As a result, the settings gathered by at the winter tests here, when temperatures were some 20 degrees lower, were of little use in this first session.

Marco Melandri, almost completely recovered from his foot injury, set the seventh fastest time of the day (1’59’’568), some three tenths of the track record set last year by Colin Edwards, then of the Honda Telefonica Movistar team.

Sete Gibernau, second in the morning session, tested various settings in the afternoon but they did not work as he had hoped and he ended the day back in 12th spot.

MARCO MELANDRI (7th, 1’59”568): “I am feeling better now and am not taking the antibiotics I was forced to during the race in Malaysia. But it is even hotter here than Sepang, so I am tired and the foot is burning more. Tomorrow I will have one boot put in the freezer every time I go back to the box to try and ease the pain. I am quite happy with this session. In the winter we went well here but we have a new chassis now and needed to make a few adjustments. Michelin is doing a good job; for the first time this season we have used a new front wheel and it felt good. In the afternoon I used a rear tyre that allowed me to find a good rhythm and it went well.”

SETE GIBERNAU (12th, 2’00”280): “The morning session went relatively well, but in the afternoon we did a series of tests which were quite risky, but we had to try them, and they did not give the results we hoped for. However, tomorrow we have to remain clam because we know which direction we need to head in. The winter test results haven’t been of much use because of the heat and the weather is even hotter than the race last year which has affected everyone. But we have to keep working with calm.”

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