Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

125cc Grand Prix Results From Brno:

1. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, 19 laps, 41:18.287
2. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, -0.202 second
3. Arnaud Vincent, Aprilia, -0.278 second
4. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, -0.494 second
5. Manuel Poggiali, Gilera, -0.495 second
6. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, -0.717 second
7. Simone Sanna, Aprilia, -0.901 second
8. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, -1.309 seconds
9. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, -5.579 seconds
10. Mika Kallio, Honda, -7.091 seconds

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Race Results From Brno:

1. Max Biaggi, Yamaha YZR-M1, 22 laps, 44:36.498
2. Daijiro Kato, Honda RC211V, -2.755 seconds
3. Tohru Ukawa, Honda RC211V, -7.598 seconds
4. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki GSV-R, -11.889 seconds
5. Carlos Checa, Yamaha YZR-M1, -14.029 seconds
6. Loris Capirossi, Honda NSR500, -18.260 seconds
7. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton KR3, -24.840 seconds
8. Norick Abe, Yamaha YZR500, -26.572 seconds
9. Alex Barros, Honda NSR500, -28.741 seconds
10. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha YZR500, -29.156 seconds
11. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki GSV-R, -32.920 seconds
12. Jurgen v.d. Goorbergh, Honda NSR500, -38.670 seconds
13. Garry McCoy, Yamaha YZR500, -45.144 seconds
14. Akira Ryo, Suzuki GSV-R, -51.932 seconds
15. Tetsuya Harada, Honda NSR500, -62.171 seconds
16. Regis Laconi, Aprilia RS3, -62.238 seconds
17. Sylvain Guintoli, Yamaha YZR500, -73.465 seconds
18. Valentino Rossi, Honda RC211, DNF, -2 laps, mechanical
19. John Hopkins, Yamaha YZR500, DNF, -10 laps, mechanical
20. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR3, DNF, -11 laps, crash
21. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha YZR500, DNF, -22 laps, crash
22. Pere Riba, Yamaha YZR500, DNS


World Championship Point Standings:

1. Rossi, 220 points
2. Ukawa, 140 points
3. Biaggi, 134 points
4. Checa, 96 points
5. Barros, 94 points
6. Abe, 90 points
7. Kato, 80 points
8. Capirossi, 75 points
9. Jacque, 48 points
10. Roberts, 45 points
11. Aoki, 43 points
12. TIE, Nakano/Hopkins, 41 points
14. Ryo, 36 points
15. Gibernau, 34 points


More, from Desiree Crossman:

Well, today wasn’t a good day for Red Bull. John (Hopkins) had a great start, the best one yet. He was going good on the first lap, sitting in 7th but he said Tohru Ukawa sprayed some rocks around a turn and they hit the windscreen, his helmet and the radiator, causing overheating. So by the 12th lap John came in due to overheating.

Garry (McCoy) also had a great start, but was pushed out in turn one so he dropped back into 16th. He eventually got back into 13th.

Valentino’s tire blew up so he came in and then got it changed. He wasn’t down a lap, he was behind Sylvain who was 18th, and he could easily caught up to 15th but he gave up and retired into the pits so he didn’t finish, either.

John is 13th in the championship and is only 4 points out of the top 10. The only person to have gained ground on him was Kenny Roberts. So s–t happens, and now we have to look on to Portugal.



More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Yamaha:

CZECH REPUBLIC GRAND PRIX
SUNDAY 25th August ­ RACE DAY

DISAPPOINTING DAY FOR RED BULL DUO

Red Bull Yamaha riders Garry McCoy and John Hopkins had hoped for better results today in Round 10 of the Moto GP World Championship, but it was just not to be. McCoy, starting from the front row, was relegated to 16th place by the end of the first lap as he was squeezed out by the pack in turns 1 and 2. McCoy, who qualified on the front row for the first time since the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2001, was hoping for much more today. In qualifying yesterday, the Slide King from Australia set the fastest ever lap of the Brno circuit by a rider on a 500cc machine.

Hopkins, who had “a hell of a start” according to the 19-year-old American rookie, retired from the race after 12 laps when engine trouble forced him back into 18th place.

Garry McCoy: 13th, scoring 3 points today
World Championship Classification,­ 20th with 21 points

“I made a good start but by turn one and two things were terrible, there were a lot of guys bumping into each other and I was forced to back off. A few guys got past me early and by later in the first lap I got bumped by Gibernau and lost some more places. So it wasn’t really a good start to the race. Just shows you have to get away with the leaders.

“By three laps into it, I thought I was making some progress but I just could not make any headway. We had a couple of race tyre choices and I guess I was hoping for better, but in the end the tyres really weren’t that bad but I could of done with carrying more corner speed.”


John Hopkins: Retired due to mechanical problems
World Championship Classification ­ 13th, with 41 points
“I got a great start off the line and held my position through the first corner when we all got bunched up. I had several sprays of stones from Ukawa and by the end of the first lap my windscreen was cracked with pieces flying off it and my helmet and visor got hit hard with the rocks. The next thing I noticed some liquid on the front inside of the windscreen so I knew I had some problems. By lap 12, I was forced to retire when the engine failed. I’ve since found out that one of the stones, courtesy of Ukawa, punctured the radiator and caused it to leak. So better luck next time I guess.

“I really want to thank my crew also for their effort this weekend; I had a minor problem on the grid and all of them worked so fast and professionally to have the bike ready.”


Peter Clifford ­ Director of Racing
“John thought it was a race, not a stone throwing contest. He was riding superbly but there is nothing much you can do against an overheating engine. Both guys got off the line great but it all went to hell in a basket for Garry in the first corner. It’s not what we expected after qualifying well.”


THE RED BULL YAMAHA TEAM WILL TEST IN BRNO TOMORROW. BOTH RIDERS PLUS OUR 2002 TEST RIDER JEAN-MICHEL BAYLE WILL BE TESTING AIRBOXES AND FURTHERING OUR TYRE DEVELOPMENT WORK WITH DUNLOP.



More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team) put in a masterful performance in the Czech Republic, on August 25, to score the YZR-M1’s first ever MotoGP World Championship win. The Brno magician backed up his pole position performance on the four-stroke to take the holeshot, and the race win by 2.755 seconds over the ever-improving Daijiro Katoh (Honda) – now four-stroke mounted. Although Biaggi was regularly in the firing line of defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda), the Roman Emperor never faltered and led every lap until the chequered flag.

Misfortune struck Rossi on lap 15, of 22, when his rear tyre came apart and he was forced into the pits. With a new rear tyre fitted Rossi returned to the fray in 18th place only to withdraw a few laps from the finish. This left Tohru Ukawa (Honda) to take third from Sete Gibernau (Suzuki), with Carlos Checa (Marlboro Yamaha Team) completing the four-stroke dominated top five. The Spaniard produced the perfect start, entering turn one behind his teammate in second place, before struggling with set-up difficulties to finish the race 14.029 seconds behind Biaggi.

Norick Abe (Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin) was the first of the Yamaha YZR500 two-strokes in eighth, followed closely by Alex Barros (Honda) and Olivier Jacque (Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3). After a relatively strong qualifying performance by the Red Bull Yamaha WCM team, Garry McCoy and John Hopkins ended the Brno MotoGP with a 13th and a DNF respectively – the latter withdrawing with a holed radiator.

Marlboro Yamaha Team
Max Biaggi 1st: “This victory means a lot to me, I gave everything I could. That kind of race is very tough, tyre choice is very difficult, so is bike set-up, and then you have to ride to look after the tyres. I rode hard from the start and my pit board told me just how close Rossi was. I was getting signals ‘+0.1, +0.2, +0.0′, so they would have overtaken me even if I’d made the tiniest mistake. So I stayed calm and used my brain to choose the right lines and save my tyres.

“When I saw ‘+2.0′ I was dreaming that this could be my first MotoGP victory but I never knew what had happened. I always look in front because I want to stay concentrated, so the only way I know what’s happening behind is from my pit board. I just thought Kato had overtaken Rossi.

“We struggled at the first three races this year but the bike improved and we recovered. It’s never easy, if it was, everyone would have a good bike. So I won this one for everyone in the team, thanks to them.”

Carlos Checa 5th: “We changed the set-up for the warm-up but the results weren’t so clear. So we started the race with a slightly different setting, but I immediately felt that I wouldn’t be able to keep the front-running pace. I think we lost our way with the set-up of the new chassis, we just need to spend more time experimenting with different settings, so tomorrow’s tests will be very useful.”

YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda: “I’m very happy, for sure. One year ago here Max crashed, so this is like a revenge for us. I’d like to thank Max and everyone else at Yamaha and in the team they have all worked so, so hard these past few months.

We’ve made many improvements to the M1 since the start of the season, but the most significant have been these: engine-management system for better throttle-to-tyre connection, engine-braking system for better corner entry, and a chassis with more front-end performance, for better turn-in. Now we will keep working because we want to take more victories and go for next year’s MotoGP title.”


Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin
Norick Abe 8th: “I had some problems with the front sliding, but this was only after mid-race distance, around seven or eight laps in. But the start was great; I think on the first lap I was already eighth behind Kenny, which was so good considering. I followed him for a while and he was not so bad, but then I decided to make the pass and try for McWilliams. That’s when the front started to slide and I just couldn’t close the gap any further. If I tried any harder I’m sure I wouldn’t have made it to the end. I think today was enough.”

Pere Riba DNS: “After this morning’s warm-up I had a think about it, the leg and the situation, how far behind I was with my times, and I decided that it was better not to race. If I crashed in the race then it would only set me back further, and it would be for nothing, so I thought it was better to rest and see how things go for Estoril.”



Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3
Olivier Jacque 10th: “That was a difficult race. The handling of the bike was not so good, especially on the exit of the turns, while I was trying to get the power down, which made it difficult to keep my pace up. Near the end the bike started to feel better and my times improved, but it just wasn’t enough to make up what I had already lost.”

Shinya Nakano DNF: “I was hit from behind twice on that opening lap. The first time was into turn one, which pushed me wide and I lost a few places, the second unsettled the bike while I was entering the left-hander and I crashed. What can I say, other than I’m disappointed?”


Red Bull Yamaha WCM
Garry McCoy 13th: “I managed to get off the line really well but between turn one and turn two there was a lot of fairing bashing going on and it forced me wide, which let everyone by. It then happened again, and by the end of the first lap I’d gone from fourth to 16th. It just shows you’ve really got to get a good start to stay in with a chance. Once I got through that I thought I just try and make some headway. This was the best I could do today.”

John Hopkins DNF: “I got off the line well, and I was up there on the first few corners when Ukawa ran wide and showered me in rocks from the edge of the track. They hit my screen, which cracked, and my helmet, too. And after a little while I noticed water on the inside of the fairing. Soon after that I found my rhythm and started to improve my times when the bike lost power, forcing me out of the race. It turns out one of the rocks had also gone through the radiator and that caused one of the cylinders to seize up.”



More, from Telefonica Movistar Suzuki:

GIBERNAU FIGHTS FOR THE ROSTRUM AT CZECH GRAND PRIX

MotoGP – Round 10, Brno, Czech Republic, August 25, 2002
Team Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki rider Sete Gibernau rode his best race of the year in today’s Czech Republic GP, to come within one place of the top-three rostrum after pulling through from the third row of the starting grid.

Teammate Kenny Roberts Jr was 11th after heroic efforts to overcome a poor starting position were thwarted by niggling set-up problems, causing the former World Champion to drop back again after climbing to eighth from 19th on the grid.

Wild card Suzuki factory rider Akira Ryo was 14th, making it three out of three in the points for the new-this-year V4 four-stroke GSV-R 990cc machine.

Gibernau’s stirring ride saw the Spanish GP winner hold his ninth qualifying position on the first lap, and immediately start picking his way through the field, finally passing fast starting Loris Capirossi for sixth on the ninth of 22 laps of the sweeping 5.403km Brno circuit.

He wasn’t finished yet, however, and kept his head down to close on the pair disputing fourth. He passed compatriot Carlos Checa at half distance, and spent the rest of the race harrying eventual third-place rider Tohru Ukawa, inches away from his rear wheel until the very closing stages, when sliding tyres meant Sete was obliged to slacken his pace.

Roberts was 19th on the grid, though last-minute set-up changes meant he was able to set fifth-fastest time in morning warm-up. He got a good start to finish the first lap in 11th. He also picked up places and was behind Sete in eighth by lap four. Soon afterwards, however, he started to pay the price of not finding the correct bike settings during practice, and he started to drop back from the 10th lap, finally finishing 11th.

The race, 10th of 16 rounds in the MGP World Championship, was won by Italian rider Max Biaggi.

SETE GIBERNAU – Fourth Position
“That was a very hard race, and of course I feel I did my best to get fourth, my best result on this bike. But at the same time our aim is to win races, not finish fourth, and although I and my team did everything we could this weekend, we still need help from the factory to keep improving the new bike to get it to the highest level. It is very difficult to overtake with the bike as it is, but I was able to move through until I caught Ukawa. I kept pushing him, but for the last laps my front tyre was sliding a lot, and I thought I was going to crash, so I had to slow my pace a little to be sure of finishing. Overall, it was a good race – we’ve proved we’re capable of fighting hard, and that we’re capable of going for race wins. And that we will never give up.”

KENNY ROBERTS Jr – 11th Position
“Starting from the back of the grid meant I had a hard job from the beginning. I made a lot of places from the start, but the way we had the bike set up promoted heavy tyre wear, and the rear started to chunk from about the sixth lap. After that I lost a lot of my turn-in ability, and every time I touched the throttle the bike would snap sideways. I had to think about finishing rather than continuing to gain places. My problems were all set-up related, because we got started so late with getting the bike set during qualifying. We persevered with settings I’d never used before because we thought they could give us some advantage – but in the end we had to go back to old settings and start again this morning.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager
“A big thank you to Sete. This result was just what the whole team needed, and feeds enthusiasm back for our hard work. He rode with his head, and with his heart. Kenny managed to get from the back of the grid right up to eighth, but we paid the price for us not finding the proper direction until warm up this morning. When he got off the bike, he had lots to say about set-up, but nothing about the right arm that was so troublesome that he needed surgery. That’s one major problem solved. Now we stay on for two days of testing, to continue working on improving the bike and our overall situation.”


Note: In the post-race press conference, Biaggi said that his motivation is still high even though he is leaving the Yamaha team at the end of the season. The comment was Biaggi’s confirmation of rumors that he is leaving Yamaha. It is believed that Biaggi will ride for Ducati, which has landed Marlboro sponsorship, in 2003.

From a press release:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

MotoGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2002
CZECH REPUBLIC GRAND PRIX, BRNO
Race Day, Sunday August 25th

KATO SECOND IN FOUR-STROKE DEBUT

Daijiro Kato (Fortuna Honda Gresini RC211V) enjoyed a dream debut on his new five-cylinder four-stroke Honda, taking second place behind race winner Max Biaggi (Yamaha). Tohru Ukawa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V) scored third place despite a morning warm-up crash. In contrast Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda Team RC211V), lost his chance of at least second place when he was forced to pit to change his rear tyre, then opted to retire altogether, ending his run of seven straight race wins and nine consecutive podium places in 2002.

Kato, the reigning 250 World Champion was fast from the start of the race, forming the final part of a three man breakaway group with Biaggi and Rossi, and taking a new lap record of 2:00.605 in the process. Looking set to score third place after a somewhat processional race at the front, he unwittingly benefited from the misfortune of the current championship leader Rossi and gained the highest place finish of his rookie MotoGP season so far.

“I am very happy to have taken second place in my first ever four-stroke MotoGP race,” said Kato in the post-race press conference. “In the first part of the race I just wanted to stay smooth on the machine, in the second half I tried pushing hard to catch Valentino. He eventually had a problem, so you never know what can happen in racing. I don’t know when it may be possible for me to win because I still have a lot to learn about suspension and tyres on a machine like this.”

Tohru Ukawa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V) saw a gritty ride turn into a deserved podium after Rossi’s initial exit. Running at a good pace, but unable to join the leading trio at any stage, Ukawa’s performance was hampered by the huge high-side crash he suffered in the morning warm up.

“After my crash at Donington I was still not perfect, so I knew when I fell this morning it would not be good,” explained the third place man. “It did not make my old foot injury worse but I hurt my hip and back and I was in a lot of pain. I tried to push forward in the race but I found it hard to concentrate. Also, because of the crash, my machine was not perfect, but I am very satisfied to get third. It is not the way to I want to close the gap on Valentino but I am still happy with my position in the championship.”

Retirement was a bitter blow for Rossi, who was sitting in second place shortly before his tyre problem, biding his time for the final laps to come around. He suddenly slowed, pitted for a new rear, and rejoined the race out of the points scoring positions. Circulating in 18th and last place, and with no chance of scoring points, he retired with two laps remaining.

“The race was going fine,” affirmed Rossi. “Me, Kato and Biaggi had a good pace. The bike had a few little problems but this seems to be a Yamaha track and not a Honda one -because I couldn’t seem to make any impression on Biaggi. Half way through the race the tyre went and that was that. I came in to change the tyre, went out again, but I had lost a lot of time so I came in again. It will be interesting to see what they say about the tyre. This has never happened in my career before. Anyway, I still have a good lead in the championship with six races left. Not a disaster.”

The first two-stroke home belonged to Loris Capirossi (West Honda Pons NSR500), who had a lonely race to sixth position, despite not being fully fit after his Assen wrist injuries.

“Considering my present physical condition, and the lack of mobility and strength in my right arm, I had quite a good race,” understated Capirossi. “I think we had a good tyre compound and our machine settings were ideal.”

In ninth place Alex Barros (West Honda Pons NSR500) was far from his best 2002 form, after some radical pre-race changes in machine set-up.

“This morning we changed the front forks during warm-up and instead of finding a solution to the problems we are having, we made matters worse for the race,” said Barros. “The positive aspect is that I was able to score some points, which is important for my overall classification in the championship.” Barros retained his status as top two-stroke rider in the series, fifth overall.

Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Kanemoto Racing Honda NSR500) had an eventful race, eventually taking his Bridgestone-shod two-stroke to 12th.

“I got a good start, for a two-stroke,” said the Dutch rider. “Only the chicane proved difficult, as one of the Suzuki riders missed his braking point and cost me time. I got in a good fight with Barros, Jacque and McCoy at one stage and I really enjoyed that. Then I got some vibration and I decided to slow a bit. I had picked up some rubber on my rear tyre.”

Tetsuya Harada (Pramac Honda NSR500) experienced problems once more in a race situation, but stuck to his task to take the final point for 15th place.

“I tried to stay with the riders ahead but it was really impossible,” said a frustrated Harada. “From the first laps the rear tyre slid and I could not push hard without risking a crash too much. I thought it better to finish the race and at least I scored a point. That part at least was good.”

Despite Rossi’s no-score he still enjoys a handsome lead in the overall championship after 10 of the 16 rounds. Rossi’s unchanged total of 220 heads Ukawa, on 140, with Biaggi third on 134.

Robby Rolfo (Fortuna Honda Gresini NSR250) lost out on an almost certain podium finish in the final stages of the 250cc Grand Prix, crashing after losing the front in his pursuit of eventual race winner Marco Melandri (Aprilia).

Taking the lead on lap five, Rolfo headed 12 of the 20 laps, before succumbing to Melandri and then the fates on lap 18. Clearly disappointed with his misfortune Rolfo stated; “In the early part of the race riding in a group was breaking my concentration. Everyone was taking so many different lines, so I decided to push to the front early.”

Rolfo continued; “I am sorry to have crashed and obviously I am not happy about it but I only wanted to win, nothing less, and I pushed hard to take the win. After Melandri passed me I was studying where I could pass him and I made a small mistake, holding the front brake on too long going into a corner. The front closed on me and my dream ended.”

Despite his misfortune, Rolfo maintained his third place in the championship with his 127 points, 68 behind Melandri’s total of 195 and 31 adrift of Aprilia rider Fonsi Nieto’s 158.

David Garcia (Fortuna Honda Gresini NSR250) finished his first 250 race of the year in tenth place, a sterling effort from Emilio Alzamora’s temporary replacement in the Fortuna camp. Garcia was enthusiastic about his performance, especially after a long lay-off from GP racing.

“The plan before the race was just to finish, especially after falling on Saturday morning and losing some set-up time,” he said. “So for me to finish in the top ten is a good achievement first time out on the NSR. I have not been in a 250GP for a year, and I think it shows people what I can still do.”

After Rolfo’s untimely exit Haruchika Aoki (Arie Molenaar Racing Honda RS250R/W) had the honour of taking top Honda slot, in ninth. Riding an evolution of the privateer RS250R/W, Aoki said; “The bike felt good in the warm-up, in the race a little slower. But we did some really good lap times, so I am not so unhappy. I benefited from the exit of Checa and Battaini, and gained a couple of places; I’m not so happy to be beaten over the line by Matsudo.”

The top fully private Honda was ridden by Jason Vincent (By Queroseno Racing Honda RS250R/W) who took 12th place, with his team-mate Leon Haslam 17th. The last two finishers, in 19th and 20th places, were Henk van den Langemaat (De Graff Grand Prix Honda RS250RW) and Gabor Rizmayer (Bird Racing Team Honda RS25R/W).

Daniel Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Jr Team Honda RS125R) took second place in what transpired to be another desperately close 125cc race, with the last five of the 19 laps being contested like they were the final one.

The young Spaniard was leading at one stage, until the multi-rider fight for supremacy temporarily demoted him to eighth. A clever strategy saw him resurgent in the final laps and fight back to be in a podium position at the flag.

“I am happy with second because there were so many riders in the leading group, so much overtaking and touching of fairings that I did not want to be in the middle of it on the last laps,” said Pedrosa. “I tried to get to the front with two or three laps to go, but I couldn’t quite get into the lead. I was sliding a bit by that time so I could not try for the win on the last few corners.”

The race was won by Lucio Cecchinello (Aprilia), and with World Championship leader Manual Poggiali (Gilera) in fifth, Pedrosa made some ground in the overall championship chase. Poggiali now leads Arnaud Vincent (Aprilia, third in Brno) 171 points to 169, with Pedrosa close behind on 160.

Joan Olive (Telefonica Movistar Jr Team Honda RS125R) crashed out after falling on lap seven, undoing the good work he had done to jump from 12th on the grid to fourth after a single lap.

Olive gave it his all, but paid the price of being forced to override in the later stages. “The crash was a pity because I made a good start and even got as high as third,” said the Junior team rider. “I saw I could run with the leading group without problems, but the bike started to slide… to the point where it became unrideable. I had to take a lot of risks to keep the pace and eventually crashed.”

An all Honda battle between Mika Kallio (Red Devil Honda RS125R), Gabor Talmacsi (Pev Moto ADAC Sachsen Honda RS125R) and Masao Azuma (Tribe by Breil Honda RS125R) finished in that order, with Kallio eventually tenth.

HONDA TEAM QUOTES:

MotoGP:

Daijiro Kato, Fortuna Honda Gresini, 2nd: “I think that I have made a good race and I’m really satisfied. At the beginning I felt I could go faster because I had no problems. The bike is fantastic and the team prepared it perfectly for the race. At the end of the race I wasn’t too sure about tyre performance and how long they would stay good. Then I preferred to check the situation and only think of a positive result. If this first time had to be a test I can say I was really fast and that from the next race I can begin to think of taking a victory.”

Fausto Gresini: “Honestly the Rossi tyre problem gave us an advantage, but the team is really happy. For us this was a really important event. It had to be a test and we are on the podium: this means that the bike, the rider, and the team are of great value. Now our objective is to improve what we know about this machine. Our adventure has just started.”

Tohru Ukawa, Team Repsol Honda: 3rd: “A podium is great and so are 16 points. After the big crash I had in the warm-up this morning I really didn’t think I would be standing on the podium. I fell heavily on my back. I was just beginning to feel better after Donington! The bike was going well this morning and I caught a neutral between gears. It’s not the way I want to close the gap on Valentino but I am still happy with my position in the championship. The final 6 races will be very close.”

Loris Capirossi, West Honda Pons: 6th: “Considering my present physical condition, and the lack of mobility and strength in my right arm, I had quite a good race and I am satisfied with my performance. I think we chose a good tyre compound and the bike settings were ideal. I was very motivated at the start and I was determined to stay with the leaders but when the four-strokes overtook me I could not stay with their pace. Everyone knows the situation and it is not necessary to repeat it. But there is one thing worth pointing out: Kato has always been behind us up until now. He gets a new bike at Brno and suddenly, curiously enough, he is fighting for victory.”

Alex Barros, West Honda Pons: 9th: “I am unhappy with the result, not so much for finishing in ninth place, but more over for not having lapped in the times I should have. I guess I was lapping slower than I thought. This morning we changed the front fork during the warm-up, but instead of finding a solution to the problems we were having, we made matters worse for the race. The positive aspect of the race is that I was able to score some points which is important for my overall classification in the championship.”

Sito Pons: “Loris Capirossi has a very good race indeed, especially after a two-month lay-off. He gave it his all on the bike, as is always the case with him, and he finished as the fastest two-stroke bike. Alex’s race, on the other hand, was disappointing. I think that after Saturday’s fall during Free Practice he did not find the right settings for his track and as a result he did not perform as well as he might. In normal conditions he could have fought hand in hand with Loris to be the fastest two-stroke bike here.”

Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Kanemoto Honda, 12th: “I got a good start, for a two-stroke, and ran wide at the first turn and carried good speed. Only the chicane proved difficult as one of the Suzuki riders missed his braking point and that cost me time. After that I got into a good fight with Barros, McCoy and Jacque, and really enjoyed it. When McWilliams came past us I couldn’t stay with him. Then I got some vibration and decided to slow a bit, I had picked up some rubber on my rear tyre. In terms of tyre performance we made a step forward today. I ran a hard front and a medium rear and it worked out well for us.”

Team owner manager Erv Kanemoto: “That was a good race for us, Jurgen rode really well, and the tyres performed today. From yesterday indications were that we could run well here. The front wheel chatter we had yesterday was minimised for the race, all in all that was the best combination we could have run with. It has been a really encouraging weekend. The tyres looked good at the end, they looks if they performed constantly through the whole race. We now go to Valencia for a Bridgestone test, next Thursday and Friday, where Shinichi Itoh will test for us. Bridgestone are working really hard and they want us to test new tyres. This race was our first really promising step.”

Tetsuya Harada, Team Pramac Honda: 15th: “I tried to stay with the riders ahead but it was really impossible. Since the first laps the rear tyre slipped too much and I could not push hard risking to crash. I took many risks even if I was slower than the others so I thought only to finish the race.”

Valentino Rossi, Team Repsol Honda: Race position; DNF
“The race was going fine. Me, Kato and Biaggi had good pace. The bike had a few little problems but this seems to be a Yamaha track and not a Honda one. I couldn’t seem to make any impression on Biaggi. Half way through the race the tyre went and that was that. I came in to change the tyre. I went out again but lost a lot of time so I pulled in again. It will be interesting to see what they say about the tyre. This has never happened in my career before. Anyway I still have a good lead in the championship with 6 races left. Not a disaster.”

250cc:
Haruchika Aoki, DeGraaf RS250R-W Honda, 9th: “The bike was very good in the morning warm up, better than yesterday but in the race it was a little slower. It was difficult to make a really good lap time. Still, I’m not so unhappy. I was lucky with the crash between Checa and Battaini, which gave me two places, but I’m not happy about being caught by Matsudo. We are making progress each time we take the bike out and I pleased with that. We shall see more improvements by Estoril.”

David Garcia, Fortuna Honda Gresini, 10th: “I’m really happy to finish 10th at such a difficult track, and the first time on an NSR250. I think that I used Emilio Alzamora’s bike very well. Now is the time for Emilio to return. Next Sunday I race in the Spanish Supersport Championship. I say goodbye to grand prix racing but you will see me again in Valencia, on a KR3 Proton MotoGP machine.”

Roberto Rolfo, Fortuna Honda Gresini, crashed: I’m so sorry because I was having a great race. I stayed in the group for some time and then attacked when I understood that I could maintain my line and my concentration. The race finished in a way that I couldn’t imagine: after Melandri passed me I was studying where I could pass him and I made a mistake holding the front brake too long going into the corner. The front end closed on me and my dream ended. Anyway my objective was only a victory and I can say I tried.

Fausto Gresini: Roberto went very well because he tried to win. Unluckily during the race anything can happen. My congratulations to Garcia: he made a good race and showed he is really professional.


125cc:
Dani Pedrosa, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, 2nd: “We made some good improvements in practice, but we still had some doubts about the race performance of the bike. In fact from the sixth lap, it started to slide … but the problem didn’t get any worse. The front group was big, and changing places constantly, which made us ride at a slower pace, but with a lot of risk. Three laps from the end I decided it was time to fight for victory. It wasn’t quite possible, but these 20 points are very valuable. It’s a good way of starting the second part of the championship after the summer break, and I am looking forward to getting to Portugal to keep up the hard work.”

Mika Kallio, Red Devil Honda, 10th: “I got a good start but on lap one Ui ran wide and took me with him. It cost me about four places but more importantly I did not get on the back of the lead group. After that it was always going to be a difficult race for me. The bike was very good and I could run the same lap times as the leaders, so I’m happy about that.”

Gabor Talmacsi, PEV Moto ADAC Sachsen, 11th: “I’m little bit disappointed with my result. I normally make good starts but not today. Points are very important at this stage of the season but the bike was just not fast enough today. It’s a pity because many fans came here from Hungary to watch me race.”

Joan Olive, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, crashed: “The crash was a pity, because I made a good start, and even got as high as third. I saw I could run with the leading group without problems, but the bike started to slide … to the point that it was unrideable. I had to take a lot of risks to try to keep the pace, and finally I crashed. Such a pity, because immediately afterwards the group started to ride a second slower, which would have played to my advantage. The team has been working to the maximum to try to solve our problems, but this time it wasn’t possible.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Team Hooters Mountain Dew Suzuki’s Michael Barnes ran away to a win on his Pirelli-equipped GSX-R600 in the 47-entry Formula USA Pro Honda Oils 600cc Sportbike contest Sunday At Pocono International Raceway.

Barnes took the holeshot, inched away to a small lead over teammate Larry Pegram and gained an even larger advantage through heavy, lapped traffic. In the end, Barnes coasted under the checkered flag 4.2 seconds in front of Pegram.

Third place went back-and-forth between defending F-USA Sportbike Champion Lee Acree and Matt Wait. Wait, riding a Kneedraggers.com-sponsored Yamaha YZF-R6 on Pirellis, passed Arclight Suzuki’s Acree coming out of the final corner to take third at the line.

Acree’s teammate Craig Connell took fifth, good enough to retain his lead in the Sportbike point standings.

Bettencourt Suzuki’s Jeff Wood turned the fastest lap of the race on lap two and was third and pressuring Pegram and Barnes on lap five when he lowsided in turn two. Wood rejoined the race to finish out of the points, 20th.

Pro Honda Oils 600cc Sportbike Results:

1. Michael Barnes, Suzuki-GSX-R600, 18 laps
2. Larry Pegram, Suzuki GSX-R600
3. Matt Wait, Yamaha YZF-R6
4. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R600
5. Craig Connell, Suzuki GSX-R600
6. Scott Greenwood, Suzuki GSX-R600
7. Andrew Nelson, Honda CBR600F4i
8. Tim Bemisderfer, Honda CBR600F4i
9. Ray Bowman, Honda CBR600F4i
10. Jim Lester, Honda CBR600F4i
11. Eric Wood, Buell Firebolt XB9R
12. Cory West, Honda CBR600F4i
13. Eoin Smith, Yamaha YZF-R6
14. Morgan Broadhead, Suzuki GSX-R600
15. Kevin Warner, Suzuki GSX-R600
16. Gregory Faiella, Yamaha YZF-R6
17. Keith Marquez, Yamaha YZF-R6
18. Nathan Kern, Yamaha YZF-R6
19. Carlo Gagliardo, Yamaha YZF-R6
20. Jeff Wood, Suzuki GSX-R600


Pro Honda Oils 600cc Sportbike Point Standings:

1. Connell, 90 points
2. Barnes, 88 points
3. TIE, Acree/Pegram, 74 points
5. Wait, 45 points
6. Greenwood, 42 points
7. Jeff Wood, 38 points
8. Bowman, 34 points
9. Eric Wood, 30 points
10. Nelson, 26 points

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

250cc Grand Prix Results From Brno:

1. Marco Melandri, Aprilia, 20 laps, 41:41.572
2. Sebastian Porto, Yamaha, -7.023 seconds
3. Toni Elias, Aprilia, -8.135 seconds
4. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, -8.307 seconds
5. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, -11.322 seconds
6. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, -11.636 seconds
7. Roberto Locatelli, Aprilia, -16.988 seconds
8. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, -20.984 seconds
9. Haruchika Aoki, Honda, -21.002 seconds
10. David Garcia, Honda, -30.259 seconds
11. Ralf Waldmann, Aprilia, -30.357 seconds
12. Jay Vincent, Honda, -30.805 seconds
13. Alex Debon, Aprilia, -43.952 seconds
14. Dirk Heidolf, Aprilia, -44.141 seconds
15. Raul Jara, Aprilia, -50.513 seconds


More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

Marco “Macio” Melandri: sixth victory in a row.

He beat them all, and the flu as well, and shot off to his sixth victory on the hop (the seventh this season) equalling Freddie Spencer, one of the greats, who also made six in a row in the 250 in 1985. “Macio” was just three years old at the time. After completing the first lap in fifth place, Marco was soon up with Nieto and Rolfo in the leading trio, who were to battle it out for the lead. Marco kept up a good pace, trying to look after his physical state, which has not been at its best over the last few days as he has been getting over the flu, and save it up for the closing stages of the race when he would have to give it all he’d got. When the moment was just right, and it was time to take the race into his hands, he shot past Nieto, who shortly after made a mistake, and then past Rolfo, who did the same. At that point, the young lion from Ravenna bumped up the pace towards victory and, one lap from the end, made the fastest lap of the race. With this victory, Macio gives Dunlop, the Anglo-Japanese tyre manufacturer, its 100th consecutive win in the 250 class.

Melandri is now well out ahead in the championship, having increased his advantage over runner-up Nieto (Aprilia) to 37 points.


# 3 Marco Melandri – (MS APRILIA RACING) – 1st – 41:41.572

“I didn’t want to waste all my energy at the beginning, as I was a bit afraid I wouldn’t be fit enough to stand it all the way to the end. But the session I spent with Dr. Costa before the race gave me the strength to go flat out in the last five laps and win. I’m grateful to the doctors of the Mobile Clinic. Midway through the race, the rhythm wasn’t all that hot, but then I realised that it was time to up the ante and I decided to get past Nieto and go for the final rush. Then I slipped past Rolfo and, only when I couldn’t hear his engine any more through my helmet, I realised I’d got away from him or he’d made a mistake. Then on the mega-screen at the trackside, which shows the pictures of the race, I could see he was no longer behind me. I was sorry for Roberto, but I also thought that I was going towards my sixth victory in a row. I’m really happy I’ve been able to equal Freddie Spencer’s record: I think he was a great rider and I can’t deny that I wouldn’t mind winning three World Championships like he did. It gave me great pleasure to be congratulated on the phone by President Beggio, just after the prize-giving.”


Marco Melandri

15 Wins (8 –250cc) (7 – 125cc)

From a press release issued by Monstermob Ducati:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE TEAM

Round 10 – 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park

Sunday 25th/Monday 26th August 2002

Hislop Scorches To Pole

MonsterMob Ducati rider Steve Hislop romped to his first pole position in over four months when he set fastest time in Superpole in readiness for rounds 19 and 20 at Cadwell Park tomorrow.

Fresh from his double victory at the Lincolnshire circuit last year, the 40 year old Scot posted fastest time in qualifying before blitzing round the 2.2 mile woodland circuit in a time of 1:24.7 prior to his Superpole lap – the fastest lap ever recorded and over a second inside reigning champion John Reynolds’ lap record.

“I’ve been joking with the guys all weekend that I could get into the 24s. I don’t know if I can go quicker than that but I’m happy as it’s been a long time. I just hope I can convert that into a pair of race wins tomorrow,” said Hislop.

Indeed the last time Hislop set pole, it was at round two at Brands Hatch back in April but the Isle of Man based rider is planning on increasing his 19-point championship lead over Yamaha’s Sean Emmett in front of an anticipated record bank holiday crowd of around 40,000.

Teammate Stuart Easton held pole position during the MB4U.com National Supersport before being relegated to third as a mystery electrical problem plagued the 748cc machine.

“I’m disappointed but at least it’s a front row start which is more than I’ve had for the past two rounds. I’ll just have to get my head down and try my best tomorrow” said the 18-year-old from Hawick.

Superpole: 1. Steve Hislop (MonsterMob Ducati) 1:25.366, 2. Michael Rutter (Ducati) 1:25.486, 3. Shane Byrne (Ducati) 1:25.731, 4. Steve Plater (Yamaha) 1:26.060.

Supersport: 1. Scott Smart (Honda) 1:29.817, 2. Michael Laverty (Honda) 1:29.861, 3. Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 1:30.637, 4. Ben Wilson (Honda) 1:30.772.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Qualifying Results From Brno:

1. Max Biaggi, Yamaha YZR-M1, 1:59.646
2. Daijiro Kato, Honda RC211V, 1:59.740
3. Valentino Rossi, Honda RC211V, 1:59.997
4. Garry McCoy, Yamaha YZR500, 2:00.129
5. Loris Capirossi, Honda NSR500, 2:00.146
6. Carlos Checa, Yamaha YZR-M1, 2:00.186
7. John Hopkins, Yamaha YZR500, 2:00.241
8. Tohru Ukawa, Honda RC211V, 2:00.485
9. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki GSV-R, 2:00.567
10. Alex Barros, Honda NSR500, 2:00.619
11. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha YZR500, 2:00.659
12. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton KR3, 2:00.674
13. Jurgen vd Goorbergh, Honda NSR500, 2:00.835
14. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR3, 2:00.985
15. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha YZR500, 2:01.095
16. Norick Abe, Yamaha YZR500, 2:01.239
17. Tetsuya Harada, Honda NSR500, 2:01.435
18. Regis Laconi, Aprilia RS3, 2:01.494
19. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki GSV-R, 2:01.582
20. Akira Ryo, Suzuki GSV-R, 2:02.085
21. Sylvain Guintoli, Yamaha YZR500, 2:03.054
22. Pere Riba, Yamaha YZR500, 2:04.329


More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Yamaha:

RED BULL TEAM STARTS UP FRONT

Garry McCoy and John Hopkins both put in a tremendous performance in the closing minutes of the final qualifying session at the Czech Republic GP to start on the first and second rows, respectively. McCoy, who is in top physical condition from endless hours of endurance training, is the fastest 2-stroke rider on the grid. His rookie young gun teammate and good pal, John “Hopper” Hopkins was only 0.112 seconds behind the 3 times – GP winner.

Garry McCoy: 4th ­ 2:00.129
“I’m pretty happy to be on the front row for tomorrow and I got a real good run on my fast lap. It feels good to be riding the bike now that my leg is no longer a problem for me. We really did not make any changes from yesterday just the extra track time helped me get a better time today. This afternoon we just used one Dunlop specification qualifier.”

Christophe Bourguignon (Race Engineer ­ Garry McCoy):
“I’m delighted that we are on the front row and we really did not expect that result today. Garry is riding the bike so well probably as a result of his fitness level, he’s very sharp. We used the 17 inch Dunlop front tyre and will stay with this for tomorrow.”

John Hopkins: 7th ­ 2:00.241
“The qualifying session went great for me and I really want to thank my crew for getting me on the track real quick with all the fast changes. I am really satisfied with the bike and the tyres and we are have a great race set-up for tomorrow, we really need to change nothing tonight and just stick with what we have. At the 15-minute to go mark we tried a soft race tyre and I improved on my qualifying time from yesterday so I was aiming for something special in the last 10 minutes. We put on a qualifier at the 10 minute to go mark and I was into the 2:00s and at 3 minutes to go the last qualifier went in and I had a real smooth and comfortable run. The 17-inch front Dunlop worked for us. I am really looking forward to tomorrow and for the second-row start and I’m aiming for a good race at the front and will focus on putting in a really strong race.”

Colin Davies ­ Race Engineer for John Hopkins:
“I’m really happy with how the crew and John performed today. The bike and tyres are working really well here and we have a good race set-up for tomorrow. John has dropped 3.5 seconds off his fastest time that he set here during two different testing sessions, so I am very pleased with the ongoing improvement we are making. I am really looking forward to tomorrow and we are hoping for a Top 10 finish.”

Peter Clifford ­ Director of Racing:
“This is the first time that we’ve had two fully fit riders and therefore the chance to show what the Red Bull Yamaha Dunlop combination can do. It reminds us just what we¹ve been missing without Garry and yet another superb performance from John.”



More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Yamaha:

MARLBORO YAMAHA M1 TAKES SECOND POLE

Marlboro Yamaha Team rider Max Biaggi rode a superb final qualifying session at Brno this afternoon, giving the YZR-M1 its second pole position, after achieving its first pole at June’s Catalan GP. Team-mate Carlos Checa was also on fine form, in the running for a front-row start, eventually ending up on row two.

The M1 has benefited from a variety of new parts here, including a modified chassis, new fairing and new radiator, though Biaggi elected to use his older chassis today. The aerodynamic improvements are working well, making the M1 the fastest bike on the track. Biaggi clocked 293.6kmh/182.3mph this afternoon, while Checa was second quickest through the speed trap at 291.9kmh/181.3mph. Biaggi’s bike was 2.4kmh/1.5mph faster than the best non-Yamaha.

“Today was a good day and I’m confident we can have some fun in tomorrow’s race,” said Marlboro Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio. “The new parts have brought us some benefits, though Max decided to use the older chassis and new fairing this afternoon. His pace wasn’t so bad, he did a few laps inside two minutes, so things look promising for the race. Carlos is on the second row, but his times are pretty close and I think he can also have a good race. Thanks to Max and Carlos for their efforts, and also to the team and engineers, who’ve been working so hard in recent months.”


EMPEROR OF BRNO RULES AGAIN
Max Biaggi today scored the 50th pole position of his career at Brno, where the Marlboro Yamaha Team rider has taken no less than six GP victories in the last eight years, four in the 250 class and two in 500s. Biaggi’s second MotoGP pole follows on from his 15 500 poles and 33 250 poles. During this afternoon’s session the Italian also became the first man to dip inside the two minute barrier at Brno.

“I’m really happy, it’s fantastic to be on pole again,” he said. “I used my number-two bike this afternoon, with the older chassis, because although the new chassis may have more possibilities, we need to spend more time testing it to achieve the right set-up. Yesterday the new chassis felt like it would be better but today I wanted something I’m familiar with.

“Tomorrow I will give my best and give nothing to the others, though I’d like to offer my congratulations to Kato, who rode so well today. Also, my thanks go to the whole team and also to members of my fan club who’ve come here from Italy.”


CHECA RUNNING FAST ON ROW TWO
Carlos Checa concentrated on the revised M1 chassis today, chasing a front-row start and ending the session sixth, just 0.057 outside the top four. The Marlboro Yamaha Team man spent much of the day working to solve the front-end push problems he’d had yesterday and is now confident he can run with the leading group in tomorrow’s race.

“We kept working with the new chassis, trying different chassis and suspension settings,” said the Spaniard. “We have greatly reduced the front-end push, things aren’t so bad now, though I’m still not totally confident braking into turns and mid-turn. We need more stability at these points of the corner, and if we keep working in this direction, we can be faster. We won’t make any big changes for tomorrow. If I get a good start I’m sure I can run with the front group.”

KATO OUTRUNS ROSSI
First time out on his Honda RCV four-stroke, Daijiro Kato wasted little time in getting up to speed, outpacing World Championship leader and fellow RCV rider Valentino Rossi in this afternoon’s final qualifier. Kato ended the session 0.094 seconds behind Max Biaggi and 0.257 seconds ahead of Rossi.

“It’s been much easier than I thought it would be,” said Kato, who’d only ridden the bike for a couple of laps around Honda’s Tochigi test course before coming here. “Each session gets better and I’m very happy to be second first time out on the bike.”

Quickest yesterday, Rossi commented: “We ran out of time for a very fast qualifying lap but I think we have a good race set-up.”



More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

Team Suzuki News Service

GIBERNAU FIGHTS BACK FOR THIRD-ROW START AT BRNO

Team Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki riders Sete Gibernau and Kenny Roberts Jr will start tomorrow’s Czech Republic from the third and fifth rows of the grid, after a second day of qualifying where both riders ran into unexpected difficulties.

Gibernau’s best lap time came from yesterday, when he was fourth fastest, although he came within a few tenths of matching that time today. Significantly, he was endurance testing tyres at the time rather than going for a single fast lap, so that lapping below 2:01 demonstrated a promising race pace.

Former 500cc champion Roberts similarly failed to improve on his previous best time, while persevering with new chassis settings that he and his team hoped would eventually yield better results. For tomorrow’s race he will take a step back to try to regain lost momentum. His fifth-row start means he will need all his legendary fast-starting ability to overcome his unfamiliar poor grid position in the early laps.

Both riders tried the latest evolutionary chassis this morning, but unsurprisingly discovered that the revised unit would require dialling in before it can even be fully assessed. With the race tomorrow, they decided to leave that until two days of testing planned for after the race, and to stick with the more familiar older unit. Delivery of the new chassis was delayed when it was held up in customs in flood-hit Prague … had it been available from yesterday morning, they might have persevered with it instead.

The GSV-R machine is in its first year of development after being put on the tracks a full year earlier than originally planned, giving team and riders the challenging task of developing an all-new motorcycle at the same time as trying to achieve good results in the races.

SETE GIBERNAU – Ninth Position, 2:00.567:
“This morning I ran off the track twice after the throttle stuck open … which is not too pleasant. It meant that we weren’t able to run through the usual Saturday morning tests, so I had to do them in the afternoon instead – running half race distance and trying tyres and so on. That was more important than going for a lap time, and so I never did get the chance for that one fast lap for grid position. I was working on a steady race pace instead, and with race tyres I was lapping in 2:00, so really our position is not bad in terms of race pace and rhythm.”

KENNY ROBERTS Jr – 19th Position, 2:01.582:
“I could say a lot of negative things, but my position reflects that anyway. Obviously I’m not at what I consider to be my level. The short answer is that both my bikes have chassis settings that I have never used before, that were found when I missed the last race in Germany. We continued in that direction because we believed it would get better. That’s evolution. But it didn’t work out: the bike was bad everywhere, doing things at the wrong time in the corners and giving me bad feedback. Every time I pushed I felt as if I was going to jump off. Tomorrow we’ll go back to the settings I used at my last GP at Donington Park. If that can give me a little spark of confidence, that will ignite everything, but right now I am in an area that I just don’t know.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager:
“Sete recovered well from his problems this morning, and his third row position is not so bad, especially considering the respectable and consistent times he was running on race tyres this afternoon. Kenny couldn’t find the way forward – perhaps we took on too much trying to feed in a new chassis halfway through qualifying. But he is very motivated, and I’m sure if we can find a setting that works better for him, he will build on that.”


More, from Aprilia:

Régis Laconi and the Cube unfortunate in final qualifying

Tough qualifying sessions for tomorrow’s starting grid with Régis Laconi having trouble with a hitch in the Cube’s electronics system. Power was cut off in the initial section of the Brno circuit and Régis had to push the bike back to the pits: of the two bikes, this was the one with the settings he liked best. The Cube started up at first go when it was back in the pits and was ready to start out again. When the sessions come to an end, closer analysis will make it possible to find out exactly what happened out on the track. Régis was out again at the end of the session and had time to make two sorties on qualifying tyres to try to improve his grid position. Each time, he lowered his time and the last lap, just a few moments before the chequered flag came, down put him on fifth row for tomorrow.

# 55 Regis Laconi – (MS APRILIA RACING) – 18th – 2’01.494

“It was a pretty complicated afternoon. I wanted to take the bike back to the pits because it was the one with the settings I felt most comfortable with. I lost a number of minutes pushing it back and got almost no help at all. Not the slightest attempt to give me a hand. Anyway, let’s forget that. Back in the pits, the Cube fired up at the first attempt, so now we’ll have to see what happened. I didn’t have time to make a long-distance test on the tyres that gave me the best results yesterday but even so, for tomorrow we can now choose between two different solutions that have given some very interesting results. It’s a pity about today: I was hoping for a better position on the grid, especially since the clutch problems we had at the green light in the last few races should be solved now.