Troy Corser took top spot in today’s first qualifying with team-mate Nori Haga in fourth. Here’s what they said:
Troy Corser (1st - 1’59.627 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)
“Having the test so soon before the race was good because we got a really strong engine setting with the bike. The chassis feels quite good but it is difficult to know how well things are working, just because of the wind. That is probably the windiest conditions I have ever ridden in.. It wasn’t so bad that we shouldn’t have been out there, but today was all down to how much you wanted to push. I didn’t really change too many settings from the test, just left it to get today out of the way. We just need the wind to die down for tomorrow. The track grip is comparable to what we had here at the test. I think the wind is blowing as much sand off the track as it is blowing sand back on. The only real problem is that the worst direction for the wind to blow here is down the main straight, like it was today. The bike and the team are working well so it’s been a positive start.”
Noriyuki Haga (4th - 2’00.476 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)
“It was difficult to make the best lap times in these conditions, but the feeling with the bike was very good. Unfortunately I had a big highside at turn one, on water coming from the bike. I landed straight on top of my head. I think before the crash I was half a centimetre taller. I am in a lot of pain but I will rest tonight and be better tomorrow. Top four is a good result for the first day. Our target point for tomorrow is make some changes in suspension, but I think we have the package right now anyway.”
Click here to see what other riders had to say.
FIRST QUALIFYING
1. Troy Corser AUS Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 1min 59.627 secs
2. Troy Bayliss AUS Ducati 1098 F08 1min 59.853 secs
3. Fonsi Nieto ESP Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 2min 00.307 secs
4. Noriyuki Haga JPN Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 2min 00.476 secs
5. Yukio Kagayama JPN Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 2min 00.599 secs
6. Ruben Xaus ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 2min 00.695 secs
7. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA R.G. Team Ducati 1098 RS 08 2min 00.724 secs
8. Max Biaggi ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 2min 00.744 secs
9. Sebastien Gimbert FRA Yamaha Motor France-Ipone YZF-R1 2min 00.857 secs
10. Max Neukirchner GER Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 2min 00.904 secs
11. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati 1098 F08 2min 00.937 secs
12. Karl Muggeridge AUS DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR 2min 01.086 secs
13. Carlos Checa ESP Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 2min 01.409 secs
14. Ayrton Badovini ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2min 01.677 secs
15. Gregorio Lavilla ESP Ventaxia VK Honda CBR1000RR 2min 01.729 secs
16. Jakub Smrz CZE Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s Ducati 1098 RS 08 2min 01.955 secs
17. David Checa ESP Yamaha Motor France-Ipone YZF-R1 2min 01.984 secs
18. Roberto Rolfo ITA Hannspree Honda Altea CBR1000RR 2min 02.004 secs
19. Regis Laconi FRA PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse ZX-10R 2min 02.100 secs
20. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2min 02.256 secs
21. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 2min 02.494 secs
22. Luca Morelli ITA Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 2min 02.980 secs
23. Russel Holland AUS DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR 2min 03.006 secs
24. Shinichi Nakatomi JPN YZF Yamaha YZF-R1 2min 03.542 secs
25. Kenan Sofuoglu TUR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr. CBR1000RR 2min 03.765 secs
26. Shuhei Aoyama JPN Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 2min 03.796 secs
27. Makoto Tamada JPN Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 2min 04.264 secs
28. Loic Napoleone FRA Grillini PBR Team Yamaha YZF-R1 2min 06.363 secs
FREE PRACTICE
1. Fonsi Nieto ESP Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 2min 00.703 secs
2. Troy Corser AUS Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 2min 00.835 secs
3. Noriyuki Haga JPN Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 2min 01.389 secs
4. Yukio Kagayama JPN Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 2min 01.497 secs
5. Troy Bayliss AUS Ducati 1098 F08 2min 02.065 secs
6. Max Neukirchner GER Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 2min 02.204 secs
7. Carlos Checa ESP Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 2min 02.533 secs
8. Ruben Xaus ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 2min 02.603 secs
9. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati 1098 F08 2min 02.693 secs
10. Max Biaggi ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 2min 02.749 secs
11. Karl Muggeridge AUS DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR 2min 02.749 secs
12. Sebastien Gimbert FRA Yamaha Motor France-Ipone YZF-R1 2min 02.849 secs
13. Gregorio Lavilla ESP Ventaxia VK Honda CBR1000RR 2min 03.103 secs
14. Roberto Rolfo ITA Hannspree Honda Altea CBR1000RR 2min 03.538 secs
15. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 2min 03.560 secs
16. David Checa ESP Yamaha Motor France-Ipone YZF-R1 2min 03.795 secs
17. Regis Laconi FRA PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse ZX-10R 2min 04.375 secs
18. Kenan Sofuoglu TUR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr. CBR1000RR 2min 04.594 secs
19. Shinichi Nakatomi JPN YZF Yamaha YZF-R1 2min 04.652 secs
20. Luca Morelli ITA Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 2min 05.206 secs
21. Shuhei Aoyama JPN Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 2min 05.276 secs
22. Ayrton Badovini ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2min 05.590 secs
23. Russel Holland AUS DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR 2min 06.082 secs
24. Makoto Tamada JPN Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 2min 06.564 secs
25. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2min 06.815 secs
26. Jakub Smrz CZE Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s Ducati 1098 RS 08 2min 07.578 secs
27. Loic Napoleone FRA Grillini PBR Team Yamaha YZF-R1 2min 09.691 secs
