more confident. I decided to do a fast lap and managed to follow Rossi, but the in the back section of the track it was already wet. The set-up of the bike is quite OK, though, I think I can further improve my time if I get the chance.”

Yamaha Racing Team
Norick Abe 14th, 2:09.162: “Riding a bike with so much in the way of new development parts requires a lot of testing, and in these conditions it’s even worse. I need maximum track time to arrive at a good setting, and time is very limited as it is without having rain bring things to an end. To make things worse I changed the set-up of the bike after this morning’s session, but obviously I had no chance to properly test it.

“I spent too much time on cut slicks and the rain caught me out just when I changed to dry tyres. There is more rain expected for tomorrow so this is not so positive, but timed practice might be dry, so I hope I get the chance to set the bike up for a successful race.”

More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Provisionnal Front Row for Checa, Melandri to Miss Race After Morning Fall

A provisional front row start for Carlos Checa restored some cheer to the Fortuna Yamaha Team in this afternoon’s rain-interrupted first qualifying session. The Spaniard recorded the fourth fastest time but only completed a total of 5 laps as light drizzle left most of the MotoGP riders sitting out for the majority of the session. The result was welcomed by the team who had earlier had to wait for news of 20-year-old Italian Marco Melandri after his heavy fall during first practice.

Checa was pleased with his grid position but would have ideally liked more dry track time to assess changes to his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine made after this morning’s free practice.

“My position is OK and I’m happy because I was able to improve the feeling a bit from this morning,” said the Spanish rider. “I found a little bit more stability and better front braking, but I only had five laps out there which is a shame. I just need to concentrate and keep working with the bike and the team to improve my level in the dry. I went out on slicks and it seems that my timing was good, but on the last lap I saw some drops of rain on my visor and the rear was sliding so I came in to wait but it didn’t dry. “It’s a real shame to see what happened to Marco – he’s been doing a really good job until now. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he comes back with the same enthusiasm he’s had so far.”

Marco Melandri high-sided on the exit of turn 12 this morning, causing the session to be red-flagged. After initial treatment in the Suzuka circuit medical centre he was taken by helicopter to the Mie General Medical Centre near Yokkaichi for further X-rays and treatment.

Team Director Davide Brivio was at the hospital with Melandri and on his return reported that the young rider had suffered a broken nose but no other head or internal injuries. He has a partial “chipped” fracture at the base of the right femur and a double fracture of the right ankle. He underwent minor surgery on his ankle to close the wound. Melandri will remain in hospital under observation for 48 hours and the doctors will assess if further surgery is required. Without further complications, Melandri should be able to return to Italy as planned on Monday. It is too early to say when the 2002 250cc World Champion will return to competitive action.

Fortuna Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio commented on the day’s events: “Marco’s injury is not as bad as we had initially thought. The data shows he was travelling at just under 200 km/h when he high-sided and he was hit by the bike so it could have been a lot worse. He was so keen to start the Championship and ride in his first MotoGP race so it’s a great shame.

“Our thoughts are with Marco but at the same time it’s good to see Carlos on the provisional front row. He and the team did a good job to be out there on slick tyres at the right time. The weather forecast is unpredictable for the rest of the weekend so a good grid position was important. We are now considering with the Yamaha Factory management which replacement rider we will use for the next Grand Prix.”

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

Nobuatsu Aoki: 19th, 2:10.120
Jeremy McWilliams: 25th, 2:25.328

Spasmodic drizzle and a patchily damp track spoiled the first qualifying session of the 2003 GP season, with riders left to second-guess changing conditions, and the track neither wet nor fully dry at any stage of the hour-long afternoon session.

Team Proton riders Nobuatsu Aoki and Jeremy McWilliams might have counted this in their favour. The pair, riding the only two-stroke 500cc machines in a field of much faster 990cc four-strokes, can use their lightweight machine’s much better handling and braking to advantage in tricky conditions. But the conditions were too unsettled, and bother riders did only a handful of laps

McWilliams especially was wrong-footed by a machine problem that struck at the most inconvenient possible moment. His time was outside the 107-percent-of-pole minimum, and he is so far not qualified for Sunday’s GP, opening round of the 2003 season. The Ulster rider, who celebrates his 39th birthday today, desperately needs it to be dry enough tomorrow afternoon to

The weekend is in any case little more than a practice session, using last year’s machine. Proton is well advanced with building their own 990cc V5 four-stroke racing prototype, but teething troubles meant that the bike was not race-ready for opening round of the season.

Provisional pole position at the slightly altered Suzuka circuit went to defending champion Valentino Rossi (Honda), but the mixed conditions meant that although riders were still able to use slick tyres, lap times were two or more seconds slower than in the dry morning free practice session.

There is one more free practice session and another one-hour timed qualifying session tomorrow, before Sunday’s race.

Nobuatsu Aoki
It was very difficult. The track didn’t look wet, but when I tried to go fast I was really sliding a lot. I kept on running, because it seemed as if it was getting drier. Then when I saw on my pit board that the gap to pole position was okay and I was qualified, then I pulled in. The track is different so it is hard to make many comparisons with last year, but it seems the Bridgestone tyres have made a step forward with encdurance compared with the race here last year.

Jeremy McWilliams
I didn’t have cut slicks when I needed them, then when I did put them on my number one bike, it had an engine problem after just one lap. It took a long time to change the settings on the other bike from wet to dry, and it meant I missed the window. When I did go out it was wetter, especially at the Spoon Curve, where a lot of people were going off, so I came in and sat around, hoping it would dry up. But it didn’t. I usually like these mixed conditions, but they didn’t work out for me today. It’s a bit of a mess – I really need for it not to rain tomorrow so I can get qualified.

Kenny Roberts – Team Owner
We’re a little bit down on top speed! At the moment, the weather isn’t co-operating with us, so we can’t really measure tyre progress or anything. We’re all waiting for the four-stroke, and we have some parts on order that will come within a week that should give us something to get our teeth into. We’re that close to getting the new bike out on the track.

More, from a press release issued by Camel Pramac Pons:

Biaggi & Ukawa provisional front-row
4/4/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan

Biaggi and Ukawa kick off the season with provisional front-row grid positions

The 2003 MotoGP World Championship got underway today at the Suzuka circuit, host to the Japanese Grand Prix, the first of the sixteen races that make up the calendar. In difficult weather conditions, with the track neither wet nor dry, the Camel Pramac Pons riders made the most of their opportunity and placed their bikes on the provisional front row of the grid.

2nd Max Biaggi (2:07.092):
“I am satisfied with my second position on the grid since the track conditions were very difficult and it was easy to make a mistake. Today the track was neither wet nor dry, but the important thing was to put in a good performance and make the most of the difficult conditions and circumstances. Tomorrow it could rain and today’s classification could turn into the definitive grid line-up for Sunday’s race, and this is what counts. We have a good set-up since the IRTA test and I am optimistic”.

3rd Tohru Ukawa (2:07.298):
“After last Monday’s, I used a brand new bike and I felt comfortable riding it, just as I did in the last IRTA tests of Suzuka and the Circuit de Catalunya. My left knee is still a little painful, but once I am on the bike it does not give me any problems. The first day’s practice has not been so useful because of the strange weather conditions, since we have not ridden in wet or dry conditions. The grip on the track has changed since last Monday so we must work on the set-up”.

Antonio Cobas (Technical Director):
“The track conditions have changed with referente to the last practice sessions and we have had to work again on the suspensión settings. Tomorrow we must continue to work to give us the best chance. It is a shame that, even though we have been training here for two days previously, there are still some dry tyres that we have not been able to test and it has not rained enough to test the new wet tyres”.

Sito Pons:
“I am very happy because this has been an excellent debut for our team, that has new riders and sponsors this season. The riders and our technical staff have done some excellent work during the winter and the results can be seen now”.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Marlboro Team 13th & 15th in wet
4/4/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan

Ducati Marlboro fastest in Dry, 13th & 15th in wet qualifier

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi were victims of Suzuka’s predictably unpredictable weather this afternoon, ending the first qualifying session of the 2003 MotoGP session 13th and 15th quickest. Earlier in the day Capirossi had underlined the potential of the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici by heading the ‘unofficial’ morning session, with Suzuka newcomer Bayliss a promising 11th fastest.

The qualifying session began with drizzle falling, the team opting to play safe and send out its riders with an intermediate/rain tyre combination. Both men then switched to intermediates/slicks as the track dried and moved into the top five, but were slipped down the order as other riders changed to slicks and upped the pace. Rain began to fall more heavily after 30 minutes, just as the pair were getting up to speed on slicks, the wet track ensuring that lap times weren’t bettered. Most riders spent the last half hour sheltering in the pits, vainly waiting for conditions to improve.

“We were playing safe,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “We started with rain tyres when some people started with intermediates, and when we switched to intermediates, others changed to slicks. And then it started to rain properly! But we are happy – there’s no point in taking risks in the first qualifying session of the year – we had no problems and no crashes, and we know the bike’s performance is already very good. We just hope for better weather tomorrow.”

Bayliss 13th & Learning Suzuka’s Secrets
Former World Superbike champ Troy Bayliss was happy enough with his first official day as a MotoGP rider, though he would have preferred better weather conditions. The Ducati Marlboro Team man, who first rode around Suzuka a few days ago in the final all-team preseason test session, needs every dry lap he can get around this ultra-complex track.

“It would’ve been better to have started this afternoon with maybe a rear slick, but we’ve not got much experience around here, so we played safe,” said the Australian who celebrated his 34th birthday last Sunday. “I went out to have a look on wets, and by the time we were really getting going it started to rain. But I’m not devastated, it is what it is, the rain came at the wrong time and caught out a lot of other people too. Now we’ll just wait and see what tomorrow’s weather brings. I like the track, it’s tricky and it’s probably still hiding a few secrets from me.”

Fast Capirossi Caught out by Rain
Loris Capirossi once again proved the speed of his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici by setting the pace in this morning’s session but was less lucky this afternoon. Like team-mate Bayliss, he started with a wet/intermediate combination, then switched to an intermediate/front before finally fitting slicks front and rear just as the rain came. He ended the day 15th, hoping for better weather tomorrow.

“The results of this afternoon’s session are a bit ‘false’,” said the former 125 and 250 king who celebrated his 30th birthday today, cutting a birthday cake in the pits at noon. “The circuit was rather slippery early on, and maybe I was a bit too prudent on my first run, then it started to rain as we fitted slicks. We waited for the rain to stop, but it didn’t.

“If it rains again tomorrow I’ll have to start the race from the fourth row, which could be a problem, but at least I’m now on a four-stroke, so I can fight with the others. The morning session showed that everything’s perfect for us when the conditions are right. I was consistently fast, not just for one lap, thanks to our new Ohlins forks which give really good ‘feel’. Overall, I think we’re doing okay.”

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

Rain Hinders Kawasaki Hopes

Suzuka, Japan – Friday April 4th 2003, Kawasaki kicked off the 2003 MotoGP world championship in steady fashion today at the Suzuka circuit.
With rain falling intermittently during the session, conditions were far from perfect for Australian duo Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt to show the full potential of the ZX-RR.

McCoy ended up 20th fastest, the damp conditions preventing him from making any progress with the latest generation ZX-RR, which includes a new chassis, swingarm and revised engine.

Pitt also found the session a frustrating affair as he finished in a disappointing 24th place.
Pitt crashed uninjured halfway through the session at the Spoon Curve.

Development rider Akira Yanagawa made good use of his vast track knowledge to finish 18th fastest. All three riders are hoping for improved conditions tomorrow in a bid to get in a more challenging grid position for Sunday’s 21-lap race.

Garry McCoy – 20th – 2:11.514
“I went out on intermediates because it was difficult to say how wet the track was. It was still quite grippy so I kept going quicker and quicker. We had a setting in the ignition that I was having problems with, so I came in and fixed that, and put a slick in the rear. It was going fine but it was a case of working out how far the slicks were going to hang on. Just as I felt I was getting up to speed and felt like I could put in a good time, it started raining around the back part of the track.”

Andrew Pitt – 24th – 2:13.871
“At the start of the session it was hard to feel the limit. It started to dry a little bit and I came in for a slick tyre in the rear, but maybe it was a lap or two too late. I needed to get out and do the lap before it started to rain again. I thought I was on quite a good lap, I was behind Jacque and I got about three quarters of the way round and it was starting to rain again. I probably should have shut off but I needed to finish the lap to get a good time in. I lost the front as it started to rain more.”

Akira Yanagawa – 18th – 2:09.934
“I had the wrong tyre on for my flying lap. I had a cut slick on the front with a full slick on the rear. There was good grip from the rear but it was pushing the front. The front started to chatter and I couldn’t make a faster lap. I came into the pits for a slick front, but then it rained again. The new chassis has different geometry that has given me more confidence for the corners. The bike is easier to change direction.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“The situation today was not ideal because of the bad weather conditions. The riders were not so lucky because they came in when the track was dry and when they went back out it started to rain again. Andrew was unlucky. He crashed when it had rained and he was using a slick tyre on the rear. We hope tomorrow the weather will be better.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Rossi Sets the Pace
4/4/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan

The 2003 Motorcycle World Championship has started officially today at the Japanese Circuit of Suzuka. The weather conditions, always unstable at the Asian country, were the protagonists of this first day. At mid-qualifying session of the 125 GP, the rain showed up, just when Dani Pedrosa was being second behind the rider of the Republic of San Marino Alex de Angelis. The session finished with Pedrosa second, Héctor Barberá ninth and Pablo Nieto eleventh.

In the premier category, the free practices of the morning had a negative side given Marco Melandri’s heavy crash. The 2002 World Champion of the 250GP suffered a crash in a fast section of the circuit, fracturing the femur and ankle of his right leg, as well as his nose. With regard to the sporting aspect, the timed session was marked by intermittent rain, that interrupted the normal development of the session. Valentino Rossi started the season with a firm step, taking the provisional pole on a quite complicated day. His team-mate Nicky Hayden finished twenty-third, after suffering a light crash during the free practice in the morning.

In 250 GP, the rain played a nasty trick on some of the riders, including Toni Elias. At the beginning of the timed session, the track had some dry and some wet areas. Toni Elias, who had started with slick tyres, was surprised by the rain during his fast lap and decided to get back to his pit since he considered it to be a too dangerous situation. His team-mate Fonsi Nieto, who decided to mount mixed tyres, used those initial moments to make his fastest lap, as did other riders. And the final result of this disordered situation was the ninth fastest time for Fonsi Nieto, and his team-mate not qualifying after making a time eleven seconds slower than the best time, made by the local rider and “wild card” Hiroshi Aoyama.

Something similar happened to Joan Olivé and his team-mate Héctor Faubel. While Faubel managed to make the eighteenth fastest time in his fourth lap, Olivé is out of the minimum qualifying time, just behind Elias. Elias, Olivé and other five riders, including Manuel Poggiali, will have to wait fot tomorrow’s session in order to qualify for the Grand Prix of Japan. Sebastián Porto, the YPF rider who was riding for the first time in the class with his Honda RSW 250cc, made the sixth fastest time after showing a constant evolution throughout the first day of practices.

Valentino Rossi, 2.06.838. 1st:
“This morning in the dry situation the bike felt good. We had a good rhythm and managed to make some good lap times. We had a good set-up from the beginning really following on from all the work we did in the tests here where the team worked well and we found a good solution for the feel of the bike. This afternoon we were lucky with the strange conditions as we made a good time and the rain started to come at the right moment! For tomorrow I’d like to get some good conditions again”.

Nicky Hayden, 2.13.588. 23th
“This morning things were going pretty good – then I fell off! Pretty big crash really; 4th gear; shook me up quite a bit and I’m feeling a little sore. We lost a bit of time but we managed to get out again on the spare bike but it was difficult to get back into it. This afternoon it was pretty damp. I went out on intermediate tyres and didn’t really have such a good feel with the bike. I came in and put some slicks on and managed to get going quite well and my lap time were really coming down but then it started to rain again. Funny old first day. I guess I’ve got to start somewhere! It’s only Friday; I’ve got the whole of Saturday.”

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Pramac Honda Suzuka QP1
4/4/2003 – Grand Prix of Japan

Suzuka, Japan Round 1 – 4/5/6 April – 2003
Friday – 4 April – Qualifying

Makoto Tamada makes fifth place and second provisional row at Suzuka.

Vexing drizzle hampers first round of qualifying in the 2003 World Championship at Suzuka. The successful strategy of the team and the determination of Makoto Tamada enabled the great Japanese rider to close the first qualifying session with fifth best time and second row on the provisional grid. The weather forecast for tomorrow promises nothing but heavy rain, so Tamada might yet find himself with his excellent position of today for the race on Sunday. Tamada started the timed laps on cut slicks and then, as soon as the track dried out, he moved over to slicks. Three ever-faster laps took him up to first place in the provisional ratings before it was taken by Rossi, who was then followed by the two Camel Pramac Pons team riders, Biaggi and Ukawa, and by Checa. At the end of the half-hour, there was more rain and nobody was then able to improve their lap times.

Pramac Group lands in China
Since this morning, the front fairing of Makoto Tamada’s RC211V has borne the Pramac logo with Chinese ideograms to celebrate the inauguration of the Group’s 16,000 square-metre factory in China. A new industrial plant for the manufacture of portable generators for the world market.

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 5th – 2’08.103
“Our strategy worked perfectly, for just at the right moment, as the track began to dry out, we immediately shifted over to slicks and I just went flat out. It was 20 minutes from the beginning of the session and I was improving on each lap, trying to get the best possible time: after just a few times round, I took the top spot. Then there were some more drops of water and there was no way I could improve further. If it rains tomorrow, as the forecast suggests, today’s positions may be carried over to the starting grid on Sunday. I’d love to be able to get into the great atmosphere of the very first places on the grid in this debut MotoGP race.”

More, from a press release issued by KTM:

Rain in Suzuka for the first official practice session

KTM officially unveiled their machine and rider line-up at Suzuka yesterday, with 125cc World Champion Arnaud Vincent pulling back the dust sheets from the bike he will use to defend the number one plate in 2003. Former title holder Roberto Locatelli sat proudly alongside his new colleague and their team of top class engineers which features, amongst others, Harald Bartol – and Warren Willing, who last year worked extensively on the Suzuki GSV-R four-stroke MotoGP project.

The Austrian factory plan to have their own MotoGP four-stroke on the racetrack by 2005, but for now their objectives lay firmly in the 125 class. `Our first target is to finish the race here at Suzuka, said Bartol. `So far we have not done enough testing, we need more time to find the right set-ups. The only circuit we have tested at where we could make comparisons was Valencia, so it will be interesting to see how we go here.

# 1 Arnaud Vincent
16th 2.18.710
In general I’m satisfied but we have a lot to do. The bike is new and we don’t have references here. My ankle is painful due do the operation of last week so I didn’t push do much. The engine is fine but at the moment our main problem is the chassis, but we know how to solve it.

# 10 Roberto Locatelli
27th 2.20.572
This is the first time that I make qualifying practice in half an hour. If you consider the rain it was only 15 minutes! We have a lot to do. We don’t ne