MotoGP 2005 - Round 3

Nicky Hayden was the fastest man on the first ever day of MotoGP action at the Shanghai International Circuit in mixed weather conditions on Friday. With the riders taking the opportunity to learn the impressive circuit layout in the morning, a spell of light lunchtime rain left track conditions unpredictable in the afternoon and made it impossible for anybody to improve on Hayden’s fastest lap of 2’02.327.

“The track is okay, there are a couple of strange corners but overall I like it,” reflected Hayden at the end of the demanding first day. “I especially like the surface – the grip is really good and there is a lot of feeling. It was nice to be quickest this morning but this afternoon was pretty tough. We were in good shape with full wets but we had a few problems in the middle of the session when it started to dry.”

Whilst Marco Melandri was second fastest in the morning session, delayed by two and a half hours due to a minor mechanical problem with the medical helicopter, Sete Gibernau completed a Honda top three ahead of Carlos Checa on the Ducati and Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi. However, in the damp afternoon conditions it was the turn of Suzuki to top the time sheets with Kenny Roberts, who clocked the fastest time of the session on his last lap with an effort just over 12 seconds slower than Hayden’s dry time.

Alex Barros, winner of the second round of the season in similar conditions at Estoril in Portugal two weeks ago, again showed his expertise in the wet with the second fastest time behind Roberts. Gibernau, who crashed in the morning but escaped unhurt, was again third fastest in the afternoon ahead of Troy Bayliss and Max Biaggi, who made it four Hondas in the top five.

Whilst Rossi was sixth fastest in the afternoon ahead of Marco Melandri and Colin Edwards, the surprise of the session came from Franco Battaini, eleventh quickest riding the Blata WCM machine. Olivier Jacque was also impressive, the former 250cc World Champion lapping twelfth fastest on his return to MotoGP as a replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann at Kawasaki.

The drying conditions in the afternoon allowed the majority of 250cc riders to improve on their morning times as they jostled for positions on the provisional starting grid, with the possibility of more rain tomorrow making for an interesting first qualifying session. Casey Stoner continued his recent form, following up victory at Estoril with a provisional pole position time some 0.2 seconds quicker than nearest challenger Andrea Dovizioso. Sebastián Porto, quickest in the morning session, and Dani Pedrosa complete the provisional front row for the quarter-litre class.

Fabrizio Lai took provisional pole position for the 125cc race in fully wet conditions, with light drizzle falling throughout the session. Whilst early championship leader Mika Kallio led the way in dry conditions in the morning, Honda rider Lai showed his prowess in the afternoon ahead of Kallio’s KTM team-mate Mika Kallio. The surprise of the session was rookie teenager Aleix Espargaró, who was third fastest, whilst his Spanish compatriot Julián Simón completes the provisional front row.

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