Newsgroup: it.sport
Titolo: Dorna NEWS - Japan GP

Chesterfield Riders - Saturday Practice
Massimiliano Biaggi (Chesterfield Aprilia Team): second, 2m 10.685s
Double World Champion Massimiliano Biaggi finished final qualifying just 
nine thousandths of a second behind arch-rival
Tetsuya Harada (Marlboro Yamaha Team Rainey)."Someone got in my way on 
the last lap and I had to take a very wide line
through one corner, that alone must have lost me three tenths of a 
second," said Biaggi. "I didn't do so many laps this
afternoon because we spent a lot of time in the pits trying to solve a 
front end patter problem. I expect that to be worse in the
race because you can't always take your ideal line when you're fighting 
with another rider, and I expect a big battle with
Harada. His bike seems perfect and he's going to be a hard man to beat. 
"Carlo Pernat (Aprilia's race chief) has offered me a
$15,000 bonus is I win here, but I want it to be $50,000 because I plan 
to give the money to my favourite charity."
Olivier Jacque (Chesterfield Elf Tech 3 Honda): fourth, 2m 11.403s
Olivier Jacque made sure of a front row start with fourth fastest time 
in this afternoon's final qualifying session. The impressive
Frenchman was also fastest Honda, behind a Yamaha, an Aprilia and a 
Suzuki."The bike is still unstable, the front end is very
nervous," said Jacque. "The power delivery is also a little more vicious 
than I'd like it to be. But the instability is the real
problem and it gets worse as the tyres wear, so I'm a little bit worried 
about the race. This afternoon I decided to use one of
the locals to help me get a good lap time because I don't know this 
track so well. Last year was my first time here and it
rained a lot."
Jean-Philippe Ruggia (Chesterfield Elf Tech 3 Honda): 13th, 2m 12.102s
French ace Jean-Philippe Ruggia struggled throughout qualifying to find 
a good set-up for his Honda NSR250 and finally
ended up 13th for a fourth row start."Quite simply the bike is not set 
up the way I'd like it to be," said Ruggia. "We've had
problems finding anything that works around here, and I also lost time 
this afternoon when we had a problem with a rear
tyre."
Jose-Luis Cardoso (Sherry Repsol Aprilia): 27th, 2m 15.233s
Jose Luis Cardoso finished qualifying 27th fastest aboard his factory 
Aprilia. It was a disappointment for the Spaniard who
was in the top ten in yesterday's wet session."We've got a rear 
suspension problem which is making the bike very difficult to
ride," said Cardoso. "We have tried everything but the bike is still not 
right. Our last hope is to try something different for the
warm-up tomorrow morning."
-- 
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Marlboro Riders - Saturday Practice 500cc
BAYLE makes front row: 
Jean-Michel Bayle has not taken long to take his place amongst the 500 
elite. The French Marlboro Yamaha Team Roberts ace spent some time at 
the head of yesterday's wet qualifier and also led this morning's dry 
session for a while. In this afternoon's entertaining final session he 
was third fastest to record his first 500 front row start. "I'm urprised 
to make the front row here, because this is such a technical track," 
said the Frenchman. "But the bike felt good and the tyres felt good, so
there was no reason not to go for it. I did my best time with the tyres 
we plan to use for the race, so I think I should be able to go well 
tomorrow."There was no magic to the lap time, I'm working just the same 
as I was in Malaysia and Indonesia, but I'm getting to know the team 
better and they are beginning to understand exactly what I need. This 
morning I followed Doohan for a while Ð it's always good to follow a 
double World Champion, you are sure to learn something!"
CAPIROSSI sixth:
Loris Capirossi led qualifying early on and was looking good for a front 
row start. But the Italian decided to save his best for tomorrow and 
ended up sixth on his Marlboro Yamaha Team Rainey YZR500. "We had a few 
problems early on today but in the end the bike was perfect," said the 
Italian. "I could have got into the eights with the others but there was 
no way I was going to risk a crash. I fell yesterday and if I had 
crashed again I wouldn't have dared go back to my pit Ð my team would
have killed me! That's why I stopped before the end of the session and 
ended up losing a few places."
ABE eleventh:
Local hero Norifumi Abe took a brief turn at the top of the qualifying 
table this afternoon and ended the session 11th fastest for a third row 
start. "Much better than yesterday," grinned Abe, who crashed out of the 
Friday qualifier. "I think I could have been faster as well, but I had 
to do my best time on my slower bike, because my favourite bike had a 
small engine problem.But my team should be able to fix that for 
tomorrow, so I'm confident of a good result."
ROBERTS Junior ready for his 500 debut:
Kenny Roberts Junior qualified 13th for his first 500 Grand Prix. Out of 
action with a broken leg for almost three months, the Marlboro Yamaha 
Team Roberts newcomer has consistently improved his times throughout the 
weekend. "I feel okay out there. I'm starting to get the feeling back, 
but I still need more laps," said the American, whose right leg was 
pinned and plated after his pre-season testing fall. "I'm trying to go 
fast but be careful at the same time. But I know I don't need to make
a big splash here. I just need to get consistently faster, and I 
improved three seconds on my time this morning. And this morning I was 
three seconds faster than yesterday. It's coming."
CRIVILLE on pole!:
Marlboro rider Alex Criville scored the second 500 pole position of his 
career, topping a frantic final session aboard his Honda. "I'm really 
happy, this is better than my first pole, because it's at Honda's home 
track," he said. "We had a few problems with the bike this morning but 
we got it fixed for this afternoon. I did my time following Mick 
Doohan), but I still had to do it myself! It's been a good day, and I'm 
confident tomorrow will also be good for us."
CADALORA struggles:
Marlboro rider Luca Cadalora moved up to 12th in the closing stages of 
today's session, after languishing around 20th place for much of the 
hour-long outing. "The bike is not turning the way I need it to," said 
the Italian. "I need to get it working better to suit my style. In 
Malaysia we managed to solve our problems, but here I need a few more 
days to get the bike the way I want it! We still have some more ideas to 
try tomorrow morning and if they work, we'll be okay. If they don't, 
we're in trouble."
ROMBONI second fastest:
Doriano Romboni gave the Aprilia RSV400 its first ever front row start, 
with second fastest time in qualifying, just one tenth of a second off 
pole sitter Alex Criville. "I was with Doohan for a while and I had no 
trouble catching him through the turns," said the former 250 rider. "The 
bike's working well here and I was confident of a front row start once 
we'd got the front forks working and chosen the right tyres."
DOOHAN on second row:
Double World Champion Mick Doohan could only manage seventh fastest this 
afternoon, thus missing out on his 30th consecutive front row start. "I 
was a tow truck out there today, everyone was following me!" said the 
Honda man. "Then when I tried to put in some fast laps I couldn't find a 
clear track. But the bike's not far off now, and if it's dry tomorrow I
don't think we'll have any problems."


Chesterfield Riders - Friday Practice
Massimiliano Biaggi (Chesterfield Aprilia Team): 17th, 2m 40.936s
Double World Champion Massimiliano Biaggi was one of the many fallers in this afternoon's soaking 250 session. 
He went down as he was braking for the ultra-slow Suzuka chicane."I was testing a new rear tyre, but it was 
the front that went when I crashed," said Biaggi, who was unhurt. "I wasn't doing anything different that lap, 
so it was a real surprise when the front locked. It went so fast that I couldn't save it. We need to improve 
the front suspension set-up, because I'm not getting a good
feeling in the wet. We're also at a disadvantage in the rain because the Aprilia's power delivery is more 
vicious than the other bikes. So I hope it's dry for the rest of the weekend, for our own good, and because 
it's much safer that way."
Jean-Philippe Ruggia (Chesterfield Elf Tech 3 Honda): pole, 2m 30.525s
French ace Jean-Philippe Ruggia provided some superb TV entertainment as he did his best to keep control of 
his sliding,bucking Honda around the drenched Suzuka circuit. His efforts were rewarded with provisional pole 
position, ahead of wild card rider Noriyasu Numata (Suzuki). Ruggia's time was almost three seconds faster 
than Daryl Beattie's provisional 500 pole time! "For sure I'm happy, but Friday doesn't really count," said 
Ruggia. "I was trying very hard over the last three laps because I wanted to know whether we had to improve 
the bike for a particular part of the track. We had a lot of problems with bike set-up in Indonesia, so we 
went back to standard for here and began working in a different direction. The set-up feels better now, both 
in the wet and the dry."
Olivier Jacque (Chesterfield Elf Tech 3 Honda): ninth, 2m 35.170s
Olivier Jacque was fourth fastest before he fell with less than ten minutes to go.
"We're having a bit of a problem with the carburation at half throttle, it's a bit vicious, said Jacque. "I 
was also getting a lot of front end slides, which was a shame because the rear was hooking up really well. 
We've a lot to do for tomorrow, and we'll be concentrating on suspension."
Jose-Luis Cardoso (Sherry Repsol Aprilia): ninth, 2m 36.260s
Spaniard Jose Luis Cardoso was a great ninth fastest on his factory Aprilia."I'm happy because we've been 
working hard on our suspension settings and the bike was working well by the end of the session," said 
Cardoso.


Marlboro Riders - Friday Practice 500cc
BAYLE fourth:
Class newcomer Jean-Michel Bayle led much of this afternoon's soaking 500 session, eventually ending the 
outing fourth fastest. Bayle provided a superb display of wet weather control aboard his Marlboro Yamaha Team 
Roberts YZR500, but in the final moments of the  session his time was bettered in quick succession by Doriano 
Romboni (Aprilia), Alex Barros (Honda) and finally Daryl Beattie (Suzuki). "I thought I was still first when I 
got back to the pits, but no matter, my main concern was not to crash," said Bayle. "Overall I'm happy, 
especially because I was third fastest in the dry this morning.
Things are definitely improving as the season progresses. There's no big secret, it's just that I'm starting 
to feel comfortable with both the bike and my technicians."
ROBERTS Junior returns:
Kenny Roberts Junior was back in action on a Grand Prix bike for the first time in almost three months, and 
took 11th fastest time on his Marlboro Yamaha Team Roberts YZR500. "I was 100 per cent trying to stay upright 
in the rain," said Roberts Junior, who missed the first two GPs after he broke his right leg during pre-season 
tests. "I had a few close calls even though I was trying so hard not to fall down. Towards the end of the 
session I got behind Mick (Doohan). I passed him on the straight and was hoping he'd come by again and take me 
with him. But he stayed behind and waited till later to do his fast laps, then my face shield started to haze 
up real bad." 
CAPIROSSI falls:
Dismal weather conditions dominated at Suzuka this afternoon, with numerous riders falling victim to the 
slippery surface. Loris Capirossi was one of the victims, going down at the adverse-camber right before Dunlop 
curve. "I was riding a rock, not a motorcycle," said the Marlboro Yamaha Team Rainey rider, who was 17th 
fastest. "We left the suspension as it had been for the dry and the springs were far too hard. I was taking it 
really easy when I fell, but the main thing is I'm not hurt. Tomorrow we'll set up one bike for the dry and 
one for the wet, and I hope I don't have to use the second one!"
ABE tumbles:
Norifumi Abe fell early in the session, sliding off his Marlboro Yamaha Team Roberts YZR500 as he exited the 
fast right hander before Spoon Curve. He was unable to take any further part in the session. "I lost the rear 
end, maybe I didn't leave enough time for it to heat up," said Abe, who survived unscathed and ended the 
session 19th fastest.
CADALORA - no risks:
Luca Cadalora ended the opening qualifying session 16th fastest, preferring to take no risks in the 
treacherous conditions. "I finished the session early, because although I was taking it very easy, I had two 
or three big slides," said the Marlboro rider. "That was the first time I've ridden the Honda in the wet, and 
this track is so slippery that it wasn't a lot of fun. However, I'm fairly happy because we've got quite a 
good set-up for the dry."
CRIVILLE eighth:
Marlboro rider Alex Criville took it steady in the rain, completing the session eighth fastest aboard his 
Repsol Honda. "Everything was going fine in the dry this morning, I felt comfortable and I was faster than 
last year," said the Spaniard. "But I was taking it easy in the wet this afternoon. There were a lot of riders 
crashing, and there was no point in taking risks. If it's wet again tomorrow afternoon, you can be sure I'll 
be trying harder to make sure I get a good grid position."
BEATTIE is back and fast:
World number two Daryl Beattie is back on form after a month's lay-off following his crash during pre-season 
tests at Shah Alam. The Lucky Strike Suzuki man suffered damage to his middle ear, which was affecting his 
balance, but that didn't stop him taking provisional pole position. "To look at me you'd think that nothing 
had happened Ğ until I had my hair off!" joked Beattie, who is now sporting a shaved head. "I felt comfortable 
on the bike today, it's just a shame it's been raining because I need dry track time to get up to speed. As 
for the championship, it would be silly to say it's over, but being realistic, there's a hell of a gap between 
me and the top guys."
DOOHAN tenth:
Double World Champion Mick Doohan was taking no risks in the rain and was content with tenth fastest time 
aboard his Repsol Honda. "We've been trying to make the carburation run half right," said Doohan. "We've 
struggled with carburation here before, because we've not had enough dry time, and it looks like it's going to 
be the same this year! This place is just so slippery in the wet, and it's not so great in the dry either. The 
cold makes quite a bit of difference to the tyres compared to the heat in Indonesia. They work the same, but 
you don't get the same kind of feeling."


Local hero wins brilliant Japanese GP
Japanese rider Norifumi Abe (Marlboro Yamaha) finally delivered on the promise he made to Japanese fans in 
1994. Back then, he led the race, and earned himself a full-time GP ride even though he crashed. In 1996, 
riding in similar breath-taking style, he made it all the way, to take his first-ever GP win.
It was the climax to one of the most exciting 500-class races for years, with a pack of eight riders 
contesting the lead, inches apart in a tooth-and-nail battle.
As previous World Championship leader Alex Barros (Pileri Honda) crashed out and defending champion Michael 
Doohan (Repsol Honda) dropped back to sixth with a deflating front tyre, Abe thrilled the 51,000 strong crowd 
with his lurid power-slides and risk-all tactics, over 21 laps and 123.144km of the classic figure-eight 
Suzuka circuit.
The race was run in sunny but cool and breezy conditions.
The early leader was Katsuaki Fujiwara, riding a Lucky Strike Suzuki in a one-off Wild Card ride, but he faded 
with ignition problems to hand over to Barros. Then Doohan took a turn before Abe forced past on the eighth 
lap. Pole qualifier Alex Criville (Repsol Honda) was second, with former Superbike World Champion Scott 
Russell (Lucky Strike Suzuki) moving through to third in the closing stages.
Tadayuki Okada was fourth on the V-twin Repsol Honda, the new lightweight machine's best-ever finish. Daryl 
Beattie (Lucky Strike Suzuki) was fifth, ahead of Doohan, after starting slowly in his comeback ride after 
missing the first two races following a testing accident.
Doriano Romboni was seventh, unable to repeat his strong practice form on the two-cylinder lightweight Nastro 
Azzurro Aprilia; with fellow-front-row qualifier Jean-Michel Bayle (Marlboro Yamaha) blaming a poor tyre 
choice on his distant eight, ahead of Alberto Puig and team-mate Carlos Checa (Fortuna Hondas). Then came 
Shinichi Itoh on the second V-twin Repsol Honda, and returned injury victim Kenny Roberts Junior.
Abe also set a new lap record for the second-fastest circuit in GP racing (beaten only by Assen); while Doohan 
moved into a slender world championship lead.
250cc - Max Makes History
Defending champion Max Biaggi claimed the first-ever win for an Italian rider on an Italian bike in the 
heartland of the rival Japanese industry, with a clear victory for his Chesterfield Aprilia in today's 250cc 
race.Biaggi's major rival, pole qualifier Tetsuya Harada, was still only in third place when he crashed 
heavily in the fourth of 19 laps escaping serious injury .Wild Card Noriyasu Numata (Lucky Strike Suzuki) was 
the early leader, but Biaggi tailed him for four laps before moving firmly ahead. The only Suzuki rider in the 
race was unable to hang on, but nor was anybody else anywhere near catching up.
Third eventually went to Wild Card Honda rider Daijiro Kato, prevailing in a fierce battle with Olivier Jacque
(Elf-Chesterfield Honda), Tohru Ukawa (Benetton Honda) and Nobuatso Aoki (Rheos Honda).Wild Card Kensuke Haga
(Yamaha) had lost touch with this group, finishing seventh, ahead of regular Ralf Waldmann (HB Honda), 
stricken with tyre problems, but comfortably clear of Luis d'Antin (MX Onda Honda) and Jean-Philippe Ruggia 
(Elf-Chesterfield Honda), who finished less than a second apart.His second win of the three-race-old season 
moved Biaggi into the World Championship lead, and he also claimed a new lap record.
125cc - Tokudome Makes It Two
Ditter Plastic Aprilia rider Masaki Tokudome took his second successive victory in the 125 class after a 
thrilling 125 race,resolved only in the last corners of the final lap. By then a group of 12 had been pruned 
by circumstances to just four riders. 
The final decision came when defending champion Harachuki Aoki (Rheos Honda) left his braking too late, taking 
himself and pole qualifier Noboru Ueda (Docshop Honda) off into the gravel, and causing Malaysian GP winner 
Stefano Perugini (Nastro Azzurro Aprilia) to crash.
Aoki recovered to retain second, with Ueda third, and Honda rider Tomomi Manako fourth.
The lap record went to Kazuto Sakata, small consolation when his Krona Aprilia broke down after he'd forced 
his way through to challenge for the lead. Tokudome moves into a slender three-point championship lead over 
Aoki.
