MotoGP : Edwards bounces back to form on opening day at Catalunya

Round: 6 - Catalunya MotoGP
Circuit: Catalunya
Date: 10 June 2005
Temp: 21ºC
Weather: Sunny

Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Colin Edwards returned to the top of the time sheets
with an encouraging display on the opening day of the Catalunya Grand Prix
today. Both Edwards and his team-mate, Valentino Rossi, again took advantage of
the excellent base set-up they have found in recent tests with the Yamaha YZR-M1
machine, setting the pace in this morning's opening free practice session with
the first and second fastest times respectively. As temperatures rose in the
afternoon by 10ºC, with 34ºC recorded on the recently-laid track surface,
Edwards was again on the pace and was only denied the fastest time of the day by
a late raid from Marco Melandri (Honda) and Makoto Tamada (Honda, 1'43.408),
with Melandri clocking the fastest lap in a time of 1'43.317.

Rossi was one of several riders unable to improve their times in the second
session as he struggled for front-end grip in the afternoon sunshine. With
several riders crashing out in some of the fastest corners on the Montmeló
track, the reigning MotoGP World Champion and current series leader decided to
save his best efforts until tomorrow's qualifying session, although his morning
time, a 1'43.652) was enough to seal fifth place on the combined time sheets
overnight.

Fortuna Yamaha rider Toni Elias made an attempt to return to the fray after
missing the Italian MotoGP due to injuries sustained during the Le Mans post
race test. But after a promising start in the first session Elias realized that
continuing into Friday qualifying was a tall order. The young Spaniard will be
replaced, once again, by David Checa who finished 19th in his debut MotoGP ride
last week.

Colin Edwards (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 3rd, 1'43.467

"It's almost as if Mugello never happened and we have come straight from Le Mans
to Barcelona! We know how the bike should work for me and, even though the
setting is very different to what we had in the test here because the bike has
evolved so much, we dialed some things in that felt right as soon as I took it
onto the track this morning. In the afternoon we made some adjustments to the
suspension and general setting. I went out and did a 15-lap endurance test for
Michelin at the start of the session on a hard compound, which gave us a lot of
information, and I put on something a little softer at the end which was good
for six or seven tenths - so we know which way we're going. We made a good start
at Mugello and didn't make much progress from there but I'm confident that won't
happen here because the feeling with the bike is already so much better."

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 5th, 1'43.652

"We made a very good start to the day this morning but in the afternoon I had a
few problems with front grip. I didn't have the stability I wanted in the
corners and this meant that I wasn't able to push as hard as I would like. The
new track surface is very different and the conditions changed a lot with the
extra heat from the morning to the afternoon. A few riders were crashing out so
I decided not to push too hard because the important day is tomorrow and, of
course, Sunday. We have some work to do on the front-end but in general the bike
setting is getting better and better so we hope to continue tomorrow."

Davide Brivio, Gauloises Yamaha Team Director

"This morning started off very well, with both riders at the top, and the
afternoon was not so bad, although it took us a while to get up to speed.
Valentino had some delays today but he is making the necessary adjustments to
the bike setting. It was a very good day for Colin, who kept up a high pace and
completed a good endurance test in the afternoon. I'm very happy for him because
we had a long chat after Mugello and decided to put it behind us and start over
again this weekend. Hopefully he can continue in the same way on Saturday and
Sunday!"

Ruben Xaus (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 16th, 1'45.061

"I'm really happy to be back and racing in front of my home crowd. I had a small
crash today, but I was trying hard. Despite this the bike is getting better and
better so I'm looking forward to tomorrow, because I am confident I can bring in
a good result for the fans."

Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 19th, 1'46.702

"I tried my best today. I really wanted to spend some time on the bike this
weekend, more in preparation for Assen than for producing a great result here.
This morning everything went really well. I was surprised at my pace and how
comfortable I felt despite the way I'm bandaged up. But this afternoon was
different story. I had no strength at all. I could barely hang onto the bike,
which is a dangerous way to ride a MotoGP bike. So I've decided to wait until
Assen before going back out on the bike."

Round: 6 - Catalunya MotoGP

Circuit: Catalunya
Circuit Length: 4727m
Lap Record: 1' 44.641 (Sete Gibernau, 2004)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 44.641 (Sete Gibernau, 2004)
Date: 10 June 2005
Temp: 21ºC

Free Practice :

Pos.Rider         Manufacturer  Nat.  Free Practice
 1  M. Melandri   Honda         ITA   1'43.317
 2  M. Tamada     Honda         JPN   1'43.408
 3  C. Edwards    Yamaha        USA   1'43.467
 4  N. Hayden     Honda         USA   1'43.638
 5  V. Rossi      Yamaha        ITA   1'43.652
 6  L. Capirossi  Ducati        ITA   1'43.885
 7  A. Barros     Honda         BRA   1'44.105
 8  J. Hopkins    Suzuki        USA   1'44.138
 9  S. Gibernau   Honda         ESP   1'44.139
10  M. Biaggi     Honda         ITA   1'44.145
11  S. Nakano     Kawasaki      JPN   1'44.268
12  T. Bayliss    Honda         AUS   1'44.430
13  C. Checa      Ducati        ESP   1'44.569
14  K. Roberts    Suzuki        USA   1'44.668
15  R. Rolfo      Ducati        ITA   1'44.793
16  R. Xaus       Yamaha        ESP   1'45.061
19  T. Elias      Yamaha        ESP   1'46.702