Sete Gibernau met the harsh demands of the final qualifying session for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the fourteenth round of the MotoGP season, with a lap time which puts the Telefónica MoviStar rider at the front of the second row of the grid. Gibernau knocked four tenths of a second off his provisional time after focussing on his rhythm for a race which, as in Qatar last weekend, will see maximum pressure on and off the track. The Spaniard was in optimistic mood after checking the lap by lap time sheets, whilst his team-mate Colin Edwards was also pleased to have taken a step forward, but faces a stiff challenge as he starts from the fourth row.

SETE GIBERNAU

(4th, 2’02”283): “Today, unlike yesterday, we weren’t able to get the best out of the qualifying tyres but I am happy because we have improved in terms of race pace. Obviously I would have prepared to start on the front row, but I wouldn’t swap that for the progress I have made. We’ll keep working in the warm-up tomorrow to see if we can improve the pace even further and have a good race”.

COLIN EDWARDS

(12th, 2’03”014): “The bike has improved from yesterday but not enough to move me much further forward on the grid. Tomorrow we will need to find something in the warm-up which will allow me to set a quicker and more consistent pace, although I know it will be tough starting from the fourth row”.

FAUSTO GRESINI

(Team manager): “Today we have worked well thinking about therace and we can be happy with Sete’s result, although there are a couple of details still to refine. Sete will start from the second row and it will be a tough race because of the heat”.

LAP TIMES

1. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 2’01”833
2. Alex Barros (Bra/Honda a 0”395
3. Shinya Nakano (Jap/Kawasaki) a 0”445
4. Sete Gibernau (Esp/Honda) a 0”450
5. Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) a 0”561

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