PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP
Free Practice - Losail International Circuit - Qatar
(GMT+3)
 HOFMANN
15th DURING THE FIRST FREE PRACTICE IN QATAR
Optimal meteorological conditions during the first free practice
day in Qatar; there is a big difference from when the race
was done in October and the warmth was nearly unbearable.
These first free practice sessions have been especially dedicated
to the definition of the ideal set-up of the DUCATI DESMOSEDICI
GP06 “Sat.”. A lot of positive test on the race
tyres have been done. The German ALEX HOFMANN managed to obtain
a good 15th time, improving in the final phases of the second
session, without using qualification tyres; and the Spanish
JOSE LUIS CARDOSO classified himself 19th. The two PRAMAC
D’ANTIN MOTOGP riders are motivated, ready to improve
the good result of last year. Tomorrow they will have another
free practice session at their disposal, before the single
qualifying one reserved to the MotoGP class riders, at 2p.m.
here in Qatar (GMT+3).
ALEX HOFMANN #66 (1’59’’245):
“Today the things went quite good, the whole Team has
done a good job. I managed to obtain a good time at the end
of the session, without using any qualification tyre. A great
satisfaction after the difficulties we had in the last period;
I’m happy to be able to start having fun riding, on
a track obviously more adapted to our bike than other circuits.
I really want some action and I’m looking forward to
get a good result; My aim is to reduce my gap from the first
riders the most as possible, and today I managed to stay closer
to them. Last season I was absent here as I injured myself
in Japan, but from 2004 the track has surely improved its
adherence. Of course there is some sand and this track will
never have more grip than others but I like it here and I’m
enthusiast!”
JOSE LUIS CARDOSO #30 (2’00’’257):
“Today we concentrated ourselves on the tyres and we
have done a good job. We found a good front tyre and so tomorrow
we will have the possibility to take care of the general set-up
of the bike. We need to make it easier to handle, as today
I had some difficulties in the entry of the corners. Anyway
I really like this track, last year in Superbike I went very
fast and tomorrow I will do my best to get a good result during
the qualifying practice”.
ANDRE LAUGIER – Track Engineer of Jose Luis
Cardoso: “We worked a lot on the tyres: we
concentrated ourselves on the race tyres, without using the
qualification ones. Now the most important thing is to define
the ideal set-up, we have a lot of regulations at our disposal
for our DESMOSEDICI and so we will try to find the best one.
With Cardoso, we found a good front tyre (on this track the
front works more than in other ones); now we need to find
a good set-up for the bike to allow the rider to get better
general sensations. Tomorrow we will concentrate ourselves
on this research; in the meanwhile we can say to have already
done some steps ahead from last year, we did the qualification
times after only two practice sessions”.
1. Kenny Roberts Jr 1’56’’905; 2. Casey
Stoner 1’56’’911; 3. Marco Melandri 1’57’’010;
4. Colin Edwards 1’57’’024; 5. Loris Capirossi
1’57’’031; 6. Valentino Rossi 1’57’’774;
7. Daniel Pedrosa 1’57’’360; 8. Toni Elias
1’57’’392; 9. Nicky Hayden 1’57’’452;
10. Sete Gibernau 1’57’’569; ...; 15. Alex
Hofmann 1’59’’245; ...; 19. Jose Luis Cardoso
2’00’’257
|
