Cataluña GP. 2nd qualifying practice. Driver´s comments

Nieto: ‘I think tomorrow will be a hard race, because it is so very hot.’
Repsol driver´s comments about Cataluña GP 2nd qualifying practice.Valentino Rossi, MotoGP: ‘I’m happy to be on the front row for sure. We haven’t had the easiest weekend so far and are far from the perfect set-up. We’ve tried many different tyre / suspension combinations, none of which have been great. This morning we basically start from zero again and are now going in the right direction. We could really do with another day for set-up. Tomorrow will be a difficult race. It will be long and very hard. I hope for good weather but it would be better if it was five or 10 degrees cooler!’Tohru Ukawa, MotoGP: ‘We tried many tyre combinations over the session and got pretty similar results. The choice will be difficult tomorrow as the forecast is hot and 25 laps is a long race in those conditions and hard on the tyres. I’m really happy to be on the front row tomorrow and must make a good start. I started from 9th last year and had a hard race to finish seventh. The bike has proved itself to be one of the fastest machines out there; we must make sure we can get the power down in the corners’.Fonsi Nieto, 250: ‘All weekend I have had suspension problems, but my team has responded very well, and that is very important. Without such a good team it would be very difficult to be where we are. I think I would have been able to ride quicker today, but now it is not so important, because I have the pole anyway. I’d love to win here, because the last race went to Melandri & now it is my turn again. We also have to consider Rolfo, Battaini and Locatelli, who have been very fast. Today’s lap times were very good in general, considering that last year we didn’t have to face such hot weather. For tomorrow, we know which tyres we will use, and I’ll try not to make you all suffer with the problems I sometimes have with a full tank, when I have found it difficult to ride very fast. I am very satisfied to have pole in front of my people. I think tomorrow will be a hard race, because it is so very hot.’Toni Elías 250 : ‘It was a hard session because of the heat, and it will be the same tomorrow in the race. I am not satisfied with ninth, because to be sincere I hoped to be on the front row. That is my fault. In general, I am happy because I have a good pace and rhythm, and that is what is important for the race. I start from the third row tomorrow. I need to make a very good start to go with the leading group. I’d like to make the podium, but I still need a little more experience. It is within my sight, but it is important to work well, and the rest will come automatically.’Daniel Pedrosa 125: ‘It was a complicated session. There was no way to find a clean lap, because groups of riders were hanging round, waiting to find a good slipstream, and ofen in the middle of the track. That made for some tricky situations. Also, we still have tyre problems. I almost fell off twice, when I was pushing to the maximum to try and get pole. I still don’t know which tyres to choose for the race. We will have to analyse all the data from the four sessions, and reach a decision. I am not thinking of any strategy for tomorrow, because I am convinced it will be a group race, and the tyre choice will determine the result.’Joan Olivé 125: ‘I don’t know what to say. I am very disappointed. I always want to do well, but here at home even more so. I gave the maximum of myself, but the lap times just didn’t come, and I don’t understand why not. Yesterday we had problems, but we were convinced we had found solutions. It wasn’t like this. The bike was constantly sliding, even just after fitting new tyres. It was sliding from the beginning. It’s hard to achieve anything in this situation. I am so frustrated, because I wanted so much to have a good result, and I was convinced I could make it better.’