MELANDRI OPTIMISTIC AHEAD OF CATALUNYA RACE
Toni Elías looks for turning point in front
of home fans
High temperatures (Ambient: 28ºC, Track: 46ºC)
made life difficult for the FORTUNA HONDA riders today as
they worked on their set-up for tomorrow's race alongside
the rest of the team run by Fausto Gresini.
Marco Melandri and Toni Elías, who qualified in ninth
and fourteenth place respectively, stuck to their work programme
for the day as they aimed to improve rear feeling with their
RC211V machines.
The pair also tried several different Michelin tyre compounds
at the demanding Catalunya circuit. The weather forecast for
tomorrow is good and should add to a spectacular show for
the thousands of MotoGP fans expected to descend on the track
tomorrow.
MARCO MELANDRI (1'42"492, 9th): "It
wasn't an easy day for us. In the afternoon we improved the
rear feeling with the bike and I put in a good time on a qualifying
tyre. Unfortunately when I tried to improve on that I crashed.
Tomorrow we'll see another great race and I'm looking forward
to it because I really like this track. We still have time
to respond and I hope to make the most of it. I'm sure we
can find a setting that allows us to be competitive in the
race."
TONI ELIAS (1'42"853, 14th): "We've
done a good job throughout the day, gathered a lot of information
and now we have to analyse the situation and react to it because
that is the only way to head into tomorrow's race with any
sort of guarantee. We still have a traction problem but hopefully
the heat from the crowd can eliminate that! It will be exciting
start and I'll be trying to make up as many positions as possible.
I'm really looking forward to racing in front of my people."
CLASSIFICATION
1. V.Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 1'41"855
2. J.Hopkins (usa/Suzuki) 1'41"984
3. K.Roberts jr (USA/Honda KR) 1'42"055
.
9. M.Melandri (Ita/Honda) 1'42"492
14 T.Elias (Sp/Honda) 1'42"853
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