Preview: Round 2, Phillip Island, Australia
Friday qualifying, 29th February
Circuit: 4.445 kms Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 18-21C.
Provisional front row for Max.
Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner started today’s
first day of qualifying superbly by posting the fourth quickest
time of the day. His lap of 1:32.808 was just over four tenths
of a second behind provisional pole-setter Troy Corser (Yamaha).
Series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) was second quickest today,
with his team mate Michel Fabrizio third fastest. Team Suzuki
Alstare rider Fonsi Nieto had a steady day, finishing ninth
fastest overall, but will be looking for an improvement tomorrow.
Max - 4th, 1:32.808
Today was not so bad and I had no big problems at all. We
changed the characteristics of the engine-braking for the
afternoon session and also the rear shock. We did that to
get better grip. When the bike is on fresh tyres, I seem to
be able to ride smoothly, without a problem. But when I try
and push very hard I get many rear slides. Phillip Island
is a great track, but it’s a track where you have to
be perfect everywhere if you want to set a really good lap
time.
Fonsi - 9th, 1:33.269
I am happy because we’ve made a good start today, even
though the set-up was not right. Conditions today were very
different to when we tested here in January, so we more or
less had to start from scratch again. I spent most of the
day working at trying to understand the tyres and how they
perform. In the afternoon, the bike’s set-up was better
then the morning and this is a track where a good bike set-up
is vital if you want to make a good lap.
Friday qualifying
1 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1:32.336, 2 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:32.374,
3 Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 1:32.570, 4 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare
Suzuki) 1:32.808, 5 Smrz (CZ-Ducati) 1:32.827, 6 Biaggi (I-Ducati)
1:32.827, 7 Xaus (E-Ducati) 1:323.827, 8 Laconi (F-Kawasaki)
1:33.188, 9 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare) 1:33.269,
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