MotoGP Free Practice #1 (dry) 1. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 2:03.299 2. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 2:03.435 3. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 2:03.477 4. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 2:03.485 5. Alex Barros, Honda, 2:03.624 6. Carlos Checa, Ducati, 2:03.788 7. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 2:03.846 8. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 2:03.951 9. Colin Edwards, Yamaha, 2:04.054 10. Max Biaggi, Honda, 2:04.098 11. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 2:04.220 12. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, 2:04.560 13. Toni Elias, Yamaha, 2:04.576 14. Marco Melandri, Honda, 2:04.600 15. Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, 2:06.268 16. Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki, 2:06.335 17. Ruben Xaus, Yamaha, 2:06.919 18. Shane Byrne, Honda, 2:08.678 19. Franco Battaini, Blata, 2:09.965 20. James Ellison, Blata, 2:12.938 MotoGP Free Practice #2 (Wet) 1. Roberts, 2:15.954 2. Barros, 2:16.192 3. Nakano, 2:16.247 4. Capirossi, 2:16.471 5. Edwards, 2:17.345 6. Jacque, 2:17.549 7. Hopkins, 2:17.632 8. Elias, 2:17.632 9. Rossi, 2:17.847 10. Melandri, 2:18.022 11. Checa, 2:18.108 12. Tamada, 2:18.273 13. Gibernau, 2:18.603 14. Biaggi, 2:19.232 15. Hayden, 2:19.875 16. Xaus, 2:20.622 17. Battaini, 2:20.772 18. Byrne, 2:21.228 19. Rolfo, 2:21.538 20. Ellison, 2:27.297 More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Gibernau sets dry pace as weather turns at Sepang Sete Gibernau topped the time sheets on the opening day of free practice for the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix with a fastest lap just 0.046 seconds outside Valentino Rossi’s current circuit record. The Honda rider cut through 33% humidity in the morning session to record a time of 2’03.299, holding off the challenge of his former Suzuki team-mate Kenny Roberts and Ducati’s Loris Capirossi. Local weather forecasts predicting intermittent rain for the majority of this weekend proved to be disturbingly accurate in the afternoon as the grey clouds hanging over Kuala Lumpur briefly gave way before the start of the second session, meaning none of the riders were able to improve on the Spaniard’s best time. “We started off by basing our work on the information we gathered here in the preseason, which was a big help,” said Gibernau. “We haven’t made too many changes and the problems we have had with the front end at other circuits haven’t been too bad here. It was a shame that the afternoon session was wet because we weren’t able to continue with the set-up of the bike. The wet is no use to anybody so hopefully we can have some dry weather tomorrow to try and prepare for the race.” Gibernau’s team-mate Marco Melandri made a surprise return to action just five days after undergoing surgery on the foot injury he sustained in a collision with Valentino Rossi at Motegi. Melandri has spent the week in a wheelchair but was bravely back on a motorcycle today, setting the fourteenth quickest time despite heavy stitching in his foot. Rossi was ten places above his compatriot with a lap time just 0.186 seconds short of Gibernau as he launches his second attempt to seal the MotoGP World Championship, with a top four finish the minimum requirement for the Italian. Whilst Melandri looked certain to miss out on this round after the last race in Japan, Shane Byrne and Olivier Jacque were probably even more grateful to be involved here as they replaced injury victims Troy Bayliss and Alex Hofmann respectively. Byrne lapped 18th fastest in his first ever session aboard the Honda RC211V whilst Jacque, making only his third appearance of the season for Kawasaki, was two places higher up the order in 16th. After demonstrating his dry pace in the morning session Roberts proved to be equally adept in the greasy conditions during the afternoon as he dominated the second session. The track did begin to dry midway through but was still extremely slippery in places and Roberts was unable to get within twelve seconds of Gibernau’s morning effort, clocking a best time of 2’15.954. Shinya Nakano almost dislodged the American in the dying seconds but his flying lap faltered in the final section. Despite Michelin’s dominance of this circuit in past seasons, the performance of Roberts, Capirossi and Nakano today suggests that rival tyre manufacturers Bridgestone could again be a force to be reckoned with after taking their first win of the season in Japan with Capirossi last Sunday. The last time Alex de Angelis was on a racetrack he could not have come any closer to Jorge Lorenzo but today the fortunes of the two riders couldn’t have been further apart. With Lorenzo suspended for his part in the collision between the pair at Motegi five days ago, De Angelis set pole position for the 250cc race at Sepang with a final lap that left him a convincing 0.754 seconds clear of his nearest rival. With the track conditions having fully dried out after the MotoGP session, De Angelis clocked a time of 2’08.195 to hold off the challenge of Andrea Dovizioso, who clinched the 125cc title at this track last year. Casey Stoner and Sebastián Porto complete the provisional front row, with series leader Dani Pedrosa lapping seventh fastest. Having been the first class to ride in the afternoon the 125cc riders also benefited from completely dry conditions as they battled for positions on the provisional grid until the heavens opened just moments before the end of their first qualifying session. Mike Di Meglio saw his place at the top of the time sheets effectively converted to provisional pole position as the riders took cover, the French teenager being joined on the provisional front row by Marco Simoncelli, Tomoyoshi Koyama and Mattia Pasini. Thomas Lüthi, who leads the World Championship by three points from Mika Kallio, was sixth fastest despite dislocating his shoulder five days ago whilst Kallio provisionally lines up in tenth. More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: Roberts Jr quickest in the wet, second in the dry at Sepang Kenny Roberts Jr set the fastest time during this afternoon’s damp but drying free practice session for the Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix. Roberts Jr had signalled his intentions during the morning practice by setting the second quickest time on a dry and dusty Sepang circuit. His smooth riding style and the new generation Bridgestone tyres seemed well suited to all types of conditions today and is a great start to the weekend for both Roberts Jr and his hard-working team. John Hopkins was seventh quickest overall from the two sessions. In full wet conditions in the afternoon he was only bettered by team-mate Roberts Jr. Hopkins’ final time in the afternoon was only beaten as the track started to dry out and other riders were able to take advantage the improving conditions. The best lap of the day was recorded by Sete Gibernau. Tomorrow sees Team SUZUKI MotoGP take to the track for another free practice session in the morning, to get the set-up of the GSV-R right for the all-important business of the afternoon qualifying session. Round 13 of the MotoGP World Championship will take place on Sunday 25th September at 15.00hrs (local time), 09.00hrs CET. Kenny Roberts Jr: “I think today in the wet or dry we were competitive for the first day and we will try to continue it through the weekend. I think we are in a little bit better shape here than we were in Japan, just with the characteristics of the circuit. Over at least three-quarters of the circuit without the straights we seem to be able to sneak up on the other guys. I think we are kind of on to something and Bridgestone has made a big step-up in the last couple of races. Wet and dry the tyres seem to be working well but we need more time to get a race tyre for dry conditions which is what you have got to kind of expect but who knows!” John Hopkins: “Basically it was a bit of a disappointing day really. This morning was quite a waste really because the track was so dirty, you just couldn’t go out and do a decent lap time. We worked with set-up a little bit but I guess you could say it’s like running on used tyres. I think they sandblasted the track yesterday and when I was coming in and de-briefing with the mechanics about the changes, I was sitting there crunching on dirt! “This afternoon it was wet so we went out to see what we could do on full wets – which was pretty decent but it dried out too quick and got pretty slippery. Everyone was trying to make the best of the track conditions, but from my point of view we did what we had to do in the wet and we know what we have to do in the drying conditions so I didn’t think that it was going out and throwing it down the road. But if you felt safe doing it what the hell!” Paul Denning Team Manager: “A very promising first day for both riders and we showed today how far the Suzuki GSV-R and the Bridgestone tyres have improved since the start of the season. Today was Kenny’s best first day of the season so far and he showed how well he can ride in all types of conditions. “John still has a few things to work on and it is always a good thing to see a rider who is hungry to improve on his performance every time he takes to the track I fully expect to see him going full on tomorrow. “We know that we still have a long way to go and we will have to wait and see what the weather will bring as it can be very changeable around here. “The team are working very hard in the demanding conditions and are still in very high spirits from Japan, we will all be striving to continue on from that and aim for the best results possible.” Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix Combined Free Practice Times 1. Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2’03.299: 2. KENNY ROBERTS JR (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.136: 3. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) +0.178: 4. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +0.186: 5. Alex Barros (Honda) +0.325: 6. Carlos Checa (Ducati) +0.489: 7. JOHN HOPKINS (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.547: 8. Makoto Tamada (Honda) +0.652: 9. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +0.755: 10. Max Biaggi (Honda) +0.799: More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 ROUND 13 – MARLBORO MALAYSIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX, SEPANG 23 SEPTEMBER 2005 – FREE PRACTICE NAKANO AND JACQUE SHINE IN WET CONDITIONS AT SEPANG Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque, were the stars of a rain-hit afternoon free practice session at the Sepang circuit today. Nakano set the third fastest time on a drying track late in the session, with Jacque in sixth place. Kawasaki was the only team with two riders in the top six in the difficult and slippery afternoon conditions. As tropical rain showers swept across the circuit, Nakano concentrated on testing the new configuration Ninja ZX-RR motor, which is again being evaluated at Sepang. In wet conditions the latest motor is Nakano’s preferred option, offering more flexibility on the over-rev with the predominance of second and third gear sections. Nakano’s programme included back-to-back running with the standard specification motor, and that will continue in tomorrow’s two hours of free practice and qualifying in advance of Sunday’s race. The afternoon rain was a blessing in disguise for wet-track ace Jacque, who is replacing the injured Alex Hofmann for the Malaysian and Qatar races. Jacque tested the full range of Bridgestone wet tyres, staying out on wets throughout the session and posting the sixth fastest time. However, the French rider admits he needs more dry track running as he prepares to make his first race appearance since the German Grand Prix in July. Both Nakano and Jacque were comfortable with their dry set-ups in the morning free practice session and finished the day 12th and 16th overall on combined times. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Twelfth – 2’04.560 “I had a very good feeling with the rain tyres in the afternoon session. And the response of the new motor was positive, especially on the over-rev, which enabled me to hold gears at important parts of the circuit. Now I just need to confirm the performance of the new motor in dry conditions; hopefully tomorrow. At the end of the session I switched to a rear slick tyre and a cut slick at the front and I had a very fast lap until the final corner – the track was still full wet! I lost about one second. Overall I’m confident in either wet or dry conditions.” Olivier Jacque: #19 – Sixteenth – 2’06.335 “I’m not sure if I was lucky or unlucky. I wanted a dry track in the afternoon because I need time on the bike without rain to get up to speed. But then it rained, so I went for it and I had a comfortable feeling late in the session when the track was half wet and half dry. Tyre choice is difficult in these conditions, but I stayed out on full wets. Earlier in the session I had a lot of rear wheelspin and wasn’t so confident, but it improved later in the session. In the morning session I wasn’t expecting to be so fast in the dry, so that gave me a good feeling. I just need more dry track time.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Manager “I am satisfied with our performance in rain conditions, we are ready for a wet race. Now we have to concentrate on our dry set-up, especially to confirm the performance of the new specification engine. Shinya was happy with the wet track performance of the new motor, so this should translate well to dry conditions. Bridgestone have done some excellent work, they have three different compound wet pattern tyres here, using the latest construction. OJ used the standard specification motor today.” FREE PRACTICE – COMBINED TIMES 1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP 2’03.299; 2. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.136; 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.178; 4. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +0.186; 5. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda +0.325; 6. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.489; 7. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.547; 8. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda +0.652; 9. Colin Edwards (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +0.755; 10. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda +0.799; 11. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +0.921; 12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.261; 16. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +3.036 More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: FREE PRACTICE – MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX – 25/09/05 SEPANG ALEX BARROS AMONGST QUICKEST BOTH IN WET AND DRY After the first day of practice at the Sepang circuit, Alex Barros was in the top five on a dry track in the morning, (fifth position), and then again on a wet track in the afternoon (second position). The Brazilian rider showed he was comfortable whatever the weather, even though the team will have to work on the set-up of the forks tomorrow, weather permitting, as it had been scheduled for this afternoon. There is still a set up to find for Shane Byrne too, who worked diligently throughout the whole first free practice to get some confidence in the RC211V, and with his chief technician Santi Mulero he had planned to make lots of changes in the afternoon. Instead, due to the rain, the Briton was unable to improve on the eighteenth fastest time he set in the morning, but is confident of making progress tomorrow. Sito Pons Camel Honda “I think that having tested so much at this track, and with Alex always having been amongst the quickest here in the winter, we should be able to get amongst the top guys both in qualifying and the race. We still have to fine-tune the set-up but already this morning Alex has showed he is in good shape. As for Shane, everything is new for him, there’s so much to work out, both with the team and the bike, and he has to pick it up as he goes along. Slowly he will understand how to get the best out of both the engine and the chassis, and he will gradually get comfortable on the RC211V. This afternoon he wasn’t able to improve his time because of the rain, but if he is able to work tomorrow, he will make a big step forward.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 2’03.624 – 5th fastest “This morning we began on a very, very dirty track. We needed more than half the session to begin to clean and lay some rubber down on the surface, and only at the end could we put on a suitable tyre to begin the work on set-up and the forks. We decided to do some more detailed work this afternoon, but we had to postpone it until tomorrow. In any case, my first impressions are positive, we have a decent base and I hope we can perfect it tomorrow. “ Shane Byrne Camel Honda 2’08.678 – 18th fastest “I’m feeling very, very positive about it all at the moment. The most incredible thing is the way the engine responds when you open the gas; it’s phenomenal. It pushes so hard, and it’s something I’m not used to really. This morning we began to work hard, and we had several things lined up for this afternoon, but unfortunately the conditions were a little bit mixed, not completely wet but not completely dry, and it was this combined with the fact that I’m riding cautiously at the moment, trying above all to not make any mistakes, means that we haven’t been able to get very far today. We’re hoping that tomorrow the weather allows us to work a bit more, because I think that the team have a few good ideas we can try. I’m working really well with them and I can’t wait for tomorrow now.” More, from a press release issued by Team Movistar Honda: SETE GIBERNAU SETS THE PACE IN THE DRY Marco Melandri returns to the track despite the pain caused by 35 stitches in his foot MALAYSIAN GP – MOTOGP FREE PRACTICE Sete Gibernau was the fastest rider around the Sepang circuit today as the first practice sessions for the Malaysian Grand Prix took place, with the MotoGP riders lapping in dry conditions in the morning and wet in the afternoon. The Spaniard set the best lap time in the dry with an effort of 2:03.299, only a few thousandths of a second outside the circuit record (2:03.253) held by Valentino Rossi since last year, whilst Marco Melandri managed the fourteenth fastest time despite his recent injury. The Italian rider made a remarkable effort to take part in today’s action, with the doctors removing the dressing from his right foot on Wednesday and undergoing intensive physiotherapy at the Clinica Mobile to heal the wound held together by 35 stitches. He began walking yesterday and rode today with a larger boot to reduce the pressure. SETE GIBERNAU (1st, 2:03.299): “We started off by basing our work on the information we gathered here in the preseason, which was a big help. We haven’t made too many changes and the problems we have had with the front end at other circuits haven’t been too bad here. It was a shame that the afternoon session was wet because we weren’t able to continue with the set-up of the bike. The wet is no use to anybody so hopefully we can have some dry weather tomorrow to try and prepare for the race.” MARCO MELANDRI (14th, 2:04.600): “I’m happy to have been on the bike today. The doctors told me that the wound is healing well and there is no risk of it opening. I can’t say it didn’t bother me because every time I pushed down on the footpeg it hurt. I have to get used to riding in this condition but in the clinic they are continuing with the healing therapy and hope it can continue to improve.” More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: Malaysian Grand Prix Sepang, Malaysia Friday 23rd September WEATHER INTERRUPTS RACE PREPARATIONS AT SEPANG High temperatures, intense humidity and an inopportune spell of afternoon rain gave an ominous sign of things to come at the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix as Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards prepared themselves for a weekend of unpredictable weather at Sepang. The day started brightly for the pair as they reacquainted themselves with their principal test venue and built on the settings they had found here during extensive winter development of the YZR-M1 machines. However, the ceiling of grey clouds hanging over the ultra-modern circuit grew darker over lunch and eventually broke just moments before the afternoon session, interrupting the team’s programme and covering the track surface with a greasy film that made life even more difficult for the riders. Rossi ended the day in fourth place after lapping just over two tenths of a second outside the circuit record time of 2’03.253, which he set on the way to victory in last season’s race. Edwards was fifth fastest in the afternoon but conceded four places on the combined time sheets, with both riders hoping that a day of dry weather tomorrow will provide a more realistic reflection of their chances in Sunday’s race. Sete Gibernau (Honda) ended the day on top of the time sheets after clocking a best time of 2’03.299. VALENTINO ROSSI (4th 2’03.485; 38 laps) “The conditions today were quite bad. Already in the morning the track was quite dirty, with some sand in places, and the grip was not good. Then in the afternoon it rained so it definitely was not a good day for the weather. Anyway we were able to test the bike in all conditions and understand a few problems. The dry setting is not bad but it could be a lot better and I am definitely not riding as I would like to. In Japan we had problems with the rear of the bike under braking and here it is similar but not exactly the same. I’m finding it hard to control the bike through the corner but we have gathered enough data to make some changes for tomorrow. Hopefully the conditions will be a lot better.” COLIN EDWARDS (9th 2’04.054; 38 laps) “The morning session was an absolute disaster for the first ten or fifteen minutes and the rear tyre really wasn’t working well. Michelin helped us out with a better tyre, we made a few changes to the bike and by the end of the session it actually felt good. The afternoon was about keeping a level head and checking how the bike worked in the damp conditions. If it rains like that before the race starts then we’re all in trouble because you’d have to change tyres every five laps. As it dried out more towards the end I was able to put a softer cut slick in, which really helped, but in those conditions it’s always a question of who is prepared to take the most risks. It would be fabulous to have some dry time tomorrow so we can work on the bike and recover the time we lost because of the weather and the tyre issue today.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “The conditions were very strange in the afternoon not completely wet for the first half and not completely dry for the second! It was interesting to check how the bike worked when the track was actually wet for a few laps and gather a little information but other than that there is not much we can say, we can only hope that the weather doesn’t stay like this until Sunday. Whatever happens it looks like it is going to be an interesting weekend and I’m looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings.” COMBINED FREE PRACTICE TIMES: 1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP 2´03.299 2. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP 2´03.435 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2´03.477 4. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 2´03.485 5. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda 2´03.624 6. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team 2´03.788 7. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP 2´03.846 8. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda 2´03.951 9. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 2´04.054 10. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 2´04.098 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang Practice, Friday September 23 2005 DUCATI MARLBORO MEN ON THE PACE AGAIN Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa got back to business at Sepang today, just five days after scoring the squad’s best-ever MotoGP result at Motegi, Japan, where Capirossi won a famous victory, Checa finishing just one place off the podium in fourth. In today’s changeable conditions Capirossi once again proved that the Desmosedici V4 is a front-running motorcycle, the Italian placing third in this morning’s dry session and fourth in this afternoon’s rain-affected outing, while Checa was sixth and 11th. “We’re happy because Loris was just a few tenths off the fastest guy in both the wet and the dry, which proves once again that the Bridgestones are working well in all conditions,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “This morning’s times weren’t so fast which is normal here because it takes a while to clean the track. If it stays dry for tomorrow the pace will improve a lot and I think we can be up there again.” CAPIROSSI IN TOP FOUR, WET AND DRY Loris Capirossi was just 0.178 seconds off pace-setter Sete Gibernau this morning, suggesting that he will be in the hunt for another podium finish in Sunday’s Marlboro Malaysian GP. This afternoon’s session was spoiled by a rain shower but the track quickly began to dry in the 30-plus degree heat. “Not such a bad day for us,” smiled Capirossi, still enjoying the glow of his second MotoGP win with the Ducati Marlboro Team. “So far our package is okay but I think we’ll have to work harder than we did at Motegi, where we had a definite tyre advantage. As ever, Bridgestone are working very hard, they’ve brought four new rears here. I’ve tested two so far, and I’m hoping for dry weather tomorrow so I can test the other two.” CHECA GETS UP TO SPEED IN CHANGING CONDITIONS Carlos Checa was less than half a second off the pace this morning, but slightly further adrift this afternoon, when ever-changing conditions rewarded riders who chose the right tyres for the right moment. Like most other riders, the Ducati Marlboro Team man started the session on rain tyres and finished on cut-slicks “This morning wasn’t so bad, though this track is never so grippy on the first day when we come here to race or to test,” said the Spaniard. “The bike felt okay in the dry, though maybe we need a little more stability from the rear tyre. Conditions kept changing this afternoon, which isn’t such a bad thing because the weather is very changeable here, so it’s useful to ride in all conditions – dry, damp and wet. It all depended on what kind of set-up and what kind of tyres you used – on my last run I used a cut slick but I think it was a bit too hard for the conditions, I should’ve used something as bit softer”.