Le Mans, France, fifth MotoGP round
Free practice, Friday May 16th 2008
 FIRST
DAY OF WORK ON THE LE MANS CIRCUIT FOR THE ALICE TEAM
Alice Team is back in action on the Bugatti circuit in Le
Mans after the Chinese race. Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli
didn’t make it to repeat the progress seen in China,
but have encountered some difficulties to adapt to the historic
French circuit on their Ducati Desmosedici GP8 SAT. Both riders,
during the afternoon session, have improved their respective
performances registered during the morning, but it hasn’t
been enough to obtain a good position. The two Alice Team
riders have in fact positioned in seventeenth and eighteenth
place. Toni and Sylvain will have another hour at their disposal
to try to improve Tomorrow morning before the qualifying session
which will begin at 13.55 local time.
Fabiano Sterlacchini – Technical Director
“We are working to understand what is the biggest problem.
For sure we didn’t begin in the best way possible. We
have tried different solutions without obtaining nothing satisfying.
We had some new material at our disposal, but this morning
we preferred to go back at the material used in China. Tomorrow
morning, if we’ll think it necessary, we could use it
again.”
Toni Elias – Alice Team rider (17th best lap
time in 1’36.039 – Total laps 51)
“We expected to be much more competitive since the
begin, instead we had many problems. We have improved compared
this morning, a little step forward that isn’t sufficient
for us. We hope to be able to solve the problems we found
for tomorrow and Sunday’s race. This isn’t surely
an easy track for us. The only thing we can and must do is
to work even harder.”
Sylvain Guintoli – Alice Team rider (18th best
lap time in 1’36.414 – Total laps 50)
“Every time we begin to work on a new track, with my
new bike, we start with too much distance from the fastest
and we have to chase. In the afternoon we have improved by
more than a second, but we must do much more. I want to do
well in front of my public and today’s’ result
isn’t satisfying. We have to work hard tomorrow to be
able to be competitive for Sunday’s race.”
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