Demonstration by Rossi, Nieto and Elias in Assen.
Provisional pole for Valentino and Fonsi; Toni second in the 250cc and Barberá surprises with a fourth place in the 125cc
Seventh round of the 2003 season, the legendary Dutch circuit of Assen has hosted today the first qualifying practices of the Dutch Grand Prix. In the premier category, Repsol rider Valentino Rossi keeps on showing his and his bike’s high level of competitiveness after firmly dominating the free practice in the morning as well as the afternoon’s timed practice. Rossi, who was using for the first time a new exhaust system he had already tested in Barcelona after the Catalunya Grand Prix, has been the fastest of the MotoGP riders this afternoon. His team-mate Nicky Hayden, riding on a circuit that’s completely new for him and very complicated, set a very positive thirteenth fastest time, hoping to improve it tomorrow after everything he has been able to learn today.
In the quarter-litre class, the leading role has been played by Repsol riders Fonsi Nieto and Toni Elias, who after fighting for the pole in the last instants of the timed session, finished in the said order, heading the provisional starting grid. The first practice day hasn’t started excessively well for Sebastián Porto. The Argentinean rider has been suffering engine problems that hindered him from fighting for the leading positions. Jorge Martínez Aspar’s younger pupils, Joan Olivé and Héctor Faubel, finished fourteenth and seventeenth respectively.
In the 125cc, Héctor Barberá gave a big surprise setting the fastest time in the mornings free practice and the fourth fastest in the afternoon’s timed session. Bad day for Dani Pedrosa who was set back to the eleventh position due to mechanical problems, hoping to improve times tomorrow. Pablo Nieto, lacking rhythm and after riding in the back during almost the whole timed session, finally finished twelfth.
