GAULOISES YAMAHA RIDERS GETTING TO GRIPS WITH SHANGHAI
Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards
continued with the difficult task of adapting their YZR-M1
machines to the Shanghai International Circuit on just the
second day of MotoGP action in China today. After brief rain
showers interrupted proceedings yesterday, cracks of sunshine
broke through the hazy clouds this afternoon and gave the
riders crucial time to find a suitable setting for the dry
conditions. Whilst Rossi will be looking to run with the lead
group from the second row of the grid after setting the sixth
fastest time of 2’00.821, Edwards faces another charge
through the pack after again suffering from the run of bad
luck that has dogged his otherwise encouraging start to the
season. The American was unable to make the most of his qualifying
tyre today and actually set his best lap of 2’01.401
on a race tyre, confirming his excellent consistency and pace
but limiting him to a fifth row start in thirteenth place.
Sete Gibernau (Honda) set pole position with a time of 1’59.710
and the Spaniard will be joined on the front row by Italian
pair Marco Melandri (Honda) and Loris Capirossi (Ducati) in
what promises to be another close and exciting race, with
the top fourteen riders on the grid all qualifying within
1.8 seconds of pole.
 VALENTINO
ROSSI, 6th – (2’00.821, 20 laps)
"We tried a lot of things yesterday and today with the
set-up but I’m still having problems, mostly because
of a lack of front feeling. This is causing the tyres to not
work properly, more on the right than the left. We made slight
alterations to the forks today and we have some more things
to try in the warm-up tomorrow. After the session I had a
long briefing with my crew to decide where we can make any
improvements. Unfortunately it wasn’t possible to start
from the front row and I’m only in sixth position, which
is not ideal. If all is okay tomorrow, including the work
we do tomorrow morning, I might be able to finish on the podium.
It’s going to be a really difficult race because it’s
such a demanding circuit - I think it’s going to test
the riders and the bikes to the maximum.”
COLIN EDWARDS, 13th (2’01.401, 21 laps)
“It’s the first time we’ve ridden at this
circuit and after a wet day yesterday we just did everything
we could today to improve the general set-up of the bike.
I finally found a setting I liked but we were unable to use
the qualifying tyre on it and I actually set my fastest lap
on a race tyre. It is encouraging because I know I have a
good race pace but the problem is that I’m starting
from the fifth row and it won’t be at all easy to make
my way through the pack, especially at such a tight circuit.
Because we’ve had so little dry time we haven’t
been able to run endurance tests on the tyres, so I think
there is a big question mark for everybody about what is going
to happen in the second half of the race. I guess I’ll
just have to lose a few friends on the opening couple of laps,
get as close to the front as I can and take it from there."
DAVIDE BRIVIO – TEAM DIRECTOR
“Today wasn’t an easy day for either of our riders,
but I think both Valentino and Colin have the pace to run
at the front of the pack. It is going to be tough for Colin
to start from so far back but his lap times show that he has
the potential to get a good result if it stays dry. Of course,
there is a good chance it could rain and in those circumstances
nobody knows what will happen. We still have a few doubts
about the setting of the bike but we have 20 minutes in the
warm-up tomorrow and we have to use that time carefully.”
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