Sete Gibernau wasn’t in peak form when he arrived Estoril, already aware that it was going to be a Grand Prix of suffering. However, things got even worse today with a crash in the morning free practice delivering another blow to his injured left shoulder.

A quick x-ray in the Clinica Mobile has revealed no fractures but did show up a further sprain to the acromioclavicular joint. Gibernau was given an anaesthetic injection which allowed him to compete in the afternoon session, when he qualified on the front row of the grid, just one tenth of a second off the pole time set by Alex Barros. Despite his performance, the worry now is whether or not he can last the full race tomorrow. This evening he will undergo anti-inflammatory injections and painkilling treatment as he aims to recover in time.

Marco Melandri knocked more than two seconds off his time from yesterday, improving his set-up and rhythm as he moved to the second row of the grid. The Italian overcame a crash ten minutes from the end of the session and will launch another podium challenge from fifth on the grid as he looks to repeat his magnificent performance at Jerez.

SETE GIBERNAU (2nd, 1’37”329): “It was already going to be a tough Grand Prix for us but the crash this morning has only made things worse. My shoulder was damaged some more and we’ve had to work around it a little. We’ve got a good pace and I was able to do a fast lap thanks to the painkillers but it’s pretty clear I won’t be able to ride like that through the whole race. I don’t want to rule anything out though – the treatment I get tonight will be very important but we have to be ready to suffer and be calm enough to realise that if I am limited by my physical capabilities then it will be important to just gather as many points as possible because it’s a long season.”

MARCO MELANDRI (5th,1’37”835): “The bike has improved a lot and we’ve taken a big step forward from yesterday. My crash was a schoolboy error – I picked the wrong gear and went flying. The second bike was a bit different, the rear spring was too hard and it was tiring to ride. We still have to make some improvements to the front end but I’m looking forward to the race; fifth place is a good result”.

LAP TIMES
Alex Barros (Bra/Honda) 1’37”202
Sete Gibernau (Esp/Honda) + 0”127
Carlos Checa (Esp/Ducati) + 0”254
Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) + 0”441
Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) + 0”633