ELIAS STARTS STRONGLY AS XAUS PAYS FOR INEXPERIENCE
FORTUNA YAMAHA rider Toni Elias made a superb start on the
first day of qualifying at the brand-new Istanbul Park circuit
in Turkey. The Spanish rider, who performed well in both sessions,
lapped constantly in the top eight riders and improved throughout
the day to continue his excellent progress in his first season
in the premier class. Team-mate Ruben Xaus suffered a fall,
although he was not injured, which forced him to miss most
of the morning session. In the afternoon he was able to put
in more work on the set-up of his M1.
TONI ELIAS
Free session: 7th, 1’55.885, + 1.246 off Melandri
Second free session: 8th, 1’55.208, + 1.702 off Melandri
“The important thing is that we are amongst the top
ten again. Being at a new circuit we are all starting from
an equal footing, but it is a difficult circuit with a lot
of climbs and drops and the Yamahas are suffering more than
the others. I like the circuit a lot, but with these problems
in the rear-end, enjoying yourself can be dangerous! We are
working hard to resolve the problem though.”
RUBEN XAUS
Free session: 19th, 1’59.723, + 5.084 off Melandri
Second free session: 17th, 1’57.058, + 3.552 off Melandri
“It has been a while since I fell because we have been
working well, know what is at our disposal and have not been
taking too many risks. Today I fell because after changing
a tyre – which had more grip – I tried to push
harder into a corner and the bike locked. It’s strange
because it was right turn and I was coming out of it to the
right. The track was dirty, but that is just one of those
things. I lost nearly all of the first session, but in the
second I spent time looking for the right settings and lines.
I like the track, I’m not as comfortable as I wanted
to be but we are progressing which is the important thing.”
HERVE PONCHARAL, Team Manager FORTUNA YAMAHA
“Both riders did a lap of the track yesterday and they
both liked it. It’s a very interesting circuit and the
facilities are very good. The weather wasn’t great today
as it was a bit cold for the bikes. Toni is eighth, but four
minutes from the end of the session he was third. We have
to be happy although tyre choice is difficult at the moment
because of the temperature of the track. With Toni we could
have a great race here, he is in form and very motivated.
Ruben had a small fall this morning, but I am sure he will
improve and that the team will have a good weekend.”
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