Repsol HRC

Nicky Hayden secured his third front row start of the season with team mate Alex Barros starting tomorrow’s Brazilian Grand Prix from the second row having been fifth fastest in the red hot final qualifying session at the Nelson Piquet circuit on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro today (Saturday).

Nicky Hayden was fast this morning and posted the second fastest time of the Free Practice only fractionally slower that Honda mounted Makoto Tamada. He started the afternoon’s critical qualifying practice holding a provisional third row start having posted the eighth fastest time yesterday.

This afternoon, the 22-year-old used his Michelin qualifying tyres intelligently and blasted onto the front row with 10 minutes of the one-hour session remaining. As the clock ticked the young American slipped down the order as a string of riders made their final attacks of the afternoon.

With one minute on the clock, Hayden was placed seventh. His final run was timed perfectly and he managed to knock 1.2 seconds off his time from yesterday to take the last place on the front row of the grid.

His team mate, Barros, who held an overnight provisional front row start, was more than happy with his progress at the 4.933km circuit today. The experienced Brazilian, who will be starting his 201st premier GP start tomorrow, managed to maintain a fast consistent rhythm on race tyres and his hopeful for a good result in front of an army of passionate home fans tomorrow.

Still suffering from the effects of a tumble at Assen less than a week ago when the 33-year-old crashed out of the race at high speed whilst lying in second place Barros is feeling much better and has high hopes for the 22-lap race tomorrow that starts at the unusually early time of 11.30am to fit around a crammed weekend of world sporting activity.

Suzuki mounted Kenny Roberts secured pole with Max Biaggi (Honda) and Hayden posting second and third fastest times respectively.

Nicky Hayden - “I’m real happy to be on the front row. I’ve had a few front rows this season that in the race didn’t amount to much but I’m hoping to make this one count. As always it’ll be really important to get a good start; hopefully the inside of the track won’t be too dirty. We’ve had big front-end problems all weekend and we’re going to have to get these sorted out if we want to have a chance of going with the leaders tomorrow. The last lap of qualifying I was just holding on. I didn’t expect it to be that fast, certainly not to be on the front row. I’m really ready to have a good race tomorrow and give the team and the sponsors something to smile about!”

Alex Barros - “I’m very happy with the results of today; we’re in a much better shape than yesterday. I make many laps on the race tyre today and it feels really good at the end and we still can make a good fast rhythm. There is really not that much difference in the top times so I am pleased to be in the same group. Our programme for the weekend is working well and the machine improves a little bit with every session. We now have more feel and I think we are ready for tomorrow. The pain in my hand and shoulder is better as well and it is now more possible to concentrate on riding the bike."

Camel Honda

In the second qualifying session in Rio, there was a fantastic late battle for pole position, with several late changes to the positions. It was in that key part of the session that Max set his time of 1’48.572, second fastest in the two days of practice, and which means he will start from the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s race. Makoto Tamada, who set the fastest time in the morning free, focused his attentions on getting a good lap consistency, and didn’t use his qualifying tyres at the limit. He will start from the third row with the seventh fastest time today, but is sure to go well in the race tomorrow. For Camel Honda’s two RC211V, a race amongst the front runners is predicted.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal) - “The only thing we were missing was a good fast lap so we could be at the front of the grid for tomorrow’s race. Max made the most of his qualifying tyres today and the result just came with that. He has a good rhythm for the race and I’m happy for Max because today’s result will give him more confidence for tomorrow. Makoto Tamada also has a good race pace and will be up there also tomorrow, so I think that tomorrow the two Camel Honda RC211Vs will be amongst the main stars of the show in the race.

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 2nd - 1’48.572 - “I’m very satisfied. At the end of the session I tried twice to do the fast lap, giving everything I had. At the end I came out with what is a valuable front row. I have to say that the qualifying tyres are extraordinary, they let you open the throttle much earlier than usual. I’m not looking too bad either when it comes to race pace, and I’m happy, both for the team and for myself, because they never stop working and never give up. Yesterday I was a little annoyed, and unhappy with seventh place, but since then I have put my head down, and worked hard with my mechanics and Honda and together we’ve managed to resolve the situation.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager) - “ Today we mainly tested the race set-up to try and obtain that rhythm and pace necessary to be up at the front in the race. The tyre/bike combination we tried today is looking good, and I’m convinced that Makoto can repeat his great race here from last year. We didn’t get the most out of the qualifying tyres, and as such we weren’t in a position to confirm the provisional front row position, but what matters is getting the right balance of the bike. Perhaps the best we’ve had yet.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 7th - 1’48.848 - “Well, I’m ready for the race and I worked a lot today, especially in the morning free because as we race at 11:30 tomorrow the track temperatures will be lower than they were this afternoon. I got a good idea about how things are today and I have found suitable tyre and bike settings, even when testing endurance. I can’t be anything but confident, although with the 7th fastest time, I’ll have to do a lightning start.”

Suzuki

Team Suzuki MotoGP rider Kenny Roberts Jr qualified fastest for tomorrow's Rio GP, claiming his and Suzuki's first pole position since his championship-winning year of 2000.

The American rider's lap time backed up a strong performance throughout the four practice and qualifying sessions for the race and elicited shouts of appreciation in the media centre as his name appeared at the top of the list.

It took even the rider by surprise.

"I rode that lap absolutely perfect and I told myself that I was riding way too hard to only be qualified ninth or tenth as usual. Then I came into the pits and they told me I was on pole," smiled Roberts.

Team-mate John Hopkins, riding the revised engine for the first time, was by contrast deep in the blues after struggling to find settings to suit the slippery and bumpy 4.933km Nelson Piquet circuit outside Rio. He was an unusual 17th fastest.

Today's final qualifying took place in blazing sunshine with Brazil's winter temperature close to 30 degrees and the track temperature 37 degrees. Tomorrow's race, which unusually starts at 11:30 am rather than in the afternoon, is expected to be slightly cooler.

Roberts has started from pole position nine times in the premier class. After the session, Suzuki test rider Gregorio Lavilla, watching on TV, telephoned to share the moment.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr., First position, 1:48.418: "We're starting to make some headway on tyres. Bridgestone have started to make steps forward again after problems over the last couple of races. Suzuki and myself have always been trying to get back to where we can be and frankly should be, given the level that I am able to ride and the motorcycles that they should be able to build. So it's nice to have a day of sunshine like this, to ride through the corners as one of the fastest, and end up with a faster time instead of doing it for the third or fourth row. To be honest, after I did that lap I thought to myself 'this is bullshit because I'm riding way too hard to be in my usual place.' I thought everyone else would be doing 47s. I rode that lap perfect. There's no way I could ride it any harder and I was expecting to come in and see ninth or tenth, and it was first. That's quite a surprise. It shows everybody that if we get some engine underneath us, we're going to be right there. As for the race prospect, the race is tomorrow. It's a good question."

JOHN HOPKINS, 17th position, 1:50.350: "I couldn't tell you what the problem is. I've done everything I can, but we're just not where we need to be. We've tried Kenny's settings and a lot of other settings and I'm still struggling. It's the bumps and everything. I never have and I never will like this circuit, but it's one of the tracks on the calendar and it's the same for everybody. I wish I knew what was wrong then we could improve it."

GARRY TAYLOR, Team Manager: "No smoke, no mirrors, just good old-fashioned hard riding on good tyres and team-work. Bridgestone have worked well here in the past - on pole and the rostrum last year - and Kenny rode really hard. It's an important day for us because it shows we're improving. It's the ability to turn on a bit of magic that makes a World Champion and that's what Kenny did today. This is a payback for the Suzuki factory and the Bridgestone factory after a lot of hard work. Tomorrow will be hard and John is having problems, though we know he will give his best and that he races better than he qualifies. We haven't turned the corner yet but at least we're not backing in to it!"

Ducati

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss scored the team's best qualifying performance of the year so far at Rio de Janeiro this afternoon. The pair were sixth and tenth quickest on their Desmosedici GP4s, bettering their previous best of ninth and tenth at May's French GP, and proving that the team is on the way back after a difficult start to the 2004 season.

Capirossi was particularly impressive on his Twin Pulse GP4, running as high as second during the session, ending up 0.426 seconds off pole despite a less-than-perfect final run. Bayliss had a more complicated afternoon, switching back and forth between his Twin Pulse and Four Pulse, completing the session on the latter after the Twin Pulse suffered a technical glitch.

"We're happy because things are definitely getting better," said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. "Of course, we aren't completely happy because we still not right up front, but we know we've found a good direction in which to work. This is our best qualifying performance of the year so far, our best Saturday. Both riders ran a good pace on race tyres, we've got a good race set-up and we've pretty much made up our minds on which race tyres to use."

Kenny Roberts claimed pole position today, bettering Max Biaggi by 0.154 seconds around the bumpiest MotoGP track of them all. Tomorrow's race, the seventh of the year, will start at the earlier than usual time of 11.30am to avoid clashing with the final of the Euro 2004 football championship.

Loris Capirossi was happy with his sixth-place performance, though the Ducati Marlboro Team man could have been higher up the grid. Capirossi - who has both his bikes fitted with Twin Pulse engines - chose to use two different Michelin qualifying tyres during his final runs, a tactic that turned out to be a bit of a mistake.

"I decided to try two different types of tyre on my number-one bike," explained Capirossi. "First I tried the newer, wider rear, then for my final run I used the older, narrower tyre. I didn't really find the limit on the first run and I didn't have enough grip with the narrower tyre. It was a mistake to try the narrower tyre because I don't know it so well. So maybe I could have been a bit higher up the grid, but I'm happy because I'm confident of a good race tomorrow. I did a lot of laps on race tyres today and I was very happy with my pace."

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss equalled his best qualifying performance of the year today (he was also tenth on the grid at June's Catalan GP) despite running into trouble with his number-one bike during the crucial final ten minutes of the session. Bayliss' Twin Pulse bike suffered clutch trouble, forcing him to switch to his Four Pulse for his final qualifying runs. Despite the fault, the Aussie should be able to race the Twin Pulse tomorrow.

"That session wasn't too bad," said Bayliss, who was just 0.078 seconds off row three. "I'm happy with my times, though it's difficult hopping from one bike to the other when they've got different engines. Then it all ended up being a bit of a rush, the Twin Pulse seemed like it went into neutral, so I had to get back to the pits and get the other bike for my last qualifying run. That didn't make much difference as far as lap times go, because on a flat-out lap the Twin Pulse and the Four Pulse are pretty much the same. The Twin Pulse's big advantage is over race distance because it's smoother and easier to ride."

Kawasaki

With final qualifying for the Rio Grand Prix bathed in glorious sunshine, Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, have qualified ninth and fourteenth respectively for tomorrow's race.

Both riders improved their lap times from yesterday's first qualifying, but dropped back on the grid in a late burst of fast times on soft qualifying tyres. The closeness of the times, with Nakano just over half a second off pole position, reflects the ferocity of MotoGP competition.

Nakano had been sixth and Hofmann eleventh in first qualifying.

Hofmann's final lap should have produced a faster time. The 24-year-old German rider was 0.3s up on his best lap through the first two sectors, but lost time when he ran wide on the exit of the left hand turn 10 and was on the grass on the short straight.

However, both Kawasaki riders are in a buoyant mood having spent a lot of time today on improving race set-up and tyre choice, which will be critical on the bumpy and abrasive Rio track.

The race will be hot and exhausting and unlikely to be run at the fast speeds set in final qualifying.

For tomorrow's 24-lap Rio Grand Prix, Hofmann's ZX-RR will run with revised engine management settings, aimed at improving throttle connection and feel; the latest step in Kawasaki's engine development programme.

Nakano's bike is running the current engine mapping specification, allowing Kawasaki engineers to compare performance data.

Hofmann will also use different clutch settings, with a view to boosting start line performance.

Kawasaki's test program continues in Rio on Monday after the race when Hofmann will stay on to evaluate upgraded chassis parts.

Shinya Nakano: 9th (1'49.153) - "I expected a better qualifying position after being sixth yesterday, but with the times as close as they are I'm not unhappy. The positive point for us is that today our race tyre and set-up was fast and consistent, the ZX-RR chassis has good balance and is working well at this track. I'm confident for the race; I just need to make sure I make a good start."

Alex Hofmann: 14th (1'49.853) - "I made a mistake on my final qualifying run, but I'm confident for the race because today I did some very consistent times on race tyres. The chassis balance is much better than yesterday and I think the race pace will be slower than qualifying on this track. With the new engine mapping the power connection with the throttle feels easier than before, and this is another reason to feel confident. On my final lap I was following Loris Capirossi and had a fast time going, but I was late on the brakes and then ran wide onto the grass on the exit. I stayed on the throttle but I lost a lot of time."

Harald Eckl: Team Manager - "In terms of grid position I'm a little disappointed because the potential of the Ninja ZX-RR, our riders and the Bridgestone tyres is higher than this. However, our race set-up improved a lot from yesterday and we are well prepared for tomorrow. A top ten finish for both riders in tomorrow's race should be a real possibility."

Yamaha

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Carlos Checa continued their joint quest to find a perfect set-up around the bumpy Brazilian tarmac at Rio, with Rossi finishing his two days of qualifying eighth overall, and Checa a disappointed 12th. But it wasn’t only the factory Yamaha team that found the going tough with Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 riders Marco Melandri and Norick Abe qualifying 13th and 15th respectively.

A sensational and overheated final qualifying session saw Rossi on the grass in his efforts to improve his starting position, his last lap providing him with a time of 1’49.075. For Checa his very last lap was the only one which improved on his Friday best, his time of 1’49.673 leaving him with a fourth row start in 12th place.

None of the top riders were able to improve on their first day times until the final 15 minutes of the Saturday session, at which point Max Biaggi (Honda, 1’48.572) and pole sitter Kenny Roberts (Suzuki, 1’48.418) hopped up the starting order. Their progress started an avalanche of improvements in lap times from other top riders and all but one, Rossi’s great championship rival fourth placed Sete Gibernau (Honda, 1’48.618), went faster before the clock timed out.

Marco managed a fifth row start from 13th while his team-mate Norick also qualified on row five in 15th – their times 1’49.773 and 1’50.128 respectively. After two strong races, where he finished third in each at Catalunya and Assen, Melandri had a suspicion this track would not suit him or the YZR-M1 so well. Despite massive efforts, in the beating Brazilian heat, the Italian is not where he wants to be and a lightning-quick start is essential if he is to get on terms in the race.

Norick feels he has a strong race set-up and his bike is better in race trim than it has been on super-sticky qualifying rubber. The buoyant Japanese has won here before and he will give his all to finish higher up the race order than his qualifying work might suggest.

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha), eighth – 1’49.075 "We are having many problems here and we have tried to resolve them, but with not much luck. The set-up and the tyres are not working satisfactorily. The bike is moving around too much. Tomorrow will be difficult because we will be starting from further back. It’s quite an interesting starting grid and I’m still going to fight for the podium. We will try more modifications tomorrow morning to improve the stability. The bike is affected a lot by the track here. We still have some ammunition up our sleeves and hopefully in the 20-minute warm-up tomorrow we can make a difference."

Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha), 12th – 1’49.673 "When we got rid of one problem in one area we had another problem in another area. It is difficult to find a good compromise here without losing something important somewhere else. We have to increase the grip of the front contact patch and improve the rear movement. With this feeling it is impossible to keep the speed up when leaning over. That was the main reason that I cannot be more competitive on this track, a track I really like. I am struggling to find a better compromise. For tomorrow, I hope we can start the race in a better condition."

Davide Brivio, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha team director "For Valentino we were able to fix some problems with his bike set-up and he had a good pace through the session. I think it is a pace which will allow him to stay in the top positions tomorrow. The problem is that after his last lap on a qualifying tyre he did not have time to come in and get another one, so he had to stop before the end. Also he made a small mistake when coming out of the last corner, when he drifted onto the grass. That is why we have this grid position, but overall Valentino has a good consistent pace. The grid position on the third row means he will have to work more tomorrow. With Carlos it is a little bit different because he is still not fully comfortable with the settings. We will have to see what we can improve in morning warm-up. It will be a difficult race because of the starting positions, so we will have to see.”

Marco Melandri (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3) 13th – 1’49.773 “This track looks like the worst of the season for us. I’ve got a few problems. The bike is so nervous here, and now today chatter became a problem too. The bumps really affect the rear of the bike – as soon as you get on the gas it starts pitching. I’m a bit too far from the front and need a great start, but we’ll see.”

Norick Abe (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3), 15th – 1’50.128 “My lap time is better this session and the bike also feels better which is good. On qualifying tyres there’s much better rear grip, but the front still feels loose. On race rubber I’ve got good feel from the bike and if I can get away well at the start I could have a good race. The biggest problem is still the bumps – we’ve been here two days now and the bumps won’t change.”

Hervé Poncharal, Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 team director “It was always going to be difficult to predict this weekend and after two races with two Yamahas on the podium it’s hard to accept that we are this far back. We’re definitely missing something here, but we have to be optimistic for the race, which should be easier for us. We have the capacity to do a lot of fast laps at the race pace and our race distance work has been more rewarding than outright qualifying times. If both riders can get a good start, we’ll see what happens.”

HRC

Two sun-drenched days of qualifying finished here at Jacarepagua today with Kenny Roberts (Suzuki) qualifying on pole with Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) joining the former World Champion on the front row in second and third places.

Row two comprises Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) in fourth, local hope Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) in fifth and Loris Capirossi on the revitalised Ducati in sixth. The track proved a tough proposition for everyone. The heat (track temperature at 37 degrees and ambient at 28) and the bumps made life exceptionally hard.

This is a track that is only visited once a year by teams, there is no testing here. And although the bumps are a known quantity, their severity varies form year to year owing to subsidence on the reclaimed land the track is built on.

Everyone struggled here, but with the exception of Roberts, it was the Honda runners who made the best of things. Teams are setting great store by race distance work completed in this final hour, but the ability to qualify well remains at a premium.

Gibernau was the only rider, with the exception of last-placed qualifier David de Gea (WCM), who failed to better his time from yesterday, but his Friday time is only slightly shy of the laps put in by the front row qualifiers at 1m 48.618. He is only two tenths of a second away from the pole time.

Hayden made his move with 10 minutes of the session remaining and powered his RC211V to second. But there was more to come from the rest of the field and the young American managed another storming lap at 1m 48.580s to secure his third front row start of the season.

Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres qualified seventh on row three while Colin Edwards (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) has to make the best of a fourth row slot in 11th.

Max is back on form and knows the start will be key. “The rear can really spin-up at the start and you have to be careful, but I’m happy with the second fastest time. Our qualifying tyres are really fantastic and you can open the throttle so much earlier than usual. We’re also strong in race trim and I’m so happy for my team because they just never give up. I was disappointed with provisional seventh yesterday and today we worked hard and solved the problems.”

“I’m happy to be on the front row,” said Hayden. “I’ve had a few front rows this season that didn’t amount to much in the races, but I’m hoping to make this one count. Hopefully the inside of the track won’t be too dirty. On the last lap of qualifying I was really just holding on and I didn’t expect it to be a front row time. We’ve still got some front-end problems to sort out if we’re to have a real chance tomorrow.”

Gibernau is sure he has the race set-up to shine tomorrow. “The work we did on set-up was good,” he said. “I lost the chance to do a final quick lap but the race tyre we have is good. I’m not worried about the second row start because I’m on the left side of the track where it’s clean. If I had to choose between a pole and a good race set-up – I’d choose race set-up.”

Barros was delighted with a strong home race showing in qualifying. “We’re in much better shape than yesterday,” he said. “I made a lot of laps on the race tyre and it felt good enough to maintain a really fast race rhythm. We now have a lot more feel and I’m ready to race tomorrow.”

Tamada is typically optimistic about tomorrow despite his third row start. “I’m ready for the race,” said the Japanese. “I was really pushing hard all session because the temperature could well be the same in the race at 11:30am tomorrow. I’ve got good settings and a good race tyre. All I need is a super start.”

Edwards is less happy. “The track is bad, but it’s bad for everyone,” said the Texan. “We’re really struggling with set-up, the bike just doesn’t want to turn. We’ve ended up making changes and losing direction. I’m a bit confused to be honest.”

The 45 minutes of 250cc qualifying saw pole go to Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) as he worked up to a 1m 52.503s lap with one minute of the session to go. It looked like an all-Aprilia front row until Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) worked his way to second as the clock ran down.

Randy de Puniet and Manuel Poggiali (both Aprilia) complete the front row while Danny Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS250RW) secured a second row start as sixth fastest qualifier. Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) qualified ninth.

Tony Elias said, “I did most of the session on race tyres and was just trying to find a good balance. I think I’ve got that and I’m happy. It will be a hard race tomorrow – hard on riders, hard on the bikes and particularly hard on tyres. I’m making no predictions at all.”

Danny Pedrosa is happy with his lot. “Today the pace has been much faster than last year,” he said. “The race will be difficult and although I start from sixth my pace is the same as my rivals. I just hope I don’t have a poor start like I got at Assen.”

Robby Rolfo is optimistic. “Everything is feeling not so bad,” he said. “And the engine is really improved. Once I feel happy with the engine I can concentrate on the chassis. Although I’m not happy with the position I feel comfortable on the bike, although tyres are a worry here.”

The 125cc qualifying fight went to Hector Barbera (Aprilia) who set a pole time of 1m 57.323s in the final ten minutes of the half-hour session. The Spanish rider has been in fine form here this weekend and he also dominated yesterday’s provisional timed session. This is his first career pole.

Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) put himself on the front row in second place and Jorge Lorenzo (Derbi) joins him in third with Mattia Pasini (Aprilia) pulling a last ditch quick lap out of the bag to qualify fourth.

Casey Stoner (KTM) just missed out on a front row start and the Australian will begin tomorrow’s 21-lap race from fifth place at the head of the second row. Championship contender Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia) joins him on the second row in sixth.

Julian Simon (Angaia Racing Honda RS125R) managed a start from row four in 13th and Simone Corsi (Team Scot Honda RS125R) joins him on the same row in 15th position.

Dovizioso said, “I’m facing big front end problems. We made progress from yesterday but the suspension is not perfect. I have to improve in the warm-up tomorrow. Engine temperature is too high but I expect that’s the same for everybody here.”

Max Biaggi, Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) : 2nd: “I’m very satisfied. At the end of the session I tried twice to do the fast lap, giving everything I had. At the end I came out with what is a valuable front row. I have to say that the qualifying tyres are extraordinary, they let you open the throttle much earlier than usual. I’m not looking too bad either when it comes to race pace, and I’m happy, both for the team and for myself, because they never stop working and never give up. Yesterday I was a little annoyed, and unhappy with seventh place, but since then I have put my head down, and worked hard with my mechanics and Honda and together we’ve managed to resolve the situation.”

Sito Pons, Camel Honda (Team Principal): “The only thing we were missing was a good fast lap so we could be at the front of the grid for tomorrow’s race. Max made the most of his qualifying tyres today and the result just came with that. He has a good rhythm for the race and I’m happy for Max because today’s result will give him more confidence for tomorrow. Makoto Tamada also has a good race pace and will be up there alos tomorrow, so I think that tomorrow the two Camel Honda RC211Vs will be amongst the main stars of the show in the race.

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team, 3rd: “I’m real happy to be on the front row. I’ve had a few front rows this season that in the race didn’t amount to much but I’m hoping to make this one count. As always it’ll be really important to get a good start; hopefully the inside of the track won’t be too dirty. We’ve had big front-end problems all weekend and we’re going to have to get these sorted out if we want to have a chance of going with the leaders tomorrow. The last lap of qualifying I was just holding on. I didn’t expect it to be that fast, certainly not to be on the front row. I’m really ready to have a good race tomorrow and give the team and the sponsors something to smile about!”

Sete Gibernau, Telefonica MoviStar Honda: 4th: “If you look at the race times we have done they are really good and at the end, when we were putting the qualifying tyre on, the rear clip came off and I wasn’t able to put a fast lap in. If it wasn’t for that I’m sure I could have improved my time but ! I’m not worried by it. If I have to choose between pole and race rhtyhm, I’ll definitely take the rhythm. I am really happy with the work we have done ahead of this race.”

Alex Barros, Repsol Honda Team, 5th : “I’m very happy with the results of today; we’re in a much better shape than yesterday. I make many laps on the race tyre today and it feels really good at the end and we still can make a good fast rhythm. There is really not that much difference in the top times so I am pleased to be in the same group. Our programme for the weekend is working well and the machine improves a little bit with every session. We now have more feel and I think we are ready for tomorrow. The pain in my hand and shoulder is better as well and it is now more possible to concentrate on riding the bike."

Makoto Tamada, Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres), 7th: “Well, I’m ready for the race and I worked a lot today, especially in the morning free because as we race at 11:30 tomorrow the track temperatures will be lower than they were this afternoon. I got a good idea about how things are today and I have found suitable tyre and bike settings, even when testing endurance. I can’t be anything but confident, although with the 7th fastest time, I’ll have to do a lightning start.”

Gianluca Montiron , Camel Honda , (Makoto Tamada Team Manager) : “ Today we mainly tested the race set-up to try and obtain that rhythm and pace necessary to be up at the front in the race. The tyre/bike combination we tried today is looking good, and I’m convinced that Makoto can repeat his great race here from last year. We didn’t get the most out of the qualifying tyres, and as such we weren’t in a position to confirm the provisional front row position, but what matters is getting the right balance of the bike. Perhaps the best we’ve had yet.”

Colin Edwards, Telefonica MoviStar Honda: 11th: “The circuit is poor, but it’s the same for everybody. I’ve got problems turning the bike, as usual. We have worked to improve the setting but were unable to find a good compromise. My rhythm was better yesterday but we have made some changes to try and improve the bike which didn’t have the results we hoped for. I’m a bit confused really.”

Fausto Gresini (Team manager): “We have prepared for this race really well. Sete has a good rhythm and it was a shame that he couldn’t put together a lap to go for pole. But I am not worried about that at all because he has a very high rhythm and there are very few riders who have that. Colin is still having a few problems and he isn’t able to make the most of the qualification tyre. His race rhythm isn’t great but hopefully we can improve things in the warm-up tomorrow

250cc:
Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda, 2nd: “Not too bad. We have been working on the balance of the bike and I feel we have made more progress. I did a lot of laps on race tyres to check them for endurance. The engine is good and in general I’m happy but I’m not going to make predictions for the race, when I do that something goes wrong. Just say I’m looking forward to the race. It will be very hard work for the machine, the rider and particularly the tyres.”

Dani Pedrosa, Telefonica MoviStar Honda Jrn: 6th: “Today the pace was a lot quicker than last year and the front two rows are very close together. But I think it will be a different story in the race because even though I am sixth fastest my rhythm is no worse than any of my rivals. Also, sixth place isn’t bad for me anyway we’ve just got used to higher grid positions. Hopefully at the start I don’t have the same problems I had at Assen because I am ready to push it all the way again”.

Roberto Rolfo, Fortuna Honda, 9th: “I think I’m in not so bad shape we made a big improvement on the engine settings and this has helped me to begin to get the chassis and suspension where I need them to be. Now I’m much more relaxed on the bike than previously. Sure I’m not happy with my grid position but ”

Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR, 12th: “That was difficult but the result was not so bad. I have been in the top ten every session up to the last one so I’m happy for that. My engine is not so bad and I have been running constant lap times. Chassis and suspension are working well. Tyres will be a concern but that’s the same for all. The race will be run at cooler temperatures than we had in qualifying. I’m looking forward to a good race. ”

Hirosi Aoyama, Telefonica MoviStar Honda Jrn: 15th: “I am still learning the peculiarities of this circuit, which is very different to anything I’m used to in Japan. We have worked really well in the session but in the final couple of minutes when I was trying to lower my time I made too many mistakes. My lap time is clearly not good, nor is my grid position, but I have the impression that things will go better tomorrow. The key will be to get a good start and push hard over the first three laps. If I do that I think I can get a good result”.

Alberto Puig: (team manager): “In this session we worked to solve the problems we have been having all weekend with the front end. I think we’ve drawn some positive conclusions which will be very useful tomorrow, although there is no doubt that it won’t be an easy race.”

Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda, 17th:”That was much better than yesterday my position on the grid is OK. The engine is fine, it has good speed maybe its running a little too hot but that’s understandable i these conditions. My main concern is tyre endurance the race tyre will be good for 7 - 8 laps so we will try something on the suspension to get more out of it.”

Klaus Nohles, Castrol Honda, 20th: “This is my second race on the Honda I am now beginning to feel comfortable on the bike and I was running at a constant lap time in the session. Everything is good on the bike. The only concern is tyre wear. Yesterday I could run 10 laps on the tyre but today in the increased heat the tyre my feeling was that the tyre will only be good for 7 – 8 laps.”

Eric Bataille, Wurth Honda BQR, 22nd: “I am not happy, I was on a very fast lap when I crashed the front end turned in on me again. I usually qualify faster than I was early in the session so I was pushing hard to improve.”

125cc:
Andrea Dovizioso, Scot Honda, 2nd: “We have some front end problems on the bumpy sections but we made progress overnight but the suspension is still not perfect so I hope we can improve further in the warm up. My engine is also running too hot in these conditions but I guess that’s the same for a lot of riders. I have a question mark over tyres for the race but the weather will decide that issue.”

Julian Simon, Angaia Honda, 13th: “I’m not very happy, this place is so bumpy that I just couldn’t get the suspension right. We have work to do to be ready for the warm up. At the end of the session the rear end was very bad. Pity because my engine is very strong.”

Simone Corsi, Kopron Scot Honda, 15th: “Big problems on the front. Turning into the corners I nearly lost the front end a few times. I took too many risks to make my time. We have to solve this problem in the warm up otherwise I will not be to confident going into the race.”

Lukas Pesek, Ajo Motorsport Honda, 17th: “I really don’t know what to think about my qualifying effort. Sure it’s bumpy but its not the bike, that’s in good shape. The problem lays with me I can’t find the best line and I’m loosing out. The weather will make the race hard work so I hope I get a good start and run with a fast group and find the fast line.”

Raymond Schouten, Molenaar Honda, 29th: “That qualifying session was not very good at all, I’m one second slower than yesterday. I rode really hard but the rear end was really jumping around on the bumps, I just couldn’t get on the gas quick enough off the corners. Strangely enough the front was good. The engine is very strong so if we can sort out the rear end we will be OK in the race.”

Mikko Kyyhkynen, Ajo Motorsport Honda, 32nd: “That was very bad I don’t know why I was not faster. Maybe I’m trying too hard because I can’t relax and let things flow. The bike is OK, maybe the engine was better yesterday, much stronger. It’s very hot out there and I guess it has robbed us of a little power. For sure I have to get going in the warm up.”

Dario Giuseppetti, Elit Honda. Dario is receiving treatment for injuries sustained at the last round of the series, at Assen. He will return to racing at The Sachsenring, as will his teammate Thomas Luthi who was injured at Mugello.

KTM

Strange day today for the KTM riders. Stoner lost the pole position he had in the free practice by finishing fifth overall in the afternoon while Kallio finished 16th . The pole position is going to the Spanish Hector Barbera.

Stoner – "I’m reasonably happy. I tried to confirm my this morning pole in the last 5 minutes of the official practice but the way was too crowded. I’m confident for tomorrow anyway!"

Kallio – "We solve our yesterday problems: I’m much confident now. However, I couldn’t make a good lap time today. In 125cc is always difficult and today I couldn’t follow anyone!"

Bartol – "With Casey we had some problems with the bottom end which was not perfect and Mika just didn’t find the right opportunity to make a good lap time. We’ll see tomorrow."