From a press release issued by Pramac Honda Team:

Valencia – (Spain)
Private Tests
10/11/12 December 2003
Friday 12 December

Third and last day of tests in Valencia for Pramac Honda Team

The private tests in Valencia came to an end today for the Pramac Honda Team, in the last session of tests in 2003. Makoto Tamada only went out on the cold track this morning, but he still managed to post a highly respectable time: 1:33.5. He then went for a harmless slide on the sixth left-hander, which the riders take in first gear, and that put an end to Tamada’s test sessions. He suffered no harm, however, and had been as galvanised as ever, and highly motivated by the second-best time he recorded yesterday.

To let Makoto continued with his test work, it would have been necessary to interrupt the development work that had been carried out by Shinichi Itoh on his RC211V 2003, while Tamada spent these three days concentrating on working out the details of his 2004-version RC211V.

Shinichi Itoh, on the other hand, spent a really full day working on next year’s Bridgestone tyres, trying out about 15 different combinations. The team’s official test rider clocked up seventy-five laps, with very fast average times. The best was 1:34.5. So his pace was pretty similar to the world-championship race times set last November. After a long convalescence to get over a fractured shoulder in a Superbike race in Japan, as well as having to get back into physical shape, Itoh once again showed his extraordinary talent and determination today.

“I was sorry about the slide in the morning” said Makoto Tamada “I was really gassed up and we were going for a good lap time on the last day of tests. Especially, after what I was able to do yesterday, I really was trying to go flat out today. I can’t say I was gunning for a record, but I must say I was hoping for an important result to finish the year in style. But I must say I’m pretty pleased with the engine will be using next year. Over the last three days I’ve got the right feeling for the bike, and yesterday’s and this morning’s times on a cold track prove this quite clearly. It’s taken us no time at all to get up to a highly satisfactory level of settings.”