MotoGP : Quest for home glory begins for Gauloises Yamaha Team

Round: 5 - Mugello MotoGP
Circuit: Mugello
Date: 3 June 2005
Temp: 30ºC
Weather: Sunshine

The Gauloises Yamaha Team's challenge for success at the Italian Grand Prix
began with a day of hard work at Mugello today as riders Valentino Rossi and
Colin Edwards completed valuable set-up work with their YZR-M1 machines.
Following on from successful tests with the base setting of the machines at Le
Mans after the last round, the riders quickly found their feet today and began
making minor refinements to suit the fast and flowing Mugello circuit.

After making a positive start to the morning free practice, when they set the
first and sixth fastest times respectively, Rossi and Edwards were hindered by
the increasing track temperatures in the scorching afternoon sunshine and were
unable to improve their times in the second free practice - dropping to third
and ninth overall as they encountered minor rear traction problems. However,
both riders are confident of making the necessary improvements tomorrow.

Sete Gibernau (Honda) and Max Biaggi (Honda) were the only riders capable of
bettering Rossi's morning time, with Gibernau clocking the fastest effort of the
day with a lap of 1'50.662.

For David Checa, brother of fourth fastest man Carlos Checa (Ducati), it was a
positive debut ride with the Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1. The young Spaniard
enjoyed the speed and handling of the championship winning machine, despite a
late afternoon fall.

Davide Checa replaces the injured Toni Elías, who is still recovering from an
injury sustained during a day of tests following the French Grand Prix at Le
Mans. Elías underwent an operation in Barcelona after fracturing the radius and
scaphoid of his left wrist and rupturing the ligaments that link the triquetral
bone and the radius. The rider also fractured the outside of his left fibula and
his leg was put in a cast.

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 3rd, 1'50.778

"The bike was good in the morning which makes me very happy because it seems we
now have a base setting that works at every track. The conditions were perfect
for our sport - no wind, some sunshine but not too hot. In the afternoon it was
much warmer and we had some problems because the tyre was moving around a lot
more. Anyway, I'm very happy to be third fastest overall today and it's a good
start to the weekend for us. I hope the weather stays like this because the rain
has followed us around for the first part of the season. There are a lot of
people here already and we want to put on a good show for them!"

Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 9th, 1'51.320

"We picked up where we left off at Le Mans and tried a few different things with
the setting of the bike. We've decided to go down a particular avenue, which we
still believe is the right way, but we've just got to stick at it to make sure
it works. At the moment I'm getting into the corners okay but I'm having a bit
of difficulty getting out again, which is crucial at this track - particularly
the last corner coming onto the straight. We're trying to understand a lot of
things but we're getting there and I'm confident we can take the steps we need
tomorrow. I'm lapping in mid 1'51s on the current setting but I reckon a good
race pace is going to be in the 1'50s, so we need to take at least half a second
off - more would be nice!"

Davide Brivio, Gauloises Yamaha Team Director

"This morning was not so bad for both riders and it shows that we have
definitely made steps forward with the base setting of the bike coming from Le
Mans, which means the engineers and the team crews have been doing a great job.
Unfortunately in the afternoon we had some traction problems because of the high
temperatures but that is to be expected. It is only Friday and it is the day for
collecting information, checking the performance of the tyres and making some
decisions to refine the setting of the bike for the race. If it stays this hot
for the whole weekend it will make it a very demanding race for the riders and I
think their physical condition will prove to be very important."

Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 16th, 1'52.720

"Last year I had a pretty good weekend here, but today was hard for me. I want
to enjoy riding the bike, to be comfortable and I know that this is the key to
going fast here. I won't stop trying until I get it right. I did improve a
little this afternoon, compared to this morning, so that was good and I hope
that it keeps going this way."

David Checa (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 17th, 1'53.769

"I feel really comfortable on the bike. I feel I've done a good job so far. I've
been lapping with old tyres, just until I get to know the bike. This afternoon I
did try a new set of tyres and it was then that I crashed. I saw Valentino Rossi
come past me on the straight so I thought I'd try and follow him, but maybe my
tyres were still to cold, because as I tipped into turn one I fell. I guess I
just wanted to improve too quickly. I'll make sure I don't make the same mistake
tomorrow."

Round: 5 - Mugello MotoGP

Circuit: Mugello
Circuit Length: 5245m
Lap Record: 1' 51.133 (Sete Gibernau, 2004)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 49.553 (Sete Gibernau, 2004)
Date: 3 June 2005
Temp: 30ºC

Free Practice :

Pos.Rider         Manufacturer  Nat.  Free Practice
 1  S. Gibernau   Honda         ESP   1'50.662
 2  M. Biaggi     Honda         ITA   1'50.680
 3  V. Rossi      Yamaha        ITA   1'50.778
 4  C. Checa      Ducati        ESP   1'50.818
 5  L. Capirossi  Ducati        ITA   1'50.912
 6  A. Barros     Honda         BRA   1'50.966
 7  N. Hayden     Honda         USA   1'51.158
 8  M. Melandri   Honda         ITA   1'51.234
 9  C. Edwards    Yamaha        USA   1'51.320
10  S. Nakano     Kawasaki      JPN   1'51.494
11  M. Tamada     Honda         JPN   1'51.673
12  K. Roberts    Suzuki        USA   1'52.070
13  J. Hopkins    Suzuki        USA   1'52.190
14  T. Bayliss    Honda         AUS   1'52.345
15  A. Hofman     Kawasaki      GER   1'52.357
16  R. Xaus       Yamaha        ESP   1'52.750
17  D. Checa      Yamaha        ESP   1'53.769