More from today’s MotoGP qualifying session at the Montmelò track.
Jorge Lorenzo – 1st 1′41.
974 “The heat was incredible today and it’s going to be very tough doing so many laps tomorrow without getting too tired! I’m so happy to be here on pole in front of my home fans at this track, which I really love.
Tomorrow is going to be a very difficult race for everyone and I am expecting a very good fight with Valentino, who has a very strong pace.
It looks like Stoner and Dovizioso will be there too so I hope it’s an exciting race for the fans! I have a good rhythm here and I feel very comfortable on the bike so I am just going to stay focused and think about having a great race.
”Valentino Rossi -2nd 1′41.
987 “It’s good to be back on the front row after three races off it, so we’re happy about that.
Of course I am sorry to miss the pole by such a tiny amount, but anyway we have an excellent pace and I am confident for tomorrow.
We’ve been waiting for good weather for five races and now the temperature is maybe a little bit too much, but for sure it’s better than rain for everyone! I think that it will be a hard race tomorrow in this heat and after just a few laps I think the bikes will start to slide a bit, which means that we can expect a great battle and a hard fight! I am happy with the work we’ve done here, I am enjoying riding my bike and the weekend is going well so far.
There are one or two small things we can hopefully improve tomorrow, but I am ready to be competitive.
”Casey Stoner – 3rd 1’42.
426“After yesterday we were quite confident that we knew how to close the gap on the guys in front of us and that is what we expected to do this morning but it proved to be a problematic session and everything we did made the set-up worse.
The guys worked really hard over lunchtime and during the session this afternoon to change both bikes completely and thankfully we made a big step forward.
There is still a bit of a gap to the two riders ahead of us and we know we have work to do, so warm-up will be really important in the morning.
Nobody really knows what anybody is capable of in conditions like this because once the tyres start spinning it is going to be difficult for any of us to match the times we’ve been doing today.
Andrea Dovizioso – 4th 1’42.
594“I’m very happy with this 4th position, even though of course my target was to be on the first row.
I like this racetrack – you do a lot of sliding the bike and I really enjoy this kind of riding.
We made progress with the machine this morning, then we made a modification to the setting this afternoon that didn’t have the results we expected, so tomorrow we will go back to this morning’s set up.
Today it was very hot and conditions were very demanding for the tyres – all the riders seemed to have less grip at the rear.
Still, I’m quite satisfied.
We have improved our race pace and tomorrow I will fight hard for the podium.
We were fast today and I think we can get closer to the frontrunners’ race pace in the low 1m 43s, although consistency is still their advantage.
”Toni Elias – 5th 1’43.
139 “The truth is that we’re really satisfied with today because after a difficult free practice this morning we managed to ‘turn over the tortilla’, as we say here in Spain, and the afternoon was a completely different story.
Basically the mechanics have stripped down the bike and rebuilt it again and I want to thank each and every one of them because they have done a fantastic job.
The whole team have worked hard yesterday and today and without that we couldn’t have done what we did in qualifying.
I still think we have to keep working just as hard because our potential is much higher but after finishing second to last this morning and then qualifying fifth this afternoon… we can’t ask for more than that.
The target for tomorrow will be to repeat this position because obviously it is going to be difficult to break the top four in normal circumstances with what we have.
If any of them make it easy for us and if we have the chance to make up a position or two, obviously we’ll take it.
But the important thing is to keep this hard work up and make sure we are in a position to take advantage where we can.
”Colin Edwards – 6th 1.
43.
“I guess I’m pretty fortunate to have finished on the second row considering I crashed out at the crucial stage of the session.
We made some changes overnight to help me get more comfortable with the front-end and while it was better, I’m still not close to the comfort level I need to go as fast as I know I can.
I’m still not comfortable in the middle of the corner and I can’t get it to turn or hold a line.
Even when I was on the soft tyres towards the end I still didn’t feel like I could push too hard.
I’m normally really smooth but I can’t ride like that right now.
Luckily I’d done a pretty decent time on my first two softer tyres because on the last one I crashed out.
The crash was a bit weird because I lost the front really early while I was still hard braking and leaning over.
Normally when I lose the front it’s at the apex when I’m starting to force the front.
If I’m being honest, on race tyres I’m not that confident because of the set-up issue with the front.
I know Valentino, Jorge and Casey are all running a good pace and it’s crucial to get a good start and try and tag onto the back of them.
I’d love to say I’m going to be on the podium tomorrow, which is what I had aspirations of, but it’s looking difficult.
As always though I’ll be giving it my all for Monster Yamaha Tech 3.
”Randy De Puniet –7 th 1’43.
175 “I am a bit disappointed because we have been expecting the second row.
I had the potential to get it but found some slower riders in the last laps loosing some tenths as my ideal time is half second faster than this.
However we are really pleased with our race set up and our race lap times.
A second row start could make my life easier but I feel confident for tomorrow’s race.
I must take a good start overtaking a couple of riders in the first lap to catch the front group”.
Dani Pedrosa – 8th 1’43.
207“I’m reasonably satisfied with my pace today, especially considering how things felt yesterday.
We’ve qualified for the race and, although I’d have preferred to be on the front two rows, this position is OK.
In fact, I think I could have been a row further forward had I not had the crash in the last few minutes of qualifying – that’s the period when the best times are usually set.
I went into the corner a little bit too fast and wide and had to run straight on.
Then I saw the air fence and decided it was best to get off the bike.
This morning I had an injection for the pain which worked quite well so I didn’t have another one for the afternoon, though it was becoming more uncomfortable by then.
Tomorrow I’ll have another injection and we’ll try to take the best result possible in the race.
It’s going to be extra hard work because of the heat, but there are a lot of my fans out there so I’ll be riding my hardest for them.
”James Toseland – 9th 1.
43.
233 “I can’t believe I’m saying this after the season I’ve had but I’m frustrated with my best qualifying result of the season.
To finish under a tenth off fifth and be down in ninth is frustrating though, but at least I’m frustrated to be close to fifth and not fifteenth! At the start of the session I was out on used tyres and with the temperature being so hot it was quite difficult to find grip.
But it was good to get information on the extra hard tyre in that heat for the race.
On my last run I had a new front and rear, so it was difficult to get a good feeling straightaway with the front.
In the last two corners on my last lap I had two big moments on the front and without doubt that cost me fifth place.
Going into the last two corners I’d have been fifth, but at least at that pace I feel really comfortable because I can do that time with a couple of issues.
MotoGP is now so close that a tenth has cost me four places on the grid.
It’s a shame that I’m not on the second row because the way I’m riding and the way the team is working, we deserve to be a bit higher up, but we’ve all done a great job today and I’ve got a good chance in the race tomorrow.
It’s my best qualifying of the year, so hopefully I can capitalise on it and give Monster Yamaha Tech 3 a good result.
”Mika Kallio –10th 1’43.
336“Also yesterday, notwithstanding the lap times weren’t the best, I knew the bike was much more competitive on this circuit and so it has been.
Not everything was perfect, but we consider our self satisfied on the result obtain today.
I thought we have conquered the third row and I was a bit sad when I lost it in the last lap of the last rider on the track for only one tenth of a second.
Anyway this is the best qualifying session of the season and we are all really happy about it.
Loris Capirossi – 11th 1′43.
365“It has been pretty hard today.
We tried a different setting this morning and although we improved a little bit it wasn’t enough to put us in a good position for tomorrow.
My impression is that our race pace is better than our qualifying and it was difficult for us to go much quicker on the softer tyres than we did on the harder compound.
We will have to see what happens tomorrow, but the bike is working quite well and we have a good rhythm.
The race tyre is working well so we are optimistic, but we are starting a little bit back so this will make it hard.
We know we can do well off the line and have a good race.
”Chris Vermeulen – 12th 1′43.
411“It has been really difficult today with the hot track temperatures and the limited amount of hard front tyres that we have.
We did all of qualifying on the same front tyre and I did 27-laps so it was not ideal to try to do a faster lap on it at the end.
We struggled a bit with grip and that’s what we are going to have to concentrate on tomorrow to get a good life out of the tyres.
The guys did a good job on the bike, we made a big step forward with the chassis and I feel a lot more comfortable on it than I did yesterday.
”Nicky Hayden – 13th 1’43.
414 “Today we weren’t quite able to pick up where we left off yesterday but I went half a second quicker this morning – unfortunately it wasn’t enough to close the gap on the guys in front because they improved too.
I shaved another couple of tenths off again this afternoon but on my last run I crashed in turn two and that was pretty much that.
The position isn’t great but on the other hand with just a couple more tenths I’d have been a lot further up.
I know I’m talking a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ here and at the end of the day the position is what counts and we’re not high enough up.
It’s just a shame that on the lap when I’m sure I would have found those extra couple of tenths the rear stepped out in turn one and when I flicked it over into turn two it put me down pretty good.
I smacked my left wrist quite hard but I don’t think it’s a big issue and other than that I seem to be okay so we’re looking forward to trying for more tomorrow.
”Alex De Angelis – 14th 1’43.
422 “We’ve taken a big step forward and closed the gap a lot but we were a little unlucky today because for the sake of a few tenths of a second we’re ten places behind where we could have been on the grid! My team-mate was three tenths quicker and he’s fifth so that tells you everything.
So on one hand it’s a shame but on the other hand it is a huge source of motivation to know that we’re all so close and it just makes you more determined to keep fighting.
Obviously the top four are a step ahead but after that it’s really tight and the battle of the satellite bikes is the one we really want to win.
We have to keep working hard and above all think positive.
If we believe we can do well then there is no reason why we cannot.
”Sete Gibernau – 15th 1’43.
714“I’m not happy at all, that’s pretty obvious, but I don’t wanto to make any excuses.
We’re starting from much further back than we want to be and I completely accept the responsibility in the poor performance we put in today.
Now we have to work hard to turn the situation around and pay back the fans who have come here for the tremendous support they have shown us.
Now that I am in better physical shape I’m starting to find the weak points of the bike and working out which way se need to go with the set-up.
There are a lot of riders within a few tenths of a second but I’m at the back of the bunch and I think I have sufficient experience to have done better.
I’m sorry for the team because they deserve a better result and I wasn’t able to give it to them today.
Still, the race is yet to come and I’ll be giving it my all.
”Yuki Takahashi – 16th 1′43.
777“I’m not really satisfied because I could have done better.
Unfortunately, in the fast lap I made a mistake.
Otherwise, the position on the grid would be better.
The temperature of air and asphalt, higher than this morning, disturbed a bit our set-up, but I believe we can adjust it in time for tomorrow’s race”.
Marco Melandri – 17th 1′43.
792“This afternoon we’ve struggled, the grip at the back seems non-existent.
It’s like we’re always in the wet even when it’s dry.
We have no grip, and with a half-second quicker lap I would have jumped ahead of half the grid.
Grip at the back has always been the main problem, because also at Jerez and at other races everyone is a lot quicker than us at the start, while from mid-race onwards we are fairly consistent.
So we need to improve.
Unfortunately the works entries go onwards, while we aren’t able to get parts and evolutions to work with.
We have what’s left.
But we don’t complain, we give it a go.
We need to improve, we know it’s a difficult season for us.
The race is tomorrow, so it’s too early to get depressed.
The race is tough, many riders will be finished after ten laps, so it will be interesting.
”Niccolò Canepa –18th 1’43.
991“This afternoon the high temperatures have slowed us down.
I didn’t have the same grip of the morning and we have to understand why.
This morning everything was working fine and we hope to do the same tomorrow during the race.
As I said before coming here, I like this track a lot and I am convinced that I can conquer a good result.
I will do all possible.
”Gabor Talmacsi – 19th 1′45.
833: “I’m more than happy.
I did not do any silly mistake, I did not crash, I qualified.
What can I ask more? This was my first attempt on a MotoGP bike: let us be realistic.
Moreover, I’m not in my best shape: I haveve a bit of temperature, but dottor Costa help me.
Tired? Yes, a little.
Two sessions in a single day is a lot of work”.
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