YUKI GETS COMFORTABLE ON THE GSV-R
08 October 2004 - Rizla-Suzuki

YUKIO KAGAYAMA finished 17th in the first qualifying session for this Sunday''s Malaysian MotoGP, spending much of his time finding a comfortable position on the unfamiliar but extremely powerful Suzuki GSV-R race bike.

Rizla Suzuki regular rider Yuki, substituting for injured 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr., was encouraged by his lap times as he gains familiarity with the latest version of the Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP machine and the Bridgestone tyres. Yuki, a star of the British Superbike Championship, rode the combination for the first time last weekend, at the Qatar GP.

Team Suzuki MotoGP rider John Hopkins was fourth-fastest in today’s first timed qualifying session for Sunday’s Malaysian GP, finishing less than half a second off the provisional front row of the grid after challenging strongly in both half-wet and fully dry conditions.

Hopkins is still recovering from injuries sustained in the same crash that eliminated Roberts, at the Japanese GP at Motegi three weeks ago. The Suzuki pair were two of five innocent victims of an out-of-control Loris Capirossi in a multiple first-corner pile-up. Roberts suffered a dislocated left elbow among other injuries. Hopkins sustained broken ribs and a gashed buttock, but was able to ride last weekend and this, in spite of the obvious pain.

Today’s morning free training was run in dry and typically humid conditions at the 5.548km circuit close to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, south of the Malaysian capital. The afternoon timed session was hit by a shower of rain that left the final hairpin bend drenched. It dried as the session wore on, and the first seven riders set times inside the circuit lap record.

The Malaysian GP is the 14th of 16 rounds, in the middle of three successive weekends of far-flung racing – Qatar, Malaysia and Australia. There is one more day of practice, including an hour of timed qualifying, before Sunday’s race. With tropical rain-storms an ever-present threat, however, it is possible that today’s qualifying times will set the grid – in which case Hopkins will have a good starting position, right behind provisional pole qualifier Makoto Tamada.

JOHN HOPKINS – Fourth Position, 2:03.110:

''It seemed as though it might rain worse as that session started, so I put on a qualifying tyre straight away and went for a time. The last corner was completely soaked. In the end, it dried out, but I’d have liked more dry time to go flat out. I did my fastest lap at the end on qualifying tyres again, and I was quite disappointed with my lap. I was trying too hard, and I outbraked myself at a couple of places. I definitely could have gone faster, so I hope it’s dry tomorrow, then I can push for the front row. We have some work to do with the suspension, to improve the rear grip. Overall, I’m happy and things are looking good. I’m just hoping for a dry race.''

YUKIO KAGAYAMA – 17th Position, 2:05.521:

''This is the second of two races for me, and my first time on the latest bike and tyres. At least I know the track, from three years ago. At Qatar I never did get a perfect feeling with the bike and there wasn’t enough time to get it all right. Before this race I had a long meeting with my team staff, with a lot of talking, and they have helped me very much, with changes on the chassis and suspension side. Today I was starting to get a nice feeling. Now I can push hard, and I’m sure that during the weekend it will keep coming better, so I can keep going faster.''

Friday Qualifying:

1. Makoto Tamada, JPN (Honda), 2’02.394
2. Sete Gibernau, SPA (Honda), 2’02.629
3. Valentino Rossi, ITA (Yamaha), 2’02.700
4. John Hopkins, USA (Suzuki), 2’03.110
5. Alex Hofmann, GER (Kawasaki), 2’03.321
6. Shinya Nakano, JPN (Kawasaki), 2’03.582
7. Loris Capirossi ITA (Ducati), 2’03.816
8. Max Biaggi, ITA ( Honda), 2’04.012
9. Troy Bayliss, USA (Ducati), 2’04.079
10. Carlos Checa, SPA (Yamaha), 2’04.245
11. Nic ky Hayden USA (Honda), 2’04.538
12. Neil Hodgson, GBR (Ducati), 2’04. 2’04.738
13. Colin Edwards, USA (Honda), 2’05.060
14. Alex Barros, BRA (Honda), 2’05.078
15. Jeremy McWilliams GBR (Aprilia), 2’05.127
17. Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki), 2’05.521

www.rizla-suzuki.co.uk

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