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Casey Stoner will start from the third row of
the grid in tomorrow's Grand Prix of Spain with his team-mate Marco Melandri a
further three rows back after a particularly demanding qualifying practice for
the Ducati Marlboro Team at Jerez. The team and riders had expected to struggle
at the Spanish circuit, one of the few tracks in the world where the GP8 proves
extremely difficult to set up.
Stoner almost fought his way onto the
second row but for a mishap on his best lap, when he lost vital tenths after
running wide. However, the World Champion remains confident of a good result
tomorrow after setting a good consistent pace on race tyres.
Melandri's
day was even tougher as the Italian tried to turn around a disappointing start
to his season at the most hostile circuit on the calendar for his bike. The
former 250cc World Champion will need all his trademark grit and determination
in what promises to be a battle to the finish in tomorrow's race.
CASEY STONER (Ducati
Marlboro Team) 7th fastest - 1'39.286
"Things haven't really been
going too well for us here. We managed to go pretty much as quick as we'd gone
all weekend early in the first session today but didn't really improve from
there so that's disappointing. Qualifying could have been a lot better - I had a
good lap going but unfortunately with the settings not being perfect the front
just pushed me wide in one turn and I lost a good few tenths of a second,
otherwise we would have been on the second row. We should be in a little bit
better shape for the race - we got a decent pace and rhythm but we're not quite
at the point where we need to be. I think there are a lot of guys in a similar
situation to me, we're all struggling with the same thing so we'll have to wait
and see what we can all do in the race tomorrow but we'll give it
some!"
MARCO MELANDRI (Ducati Marlboro
Team) 18th fastest - 1'41.027
"I had a crash in this afternoon's
qualifying session and it was strange because I wasn't pushing very hard. The
front felt a bit nervous and suddenly folded. We went straight back out with the
other bike on qualifying tyres but the setting was a little different and I
really struggled with it. It's a shame because my last run this morning went
quite well but when we dialled the same settings in this afternoon the feeling
wasn't the same. I don't know, maybe it's going to be hard to go any better at
this track but I know this is not my level - something's not right and we have
to find a solution. I'm not happy but this is what we have to deal with at the
moment."
from Ducati Marlboro Racing
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