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

Pedrosa: ‘Tomorrow’s race will be very long because of the heat, with the difficulty of having to conserve the tyres’.
Repsol driver´s comments about Southafrican GP 2nd qualifying practice.Valentino Rossi, 1st MotoGP: ‘We made a good step today compared to yesterday. We made a lot of experiments with different settings and we are in a much better position now. The team have worked really hard and I am very happy to be starting from pole position. It’s impossible to get a perfect setting but we are much nearer. The tyres are working well and I am pleased to make the good times using a race set-up. The track seems bumpier than last year with a bit less grip. I hope for good weather tomorrow and of course a good result’.Tohru Ukawa, 3rd MotoGP: ‘I am happy to put Suzuka behind me where I crashed. I like Welkom and have done quite well here in the past. The team have put in a lot of effort over the two days trying to get the best set-up for the bike. We have made many adjustments and now find the bike is working pretty well. It is good to have taken a front row position for the race tomorrow using a race set up with race tyres. I will try my best tomorrow’.Fonsi Nieto, 5th 250:’Today wasn’t a good day for me. Yesterday we were eighth, and things went okay. Today we made some rear suspension changes that didn’t have the results we were looking for. Qualifying wasn’t as I expected. A pity, because I was sure that today I could cut my lap times like everybody else. Finally, I wasn’t able to do that. I hope tomorrow we find a solution before the race, and I’ll try to make a good start and fight to maximum to achieve a good result’.Toni Elías 15th 250 : ‘I’m not satisfied with today’s results. I wanted to be on the front row, and my position has been complicated. It’s a pity because in my first fast lap I was slowed by another rider, and was not able to improve. We’ve had many problems during the weekend with the rear end, and we still have not found the correct setting. But in general the race set-up is acceptable. Tyres will determine the result, and we will make our final choice depending on the temperature tomorrow. I’m not satisfied with fifth, but for tomorrow I have a good pace, and I am confident I will be able to fight for the podium’.Daniel Pedrosa 1st 125: ‘Obviously I’m very happy with this second pole of my career. Sincerely, I didn’t expect it after the many technical problems we had yesterday with carburetion and this morning with the brakes, which ruined my free training session. The end of the session was a bit confusing, with the red flag that meant my best lap was deleted. In any case I know that I did that lap time, and I can repeat it. Tomorrow’s race will be very long because of the heat, with the difficulty of having to conserve the tyres until the end of the race. The person who saves his tyres the best will have the best chances. I only think of getting more experience, and getting some more points’.Joan Olivé 13º en 125: ‘I am very satisfied because I continued my progress, with lap times getting better through the weekend. We had serious suspension problems – I guess like all the other riders, because of the bumps. Thankfully, I think we have found a solution. The confusion in the last laps of qualifying were a pity, because it gave a benefit to some other riders, but not to me. I feel comfortable at this track, because I don’t mind about it being so slippery’.