SUPER SHINYA QUALIFIES FOURTH AT SEPANG Kawasaki team leader, Shinya Nakano, rode his fastest-ever lap of the Sepang circuit today, with a superb effort to qualify fourth fastest for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix. This equalled Nakano’s best qualifying effort of the season so far – fourth on the grid for the Dutch TT at Assen in June. Nakano’s time of 2’02.178 undercut Valentino Rossi’s track record by 1.1 seconds. Teammate, Olivier Jacque, a replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann, will start from position thirteen on tomorrow’s grid. Nakano made maximum use of the upgraded specification Ninja ZX-RR motor, and the latest generation of Bridgestone tyres, to position himself for a strong assault on tomorrow’s 21-lap race. The new motor provides improved top end power and over-rev capability with smoother throttle connection. Nakano was one of four riders in the top seven using Bridgestone tyres, whose rubber was used by Loris Capirossi to claim pole position. The final 15 minutes of the session were frantic, with Nakano going third fastest and then securing fourth on the grid with just three minutes remaining. Jacque is making his first Grand Prix appearance for eight weeks – his last outing being July’s German Grand Prix – and has spent the two days of practice and qualifying building up to speed on this Ninja ZX-RR. Jacque spent most of the session on race tyres, and admits that he is out practice in maximising the performance of the soft, one lap qualifying tyres that all riders use to set a fast time. Jacque was a little disappointed because he was faster in the morning free practice session, when he was an impressive tenth fastest and just 0.5s off the best time. For the race Jacque will continue to use the standard specification ZX-RR motor, while Nakano will race the latest power-up version for the first time. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Fourth – 2’02.178 “I’m very happy, because this is a great motivation for the team after our problems at the Japanese Grand Prix last week. For the last five races I have not been able to qualify up front like I did at Assen and Jerez, so I’m very confident after this performance. The new Bridgestone tyres offer improved forward drive grip, which is important in the tighter corners here. And we now have good settings for the new motor, better top speed and more usable power delivery, so I can open the throttle earlier.” Olivier Jacque: #19 – Thirteenth – 2’03.364 “That was a difficult session and I did not get the best performance from the qualifying tyre, it takes some practice to get this right, you only have one chance. Also I got a little confused with the set-up. I was comfortable in the morning session, but then tried a different rear-end setting before switching back to what I used in free practice. The bike felt better, but I had run out of time to do a faster lap.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “This is a very good result after our disastrous performance in Japan last weekend. Shinya was again fantastic and OJ did a good job, it is not easy to get everything perfect after not racing for eight weeks. And Bridgestone have really stepped forward with tyre performance, I expect we can have a very strong race.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: TORRID SEPANG TESTS MOTOGP RIDERS TO LIMIT In the most torrid afternoon the MotoGP riders have had to face so far this year in a GP qualifying session (40ºC in the shade), and conditions which made it even more difficult for the technicians to find bike and tyre set-up, Alex Barros set the eleventh fastest time in qualifying, despite a small slide out in the final few minutes which meant he couldn’t use the soft tyres to their full potential. Conditions couldn’t have been more challenging for Shane Byrne either, in his first race on board a Honda, but the Briton has work incredibly hard with his squad to get everything he needs to be competitive with a bike he has ridden for just four hours. Sito Pons Camel Honda “I think that Alex would probably have been able to cut a few more tenths off his time if he hadn’t have crashed but this heat makes it really hard to find the right compromise between the bike-tyre package. It was a challenging day not only for us, but also for lots of other teams. However we will try a few other solutions in tomorrow’s warm up trying to improve the general set-up as a whole. As for Shane, we knew that it wouldn’t be easy for him, you can’t get the feel to take a bike like this to the limit in so few hours. In any case, he has made progress in every session, without making any mistakes, and the race will be an important experience for him to continue to adapt to the Honda”. Alex Barros Camel Honda 2’03.013 – 11th position “I’m quite disappointed with this result more than anything because I didn’t expect it. We worked well in all three sessions beforehand, but when the decisive qualifier came around, we came up against too many problems. We still don’t know why, but this afternoon I didn’t have confidence in the front and I wasn’t able to battle for a top grid position. I set a time similar to this morning, and that’s not normal. Now we will try to understand why the front suspension isn’t working as I would like and we hope that tomorrow in the warm-up things go better.” Shane Byrne Camel Honda 2’06.493 – 18th position “It’s not easy to get to grips with a bike like this in so few hours, but the team is giving me all the support I need. Yesterday I wasn’t able to get a good run in the dry, but this morning we made the first changes and the bike improved considerably. In the afternoon we continued down the same line, although we still haven’t improved the power delivery under acceleration, and in the corner exits I’m not as fast as I would like. When the time came to use the qualifying tyre I was a little lost. The first two laps didn’t go too well and I knew it, but the last one seemed really good and I hardly made an impact. Anyway, tomorrow we will try to find something to try in the warm-up and then we will see how the race goes.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Capirossi takes second consecutive pole at Sepang Loris Capirossi took his second pole position in just seven days as he stormed to the top of the time sheets once more in today’s single qualifying session for the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Capirossi’s time of 2’01.731 was a new pole record at the Sepang circuit and signified a repeat of his grid position from the previous round at Motegi last Sunday. The Ducati rider is again joined on the front row by Suzuki’s John Hopkins on another memorable day for tyre manufacturers Bridgestone, who took four of the top five positions. “The track conditions this weekend are very different to when we tested in the winter and I think everybody has struggled a little bit,” said Capirossi. “Thankfully for us Bridgestone have brought an excellent tyre and it really helped. The lap time was good and also my race consistency is not so bad. I am confident because we have found a good setting for the bike. The improvement Bridgestone have made with the tyres since Brno means we are now seeing the true potential of the Ducati. It will be a long, hot race but I am ready.” Sete Gibernau was the fastest Michelin rider today, breaking the Bridgestone hegemony with the second fastest time of the day on the Honda and securing a front row start between Capirossi and Hopkins. Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano equalled his best qualifying performance of the season to clinch fourth place and head up the second row ahead of Kenny Roberts and Nicky Hayden, who dislodged Valentino Rossi with his final lap. Rossi, who can lift the title tomorrow by finishing within twelve points of Max Biaggi, will start from the third row after struggling with the set-up of his Yamaha for the second successive race. The Italian lapped 0.6 seconds slower than the time he set in qualifying for last year’s race and faces an uphill battle as he aims to clinch the title with a victory, as he has done for the past four seasons. The only consolation for Rossi was that his only remaining title rival, Max Biaggi, was also in trouble today and could only qualify at the back of the fourth row. Despite his problems Biaggi was one of twelve riders within the circuit record time of 2’03.253 today, Carlos Checa, Nicky Hayden and Marco Melandri all dipping under the 2’03 mark as they claimed third row starts. Melandri’s performance was particularly impressive, the youngster riding with 35 stitches in his foot after injuring himself in Japan. Shane Byrne struggled to make progress with a qualifying tyre after showing decent pace on race rubber, qualifying 18th fastest in his first appearance for Honda as a replacement for Troy Bayliss. Olivier Jacque, replacing the injured Alex Hofmann, qualified in 13th place on the Kawasaki. Hiroshi Aoyama replicated Capirossi’s heroics in the 250cc class, following up his pole position at Motegi with another hot lap today that sees him at the front of the quarter-litre grid for the second time in a week. Aoyama crashed just fifteen minutes from the end of the session but hopped on to his second bike and charged to a lap of 2’07.860 to head the front row from Dani Pedrosa, Alex de Angelis and Casey Stoner, who also crashed. Thomas Lüthi made a remarkable return to pole position in the 125cc class just six days after dislocating his shoulder and injuring his ankle in a crash at Motegi. The current series leader clocked a time of 2’14.546 to take top spot on the starting grid by 0.291 seconds from Mattia Pasini, with Gabor Talmacsi and Mika Kallio completing the front row. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Malaysian front row for Hopkins and Suzuki John Hopkins powered his Suzuki GSV-R to his second front row start in succession after qualifying at this afternoon’s Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Hopkins (P3, 2’02.017), had been consistently quick all day and finished the morning session in fourth place. His afternoon qualifying time could have been better but for a couple of slower riders on the circuit on his final lap. They caused the hard-charging Hopkins to lose valuable tenths that almost certainly cost him the chance of his first ever pole position. Kenny Roberts Jr (P5, 2,02.215), was quickest after the final free practice session and also looked odds-on for a front row start, but the ex-World Champion just missed out on leading the grid at the end of qualifying. His fifth place start will be his best position of the season so far and he will be looking to maintain a competitive position in the race. Today’s qualifying was held in temperatures of over 40 degrees and the track surface pushed up to 50. This made tyre choice and traction an all important factor and Bridgestone responded to this challenge with four of the top-five riders using its tyres, including pole setter Loris Capirossi. Team SUZUKI MotoGP will be racing at 15.00hrs (local time), 09.00hrs CET when Roberts Jr and Hopkins will both be looking to continue the good work they have put in already at Sepang. John Hopkins: “I’ve got to say I’m quite disappointed really because I want that pole position, but at the beginning of the day if I’d have known I’d have been on the front row I’d have been ecstatic! I had a really good lap going but it was my fault that I got held up with two other riders on my last lap – but that’s what happens. I’m not going to worry about it it would’ve been nice to get the watch for pole but, ah well. “We are really concentrating on tomorrow, I think we’re looking pretty sweet for the race. We’ve put in a lot of laps with the race tyres and everything seems to be going pretty well. We’re able to run consistent throughout the life of the tyre and right now we are looking to get the best start possible – it’s time to work on that podium!” Kenny Roberts Jr: “We’re again pretty much sneaking up to where we need to be, so that we can be consistent for the race. If we can stay in the 2.03’s or high 2.03’s or at least whatever what are doing now, hopefully the result will be a step forward from what we have been doing all year. Bridgestone has again made significant steps as we can see at the last couple of races and I am able to ride the bike quite differently than I have been able to before the new series of tyres. Hopefully we won’t have any freak things pop up in the race to where I can’t be aggressive, anyway our goal is to have a good result and a positive step forward for Suzuki and for me.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Overall these are our best qualifying results of the year. Both riders are on the first two rows and we have to be pleased with that. There is always more that you want to achieve and John seemed to be on for pole position and but for catching back markers could have done that. Kenny was slightly frustrated to be back in fifth and had we chosen a different combination of tyres the potential was maybe more. “Bridgestone again look consistent and strong for the race Capirossi in particular but the most important thing for us is not to worry about aiming too high but about aiming for continuous improvement. If the guys can get a good start let’s see if we can fight with front group and hope that we get a decent result. We are all trying our hardest, that’s all anyone can ask.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: SETE HOLDS ON FOR FRONT ROW START Marco Melandri still suffering but able to secure a determined ninth place MALAYSIAN GP – MOTOGP QUALIFYING PRACTICE Sete Gibernau will start from the front row for the tenth time this season after qualifying second for the Malaysian Grand Prix today in temperatures touching 38ºC. The Spanish rider set his best time three laps from the end and was back in his pit box when his time was bettered in the final seconds by Loris Capirossi, the only other rider able to lap in the 2’01 mark. Marco Melandri continues to push himself through the pain barrier as his injuries begin to suffer from the intense heat. The Italian was very tired at the end of today, with 42 laps under his belt, and he is hoping to get as much rest in tonight as he can in order to tackle the demands of tomorrow’s race. Marco was happy with his result in today’s session considering that just five days ago it was almost unthinkable that he would be taking part in this Grand Prix. SETE GIBERNAU (2nd, 2’01″731): “I think my! fast lap doesn’t really reflect the reality. Our race pace doesn’t have winning potential and we’ll have to work hard to find it tomorrow. We’ve got some problems that we didn’t detect here in preseason and we can’t get the best out of the engine.” MARCO MELANDRI (9th, 2’02″660): “After two practice sessions the foot gets a little uncomfortable. Because of the effort and the heat, it has swollen up and it needs rest. The work the team have done to prepare for the race has been affected by my physical condition; I’m struggling to change direction and, in the left corners, I can’t use the rear brake. Every time I push down on the rear brake the stitches are stretched and it really hurts. Also, the heat makes the wound burn. I was hoping for a little more from the qualifying session. I’ll try and give my best tomorrow but I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay on the pace for the whole race.” More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: ROSSI FACING ANOTHER TOUGH TITLE ATTEMPT IN MALAYSIA Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi will launch his second attempt to seal the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in Malaysia tomorrow from the third row of the grid after setting the seventh fastest time in this afternoon’s single qualifying session. Rossi was the third fastest Michelin rider around the Sepang circuit, lapping almost 0.6 seconds short of the pole position record he set here last year as the team once again battled to overcome set-up difficulties. Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards also encountered unexpected obstacles today as he struggled to overcome tyre problems, seemingly caused by the reduced levels of grip offered by the circuit in comparison to past years. The American will start from the fourth row of the grid in tenth place. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) will start from pole position for the second successive race and is joined on the front row by Sete Gibernau (Honda) and John Hopkins (Suzuki). VALENTINO ROSSI (7th 2’02.412; 23 laps) “We are having difficulties again. Personally it is a worse situation for me because I expected to have some problems at Motegi, but not here. Usually the bike flies here, both last year’s model and the 2005 version! We have had a big meeting with the engineers and now we will try to find a way out of this. The problem is mainly with the front. Out of twelve races this year we’ve probably used the same front nine times but then the problems started at Motegi. Anyway, it is not just an issue with the tyres. I followed Hopkins and Capirossi for a while but it was like we were doing a different sport. They were riding really well and I couldn’t ride at all. It’s now two races that Colin and I have lost feeling with the front. The good thing is that Biaggi is also having problems so my only rival for the title is behind me. Maybe we fight together for sixth or seventh place!” COLIN EDWARDS (10th 2’02.805; 20 laps) “For some reason the tyres aren’t working well here, we just can’t get any load onto the front end to make it stick. I’ve probably lost the front more times today than I have all season. We had no problems in the test here even though we used basically the same tyre. The track temperature is very similar so the only thing we can put it down to is the extra amount of dirt that there seems to be on the surface this year. For whatever reason we can’t break through it and we’re having a lot of difficulty getting any grip. Today the team worked so hard and we changed pretty much every setting you could think of higher, lower, longer, shorter, softer, harder”¦ but nothing seemed to make a difference. We’ll keep going and see if we can make the breakthrough tomorrow but at the moment we’re struggling.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Of course it was not a brilliant day for either rider. We’ve tried some different settings but we don’t have a clear solution yet. However the team and engineers will continue to work, all night if necessary, and we will see if we can find what we are looking for. We have the warm-up to try to improve so now we wait until tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: GIBERNAU ON FRONT ROW AS TYRE WAR HOTS UP Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) marked a return to form by being the only Michelin runner to make it onto the front row of the grid here in steamy Sepang. He will line up as second fastest qualifier behind Loris Capirossi (Ducati) on pole and in front of John Hopkins (Suzuki) who qualified third. Conditions were far hotter and drier than yesterday and it made for a punishing hour of qualifying on the wide, sweeping turns of Sepang’s 5.548km of tarmac. Bridgestone and Ducati clearly had a tyre that worked well here in qualifying and Michelin riders will be expecting their rubber to perform in tomorrow’s gruelling race. Kenny Roberts (Suzuki) headed the timesheet as the session began and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) was also among the fastest men at the outset. But with 36 minutes of the hour remaining Capirossi put in a lap of 2m 02.162 seconds to stun the grid with his early pace. At the halfway point the order was Capisossi, Roberts, Hopkins, Carlos Checa (Ducati), Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) and Nicky Hayden at the top. Then Checa sped to second fastest and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) climbed up the order to fourth. The pressure to perform here in the closing races of the season is immense and it told on Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) who fell for the second time during qualifying over the two days. He ended up in 15th and will have a huge amount of work to do in tomorrow’s race. Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) was another man who crashed in the final minute of the session and the experienced Brazilian will start the race from 11th on the grid on the fourth row. The final ten minutes were a blur of frantic activity as riders pitted to put on qualifying tyres and Gibernau was the sensation of the dying moments as he powered his RC211V to provisional pole when it looked as if none but Bridgestone-shod riders would head the grid. With five minutes left on the clock the front row comprised Gibernau, Hopkins and Capirossi. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) elevated himself to fourth to head row two and Rossi moved up to sixth before Capirossi rode a stunning pole lap of 2m 01.731s to close proceedings. Gibernau was the only other rider under the 2m 02s barrier, and significantly just over a second covers the top ten qualifiers. Tomorrow’s race will be tough on tyres and riders and whoever has the edge in tyre life will be at a distinct advantage in the closing laps. Sete said, “I don’t think my fast lap really reflects the reality. Our race pace doesn’t have winning potential and we’ll have to work hard to find it tomorrow. We’ve got some problems that we didn’t detect here in pre-season and we can’t get the best out of the engine yet.” Nicky, in sixth on row two said, “We’re much better off today than we were yesterday. We just made a few little changes on the bike and it all felt much better this morning. It just felt like I was riding stronger today than I was yesterday. But my consistency in the afternoon in the heat is not where it should be. I’m going to have to make a huge step tomorrow. I don’t want to run round at the back I’m looking for a good race but I know it’s going to be hard.” Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) qualified in ninth, despite a badly cut foot from Motegi, and said, “The work the team has done to prepare for the race has been affected by my physical condition; I’m struggling to change direction and, in the left-hand corners, I can’t use the rear brake. Every time I push down on the rear brake the stitches are stretched and it really hurts. I’ll try and give my best tomorrow but I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay on the pace for the whole race.” Alex Barros, in 11th, said, “I’m disappointed with this result more than anything because I didn’t expect it. We worked well in all three sessions beforehand, but when the decisive qualifier came around, we came up against too many problems. We still don’t know why, but this afternoon I didn’t have confidence in the front and I wasn’t able to battle for a top grid position. I set a time similar to this morning, and that’s not normal. Now we will try to understand why the front suspension isn’t working as I would like and we hope that tomorrow in the warm-up things go better.” “I’m really disappointed with this situation,” said Max on row four in 12th. “We spent a long time with the team yesterday looking at all the data so we could make a better set-up for the machine. It was pretty obvious that we had not made the big improvement as soon as I went out this morning same this afternoon. Even with the qualifying Michelins I didn’t go any faster. I just know that at the moment we don’t have the pace to fight for the victory over 21 laps.” Makoto Tamada was upset with 15th and said, “I’m disappointed because I can’t take two crashes like these. As soon as I try to push a little bit more I find myself on the ground without even noticing it. I don’t know what to think anymore. I have some bruises and the thing that worries me most is the pain in my right hand. We see how things are during the warm-up tomorrow.” Shane Byrne (18th), standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), said, “It’s not easy to get to grips with a bike like this in a few hours, but the team is giving me all the support I need. Yesterday I wasn’t able to get a good run in the dry, but this morning we made the first changes and the bike improved considerably. In the afternoon we continued down the same line, although we still haven’t improved the power delivery under acceleration, and in the corner exits I’m not as fast as I would like.” Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW), fresh from his triumph at the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend, secured his second pole of the season with a masterly display of speed. The Japanese man tops the grid 0.081 seconds ahead of his team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW), with Alex De Angelis and Casey Stoner (both Aprilia) in third and fourth. Dani is still feeling the effects of his Motegi crashes but feels happier with the bike here while Hiro is riding the crest of a wave of success that began in Japan. Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) qualified sixth fastest with Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) joining him on row two as eighth quickest qualifier. Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) is not riding here in Malaysia after being suspended for this race for his rash last lap overtaking manoeuvre at Motegi last weekend where he skittled himself and Alex De Angelis. “I crashed early on,” said Hiro. “The I went back to the pit and changed my way of thinking. Now I’m on the pole and a full one second faster than I was before I crashed. After Japan I now feel very confident in my riding.” Dani said, “We did a very good job this morning and the pain is not so bad, but this track is very hard physically because of all the changes in direction. It’s very important to be on the front row here and the bike settings are better than they were in Motegi because we’ve had more time to work on them.” Dovi said, “We’re not at 100% here and we have work to do before the warm-up tomorrow morning. We’ve got two different solutions to try and if we don’t find an answer then the race will be very hard for us tomorrow.” Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) put his stamp on 125cc qualifying with a powerful ride to pole despite dislocating his shoulder last weekend and suffering acute bruising to both ankles in his crash. He starts the race nearly three tenths of a second faster over a lap than second fastest qualifier Mattia Pasini (Aprilia). Gabor Talmacsi and Mika Kallio (Both KTM) qualified third and fourth. Mike Di Meglio (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125R) qualified tenth, having been the fastest rider yesterday, while Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) starts from the third row tomorrow from 11th. Fabrizio Lai (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125RW) qualified 13th fastest. Luthi said, “Sure this is a big surprise and a pleasant one. It was clear to me from last Sunday after the accident that, if I went to Sepang, I would ride at 100%… none of this ‘I am only 60%’ talk. So far this has been the best strategy. The bike is perfect. The problem with my feet has cleared up and my shoulder has responded to treatment. This pole position is good, it will show the others I am here to race for the win.” “This is the first time I have raced at Sepang and I must say I don’t really like it,” said Koyama. “The small corners spoil the track for me. My chassis and suspension are working really well here but the engine is running at over 60 degrees and that has cost me power. The bike doesn’t accelerate fast enough off the corners and I’m a little down on top speed.” HONDA TEAM QUOTES: MotoGP: Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: 6th: “We’re much better off today than we were yesterday. We just made a few little changes on the bike and it all felt much better this morning. Just felt like I was riding stronger today than I was yesterday. The bike was better than I was showing I gotta’ do my part. We’re all in this together. Was third this morning and sixth this afternoon on qualifiers. I’m not where I want to be for the race. My consistency in the afternoon in the heat is not where it should be. I’m gonna’ have to make a huge step tomorrow if I’m gonna’ make anyone proud. I don’t want to run round at the back tomorrow I looking for a good race but I know it’s going to be hard.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team: 12th: “I’m really disappointed with this situation. We spent a long time with the team yesterday looking at all the data so we could make a better set-up for the machine. It was pretty obvious that we had not made the big improvement as soon as I went out this morning. Same really for this afternoon. Even with the quaifying Michelins I didn’t go any faster. There seems not to be too much grip from the back of the machine and we lose time everywhere. I would like to think we can battle hard in the race for sure I will give my 100% as I always do I just know that at the moment we don’t have the pace to fight for the victory over 21 laps. As I said yesterday, and all year, I do have great confidence in my team and we still have time to change things before the race not much but we still have time and with time we have hope.” Alex Barros, Camel Honda, 11th: “I’m quite disappointed with this result more than anything because I didn’t expect it. We worked well in all three sessions beforehand, but when the decisive qualifier came around, we came up against too many problems. We still don’t know why, but this afternoon I didn’t have confidence in the front and I wasn’t able to battle for a top grid position. I set a time similar to this morning, and that’s not normal. Now we will try to understand why the front suspension isn’t working as I would like and we hope that tomorrow in the warm-up things go better.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 15th: “I’m disappointed because I can’t take two slips like these, as soon as I try to push a little bit more I find my self on the ground without even noticing it. I don’t know what to think anymore, now we’ll check my physical conditions, I have some bruises here and there, the thing that worries me the most is the pain at the right hand. In any case we’ll verify tomorrow my conditions during the warm up.” Shane Byrne, GB, racing as replacement rider for Troy Bayliss, Camel Honda, 18th: “It’s not easy to get to grips with a bike like this in so few hours, but the team is giving me all the support I need. Yesterday I wasn’t able to get a good run in the dry, but this morning we made the first changes and the bike improved considerably. In the afternoon we continued down the same line, although we still haven’t improved the power delivery under acceleration, and in the corner exits I’m not as fast as I would like. When the time came to use the qualifying tyre I was a little lost. The first two laps didn’t go too well and I knew it, but the last one seemed really good and I hardly made an impact. Anyway, tomorrow we will try to find something to try in the warm-up and then we will see how the race goes.” 250cc: Hiroshi Aoyama, MoviStar Honda: 1st. “This second consecutive pole is very important for me after the victory in Japan. At the start of the session I made a mistake and I crashed. From then on I found it really hard to get back into the session and I didn’t have any rhythm. In the end I changed my bike and changed my mind! I just gave it plenty of gas although it is true that Dani helped me. I expect it will be very hot in the race and it won’t be easy, but I hope to maintain a good pace until the end of the race.” Dani Pedrosa, MoviStar Honda: 2nd: “In general we’ve had two good sessions today and I can say that I feel more confident about the set-up of the bike here than I was in Japan. In the afternoon it was more difficult because the heat made the bike slide more and the wind picked up a little but even so we have a good setting for the race. The important thing is to be on the front row and, even though I lost pole at the end, I’m hoping to get a good start and achieve the best possible result.” Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda: 5th: “ We are still not 100% ok. We have to work in order to find other solutions to try during the warm up. If I have to race in these conditions it would be difficult to take a victory. After the tyres change I had some problems and I couldn’t improve my time but, above all, I’m thinking about the bike set up for the race. ” Hector Barbera, Fortuna Honda: 8th.: “The bike has worked well over both days although I was hoping to be higher up today. However, the second row is not bad. We must keep working like this and then the results will come. It was a shame that I ran into traffic as I was trying to post my fastest lap and I could not make up lost time. Tomorrow will be a very hard race although I’m hoping for a good result.” Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR: 12th: “Not so bad, I’m happy with my qualifying. The third row of the grid will be good for my start. The bike is not so bad either, engine is really good and I’m happy with the chassis and suspension settings. I hope the race is much like the Japanese GP where I started 15th and finished ninth. Here I’m 12th and I will be aiming to finish better than that.” Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda: 13th.: “Not so bad this time in qualifying. Yesterday we had some slides so we changed the suspension a little and it’s much better. But it was my second bike that was the best and with a few minor changes I will have a good race on that bike. The only difficulty I have is holding a perfect line in the fast corners but we are working on that for the warm up before the race.” Dirk Heidolf, Kiefer Castrol Honda: 15th: “It’s very hard and very hot out there in the high temperatures but I like it, we can race here 17 times and I’d be happy. I ran the H Dunlop tyre today, it’s the hardest but I think that’s what we need for the race. I have to take it a bit easy in the first couple of laps then I can move. Yesterday the bike was good but for some reason I could not relax on the bike and didn’t find a good rhythm. Today it was so much better and the bike is really good. I set my fastest lap on the very last lap and it could have been even better but I had a little ‘High side’ in the first corner and that cost me time. I’m only 3/10ths of a second from the four riders in front of me on the grid.” Radomil Rous, Wurth Honda BQR: 16th: “Today was very good for me. The chassis, suspension, tyres everything worked really well. This is my second race at the track and I like Sepang, I prefer all tracks with fast corners. I set my time on the tyres I have chosen to race on and that’s positive. The only problem we have is with engine temperature but not too much.” Yuki Takahashi, Scot Honda: 18th: “My bike is ok but this track is difficult to learn. Yesterday I wasted time due to the rain shower and today, in free practice, I made too many mistakes in the choice of the best lines to take. I think I have improved but starting from the a position at the back will condition my race.” Jorge Lorenzo, Fortuna Honda is serving one race suspension and will not start. 125cc: Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 1st: “Sure this is a big surprise and a pleasant on. It was clear to me from last Sunday after the accident that, if I went to Sepang I would ride at 100%, none of this ‘I am only 60% talk.’ So far this has been the best strategy. The bike is perfect and I fell OK. The problem with my feet has cleared up and my shoulder has responded to treatment. This pole position is good, it will show the others I am here to race for the win.” Mike Di Meglio, Kopron Racing World Honda: 10th: “The bike is ok and I could make a good race tomorrow even if, after three sessions in which I was in the front row, now I’m going to start from the third row. The morning my setting choices didn’t work in the afternoon. When we have understood the mistake we immediately changed the tyres but in the last few laps I have found traffic on track and I couldn’t improve my time. Tomorrow I have to start very well but the bike is really fast and I’m confident for the race”. Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 11th: “This is the first time I have raced at Sepang and I must say I don’t really like it, the small corners spoil the track for me. My chassis and suspension are working really well here but the engine is running at over 60′ and that has cost me power. The bike doesn’t accelerate fast enough off the corners and I’m a little down on top speed. I could not put in a good time attack in the qualifier because there was too much traffic when I wanted to try for a fast lap. Still I made my time alone and I’m happy with that. “ Fabrizio Lai, Kopron Racing World Honda: 13th: “During the free session we found a good set up and feeling with the bike but in the afternoon the temperature increased and the morning choices were no longer effective. The bike had no grip: I almost slipped off twice. The engine is ok and I’m confident, too.” Aleix Espargaro, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 14th: “I am happy because I have finished in my best position of the weekend. Like this I have more chances to make a good race. I have some doubts about the tyre because I don’t know if the one I have used to make my time will last the entire race, and that we have to wait and see. My aim is to make a good start and see how long I can be near the top positions.” Alexis Masbou, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 15th: “Not so bad this afternoon. This is my first time at Sepang and I like the track. We had some carburation problems this morning but after lunch I set much better lap times so I’m pleased about that. Now the bike is running real good, suspension is good and the engine is strong. I know which tyres I will use in the race so I am happy.” Alvaro Bautista, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 20th: “It has been a bad practice for me. We have tested the hard tyre thinking about the race but it seems it doesn’t work as we would like. After that we have used a softer tyre to try and improve my time but I have not been able to and that has put me on the fifth row. I will have to make a good start and again do my best and see if I have the chance to make a good race.” Sandro Cortese, Kiefer Bos – Castrol Honda: 22nd: “The tyres are sliding front and back we have done some work to do on the suspension to stiffen it up a bit. Because the bike was behaving the same way as in Motegi, sort of bumping effect on the front end under heavy braking. The engine was running at 63′ and is a little down on power against some others. Still, I like the track and if we can fix a few small things I will have a good race.” Toshihisa Kuzuhara, Angaia Racing Honda: 27th: “At the start of final qualifying I crashed so I lost time. When I went out again I got behind Mika Kallio but he slowed and I couldn’t get a really fast rider to follow to set fast times. The bike is better than at Motegi and I now feel I am riding a real machine. I believe that everything is going in a good direction, even if it does not show in my times today.” Wai On Cheung, CHN replaces Raymond Schouten on Molenaar Honda: 37th: “I only got this ride on Tuesday but I’m pleased to be here. The level at GP is very high and very hard because we only race four times in the Chinese national Championship. But I have improved in every session here at Sepang. The Chinese tracks don’t have such fast corners and I am losing time between section 2 and 3. The team are helping me a lot and I hope to give them a good race tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON TOP IN THE TROPICS Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi made it two pole positions in a row at Sepang today, outpacing his rivals in searing 40 degree heat. The hard-riding Italian is in storming form at the moment – last weekend he took pole position, race victory and a new lap record at the Japanese GP – thanks to new spec Bridgestone tyres that ideally match the awesome performance of his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici. His team-mate Carlos Checa was also looking good in this afternoon’s qualifying session, running at half-distance and ending up just two places places off the second row. “In fact the pace isn’t as fast as we expected but all that matters is that we are in front, so we’re very happy,” smiled Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “Everyone is going slower than we went in winter tests here, probably because the track doesn’t seem to be as grippy as usual. That’s why our main focus today has been improving rear grip by working on bike set-up and choosing the best tyres. Loris rode great and he’s just as happy with his race configuration as he is with his qualifying set-up. My only real concern is that the track conditions will change overnight. The surface was very consistent today but if it rains before the race things could change.” The team will race tomorrow without Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo who returned to Europe last night on hearing the sad news that his mother-in-law had passed away. CAPIROSSI FASTEST AND RARING TO RACE Loris Capirossi won another thrilling battle for pole position this afternoon to score his fifth pole with the Ducati Marlboro Team. Fresh from his victory at Motegi last Sunday, Capirossi dominated much of the session, then slipped to third behind Sete Gibernau and John Hopkins with ten minutes to go, then fought back to the top on his 20th and last lap. Riding conditions were witheringly hot with track temperatures hitting 50 degrees. “The team did a great job today, my thanks to all of them,” beamed the Italian. “We’ve had to work harder than we did at Motegi, because the track isn’t in such good condition, that’s why we’re slower than when we tested here last winter. We made many minor adjustments to the suspension today, just looking for more grip. My qualifying run went really well but I also did a lot of laps with race tyres, and I think maybe we’re even better with race tyres! It’s going to be a long race – this heat makes it tough for the tyres and for the bike.” Capirossi’s other poles with the Ducati Marlboro Team are Motegi 2005, Jerez 2003, Assen 2003 and Estoril 2003. CHECA 0.042 SECONDS OFF ROW TWO Carlos Checa came within 0.042 seconds of scoring a second-row start for tomorrow’s Marlboro Malaysian GP. The Ducati Marlboro Team was in the hunt throughout the session, running as high as second at one point but in the end he was nudged out of seventh spot by reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi. “I improved a few tenths on qualifiers but not quite enough to keep me on the second row,” said Checa, who last weekend scored his best result so far this year, a fourth-place finish at Motegi. “We’ve made a few small set-up changes today, nothing that big, so now we will wait for the race. I’m pretty happy with the way I went on race tyres, my pace wasn’t so bad, but I’m wondering how the tyres will be after a few laps, because the conditions are really tough here. It’s going to be very hot, but that’s not a problem for me, I like racing in the heat.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: OPTIMISM AHEAD OF A TOUGH RACE The Malaysian Grand Prix, which will take place tomorrow at the Sepang circuit, promises to be a hard race for all concerned. Today, the modern track was seared under scorching sunshine (35º air temperature, 44º track temperature), which forewarns a particularly tough Sunday where the physical condition of the riders and tyre durability will be tested to the limit. Loris Capirossi, who won the last round in Japan, set the fastest time in the final MotoGP qualifying session, while Valentino Rossi who will get a second chance to clinch a fifth successive world title on Sunday could only manage sixth position. The FORTUNA YAMAHA riders continued to progress well as they have over both days and will be optimistic ahead of tomorrow’s race. TONI ELIAS went eighth fastest in the morning just fourth tenths of a second behind pace-setter Kenny Roberts – but had problems adapting to his qualification tyres in the afternoon. However, a good start should see the Spaniard up with the lead group tomorrow. RUBEN XAUS made a big stride forward in the afternoon session, clearly improving his times for the previous sessions. The Spaniard looked more comfortable than ever on his Yamaha and should be in the second group in Sunday’s race. TONI ELIAS (24): Free session: 8th-2.03.238 + 0.430 Qualifying session: 14th- 2.03.397 + 1.666 “In the morning we performed well and finished eighth we have to keep working like that and I feel like more comfortable with the base we have now. It was a shame we couldn’t make more of the qualifying although we found a good rhythm with the race tyres and if we make a good start tomorrow we can be with the lead group. It will be a tough race, though, as most of the riders are going well.” RUBEN XAUS (11): Free session: 17th-2.06.289 + 3.481 Qualifying session: 16th- 2.04.010 + 2.279 “Yesterday we could not make full use of qualifying because of the weather. This morning I did not feel too comfortable with the set-up, but we made a few changes which helped straight away and allowed me to improve my time with every lap in the afternoon.” HERVE PONCHARAL, Team Manager FORTUNA YAMAHA: “Toni had a really good couple of sessions today especially in the morning when he was eighth fastest. He found a good rhythm with the race tyres and just needs to make a good start tomorrow. It was a shame he could not take advantage of the qualifying tyres. Ruben also did well even though his position is not the best. I think we’ll have a good race tomorrow.”