Czech GP. Driver´s comments

Nieto: ‘I dont want to repeat the situation of the last GPs, where I was always fastest in qualifying but in the race all the work went out of the window’.
Valentino Rossi, 3rd: At the end I am quite happy really. I am close to Kato and Biaggi which is OK. Third position and on the first row will do fine. We lost some time yesterday searching for the best settings. Today we have been working hard to find the best race set-up, which I am happy with. In the end we ran out of time to make that last big push for the pole position. I could see the circuit clock said 3 minutes but it has no seconds. There were really just over 2 minutes left so I had no time. Tohru Ukawa, 8th: The bike set-up has been getting better and better all weekend and the times show that. Weve had some front end chatter problems but I think we have cured most of it with the set-up. Im really not too concerned about starting from the second row. Ive started from this position five times already this season and as long as I make a good start it really isnt a big problem. Fonsi Nieto, 1st: I am happy to get another pole. All weekend I have been focused on bike settings for tomorrows race, which is very important for me. I dont want to repeat the situation of the last GPs, where I was always fastest in qualifying but in the race all the work went out of the window. I have a really good bike setting, but we still have to make a final decision about which tyre to choose. Even though I am on pole, I am not relaxed. I will not be until after the race. I only hope that my bike works tomorrow as well as it did today, and that I dont make any errors. I am very happy with the treatment I am getting from Aprilia, and I hope this situation continues for the rest of the season. If necessary, I am ready to take whatever risks are required to win tomorrow. Its going to be a hard race, not only because of Melandri, but also because we will be fighting with Porto and Rolfo. Toni Elias, 7th: I am very happy with the way the testing finished, considering the many chassis and suspension problems I had yesterday. I and my team have been working hard, and this morning we found some improvements with the general performance of my bike. In the afternoon qualifying session we made some more changes that were beneficial. Ive been able to set a good pace. Tomorrow Ill try for a good start, and I hope to be in the leading group. Although my fastest lap wasnt as quick as I hoped because of the busy track, I know that I can ride quicker. Anyway, its good to be on the second row, and if I get away well I am sure I will be up there and fighting. Daniel Pedrosa, 3rd: During the morning we thought we had found the key to our rear suspension problems, but in the afternoon they came back, and we still dont know why. Its nothing new. We tried different combinations of settings, but so far without finding the solution. Well try again in morning warm-up to find a setting that gives me more confidence when I open the gas. I believe we will be able to do that. In this way, I will try to be in the leading group in a race that will for sure be very long. Joan Olive, 12th: We had many suspension problems at the start of qualifying, but we have almost been able to find the solution. The sessions are very short just half an hour, and if you have to stop to try to solve problems it doesnt leave many laps to get a good time. Dani helped me a lot trying to get a time, and I will start from the third row, and thats okay. Here the start will be very important, to try and get a position in a lead group that I hope will be very big considering that the first 12 are within one second.