YUKI GETS TO GRIPS WITH QATAR
01 October 2004 - Rizla-Suzuki

Zoom Image RIZLA SUZUKI regular racer Yukio Kagayama is continuing to come to terms with the awesome Factory Suzuki GSV-R race bike as he prepares for tomorrow''s first ever Qatar GP.

Yuki was 19th fastest, cutting his time by a several seconds from yesterday''s efforts and will start from the seventh row of the grid. The Japanese rider, a leading light of the competitive British Superbike Championship, is substituting for the injured 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr. and this is his first ever ride on the latest Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP prototype, and on Bridgestone tyres.

Kagayama continued his steady progress up a steep learning curve. Yesterday his crew was still making basic adjustments to fit the machine to the new rider; today the technicians were able to start fine-tuning chassis and suspension settings and gearing choices. But there is still more to do, with four hours far from enough time for the rider to adapt from his regular Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike to the more powerful and more specialised GSV-R MotoGP prototype.

Team Suzuki MotoGP rider John Hopkins will start tomorrow’s inaugural Qatar GP from the fourth row of the grid.

Although he slashed more than three seconds off his previous best lap time on the improving track surface, Hopkins lost grid positions as small problems conspired to spoil his charge.

Hopkins is still carrying injuries from the same crash two weeks ago that put Roberts out for at least three races – but broken ribs and a painfully gashed buttock were the least of his problems on a day when nothing seemed to go quite right. Mechanical problems with his preferred machine’s engine forced a switch to the spare, which had less suitable chassis settings, and he wasn’t able to make best use of the final hour of qualifying time or the soft-compound Bridgestone qualifying tyres.

All the same, Hopkins was able to break the two-minute barrier, lapping 3.357 seconds faster than yesterday. The Anglo-American rider claimed his first front-row grid position at the Japanese GP two weeks ago.

Qatar’s reliable blazing sunshine and track temperatures soaring to a searing 58 degrees made the second day of practice physically gruelling for both machines and riders, but the “green” track surface continued to develop improved grip with use, though still only on the racing line. The surface of the long and technically challenging 5.380km Losail circuit remained slippery off line, which will make overtaking difficult tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s first Qatar GP, the 13th World Championship round, is also the first in the Middle East.

JOHN HOPKINS – 11th Position, 1:59.944:

“I have to say that was one of the worst sessions all year in making progress with the bike. I had a small engine problem with my A-bike on only my second run but we carried on working with that bike for half an hour. We tried everything, but got nowhere. The other bike had different settings that weren’t so good and we weren’t able to make progress with that either. I was chasing my tail all session. I wasn’t able to get anywhere with choosing race tyres so we put on qualifiers to try to get somewhere on the grid, but it didn’t work out. The crew worked really hard but there just wasn’t time to get the position I wanted. It will be tough tomorrow but I will have to stay consistent and see what comes up.”

YUKIO KAGAYAMA – 19th Position, 2:02.151:

“Not perfect today, but not too bad. The time improved a lot but not my position. I didn’t have any real problems – it’s just small things, getting the settings right. We tried many things and the team staff was very helpful and did a very nice job. Every session I’ve felt better and gone faster but all the other riders did the same! We had just four sessions for the mechanics to start to understand my riding style and the settings I need. We have more changes to try tomorrow morning and I hope we can make the bike better for me again.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager:

“A disappointing day especially for John, while Yukio is still learning the tyres and the bike. The grid positions will make it tough for both of them tomorrow because overtaking is hard with such a restricted line on the circuit. But they’re both real triers and in racing you never know what tomorrow might bring.”

Official Combined Practice Time:

1 Carlos Checa, SPA (Yamaha), 1’58.988
2 Alex Barros, BRA (Honda), 1’59.119
3 Sete Gibernau, SPA (Honda), 1’59.126
4 Nicky Hayden USA (Honda), 1’59.187
5 Shinya Nakano JPN (Kawasaki), 1’59.232
6 Loris Capirossi ITA (Ducati), 1’59.281
7 Rubens Xaus SPA (Ducati), 1’59.352
8 Valentino Rossi, ITA (Yamaha), 1’59.494
9 Troy Bayliss USA (Ducati), 1’59.551
10 Colin Edwards, USA (Honda), 1’59.582
11 John Hopkins, USA (Suzuki), 1’59.944
12 Max Biaggi, ITA (Honda), 2’00.063
13 Makoto Tamada JPN ( Honda), 2’00.638
14 Jeremy McWilliams GBR (Aprilia), 2’00.660
15 Neil Hodgson GBR (Ducati), 2’00.826
19. Yukio Kagayama, JPN (Suzuki), 2’02.151

www.rizla-suzuki.co.uk

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