Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards completed a hard day's work with their Yamaha YZR-M1 machines today, as preparations got underway for the Malaysian Grand Prix with two free practice sessions. Both riders were eager to test the performance of their bikes at this circuit after a positive recent test in the Czech Republic, however it quickly emerged that the setting the team found at Brno was not as well suited to this layout or track temperatures in excess of 45ºC, which put the tyres under extreme stress.
After making dramatic changes to the bike for the afternoon session, reigning World Champion Rossi was able to knock almost a full second off his time within the first six laps, giving him renewed confidence after a disappointing morning when he could only manage the eleventh fastest time. Edwards suffered similar problems but was unable to solve them in time for an assault on the top positions today. The American is hoping to find a quick solution in tomorrow morning's final free practice before qualifying takes place in the afternoon.
Last year's winner Loris Capirossi (Ducati) set the pace today, dipping under pole record time with a lap of 2'01.711. There was bad news, however, for fellow title candidate Dani Pedrosa (Honda), who suffered a knee injury in a high-speed crash this afternoon.
Valentino Rossi (6th - 2'02.970; 41 laps);
"It's been a difficult first day - more so in the morning than the afternoon, which means we are working in the right way. I was confident after the Brno test, especially about the tyres and the way they are working now with our M1. Unfortunately in the conditions we have found here that setting doesn't work so well and we had a few problems with tyre life. So in the afternoon basically we adapted the setting using the data we gathered in the January tests, when I was very fast, and things improved a lot. Tomorrow we'll move even closer to that setting and I'm very confident we can make a big improvement again. Loris was very fast today and it looks like it will be a tough challenge to beat him, but we have good base data for this circuit and I'm sure we can get back to the pace I know I am capable of here."
Colin Edwards (12th - 2'03.355; 41 laps);
"That was a really hard day and not what we were hoping for at all. I'm pretty disappointed after the good test we had at Brno because I expected to be in good shape from the start here. I couldn't find the right set-up today and there was no way for me to ride the bike properly. We're going to have to work in a completely different direction tomorrow and try to sort the situation out before qualifying. Valentino seems to have improved by going back towards the settings from January, despite the fact that the bike we have now is very different from the one we had then, so maybe this is the way to work. We will have a think about things tonight and start again tomorrow!"
Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director;
"Today everyone has had to work very hard! Both riders have been testing different things and now we have to put it all altogether to find the right package and make sure we are competitive both in tomorrow afternoon's qualifying session and Sunday's race. Valentino is very close to the top and I think with a little bit more work he can be in good shape tomorrow. Colin is struggling a little at the moment but hopefully he too can improve in the morning. Tomorrow the weather might change things but we hope that it stays dry so that we can continue to make progress."
Nicky Hayden: "It wasn't as positive as we'd have liked it to be today. If we were just a few tenths faster we'd be a lot further up because it's close just ahead of me - although a few guys up front are really fast so we've definitely got some work to do. We were using the new chassis that we tested on the two days after the Brno race. It worked really well there but hasn't helped us so much here. Also the clutch issue has come back a little bit today. Tomorrow we've got two more hours of practice to come - so we'll definitely try to find a good race tyre and get the bike working a little better."
Dani Pedrosa: "Today things were going pretty well. I had a good feeling from the bike and felt comfortable with the pace I was running. But then I had a crash in Turn 13 and landed heavily. It started with a small slide from the front tyre and the bike dropped a little which made my right knee hit the kerb. I'm pretty sure it's this impact that caused my injury. I can remember the whole crash, which is a good I suppose, and I was able to walk away, although it was quite painful. We'll see how it feels tomorrow and decide if I can take part in the morning session - I really hope so."
Loris Capirossi, 'provisional pole', 2m 01.711s;
"We started with one bike using a set-up based on what we used at Brno, the other with a set-up similar to what we ran here during winter tests. I preferred some characters of each, so we are working to create the best combination. Halfway through the afternoon session we did encounter some problems but my guys are working really well, so we quickly found the right way again. We are working well together and getting the results we deserve but we have to stay united and focused because our target is to stay in front of the others. Today I went faster than I managed on qualifiers last year though partly because it's cooler now. I don't think it will be possible to go much faster than today but we will keep working to allow me to be more natural on the bike. Even though Friday results aren't so important I want to dedicate today to my manager Carlo Pernat who isn't here because of a family bereavement. He will be here tomorrow which is great news because I miss having him with me."
Sete Gibernau, 8th fastest, 2m 02.981s;
"I'm quite happy with how things are going, though I'm not fully physically fit yet. On the bike I get tired quite quickly because I've not been riding for a long time but mentally I'm okay. I should probably never have raced at Laguna but I was there and I wanted to do my best. That weekend the plate over my collarbone was broken so it was pinching every nerve and every muscle, so I couldn't use the arm. The arm is still weak now, though only because I've not been able to follow my usual training programme. The bone is much better. It's going to take time, so for me to be close to the top guys on the first day here gives a lot of credit to Ducati and to Bridgestone who are doing a great job. The guys in the team are helping me out a lot once again, so I want to thank Ducati for all the support they've given me before I came here and now that I am here. My congratulations also to Loris who is already really fast."
Free Practice;
- 1. Loris Capirossi, Ducati (ITA) 2'1.711
- 2. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda (ESP) 2'2.021
- 3. Kenny Roberts, Team Robert KR (USA) 2'2.563
- 4. John Hopkins, Suzuki (USA) 2'2.710
- 5. Makato Tamada, Honda (JPN) 2'2.918
- 6. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha (ITA) 2'2.970
- 7. Sete Gibernau, Ducati (ESP) 2'2.981
- 8. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki (JPN) 2'3.100
- 9. Casey Stoner, Honda (AUS) 2'3.171
- 10. Nicky Hayden, Honda (USA) 2'3.199
- 11. Marco Melandri, Honda (ITA) 2'3.248
- 12. Colin Edwards, Yamaha (USA) 2'3.355
- 13. Randy De Puniet, Kawasaki (FRA) 2'3.418
- 14. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki (AUS) 2'3.432
- 15. Carlos Checa, Yamaha (ESP) 2'3.706
- 18. James Ellison, Yamaha (GBR) 2'5.403
