Sete Gibernau arrived home from Italy with plenty of work ahead of him and he started the job today as he looks to get back to top form at the Gran Premio de Catalunya, where his army of fans are hoping to see him ride with the same level of determination he showed during the MotoGP Test here just a few months ago. Sete clocked a best time of 141851 in the preseason session and is hoping he can get close to that time again tomorrow.
With barely any chance to rest between races, Sete today continued to suffer from the corner entry problems that dogged his weekend at Mugello but he is confident that the information gathered today will help him make a big step tomorrow and allow him to compete for a leading position on the starting grid
Marco Melandri set a good rhythm throughout the day and, after lapping 1.3 seconds inside the circuit lap record set by his team-mate last year, ended the first day of free practice on top of the time sheets.
MARCO MELANDRI (1st, 143317): We had a good session today we started off with a good base set-up thanks to the data we had from the preseason tests and that was reflected in the result. I felt comfortable on the bike from the morning and we continued to improve in the afternoon after fitting some new tyres. Michelin are really helping me to improve traction at maximum lean angle. Im very satisfied because I was able to set a good, consistent pace today. Tomorrow I want to improve in the last section of the track, which I am finding difficult, and I dont want to get too excited about the race because it will be long and difficult.
SETE GIBERNAU (9th, 144139): Today was confirmation of the problems we had at Mugello: Im having difficulty decelerating the bike into the corners. Even though I am braking earlier, the mid-corner speed is too high and that is not allowing me to hold my lines, so Im losing time. It may sound contradictory but I would prefer to have these problems today because we still have time to improve. I am completely confident that my team will be able to find a solution.
LAP TIMES
1. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 143317
2. Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) 143408
3. Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 143467
4. Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda) 143638
5. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 143652
6. Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 143885
7. Alex Barros (Bra/Honda) 144105
8. John Hopkins (USA/Suzuki) 144138
9. Sete Gibernau (Esp/Honda) 144139
10. Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) 144145