LOCATELLI JUST EDGED OF FRONT ROW START IN QATAR
01 October 2004 - Aprilia

APRILIA’S Roberto Locatelli came close to notching his fifth front row start of the season at a sweltering hot Losail International Racetrack in Qatar today.

The Italian ended today’s 30-minute final qualifying session with the fifth best time, missing out on a front row start by just 0.288s. Locatelli had been fastest for a large chunk of the session and ended the session with a best time of 2.10.496s. Underlining how much grip levels had improved from yesterday’s tricky opening session on a slippery track, that was an improvement of 3.298s. Yesterday’s first session was more trial and error than anything else, with riders having to start from scratch having never previously raced at the impressive 5.4km Losail track, located outside of Doha on the Persian Gulf.

Locatelli said: “I made the wrong calculation with the time left at the end so I didn’t lap with the soft tyre. I’m quite disappointed because I was leading the session until the final few minutes. Fifth is not so bad because I know I could do a better lap time.”

Spanish teenager Hector Barbera, who is lying in second place in the world championship standings, has had a somewhat troublesome debut appearance in the Middle East. He will start tomorrow’s 18-lap encounter from 14th place on the grid, which promises to be a punishing affair with air temperatures today peaking at 45 degrees. The Seedorf Racing Aprilia rider managed to better his time from yesterday by a massive 4.390s, ending final qualifying with a best lap of 2.12.139s.

Rauch Bravo Aprilia rider Steve Jenkner will start tomorrow’s maiden Qatar GP from the front row, the German claiming third spot with a best time of 2.10.496s.

www.aprilia.com

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