ROUND 14 - MARLBORO GRAND PRIX OF QATAR, LOSAIL
29 SEPTEMBER 2005 - FREE PRACTICE

NAKANO BATTLES DOHA DESERT HEAT WAVE

Under a blazing desert sun, and with track temperatures touching 50 degrees,
Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano rode through a heat-soaked day of free practice at
the Losail Circuit today.

As track conditions improved with a clean line and more grip, Nakano sliced
three seconds from his morning free practice time to finish the day in
thirteenth place.

The Japanese ace is satisfied with the progress of his preparations for
Saturday's Qatar Grand Prix, using a further refinement to the Ninja ZX-RR motor
introduced for last week's Malaysian race.

Nakano qualified in fifth place, just 0.24s off pole, for this race last year
and is building towards tomorrow afternoon's one hour qualifying session.

While Nakano battled the heat wave conditions his Kawasaki teammate, Olivier
Jacque, was being treated in the Doha hospital and did not ride this afternoon.

Jacque was transferred to hospital after suffering a bruised left shoulder and
neck strain when he fell in the morning free practice session.

Making his debut appearance at the Losail Circuit, Jacque ran straight on at the
second-gear turn eight. Jacque's Ninja ZX-RR became unbalanced as he rode across
the gravel trap and he fell at relatively low speed.

He returned to the track on his spare bike and finished 16th in the morning
session, while still learning the convoluted 5.3 km Losail circuit. For the day
Jacque finished 19th overall.

Before the second free practice session Jacque went to the Clinica Mobile for
massage treatment, but did not have a full range of movement so was admitted to
hospital. A member of the Clinica Mobile staff accompanied Jacque to hospital.

The Kawasaki team is awaiting a further medical report before assessing Jacque's
condition.

Shinya Nakano: #56 - Thirteenth - 2'00.425

"My rhythm is good but at the moment the maximum lap time is not coming, I'm
still looking for a little more confidence from the front-end - I need a more
precise turn-in setting. But, overall, it was a productive day. The latest
engine upgrade feels responsive because you need good acceleration and
bottom-end throttle feel at this track. There are still some race tyre options
to work through and, if we can improve the front end, I'm confident of a strong
race. The only problem is a burning feeling on my right foot caused by heat
radiation from the exhaust and engine in these conditions - it is hotter on the
track compared to Malaysia."

Olivier Jacque: #19 - Nineteenth - 2'04.582

"It was a strange crash. I was still learning the track and just ran straight on
across the gravel, but the stones were much bigger than normal and it was
difficult to control the bike. I have strained my shoulder and neck. What I have
found on my first day at Losail is that many of the corners look the same, they
appear to repeat themselves, and there are not a lot of reference points for
braking and track position."

Ichiro Yoda: Technical Manager

"We have a small, second stage upgrade to the latest engine spec for Qatar, some
internal parts plus revised electronic settings. So far Shinya likes the
response of this motor and his pace is consistent, as is the endurance and
performance of the Bridgestone tyres. We will continue the engine set-up work
tomorrow and make some small modifications to assist the air flow around
Shinya's feet."

FREE PRACTICE - COMBINED TIMES

 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team  1'58.714
 2. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Yamaha Team           +0.146
 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda                +0.330
 4. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team     +0.438
 5. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team        +0.752
 6. Colin Edwards (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team      +0.779
 7. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP     +0.854
 8. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP          +1.100
 9. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda                  +1.264
10. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda                  +1.370
11. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP         +1.562
13. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team       +1.711
19. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team      +5.868