The Spaniard, who yesterday had a meeting with Michelin’s technicians in order to turn the page after the mistake made in China, returns strongly to a circuit where he has celebrated victory for the past two seasons and is hopeful this can be the turning point of his season. Marco Melandri is aiming to defend second place in the championship standings, although his weekend began with some set-up problems at Le Mans.

Both riders began working this morning using their set-up from last season, gradually changing their base settings throughout the session and adapting them appropriately to the updated RC211V 2005.

The riders had just one and a half hours of dry track time today, with rainfall interrupting their programme some 30 minutes from the end of the afternoon session. Lap times are already close to the circuit record established by Max Biaggi last season but are still a long way off Gibernau’s pole record of 1’33”425.

SETE GIBERNAU (2nd, 1’34”290): “After the problems we had in China we’ve arrived here feeling very motivated and we have started the Grand Prix in positive fashion. The weather hasn’t helped but I’m ready to race in any conditions. We’ve been competitive in the wet and the dry.”

MARCO MELANDRI (7th, 1’35”125): “It was a difficult day because the weather prevented us from completing everything we had planned. We started off with a few problems this morning which we analysed at lunchtime. The setting was better in the afternoon but  we didn’t have much time to adjust it because it started raining about half an hour from the end of the session. I completed a few laps in the wet and tomorrow we can continue working with a few clearer ideas”.

LAP TIMES

1. Alex Barros (Br/Honda) 1’34”171
2. Sete Gibernau (Esp/Honda) 1’34”290
3. Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) 1’34”618
4. Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 1’34”701
5. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 1’35”067
6. Shinya Nakano (Jap/Kawasaki) 1’35”067
7. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 1’35”125
8. John Hopkins (USA/Suzuki) 1’35”127
9. Carlos Checa (Esp/Ducati) 1’35”206