There was disappointment for Team San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista following this afternoon's qualifying practice at Sepang, where he was unable to improve on the tenth fastest time of the session due to a late crash. It was a shame for the Spaniard, who showed signs of improvement this morning during free practice and he would surely have qualified higher up the grid if it weren't for that setback. Michele Pirro cut a happier figure on the other side of the garage after closing the gap to the leading CRT pair on track and qualifying on the fifth row of the grid.
Alvaro Bautista (10th 2’ 01” 640)
“This morning we tried to improve our feeling with the bike from yesterday but we only partly managed it. In the afternoon we continued to work in the same way but rear traction was still an issue and the small progress we made wasn't enough to improve our position before the crash. There were a lot of riders on track at the same time and nobody wanted to give anybody else a tow so we lost some time there and when I tried to push again the tyre temperature had dropped and I lost control. Luckily I wasn't hurt but the bike needs rebuilding and I am sorry to the team for the extra work. It will be a tough race tomorrow but I am confident that we have found some solutions today that should work. ”
Michele Pirro (15th 2’ 04” 152)
“We set a good lap time today and closed the gap to the top but their pace was very strong. We are the third CRT behind the two Aprilias and now I am ready to give my maximum in a tough race. We still have some vibration problems that I am not comfortable with but if we can fix them then I am sure we can do well. It is important to be physically prepared here at Sepang because it's such a long race but I feel fit and I'm determined to get a good result to dedicate it to Marco.”
Fausto Gresini
“Alvaro's crash was disappointing, especially because it means we will be starting from so far back at a circuit he likes a lot. We'll see what we can do tomorrow but I can't deny that I'm a little concerned. Michele did improve, however, and he is the third CRT on the grid which is a good sign for tomorrow. Physically he is in shape to keep his pace up over race distance so I am confident he can do a good job tomorrow.”
San Carlo Honda Gresini Press Release
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