Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Thursday’s MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 2:12.540
2. Alex BARROS, Honda, 2:13.723
3. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 2:13.876
4. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, 2:13.892
5. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 2:14.107
6. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 2:14.658
7. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 2:14.919
8. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 2:14.955
9. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 2:15.073
10. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:15.102
11. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:15.558
12. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 2:15.702
13. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, 2:16.869
14. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 2:16.945
15. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 2:16.986
16. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 2:17.075
17. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:17.177
18. Chris BURNS, Harris WCM, 2:17.252
19. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 2:17.617
20. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 2:17.715
21. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:17.836
22. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:18.074
23. Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton, 2:18.236
24. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:19.765


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

NO JOY AT RAIN SOAKED ASSEN FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI RIDERS

A wet and windy Assen provided little joy for Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Alex Hofmann and Shinya Nakano, during the opening day of qualifying for Saturday’s Dutch TT.

Both Hofmann and Nakano could not hide their disappointment at sharing the last row of the provisional grid in 22nd and 24th positions respectively.

On a water-logged circuit both Ninja ZX-RR riders struggled with rear grip, as track temperatures barely rose above a chilly 12 degrees. To compound his misery, Nakano was forced to ride the final 20 minutes of the session with a rear brake problem.

In similar conditions in this race last year Hofmann finished in tenth place, after a superb wet-weather ride.

And being so far back on the grid is unfamiliar territory for the stylish Nakano, who just last week finished in a brave seventh place in the Catalunya GP in Barcelona. That result marked Kawasaki’s best finish since returning to MotoGP at the end of 2002, after an absence of more than two decades.

Not surprisingly both riders have today expressed a preference for a dry Dutch TT come race day this Saturday.

Kawasaki and Bridgestone engineers will evaluate the data from today’s session in an attempt to find solutions, so that Hofmann and Nakano can move up the grid in tomorrow’s final qualifying.

Today the 6.027km Assen circuit was drenched by constant rain that made conditions extremely difficult, with blinding spray and blustery winds buffeting riders all the way round the fastest track on the MotoGP calendar.

Alex Hofmann: 22nd (2:18.074)
“Being on the second page of the timing screen is not where I want to be. It was impossible to go faster in these conditions with the level of rear grip today, and it is not a lot of fun riding like this. At the beginning of the session I could do consistent times, but later, when I tried to go deeper on the brakes and open the throttle earlier, it was difficult to improve the lap time as I didn’t have a lot of confidence with the rear grip. Right now I hope we have a dry race.”

Shinya Nakano: 24th (2:19.765)
“Today was a bad day for me. I couldn’t open the throttle on the corner exits and all the other riders were faster than me through the turns. And then, for the final third of the session, I had a problem that reduced the braking pressure on the rear wheel. Hopefully we can adjust the engine characteristics to improve things tomorrow if conditions are still wet. Like my teammate, I’m hoping for a dry race on Saturday.”

QUALIFYING PRACTICE 1 – FINAL TIMES
1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 2’12.540; 2. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +1.183; 3. Ruben Xaus (SPA) dAntin Ducati Team +1.336; 4. Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Harris WCM +1.352; 5. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +1.576; 6. Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +2.118; 7. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +2.379; 8. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +2.415; 9. Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +2.533; 10. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +2.562; 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +5.534; 12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +7.225


More, from a press release issued by Galouises Fortuna Yamaha:

ROSSI AND CHECA FIGHT RAIN AND WIND AT ASSEN

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha riders Carlos Checa and Valentino Rossi battled against the forces of nature at Assen today, as heavy rain and blustery winds affected the first day of qualifying at the classic Dutch TT circuit. The adverse conditions were a factor throughout the day, although Checa and Rossi nonetheless started brightly, heading up the unofficial morning session in first and second places respectively.

Their strong form continued in the early part of the first hour of timed qualifying, when the weather was at its worst, with Checa sitting in provisional pole position and with Rossi also on the provisional front row in third. As the rains tailed off somewhat the track lost some of its patches of standing water and with 20 minutes to go of the one hour session several riders made charges to the front on the slowly drying track.

Sete Gibernau (Honda) was the top finisher on day one, with a time of 2:12.540. The provisional front row also featured Alex Barros (Honda, 2:13.723) and Ruben Xaus (Ducati, 2:13.876). The surprise package of Michel Fabrizio (WCM) was fourth fastest, with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) fifth. Checa, in sixth, eked out a provisional second row start thanks to his 2:14.658 lap, while Rossi’s 2:14.919 leaves him at the head of row three.

Final qualifying tomorrow now remains for each rider to make improvements in time and position, determining their final grid placing for Saturday’s 19-lap race around the endlessly challenging Assen track.

CARLOS CHECA (6th, 2:14.658)

“Working on the bike in wet conditions is not easy, but we made some improvements and I feel quite comfortable on the bike. I couldn’t use the same tyre as this morning and I did not get enough time to get a good feeling on the other tyre. I am reasonably satisfied, even though we know that there are some areas where we can go faster. I’m quite positive because the feeling is not too bad. So far the work we have done means that if it rains again on raceday we will be competitive. If it’s dry – we see!”

VALENTINO ROSSI (7th, 2:14.919)

“I had a good morning, finished second fastest and I’m feeling a bit better in the rain now. This morning I felt good with the bike but it changed this afternoon. For some reason it was more difficult and I had some more problems with the settings. It didn’t feel very good. We will be trying something a bit different tomorrow. Sete is really strong in the rain and it is not easy in these conditions to catch him. I think if it doesn’t rain tomorrow I will be able to improve.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR

“The conditions were difficult but they are conditions we need to work in, to set up the bike and make it work. Even if it may not be useful for the race, which is supposed to be dry, we have to manage these two days in the rain, today and probably tomorrow. It’s a good opportunity for us to work under these conditions and we have to use our time as well as possible. We need to create a good package for the riders in every condition. Even though the rains lessenedl with 20 minutes to go, I think there was just too much water standing on the track to make any great improvement.”

PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW

1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 2:12.540
2. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda Team 2:13.723
3. Ruben Xaus (SPA) D’Antin MotoGP 2:13.876

PROVISIONAL SECOND ROW

4. Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Harris WCM 2:13.892
5. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 2:14.107
6. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 2:14.658

7. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 2:14.919


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN GET TO KNOW TWIN-PULSE DUKE

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi were 5th and 11th fastest in this afternoon’s rain-lashed opening qualifying session at Assen.

Both riders have two different engines at their disposal here – one ‘standard’ four-pulse motor and one twin-pulse engine apiece. The new engine – identified by its deeper exhaust note and four exhaust pipes – uses different firing intervals to produce greater traction during the crucial corner-exit acceleration phase. Both riders were impressed by the engine during first tests at Catalunya following the recent Catalan GP.

“It’s been a strange day with some very heavy rain,” said Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “Troy did a good job this afternoon, mostly riding the four-pulse engine. We saw at Jerez that he likes this engine in the wet, so it made sense to use the four-pulse. Loris started the day on the four-pulse and then jumped on the twin-pulse, which he likes a lot more, he finds it a lot easier to ride. I think we’ve made a good start, and we hope for better weather tomorrow.”

Today was dominated by high winds and torrential rain, in other words traditional Dutch TT weather since this event is often disrupted by poor weather conditions. Three of the last four Assen races have been affected by rain.

BAYLISS FIFTH FASTEST WITH FOUR-PULSE

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss was fifth quickest in today’s soaking qualifier, using the four-pulse Desmosedici motor. The Aussie is almost fully recovered from the heavy tumble he took during the Catalan GP two weeks ago.

“For the first day we’re doing pretty good,” he said. “Really it just worked out that I spent most of my time on the ‘standard’ motor because we wanted to try a few things with it. My injuries from Barcelona aren’t hampering me but my right ankle still isn’t nice and I’ve aggravated an old back injury.

“Today I didn’t use too much the new twin-pulse engine, but I feel it is definitely a step forward. During the tests we did at Barcelona I did good lap times after 18 laps on a tyre, and the tyre was cooler and looked better than the tyre we used in the race. The new motor is easier to ride and that’s what it’s all about – making the bike comfortable to ride, so the lap times come easier without going too much above yourself.”

CAPIROSSI HAS FUN WITH THE TWIN-PULSE

Loris Capirossi was 11th but the Ducati Marlboro Team rider knows better weather is forecast for Friday, so he wasn’t pushing too hard in the treacherous conditions. Nevertheless, he enjoyed himself with the rider-friendly twin-pulse motor.

“It made no sense to push too hard in such heavy rain,” he said. “If the weather is better tomorrow, I will go faster anyway, if it rains again, I will push harder. I tried both engines this morning and spent most of this afternoon with the twin-pulse, working on set-up. The wet can be difficult for me because I’m so light, so I get less traction than other riders, but we found a good wet set-up and that’s what counts. I don’t care about the lap times at this stage. I prefer the twin-pulse much more than the other engine, especially in the wet. And I think today was the first time I’ve really enjoyed myself on the Ducati in the rain.”


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

Proton’s Aoki finds fast way through Assen rain



Nobuatsu Aoki: 14th, 2:16.945
Kurtis Roberts: 23rd, 2:18.236

Proton Team KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki found the fast way round a drenched Assen circuit today, to claim his best qualifying position so far this year, on the provisional fifth row of the starting grid.

Aoki was up with the fast men from the start of the first wet free training session this morning, happy for the chance to use his riding skills, and exploit the improving consistency of the 990cc V5 MotoGP prototype KR V5. The difficult circuit takes the emphasis away from sheer speed and horsepower, and favours good machine handling and finely-polished riding skills.

Team-mate Kurtis Roberts, a first-timer at the complex and challenging 6.027km Dutch circuit, was 23rd fastest, learning the circuit as well as mastering conditions that varied from merely damp to truly sodden both in the morning and the afternoon.

The Proton KR V5 made its race debut just over a year ago. This year’s machine is significantly changed, with major engine revisions and an all-new hewn-from-solid chassis.

A revised firing order and a new longer-stroke motor have gained track miles and reliability over recent races; while a new generation of Dunlop tyres gave encouraging results at tests after the last round, the Catalunyan GP two weekends ago. Today’s rain meant there was no chance to test the tyre improvement at another circuit. Instead, the Dunlop wet tyres gave a good account of themselves, helping the team take another step forward in overall development of the new machine.

Today’s sessions will be followed by one more day of practising and qualifying before Saturday’s race, the sixth round of the season. Today’s provisional pole time was again set by points leader Sete Gibernau (Honda).

Nobuatsu Aoki
I’m pretty happy with the development of the wet tyre, but I lost the chance of improving my time with some engine trouble in the last ten minutes of the session. My race bike lost power, so I switched to the spare, and though we put in the same settings, it didn’t feel quite the same. We need to do some work on that to make it feel better. If it is dry tomorrow, I have no idea what to expect. I hope that if the race is dry then we will get a chance to test the new tyre thoroughly before race day.

Kurtis Roberts
It’s a good track, but I’m still learning it. The wet makes that side a little easier, so I hope it keeps raining. Today I was a little off in my gearing – I could go fast, but I was sliding and spinning a lot, drifting everywhere. I was up there for most of the session, and just lost a couple of places at the end. I did go faster than in the morning, but it wasn’t enough for the position. I like the track, and if it stays rainy it will be a fun race. The track has quite a bit of grip in the wet. I’ll learn it a bit more tomorrow, get the gearing better, and hope for a good race on Saturday.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:


Roberts splashes into Assen top ten

Assen, Holland Thursday, June 24, 2004: Team Suzuki MotoGP riders Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins placed ninth and 21st in today’s first practice for Saturday’s Dutch TT, braving cold and rainy conditions and a sodden track to remake acquaintance with the complicated Assen circuit, and to test the latest wet-weather tyres from Bridgestone.

In the morning free session, the two Suzuki GSV-R riders had been 11th and 12th, with Roberts up front at the early part of the session, and Hopkins keeping close company.

Rain persisted in the afternoon, easing off at some points, giving windows of opportunity for faster laps, with overall times two seconds or so faster than in the morning.

Roberts made the most of it, again up with the front runners in the early stages, and ending up less than half-a-second off the provisional second row of the grid, sharing the third with Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, to make a full house of World Champions side by side.

Roberts was using the latest modified version of the 990cc V4 GSV-R engine, with revised firing intervals; Hopkins stuck with the standard engine.

Hopkins also made a big improvement compared with the morning time, and was in a close batch of times. He blamed an over-ambitious choice of rear tyre for failing to maintain his overall position – he gambled on a hard-compound tyre during one of the drier spells, but it was too hard for the conditions.

One more day of qualifying remains, with (as ever) the weather bound to play a crucial part. If it is wetter tomorrow, this afternoon’s times might stand for final grid positions. If forecasts of drier weather come to pass, the map will be redrawn, with much faster lap times. Today’s provisional pole time was 12 seconds slower than the lap record.

Kenny Roberts Jr. – 9th position, 2:15.073
Probably no fun out there for anybody – I think we’d all prefer it dry. We went through the normal things today, and when we were out on the track we were setting competitive times, and we’re in about the right place for the wet. I didn’t get a good clear lap at the end. Though I’m not really programmed for those one-lap flier for fifth or sixth place! Things were pretty consistent out there, and I felt comfortable. We’ll work on a few settings for tomorrow, and then see what tomorrow brings. If it’s dry, we’ll start the process again. It’s a never-ending process – like ground-hog day.

John Hopkins – 21st position, 2:17.836
I ended up on the wrong tyre for the dryer time at the beginning. We should have gone out with what we knew best, but I tried a little harder compound because it was dryer, and it didn’t work. I came in, but when I went out again it was chucking it down real hard. We used the session to go through the data and see where to improve, and it never did get to the point where it was as dry as it had been, until right at the end. I came in with four minutes to go, went out on the other bike with a better wet set-up, but with no time to really work on a good lap. Even so I was three seconds faster than at any other time all day, and the time came quite comfortably. We know we need a step up, but I was enjoying myself in the wet, getting my confidence back, and we have quite a few things to try for tomorrow.

Garry Taylor – Team Manager
It was a horrible for everyone out there, and you have to admire the determination of riders who go out there in these conditions. It was an important time for familiarisation with the wet conditions this weekend. Now we wait and see what the weather does for the next two days.


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Heavy rain at Assen on first day of practice for Dutch TT

There was no summer weather today at Assen in the first day of practice for the Dutch TT. The driving rain and the strong sidewinds complicated the work that needed to be done on the track, with all riders suffering from aquaplaning, and at times dealing with very low visibility. Max Biaggi and Makoto Tamada finished the first set of official practices in 10th and 17th places respectively. The weather forecasts predict only a slight improvement tomorrow in Assen, but traditionally, the forecasts are never 100% right.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)

“On this first day of practice we were unable to get satisfactory provisional grid positions. Tomorrow we have to improve our performance, and we will be hoping for similar weather to today so we can make the most of the data we’ve collected. The objective is to get a good rhythm up in the wet so we can be competitive if there is a wet race. If by any chance there is a rapid improvement in the weather, then we will prepare for the dry by restarting our set-up work from the top once more.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 10th – 2:15.102

“I was hoping for something a bit better, despite the rain, considering that last year we did a great race in similar conditions. Instead we are a little behind and we need to solve a host of little problems that aren’t allowing me to be comfortable at the moment. At the moment I’m a little disappointed, but I know that I have to stay positive because we still have a day left to try and fix things. So we’ll save any judgements until tomorrow, because the weather conditions will probably remain the same and we will be able to continue today’s work with the data we have collected today.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)

“Tamada has found it hard to find a good feeling in the wet, and tomorrow’s work will be focused on getting a better set-up of the bike so Makoto can be more confident at this complex Assen track. A last chance to test in wet conditions would be good to help us find a better set-up with which to get the most out of the tyres.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 17th – 2:17.177

“Assen isn’t easy, it’s not my favourite track and with the rain, things get even more complicated. In the first part of the track there were also problems with big gusts of wind. There were times when it was impossible to tip the bike to get it into the best line for the corners. Now it’s important to find the right set-up combination with the wet tyres, and to work to improve today’s performance. I have to say that my feeling at this track is much better than last year, so I really want to make the most of this.”


More, from a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

Xaus third and windy Assen
[24.06.2004]



The first day of practice at the Dutch Grand Prix was hit by atrocious weather today, with the wind, cold and rain combining throughout the day to make things worse.

This didn’t stop the d´Antin MotoGP riders however, who demonstrated their familiarity with the track as soon as they went out there. Rubén Xaus flirted with provisional pole, whilst Neil Hodgson followed his own way of working to prepare for the race.

RUBÉN XAUS stood out throughout the whole day, at one point standing in first place before finally ending up third, “This year I’m going to all the races and starting from scratch, but here I have a little bit more of an advantage because I know the track well both in wet and dry conditions. The rain was constant today and I felt comfortable, although the wind was strong and affected your riding a bit on the bike. I go well in the wet but I think that it would be best for everyone if the race was in dry conditions, as the forecast seems to predict, and my only hope is that tomorrow we get a chance to do at least one practice in those conditions so we can prepare the set-up for whatever the weather on race-day.
MotoGP is so fast this year, and today you could see that, although this circuit does have a lot of grip in the wet, it still seems incredible that we can go 280 Km/h in these conditions.”

NEIL HODGSON also played and important role in these first practice sessions, improving his times through the day to finish up with the twelfth best time, “I always say that like a good Englishman I’m used to the rain and so that’s why I seem to go well in these conditions. I won here last year in the rain. I think that everyone would prefer the weather to improve and work some time in the dry tomorrow for whatever might happen in the race on Saturday. In general we have worked well today, and I felt comfortable, but the work we did in Barcelona will be very useful for us and I’m confident of improving over the weekend.”


TIMES:

1st S.GIBERNAU 2:12.540
2nd A.BARROS 2:13.723
3rd RUBÉN XAUS 2:13.876
4th M.FABRIZIO 2:13.892
5th T.BAYLISS 2:14.107

12th NEIL HODGSON 2:15.702


More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

SETE DOMINANT IN THE RAIN

Sete Gibernau began the Dutch TT in the best possible way today, setting provisional pole position on a day made difficult by the wind and the rain which fell constantly on the Assen circuit. The Telefónica MoviStar Honda MotoGP rider concentrated from the first session on getting the best possible wet weather setting for his RC211V, getting the most out of the afternoon session after completing just 6 laps in the morning. Sete clocked the best time some thirteen minutes from the end, gradually increasing his pace with three perfect laps which gave him over a second advantage at the top of the standings. Colin Edwards improved his feeling for the bike in the afternoon and provisionally qualified eighth with a time of 2:14.955.


SETE GIBERNAU (1st, 2:12.540): “We are continuing on the right path. We’ve worked on finding the right wet set-up from the first session and in the afternoon we found it. We have started well but the weat! her is very changeable here and you can never relax – the most difficult bit is still to come even thought we are taking the right steps. Tomorrow will be another important session which will again depend on the weather. They are saying it could improve – hopefully it will be dry, and the race also. The important thing is that we are in a position to fight for the podium again and we are on the right track”.


COLIN EDWARDS (8th, 2:14.955) : “I can say that I feel a lot better today. This morning I was fighting with the bike and myself because I couldn’t understand what was going on – I just couldn’t find the right way forward and I have always gone well in the wet here. I made a small change this afternoon and everything went better. Now I am getting a feel for the bike and the wet setting is good – I’m pretty happy.”


FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager) : “I was a bit concerned this morning because Sete didn’t do! many laps but he wanted to study the track conditions, try it out a little and get ready for the official practice. In the afternoon he was incredible again – this is a track he likes and he is very focused on giving his maximum. Colin moved up a level every time he went out on track. This could also be a good Grand Prix for him”.


LAP TIMES
1 Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2:12.540
2 Alex Barros (Honda) 2:13.723
3 Ruben Xaus (Ducati) 2:13.876
…
8 Colin Edwards (Honda) 2:14.955


More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

Byrne 13th in Dutch downpour at Assen

SHANE Byrne qualified his MS Aprilia Racing Cube in 13th place on the provisional grid today as the Dutch TT at Assen got underway in monsoon conditions.

Byrne was making his first visit to the famous 3.745 miles circuit, which is the fastest and oldest track on the MotoGP. Typcially though Byrne was undaunted by the task of learning and coping with some of the unique challenges thrown up by the Assen circuit, including its narrow and fast flowing layout characterised by high speed corners and rapid changes of direction.

His task certainly wasn’t made any easier by the fact that today’s free practice session and first qualifying were run in appalling conditions, with heavy and persistent rain drenching the surface and a gusting wind only adding to the challenge. Once again Shakey showed that he revels in treacherous conditions when he finished this morning’s session with the fourth fastest time after only 18 laps. In the early stages of this afternoon’s session, he was also in the top four but eventually had to settle for 13th after a late crash denied him the chance to move further up the time sheets. Byrne managed to walk away from the crash unscathed and said: “This is my first time at Assen and it is not an easy track to learn. I’m not being helped by the weather either. I crashed when I was trying a different tyre, but I hope the rain continues because I love riding the Cube in the wet.”

Team-mate Jeremy McWilliams finished today’s session in 19th position, the British rider returning close to 100 per cent fitness after he missed the last race in Barcelona through injury. His best lap time was a 2.17.617 and he said: “The conditions were very unpredictable. At some parts of the track the rain wasn’t so bad and at others it was very hard making it difficult to even see the right line. I was being fairly cautious because the last thing I need another crash, so I spent the day working on a tyre choice. If it rains for the next two days then I’m happpy I’ve already found a tyre that will work well in wet conditions.”

Forecasters are predicting more of the same poor weather tomorrow, although Saturday’s 19-lap race is expected to be run in much brighter and drier conditions.