Valencia GP. Driver´s comments

Nieto: ‘Physically I am not 100 percent – for the last five days I have been suffering from a stomach virus, and I feel a little weak’.
Valentino Rossi: ‘This race is very important to me because I have never finished on the podium at Valencia. We tested here one month ago and the results were not so good but I am confident now because we have solved the clutch problems we have had over the last two or three races which meant I couldn’t brake how I like to. My style on the four-stroke is to brake very quickly and get the bike sliding because it is more fun, and at Phillip Island I got back to doing that so I am confident. Today we have tested some different engine configurations. We now seem to have a good set-up for the race – the bike doesnt wheelie so much and does not spin too bad. The power delivery is very sweet but it seems slow. We will look at the data overnight. We have also worked with the forks. They feel good in braking, especially when on the edge.Tohru Ukawa: This morning we started with the settings we had from the tests back in August. Things have changed a little on the bike since then but basically we seem to have a pretty good package. This afternoon started off OK but I slid off coming out of the corner before the start/finish straight. I guess I just pushed the front a little too hard. We lost some time and I seemed to spend the rest of the session chasing the settings I had on the crash bike. We didnt get there and Im not happy with the result. Tomorrow we have a lot of work to do. We will set both bikes up as this mornings one and have to work from there. The race result is so important and my grid position is vital.Fonsi Nieto: Basically we are searching for settings and tyres for the race. We are seven tenths off provisional pole, but I am confident that tomorrow I can improve my times. Physically I am not 100 percent – for the last five days I have been suffering from a stomach virus, and I feel a little weak. But when I get on the bike, it doesnt bother me too much. Tomorrow I hope to be fully recovered, to be able to give the maximum, and improve my time. Tyre choice will be crucial for the race. Id really like to end the year with a victory, and to dedicate it to all the Spanish fans.Toni Elías: Today wasnt a good day for me. In the morning I had a hard crash, luckily without getting hurt. Im concentrating on bike settings, because – as happened in Australia – if you dont find the right suspension and chassis settings, it spoils your chances a lot. Luckily we still have tomorrow to try to improve. We have to work hard to find the correct direction, no matter what it costs. Today I would have liked to be in front, but I am confident that tomorrow my luck is due to change.Daniel Pedrosa: Obviously I am happy with this lap time. Valencia brings me good memories, because it was here that I got my first podium. I like the circuit, and the fans are a huge support. The bike is running quite well. We had some small problems, but thats normal for the first day. The positive side is that I have been able to ride many laps at a fast pace, so we have a lot of information to get the right settings for tomorrows final session, when I expect to maintain this pole position.Joan Olive: I am really disappointed about how this first day developed. Nothing came out as I expected. In free practice, we followed our game plan, but at the end of the session my engine broke. In the afternoon the settings for the new engine werent perfect. I dont know why, but it would not get full rpm. In a session of only half an hour, there was no time to solve this problem, nor even to try settings that might give us some clues. We have to study the data very carefully, because I am very ambitious for this race, and I really want to get a good result here at home.