--- Marlboro Yamaha ---

Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1 riders Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa this afternoon completed a difficult first day of Australian GP qualifying in eighth and 17th positions, with plenty more work to do as they approach Sunday's race, penultimate round of the 2002 MotoGP World Championship.

Battling strong winds around the high-speed coastal venue, Biaggi and Checa will focus on further improving chassis performance in a bid to move closer to the front of the pack over the next two days.

"After this morning's session Max said he needed some more front-end confidence," explained YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda. "So we made some suspension adjustments and he now feels a little better. He also asked for more engine-braking in some parts of the track, because he likes to use engine-braking to help him turn into some corners. Carlos wasn't so bad this morning and at the start of this afternoon's session he was happy with the extra front-end feel we'd been able to give him. But maybe this wasn't enough, so I think we need to keep moving in that direction for tomorrow's sessions."

Both Biaggi and Checa have qualified the M1 on pole position this year, Biaggi three times, Checa once. Biaggi has also won two MotoGP races with the M1.

Max Biaggi reckons today's strong winds complicated the task of fine-tuning his YZR-M1 for the Island's challenging high-speed corners. The Marlboro Yamaha Team rider, who clocked a stunning 321.4kmh/199.708mph during this morning's 'free' practice session, ended today eighth quickest, just 0.584 seconds off provisional pole, and he's confident of better to come.

"The wind really knocks rider and bike around, so it's difficult to tell whether the small changes we keep making to the set-up are actually working," explained the Italian. "The job of perfecting settings is a question of very precise feelings, and the wind doesn't allow you to feel so much, so it's hard to tell whether a change is positive or negative. Anyway, I gave my best today and we still have tomorrow in which to improve. We've already made the bike better since this morning's session, so I'm not really worried, we hope to do better. And I hope it doesn't rain."

Fifth quickest this morning, Carlos Checa struggled against the gusting winds this afternoon, ending the session a perplexed 17th quickest. The Marlboro Yamaha Team star, who started last month's Portuguese GP from pole position, is now examining his data from the day's two sessions, so he can determine what changes are required to get him back on the pace.

"That wasn't the best of days for us," said Checa. "We obviously need to make a few adjustments, but these windy conditions aren't helping us. It' s difficult to feel exactly what's going on with the bike, and it's also difficult to ride consistently, because the wind really hits you in different places at different times. I will now sit down with Antonio (Jimenez, Checa's crew chief) and the rest of my guys and get some solutions worked out."

Alex Barros ended today's proceedings up front, as he readies himself for his third Grand Prix on a Honda four-stroke. "This bike is easier to ride and set up than a 500, which is why we can come to a new track, with no data, and immediately run up front," said the on-form Brazilian. Fellow Honda rider and MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi was fifth quickest today.

--- Red Bull Yamaha ---

Australian Garry McCoy took to the fast flowing, 4.448km Phillip Island track today eager to give it all in front of his home crowd. On a track that McCoy knows better than most, the 30-year-old was in dazzling form on his two-stroke YZR 500.

Setting a qualifying time today of 1m33.152, McCoy claimed second position, on the front row of the provisional grid for the 15th and penultimate round of the Moto GP World Championship.

In this afternoons blustery conditions "The Slide King" moved his YZR 500 onto provisional pole for the majority of the closing half of the hour-long session. In similar conditions in 2000 in wind-swept Portugal, McCoy won that GP, so perhaps this is an indicator that Garry thrives in these, less than ideal, conditions.

In form Honda 4-stroke rider Alex Barros, winner of the Pacific GP two weeks ago and third in last weeks Malaysian GP, pipped McCoy at the post on his last flying lap to claim provisional pole. Just a year ago, McCoy secured provisional pole at the Australian GP with a time of 1.34.104. His time today a massive 1.052 seconds faster than last year.

With 13 four strokes on the grid, McCoy and Hopkins find themselves now in the minority group of 9 riders on the, soon to be extinct two-stroke machinery, which today claimed 3 of the top 4 positions.

Teammate to McCoy, American John Hopkins struggled in the increasingly gusty conditions at this picturesque seaside circuit. This is Hopper's first visit to Phillip Island and to Australia; and is focusing on learning the track.


GARRY McCOY ­ 2nd - 1m33.152 - "I am pretty happy with the result today and being at home and knowing the track has given me some advantage in these really windy conditions. The wind is inconsistent and incredibly strong, stronger than anything I have raced in all year and a bit like Portugal in 2000. You never know here what the weather will do, it could be raining tomorrow so I had that in my mind and I really wanted to give it a big effort today. I felt I could have even gone a bit quicker in that last session. The tyres are working pretty good in the cooler conditions and it¹s an ideal day today, to be running Dunlops."


JOHN HOPKINS ­ 21st - 1m35.411 - "I'm feeling good on the bike and although the position today is not what I want, I know I can improve again tomorrow and have a competitive set-up for the race. I took about 2 seconds off my practice time from this morning and with some more time on the track tomorrow I know I can move further up the grid. I really like the track, but its tough to learn the lines when the wind just blows you off line. The Dunlops are working well in these cooler conditions, so all I need now is some time on the track.


PETER CLIFFORD ­ DIRECTOR OF RACING - "That's the real McCoy. A fantastic performance and something that we knew he was capable of all year. It's just such a shame that injury ruined such a large proportion of it. Another intelligent ride from John for his first time on what is a technical and difficult circuit."

--- D'Antin ---

José Luis Cardoso, got 16th. position in Australian Grand Prix 1st. Qualifying session and was the best Spanish rider qualified. The track conditions were so difficult because the wind but he got a good 1m34.447 lap time
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José Luis Cardoso; 16th. “I’m happy because today was really difficult for everybody due to the strong wind and it wasn’t easy to ride consistent. This morning I had a lot of problems but my Team has been working fine and my bike was much more better in the qualifying. I hope to ride tomorrow in the same way”.

Norick Abe; 20º. “So big change, from two strokes to four. The engine character is completely different and I need to learn the bike step by step. We have been changing the setting many times and now is better and we can start to work with suspension setting”.

Luis d’Antin; “I’m happy with our two riders result. Cardoso is the 1st. Spanish rider qualified, in this difficult track and he is showing good manners, he's working hard and in the good direction. Norick is going step by step, but improving. We must e patient because today is his first day on M1 Yamaha”.