MotoGP 2005 Qualifying

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa were third and sixth fastest in this afternoon's Czech GP qualifying session to put them on the first and second rows of the grid for tomorrow's race, round 11 of the 2005 MotoGP series. Although today's positions exactly matches the team's qualifying performance at May's Portuguese GP (with the riders reversed), Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli reckons that this is the best so far. Capirossi's front-row start is the team's third of the year, following his first in China and Checa's first in Portugal.

"This is our best qualifying this year because we are also very confident about the race," said Cecchinelli. "Our bike works really well here and we're happy because our race tyres seem like they're even better than our qualifiers. Loris rode a very fast run on race tyres and Carlos managed a 59-flat on race tyres, which is really great. I think the pace for the podium will be mid-59s. Bridgestone's latest tyres are a big step forward in warm-up performance and durability. The maximum potential of their tyres has always been good, now it looks like our riders should be able to use that performance from the beginning of a race to the end."

CAPIROSSI: SUPER FAST, SUPER CONSISTENT
Loris Capirossi stormed to third place this afternoon, just 0.181 seconds shy of pole position, but while this was cause for celebration, his race pace was even more impressive. The Ducati Marlboro Team man rode a 16-lap run with 13 laps at 1m 59, the last at 1m 59.559s. In the previous three practice sessions Capirossi was twice fastest and once runner-up, so he is confident for tomorrow.

"I'm very happy with the way our bike/tyre package works here," said Capirossi, revelling in the performance of his GP5. "We've been able to find a good set-up, with the engine and tyres working well together. All the while we focused on race set-up, and I was able to be consistently fast every time I made a long run. I was also able to fully exploit the new Bridgestone qualifying tyres, which I'm very happy about. Of course, much will depend on tomorrow's conditions, but I'm confident we will be competitive."

CHECA LOOKING STRONG ON ROW TWO
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Carlos Checa scored his best grid position since his third place in Portugal, recording the sixth fastest lap despite missing the first 20 minutes of the session, while he waited for his crew to solve a small transmission problem. The GP5 seems particularly well suited to Brno's sweeping turns and high-speed straights, and Checa is raring to start his first race here aboard the V4.

"It wasn't easy because we lost the first 20 minutes," said Checa, who thanked his team for making crucial improvements to his bikes. "The balance is much better now, so I have more grip, more stability and better turning. That's why I was more than one and a half seconds faster today. But I didn't find a qualifier I really liked until my third and last qualifying run, right at the end of the session. I had just one flying lap on that run, so I thought 'okay, this is it, my last chance'. I have already chosen my race tyres which should be perfect."

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