Spain GP (Jerez)
First day / FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM AND RIDERS TAKE ANOTHER
STEP FORWARDS
 The
traditional Andalusian sunshine failed to appear on the first
day of 2005 MotoGP World Championship action today as the
season started with dark, threatening clouds on the first
day of practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. However, the conditions
didn’t prevent the FORTUNA YAMAHA from completing their
development programme on Friday, as they picked up from where
they and the rest of their MotoGP rivals had left off at the
IRTA tests here two weeks ago.
Toni Elías was the fastest of the two FORTUNA YAMAHA
riders today, the Manresa youngster not yet reaching the heights
he did during the tests here but ending the day feeling satisfied
with a lap time just 1.528 seconds off the pace of the day’s
fastest rider, Sete Gibernau: “I’m satisfied because
we’ve taken another small step forward. This morning
a few set-up problems cropped up with the bike, which we had
already become aware of during the IRTA tests. However, in
the afternoon we managed to solve them and that shows that
we are working along the right lines and advancing in the
right direction.”
Ruben Xaus had similar reflections of the day after lapping
2.415 seconds off the fastest time. Xaus, who is now based
in Andorra, did manage to improve on his best time from the
IRTA tests here by two tenths: “I have to take things
calmly, something that I obviously haven’t done during
the preseason. If I relax a little bit the results will come
because the quality is there, the team is there and the bike
and tyres are there. With all those ingredients the final
result simply has to be positive. I’m certainly not
lacking desire but I have to work more slowly”.
 The
two FORTUNA YAMAHA riders also reflected positively on the
new practice format, which limits qualifying to a single session
on Saturday afternoon and leaves both Friday sessions as free
practices.
“It allows you to work a bit more relaxed, because
in the past we were already riding on the limit on a Friday
and now we have more time to prepare ourselves for an assault
on the grid tomorrow,” said Elías.
Xaus added: “You can work to a method and make thorough
preparations for the race. The objective is to adapt to the
bike progressively and, above all, complete as many kilometres
as possible.”
On Saturday the FORTUNA YAMAHA bikes will return to the team’s
official livery and reserve the special fairing designs inspired
by Joan Miró until Sunday’s race.
Toni Elías, 15th: 1.42.328 (23 laps)
Ruben Xaus, 17th: 1.43.215 (24 laps
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