MotoGP : Yamaha riders getting to grips with Shanghai
Round: 3 - Shanghai MotoGPP
Circuit: Shanghai
Date: 30 April 2005
Temp: 27ºC
Weather: Cloudy

Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards continued with
the difficult task of adapting their YZR-M1 machines to the Shanghai
International Circuit on just the second day of MotoGP action in China today.
After brief rain showers interrupted proceedings yesterday, cracks of sunshine
broke through the hazy clouds this afternoon and gave the riders crucial time to
find a suitable setting for the dry conditions.

Whilst Rossi will be looking to run with the lead group from the second row of
the grid after setting the sixth fastest time of 2'00.821, Edwards faces another
charge through the pack after again suffering from the run of bad luck that has
dogged his otherwise encouraging start to the season. The American was unable to
make the most of his qualifying tyre today and actually set his best lap of
2'01.401 on a race tyre, confirming his excellent consistency and pace but
limiting him to a fifth row start in thirteenth place.

Fortuna Yamaha team-mates Toni Elias and Ruben Xaus ended the second qualifying
session with mixed fortunes. On the one hand Elias continued his progression in
the class with a superb performance throughout the day, which saw him take
eighth place on the grid. His team-mate Xaus, after various technical problems,
had to settle for 16th position.

Sete Gibernau (Honda) set pole position with a time of 1'59.710 and the Spaniard
will be joined on the front row by Italian pair Marco Melandri (Honda) and Loris
Capirossi (Ducati) in what promises to be another close and exciting race, with
the top fourteen riders on the grid all qualifying within 1.8 seconds of pole.

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 6th, 2'00.821

"We tried a lot of things yesterday and today with the set-up but I'm still
having problems, mostly because of a lack of front feeling. This is causing the
tyres to not work properly, more on the right than the left. We made slight
alterations to the forks today and we have some more things to try in the
warm-up tomorrow. After the session I had a long briefing with my crew to decide
where we can make any improvements. Unfortunately it wasn't possible to start
from the front row and I'm only in sixth position, which is not ideal. If all is
okay tomorrow, including the work we do tomorrow morning, I might be able to
finish on the podium. It's going to be a really difficult race because it's such
a demanding circuit - I think it's going to test the riders and the bikes to the
maximum."

Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 13th, 2'01.401

"It's the first time we've ridden at this circuit and after a wet day yesterday
we just did everything we could today to improve the general set-up of the bike.
I finally found a setting I liked but we were unable to use the qualifying tyre
on it and I actually set my fastest lap on a race tyre. It is encouraging
because I know I have a good race pace but the problem is that I'm starting from
the fifth row and it won't be at all easy to make my way through the pack,
especially at such a tight circuit. Because we've had so little dry time we
haven't been able to run endurance tests on the tyres, so I think there is a big
question mark for everybody about what is going to happen in the second half of
the race. I guess I'll just have to lose a few friends on the opening couple of
laps, get as close to the front as I can and take it from there."

Davide Brivio, Gauloises Yamaha Team Director

"Today wasn't an easy day for either of our riders, but I think both Valentino
and Colin have the pace to run at the front of the pack. It is going to be tough
for Colin to start from so far back but his lap times show that he has the
potential to get a good result if it stays dry. Of course, there is a good
chance it could rain and in those circumstances nobody knows what will happen.
We still have a few doubts about the setting of the bike but we have 20 minutes
in the warm-up tomorrow and we have to use that time carefully."

Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 8th, 2.01.081

"I am very satisfied. This circuit is very demanding but I am getting more
comfortable all the time. I believe in Estoril things were made more difficult
by my falls, but here things have gone much better and we are getting closer all
the time. However, everyone is so close here that you could just as easily
finish 8th as 14th."

Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 16th, 2.02.869

"I have had better days, but I'm not downhearted. I am giving 100 percent and
things are proving more difficult than I expected. I am not comfortable and I
have to do a lot of work on the bike to keep up. I am not looking for excuses
because there are none, but we are looking at different options to find the jump
in set-up that we need. They are only small things, but they are important if we
are to improve - above all it's with the exiting of the corners."

Round: 3 - Shanghai MotoGP

Circuit: Shanghai
Circuit: Length: 5451m
Date: 30 April 2005
Temp: 27ºC

Session 1 :

Pos.Rider         Manufacturer  Nat.  1st Qualifying
 1  S. Gibernau   Honda         ESP   1'59.710
 2  M. Melandri   Honda         ITA   1'59.873
 3  L. Capirossi  Ducati        ITA   2' 0.480
 4  J. Hopkins    Suzuki        USA   2' 0.666
 5  N. Hayden     Honda         USA   2' 0.747
 6  V. Rossi      Yamaha        ITA   2' 0.821
 7  C. Checa      Ducati        ESP   2' 0.902
 8  T. Elias      Yamaha        ESP   2' 1.081
 9  K. Roberts    Suzuki        USA   2' 1.085
10  S. Nakano     Kawasaki      JPN   2' 1.098
11  A. Barros     Honda         BRA   2' 1.117
12  T. Bayliss    Honda         AUS   2' 1.328
13  C. Edwards    Yamaha        USA   2' 1.401
14  M. Biaggi     Honda         ITA   2' 1.502
15  O. Jacque     Kawasaki      FRA   2' 2.072
16  R. Xaus       Yamaha        ESP   2' 2.869