Friday Afternoon MotoGP Practice Times: 1. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:23.808 2. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:23.915 3. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 1:24.054 4. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:24.060 5. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:24.113 6. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:24.130 7. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:24.248 8. Troy BAYLISS, Honda, 1:24.258 9. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:24.382 10. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:24.389 11. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:24.410 12. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:24.508 13. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:24.513 14. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:24.561 15. Olivier JACQUE, Kawasaki, 1:24.752 16. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, 1:25.068 17. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:25.070 18. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 1:25.076 19. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 1:25.456 20. Shane BYRNE, Proton, 1:26.594 21. James ELLISON, Blata, 1:26.636 22. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 1:27.123 Friday’s Combined MotoGP Practice Times: 1. BARROS, Honda, 1:23.808 2. GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:23.915 3. HAYDEN, Honda, 1:23.995 4. CHECA, Ducati, 1:24.054 5. NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:24.113 6. TAMADA, Honda, 1:24.130 7. BIAGGI, Honda, 1:24.248 8. BAYLISS, Honda, 1:24.258 9. EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:24.320 10. ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:24.382 11. CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:24.389 12. HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:24.400 13. ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:24.508 14. MELANDRI, Honda, 1:24.513 15. JACQUE, Kawasaki, 1:24.752 16. ELIAS, Yamaha, 1:25.068 17. HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:25.070 18. ROLFO, Ducati, 1:25.076 19. XAUS, Yamaha, 1:25.349 20. BYRNE, Proton, 1:26.594 21. ELLISON, Blata, 1:26.636 22. BATTAINI, Blata, 1:27.123 MotoGP Crashers Friday included: Morning Practice: Valentino Rossi Shane Byrne Afternoon Practice: Alex Barros (twice) Ruben Xaus John Hopkins More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: NAKANO FIFTH FASTEST IN GERMAN HEAT WAVE Japanese rider Shinya Nakano sweated through heat wave conditions at the Sachsenring, to lead the Kawasaki assault in today’s free practice for the German Grand Prix. Nakano posted the fifth fastest time, just 0.3s off the quickest lap by Alex Barros, as he made excellent use of the latest engine configuration supplied for this race. Nakano is part of a three man Ninja ZX-RR squad entered for the German GP. He is joined by regular team rider Alex Hofmann and wild card Olivier Jacque, who is Kawasaki’s MotoGP test and development rider. For this afternoon’s second one hour session, track surface temperatures started at 48 degrees but soared to a tropical 52 degrees in the baking summer sun. Nakano, Hofmann and Jacque all used different configurations of engine tune today, allowing Kawasaki engineers to evaluate the most suitable for Sunday’s 30-lap race. This use of different motors is also part of the test and development programme for Kawasaki’s all-new MotoGP power plant for the 2006 season, which is currently being designed in Japan. The presence of test rider Jacque is providing valuable additional track time and feedback, with six Ninja ZX-RR race bikes for the three riders in the Kawasaki garage. Jacque last raced for Kawasaki at the French GP in May. Kawasaki’s tyre partner Bridgestone have delivered a range of new dual-compound tyres, which were not available for last Sunday’s British GP, to the Sachsenring. With the left side of the tyre carrying a much heavier load through the ten left-hand corners, the ideal tyre for this track requires a different compound on each side of the tyre. There are just four right-hand turns in the 3.67 km lap. Edge grip is critical for the long periods of maximum lean angle. Apart from further engine evaluation Kawasaki technicians are also searching for improved front-end grip for the special demands of the Sachsenring. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Fifth – 1’24.113 “I’m feeling much better on the bike than I was at Donington just a few days ago. I can do fast, consistent times with improved throttle connection from the latest engine tune on the Ninja ZX-RR. Combined with the grip levels of the new Bridgestone tyres, I was able to concentrate on my riding today, and not worry so much about the bike or tyres. I think we can improve more, both with the engine settings and the front end feeling.” Olivier Jacque: #19 – Fifteenth – 1’24.752 “Today was very difficult to get back into the rhythm of MotoGP in these very hot conditions. You cannot compare any type of training to the demands of a MotoGP bike in this heat. Plus there is no time to relax on this track. Overall my feeling is okay, although I’m lacking some confidence in the front end. I have a preference for one of the different engine configurations I tried today, throttle connection is much improved, but I need more miles on the bike.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – Seventeenth – 1’25.070 “Hot, tough and disappointing, that’s my reaction to today’s two hours of free practice. I don’t want to complain about the heat or lack of grip levels, it’s the same for everyone. My big problem is I’m missing front end feel, I’m not comfortable on the bike and the front set-up is a long way from where it needs to be. This track is all about front-end confidence, I’m not happy.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Director “Today we were able to confirm our latest ideas on engine configuration, both for this race and our 2006 plans, and we will concentrate further on this tomorrow. In particular the feedback from Shinya was very positive, although we still need to work on the engine management system to improve power delivery, it’s a little slow at the moment. But throttle connection is very good. Also for all three riders we need to improve front end balance for better grip and turning.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Barros on top after exciting first day at Sachsenring Alex Barros set the fastest time despite crashing twice on an incident-packed first day of the Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring. Within the space of fifteen minutes of the afternoon session the Brazilian had dropped both his Honda RC211V machines in the final two corners of the notoriously tricky circuit, where Valentino Rossi had also tested the gravel traps with only his second crash of the year in the morning’s opening session. However, Barros’ fastest time of 1’23.808 after just seven laps remained untouched and he tops the overnight time sheets ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying session. “I’m a little disappointed about the two crashes but not too much because I am still very happy with the job we have done,” said Barros, who holds the circuit record here with a time of 1’24.056 set in last year’s race. “This morning the team gave me a bike that was very competitive and the first crash was probably caused by a little too much enthusiasm from myself over the first few laps. The second one is more difficult to explain because I wasn’t pushing at all. Anyway I’m fine, I didn’t hurt myself at all and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.” Rossi was unhurt in his crash but his confidence was clearly damaged as he stuttered to the thirteenth fastest time at a circuit he yesterday claimed was “one of my worst.” Rubén Xaus and John Hopkins also crashed in the afternoon, with the American unable to build on the sixth fastest time in the morning and eventually dropping to twelfth overall. Xaus, meanwhile, ended the day in 19th place. Sete Gibernau bounced back from the disappointment of crashing out of the lead at Donington Park five days ago to set the second fastest time in both of today’s sessions. After trailing Nicky Hayden by 0.207 seconds in the morning Gibernau was exactly one tenth closer to Barros’ best effort in the afternoon as he chases a repeat of his victory at this circuit two years ago. Fellow Spaniard Carlos Checa was also on form, lapping fourth fastest in the morning and third fastest in the afternoon on the Ducati as he prepares to make the 150th Grand Prix start of his career. Nicky Hayden was unable to improve his lap times in the searing afternoon heat, with ambient temperatures reaching 32ºC and 43ºC recorded on the track surface. However, the American held on to third place overall as he looks to repeat his podium finish from last season and return to the form that saw him take his debut victory less than a month ago at Laguna Seca. Elsewhere, Olivier Jacque made his return to competitive action for Kawasaki and lapped 15th fastest, two places ahead of his team-mate and local favourite Alex Hofmann. The first qualifying practices for the 250cc and 125cc classes also took place today, with Alex de Angelis clinching provisional pole for the quarter-litre race with a time of 1’25.272. The San Marino rider is joined on the provisional front row by Jorge Lorenzo, who set the pace in the morning free practice, Dani Pedrosa and Sebastián Porto the first two men across the line in last year’s race. Casey Stoner, who lies 34 points adrift of Pedrosa in second place in the championship, qualified sixth fastest. Mattia Pasini shook off the disappointment of his crash on the warm-up lap for the second part of a split 125cc race at Donington Park last week to set provisional pole for Sunday’s opening event. The Italian, who is joint leader of the series with Gabor Talmacsi, clocked a time of 1’28.808 to hold off the challenge of Mika Kallio by 0.133 seconds. Marco Simoncelli and Tomoyoshi Koyama complete the provisional front row whilst Talmacsi qualified seventh fastest. More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: GAULOISES YAMAHA RIDERS IN A SPIN AT TWISTY SACHSENRING Gauloises Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both struggled to get comfortable at the Sachsenring circuit as the first free practice sessions for the German Grand Prix took place today. Rossi fell for only the second time this season in the morning session, losing front grip in the downhill, left-hand corner at turn two, but escaped without injury. Despite returning to the track with an improved time in the afternoon the Italian could only manage the thirteenth fastest lap on the day’s combined time sheets, as he struggled to find front and rear grip for his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine. Edwards got off to a better start than his Gauloises Yamaha team-mate, setting the third fastest time of the morning session, before suffering similar difficulties in the afternoon. The American found it hard to make progress as he tried to tame the track’s notoriously twisty turns and was unable to improve his lap times from the morning to the afternoon, dropping to ninth on the overnight time sheets. Alex Barros (Honda) set the fastest time of the day with a lap of 1’23.808, despite crashing twice in the space of just fifteen minutes in the second session. COLIN EDWARDS (9th 1’24.320; 55 laps) “We tried a few different things in the afternoon but we’ve basically been having the same problem all day; we just can’t get the bike to stop being so nervous. We need to start driving forward instead of wiggling around and it looks like it’s going to take a lot of work. It doesn’t seem to be a simple set-up issue I’ve spoken to Valentino and he is having the same problems, so to me it seems the bike doesn’t like this track in general. The Yamaha turns so well that the tight sections in the first two splits are great, but once the track opens out in the second half it just gets very bumpy on the exit of the corners and the bike starts dancing around. From there it’s a case of trying to hold on and ride smoother, but then that feels too slow. I’m not going to lie; it’s a handful, but we’re working on it.” VALENTINO ROSSI (13th 1’24.508; 52 laps) “It was a very difficult day. It started from the morning when I fell off the bike and after that we worked a lot to try and improve the feeling, but at the end of the day it wasn’t any better. We started with the setting from Donington but we had a problem with the front. Also it is really hard to find the right tyre because there is so much time spent on the left side and it gets so hot, which means you slide a lot. I can’t ride the bike at 100% and Colin has some problems too. I am a little bit worried because I am in thirteenth place, but I am sure that tomorrow we can work really hard and find a good way forward. This really is a bad track for me I don’t like it. It is different to the other tracks and we need to work hard to get the right set-up.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “It was a difficult day and we have to find some ideas to improve the setting. Both riders are having the same problems we will find out more from them later but it is clear we need to adjust some things. We have had difficulties on Fridays in the past but the team always found a way to solve the problems, so I am confident they can do the same here. Valentino’s crash this morning was his first real one of the season and the guys worked really well through lunchtime to fix the bike, so a big ‘thank you’ to them. There is a lot more work ahead of them tonight but I am hopeful we can get out of this.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: MARLBORO MEN MAKE POSITIVE START AT SACHSENRING Ducati Marlboro Team riders Carlos Checa and Loris Capirossi featured strongly in the opening day of free practice at the Sachsenring, with Checa running out fourth fastest after two sessions, just 0,246 seconds off Barros, fastest today, and Capirossi ending up 11th, only five tenths off the fastest on track. In the final hour of Friday practice, held in hot ambient temperatures of 32°C, Checa was second fastest for most of the session, only displaced to fourth overall in the final minutes. Capirossi was not in a position to make an improvement in his best time late in the session, but is still close to the leading riders on lap time. The dual nature of the Sachsenring track, with a slow and tight first section flowing into a fast loop to complete the lap, means that finding a good set-up for the entire track is an elusive ideal for any team and rider. Hence there is still a lot of work to be done by both riders and crews before the race on Sunday. “Bridgestone brought some new tyre specifications and they seem to work very well here,” said Ducati MotoGP Project Manager Livio Suppo. “We are happy about that and we have set good times in these dry conditions – so we have to say thank you to Bridgestone for the efforts they have made. The machine has usually been good here, we finished on the podium in 2003 and Loris was running third last year until he fell. The riders like it here so we are looking for a good weekend. Even if it rains tomorrow we know that we should have no problems, as Bridgestone have a proven record in wet conditions. That fact also makes today particularly positive, because we have good info for the dry and no fears about the possibility of rain.” CHECA HAPPY WITH FIRST DAY IN SACHSENRING SUNSHINE Carlos Checa showed good pace around the schizophrenic Sachsenring circuit from the off, making good use of the new tyres which Bridgestone produced for this race. “I am very happy with all our work today,” said Carlos, “we tested the bike set-up in a lot of different way to make me feel more comfortable. Of course we have to keep working because maybe it will rain tomorrow. If it is wet then we should not be too bad. Certainly in the dry the Ducati is working quite well here, as are our tyres, so the combination is good compared to our rivals. I feel more comfortable in the slower areas, but set-up is always a compromise here.” CAPIROSSI UPBEAT AFTER A HARD DAY OF WORK Loris Capirossi, satisfied of the new dry Bridgestone tyres, concentrated his opening efforts on a race set-up yet still ended the day with a competitive time. “We are OK at the moment,” said Capirossi. “This morning I did not like the set-up so much, but we changed the settings and it is a lot better now. Bridgestone brought a lot of new tyres and I tried one which is totally different from the ones we have used in the past. It worked really well at this track so tomorrow I hope it will not rain, so we can continue fine-tuning on the current set-up. I am happy with my rhythm even if I am 11th, because I am only three tenths from the second rider. I did not exploit the last minutes of the last session as I had a small problem with my bike. Despite this, I am still quite confident.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: Boiling asphalt betrays Alex, but the rest unable to improve on his time With the sun beating down and track temperatures nearing 50ºC at Sachsenring in the second free practice session, conditions were particularly challenging, with noboday able to better Alex Barros’ lap time, which came in the first ten minutes of the hour. Alex would eventually be confirmed as the quickest rider on day one of practice at the German GP however he missed out on a large chunk of practice due to a couple of crashes, both without any serious implications. Troy Bayliss continues to prove he has found his form on the Honda and despite the eighth fastest time he is just tenths outside his teammate’s lap. Sito Pons Camel Honda “Alex went really well today despite the double crash which fortunately didn’t injure him, but meant he had to finish practice early. This means he was unable to advance with the set-up of his bike, but his rhythm and his confidence here at Sachsenring are exceptional. He’s already a step ahead of the others, and I can see he will be quick and it is important he continues in this fashion tomorrow, and puts today’s interruptions to one side. Troy is continuing at the high level he reached at Donington, generally amongst the top five or six. Only in the final minutes today did he slip to eighth, but the gap is just a few thousandths off the top five. He has the kind of rhythm and confidence we haven’t seen up to now; after the United States he has made continuous progress, and he is ever more comfortable and I’m happy that he is beginning to express his and the bike’s potential.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 1’23.808 1st position “I’m a little disappointed about the two crashes but not too much because I am still very happy with the job we have done. This morning the team gave me a bike that was very competitive and the first crash was probably caused by a little too much enthusiasm from myself over the first few laps, because I felt so comfortable in the saddle. I pushed a bit too hard. The second one is more difficult to explain because I wasn’t pushing at all. They told me there wasn’t enough time to set the second bike up like the first so I knew I wouldn’t be able to repeat that lap time. I had put in a tyre that had quite a few laps on it, and perhaps it was that, together with the track conditions which weren’t ideal due to the heat. Anyway I’m fine, I didn’t hurt myself at all and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.” Troy Bayliss Camel Honda 1’24.258 8th position “This weekend at Sachsenring has begun well too. This afternoon I was eighth but my time is very good, quicker than I went last year in the race, and on hard tyres too. I’m feeling confident and I think that with just a few little adjustments we should be able to put ourselves in a top starting position. Things are going better overall too in general, and for a few races now we have been able to make lots of progress which make me feel much more comfortable on the bike. We would like to make another step forward so we can say that we are at 100%, but to be honest things aren’t going badly at all, and I can’t wait for the race to begin.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Top-10 for Roberts Jr and Team SUZUKI MotoGP at a sweltering Sachsenring Team SUZUKI MotoGP racer Kenny Roberts Jr powered his Suzuki GSV-R to a top-10 position during today’s free practice for the Alice Motorrad G.P. Deutschland. Roberts Jr (1’24.382, 47 laps) was consistently in the higher places throughout both of the hour-long sessions and finished only 0.574 seconds behind the quickest time set by Alex Barros. Team-mate John Hopkins had a day of mixed fortunes. In the morning session he temporarily topped the time-sheet before finishing sixth quickest, whilst this afternoon a heavy crash on what looked like being his fastest lap of the day cut short his involvement and left him 12th overall. Hopkins (1’24.400, 48 laps) managed to get back to the pit-box but was unable to continue riding. He has gone straight to the medical centre to have any potential injuries assessed. Today’s practice was held in heat-wave conditions with air temperatures reaching in excess of 30 degrees and the track surface a tyre-baking 43 degrees. The scorching weather may not last long though as thunderstorms are forecast for tomorrow’s final practice session and qualifying. Round 10 of the MotoGP World Championship will get underway on Sunday at the earlier time of 12.30CET. Kenny Roberts Jr: “We are basically working through our normal routine. Nothing different to any other Friday, I guess. Bridgestone has a new tyre here that has a little bit less cornering grip but a bit more acceleration grip, and I feel that it is better for me – so we used that most of the day. “There was no point in going for one single lap time at the end as basically that isn’t going to matter. They say the weather is changing and it looks like it’s going to be raining. Let’s wait and see!” Stuart Shenton John Hopkins’ Crew Chief: “We worked very hard this afternoon trying to find a race tyre. We were on the third tyre of the day when unfortunately John went down quite hard going down the hill. We hope he is going to be alright and we’ll have to see what he’s like when he gets back from the doctor’s” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Sachsenring today couldn’t have been a bigger contrast to Donington last week and it’s very pleasing to see that in absolutely opposite conditions the GSV-R’ s increasing competitiveness is continuing to show. “Both the guys were running in the front group for most of the day and despite doing long mileages on tyres, they still put in competitive lap-times. Bridgestone has again brought a huge number of rear options most of which are brand new which creates its own confusion, but hopefully creates opportunity as development moves forward. “Kenny has mentioned that the improvement to the engine delivered at Donington has made the GSV-R significantly better to ride. We still need more that is clear but the direction is right. Kenny rode hard all day, finishing only 0.5 seconds off the fastest time and recorded his most competitive Friday so far this season. Let’s hope that form continues into qualifying and the race. “The biggest concern for tomorrow is John’s condition. He suffered a fourth gear high-side towards the end of FP2. He seemed fairly unfazed by it, but chipped teeth and potential injuries to hand, foot and ribs are of course a concern. We are all keeping our fingers crossed that he is fit enough to race and race hard. I believe that if it’s physically possible to ride the bike, John will be on it tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: First day / SACHSENRING TEST FOR THE MOTOGP STARS The German GP takes place at the Sachsenring for the sixth time this weekend with mixed weather forecasts for Sunday’s race. Friday saw intense heat at the German circuit with temperatures in the mid 30 degrees. That made life difficult for the MotoGP riders at the relatively short circuit 3,671 m whose difficult characteristics were intensified by the conditions. TONI ELIAS is continuing to feel the pains in his left hand while Ruben Xaus fell in the afternoon qualifying session despite looking comfortable during the morning. The two YAMAHA FORTUNA riders, along with the rest of Herve Poncharal’s team, also took time to congratulate the rider in the box next door who was completing his 150th Grand Prix Valentino Rossi. TONI ELIAS (24): Free session: 18th -1.25.635 + 1.640 (23/29 laps) Qualifying session: 16th -1.25.068 + 1.260 (29/29 laps) “This is a very difficult circuit that we have more problems at than normal. It’s a track with climbs and falls”¦ with only three right-hand turns that means my left hand is suffering more than at other places. But the intense heat is the same for everyone although the short track means it is different to other places. I am quite satisfied with the times I posted in the first two sectors, although in the second two I lost all the time I had made up. We must not fool ourselves, though, we must work hard to keep improving.” RUBEN XAUS (11): Free Session: 17th -1.25.349 + 1.354 (30/31 laps) Qualifying session: 19th -1.25.456 + 1.648 (06/22 laps) “This morning we resolved a couple of minor problems we’d been having and were then able to start working in the right direction. The hot temperatures this afternoon prevented us from lowering the time from this morning, but I believe I can improve tomorrow. The fall this afternoon was a shame because we were looking to post our fastest time, but it happened at a point where great riders like Rossi and Barros have fallen before.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: SETE GIBERNAU MAKES STRONG START IN GERMANY Demanding first day at the Sachsenring as temperatures touch 35ºC amidst stormy forecasts GERMAN GP- MOTOGP FREE PRACTICE Sete Gibernau set the second fastest time on the first day of free practice at the German Grand Prix on Monday. The tenth round of the MotoGP World Championship began today in suffocating heat, with ambient temperatures reaching 35ºC and 46ºC recorded on the track completely opposite conditions to those endured in England five days ago but with weather forecasts predicting more rain. Honda dominated the provisional front row with Barros, Gibernau and Hayden clocking the three fastest times of the day. Sete lapped consistently in both sessions as he looked to find a compromise for the bike at the slowest and most tortuous track on the calendar. In the morning the Spaniard lapped in low 1’24s and in the afternoon he lowered his best lap to a 1’23.915, times he hopes to improve if the good weather continues tomorrow. Marco Melandri worked at the set up of the bike. he was 14th fastest today, seven tenths off Barros, after trying several different set-up solutions. SETE GIBERNAU (2nd, 1’23″915): “It is really hot and the riders, machine and tyres all suffer in equal measures. In fact, in such high temperatures the grip levels drop a lot and that is why we have seen so many crashes. Personally I feel really good, better than I have all season. At this circuit there are there are two very different sections and you have to find a good compromise with the set-up. We’ve taken steps forward throughout the day. We have done a lot of reflecting and I’m convinced we can get a good result here and go on holiday with the peace of mind that we are back where we belong.” MARCO MELANDRI (14th, 1’24″513): “Sachsenring is a peculiar circuit, where you can’t use the data from any other tracks. It is very short and there are a lot of riders within just seven tenths of the fastest time. We’ve based our work on the race, making the most of the two hours available dry time in case it rains tomorrow. I’m happy and I feel good on the bike, even though it slides a lot in this heat. Tomorrow we will keep working to prepare ourselves for the second half of the race.”