Norick Abe 2nd - “I did it again, another good start, but this time I was able to stick with Rossi. I was riding hard to stay with him, but I was riding well. The bike was perfect and I could put it where I liked. The differences between the two bikes are very little and we were running the same tyres so it was just a matter of waiting for a mistake. Rossi looked like he made it half way through the race but I think he wanted me to get through so he could see where I was strong. So I changed my plan and slowed down for three laps to see if he would go by again. When he didn’t I changed my thinking again and put in three or four very hard laps to try and win, but then the front tyre began to slide very much and I changed my plan again. Finish was my new goal, and I’m happy with the result.”

Alex Criville 3rd - "It was a very hard race, but I'm very happy with the way it turned out for us. This result is like a victory for me and my fans. I started from a position way back on the grid which certainly didn't make my job any easier today, but the crowd pushed me towards this success. The team did a great job and despite the problems we had during the entire weekend, the bike worked well in the race. I want to dedicate this result to my fans who have always been behind me, and to my team Repsol YPF and Honda because they have always believed in me. Now we have to continue to work towards better practice results and a better position on the grid."

Shinya Nakano 4th: “I am a little disappointed, yet happy at the same time. I finished fifth and fourth in the first two races so I wanted a podium for the team. But I guess that third in the championship in my first year so far is very good. I was happy with the start but not so happy during the first few laps. After crashing this morning the bike had many new parts and I was riding in a way to make sure they all worked. It was my fault, but when the bike and I settled in I began to ride harder, but by then the group had already began to make a break. I tried to up the pace when Alex Criville came by and that’s when I put in my best laps.”

Tohru Ukawa 5th - "When the race started, I didn't feel good aboard my bike. This sensation was especially strong in the beginning. Slowly but surely, I found back to my rhythm then. I started to speed up and recovered quite a few positions. After the heavy crash that I suffered yesterday, I was lucky to not have any physical problems, and the motorcycle worked really well in the end. I'm not completely happy with the race I rode today because I wasn't as fast as in practice. Therefore, all my compliments go to my team-mate: Alex Crivillé is a good rider, and his third place is no surprise at all.
He likes this circuit, and he has shown that today."

Alex Barros 6th - "I'm a little bit disappointed with today. I got a pretty normal start but with a full tank of fuel the suspension was a little too soft. I was behind Kenny Roberts but it took me too long to pas him, about 12 laps. If I had got passed Kenny earlier I'm sure I could have got to Nakano. When I did get passed I tried to be too aggressive but the tyres had gone. If I had the tyres I'm sure I could have passed them. The bike was not perfect today, the front was too soft under heavy braking. We have work to do and we need more time to get the bike to where we want it to be."

Loris Capirossi 8th - "I didn't have a very good set up for the race in today's conditions, particularly the front end of the bike. I lost the front end when braking for turn one on lap 15 while I was third. It's very disappointing for us as everybody in the team has worked so hard. We had a few problems all weekend, mostly with the front end, and the front end is vital at this track. A great pity as the rest of the machine settings were just about right."

Garry McCoy 9th - “I was looking for a good start and a strong few laps but after about four or five I started having trouble with the front end of the bike. I’m not sure what it was but it made it really hard to put in fast and consistent times. In the end, after crashing in South Africa, I decided to finish where I was and get some points to ensure I was still in the game when it really counted.”

Max Biaggi 11th - “The bike didn’t feel so rideable today. It’s not just one thing you can put your finger on. We had a difficult time trying to find a setup during practice, so the bike wasn’t quite turning the way I’d like which made it also feel as though it didn’t have the grip I’d like. I was pushing hard when I went off, and I kept pushing when I got back on the track. The main thing now is to not get demoralized. We have a test at Mugello on Thursday and Friday where we will sought things out.”

Noriyuki Haga 12th - “Today wasn’t perfect but I finished the race and that is important. It was a very valuable day in that way but I still want to produce the results too, so it’s really hard not to feel bad afterwards. I had a good ride with Garry and learnt a lot while I was out there. I’m finding out more about the bike’s characteristics as the race wears on and that will help me when it comes to finding a better race setup.”

Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh 13th - "I broke the record with the start - it was brilliant off the line. The first lap was okay too, when nobody was pushing too hard. On the second lap we did start to push, and I started to lose the front everywhere. The bike just wasn't steering into the turns and I couldn't get the apexes. People were just coming underneath me all over the place. I don't know why - it just wasn't such a big problem in practice. But it was really bad today, and a full tank made it a lot worse. I was really focused, but after a couple of narrow escapes I concentrated on making it to the finish. It was a big disappointment after such a good start. But it was good to see that we were not at any disadvantage on top speed - I could run with Checa on the straight, and even go faster than him."

Carlos Checa 14th - “I can’t even move now, I’m that stiff (Checa had a huge crash in qualifying). It was a tough race and the bike wasn’t perfect either. I was getting some chatter, which pushed me wide and made it hard for me to keep my speed rolling. Now we’ve got to look towards the test, reset and start again. Physically I’ll be fine for Le Mans, we just need to find what it is that is holding us back and fix it.”

Chris Walker DNF - "That's the fifth time I've lost the front end on a right hand corner and crashed so it's a bit annoying really, especially as the team had made a lot of progress with the bike in the morning warm-up. In terms of bike speed I felt we had turned the corner and in the first three laps I passed three riders. I wasn't really pushing when I got off the brakes following Carlos Checa into turn five, the front end just folded and I was down."

Olivier Jacque DNS - “I didn’t race because it was just too painful. I don’t know whether it was from the crash the other day, but I cannot ride the bike with the way my wrist is now. I’m going to the doctor back in France as soon as possible to see if there is something we can do before the French Grand Prix.”