Dani Pedrosa
“It was a very difficult session, extremely hot, I couldn’t breathe inside the helmet. We had a small crash in the front that I didn’t expect, but was able to go back and go faster and take my second pole of the season. I thought I would be able to improve a little more at the end and get closer to the time I did yesterday, but I found some traffic on my final run. Anyway, it’s good to be on pole and I hope our race pace can be even better. We have to work on the set up and make a good rear tyre choice because our rivals are also very strong. It’s going to be very physically demanding for everybody. To have three Repsol Honda riders on the front row is very good, but we cannot forget the other rivals and we must keep focused to finish the weekend in the best way"
Casey Stoner
“I tried to steal pole but it wasn’t really our day today. We tried a few different things in set up but we haven’t really gone the right direction at all this weekend. In qualifying we tried to find another path to go but we just haven’t been able to get grip along with turning, we can find one or the other but at best they are both average so we have some improvement to make for tomorrow. Our race pace isn’t too bad, we’ve looked worse than everyone else because we’ve been running on the harder tyre all weekend but once we put the soft tyres on the bike worked a little better.”
Andrea Dovizioso
“I’m really happy with this front row and even more satisfied with my race pace. We have improved a lot, reducing the gap to two tenths after being 1.4 seconds behind in FP2 and 0.8 behind in FP3. We were consistent and fast both with soft and hard tyre, meaning that it’s possible to race with both of them. This afternoon the conditions were really demanding, it was very hot and there was no grip but we were able to be consistently fast so we go into the race very strong. With such conditions here it’s impossible to push 100% for 20 laps so it will be very important to make a strategy for the race and to manage the tyres. I really like this track and tomorrow it would be fantastic to repeat a Repsol Honda 1, 2, 3 on the Podium, but… in the reverse order!”
Colin Edwards
“I’m ecstatic with this result because to get a fourth place in any session against this level of competition is a pretty big achievement. I said yesterday that we rolled the bike out of the crate hot and today I felt even more confident. Usually I have a really good couple of tests in February and then come back for the race and I have an awful time. But with this year’s chassis I’m really enjoying this track. We’ve barely moved away from the setting we left the second test with in February and the bike feels awesome. I’m pushing hard but I don’t feel like I’m right on the limit like I have in some races and it relatively easy. I can ride smooth and the bike is turning really well. We’d like more traction, but in this heat and humidity the grip is always going to be the thing that’s missing. I’m not far off the front row but I didn’t leave anything out there. The lap I did my best time on, I took a couple of risks, so I couldn’t have done any better. Fourth is my best qualifying result since Valencia in 2008. That seems like a long, long time ago, so it would be great to follow today up with a top five result tomorrow and send my awesome Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew home happy.”
Marco Simoncelli
“I was satisfied with our pace in the first half of the session when we were working on our race setting but not so much with the ‘time attack’ because just when we switched tyres I had a problem with a sensor and had to switch to my second bike, which had a different setting that I wasn’t as comfortable with. I was struggling a bit and instead of staying out there I decided to come back in and try to make a small change but it didn’t work out. Anyway, I am looking forward to tomorrow and feeling confident I can fight with the three guys on the front row. We just need to decide which tyre to use for the race.”
Nicky Hayden
“The mechanics all worked hard last night changing geometry and the transmission, and I’m thankful because the bike was immediately better. Qualifying didn’t start out great. The track felt a lot slipperier than this morning, but I put the soft tyres in and was able to get down into the 2:02s. On my last soft tyre, I was pushing the front, and I had a couple moments where I was basically down but managed to stay on the bike. We matched our best qualifying time of the year, but truthfully, I think the bike was capable of a bit better. The front row was about a half-second away, but fourth wasn’t out of the question. We know race distance around here is a long, hard day, but that’s why you put in the time doing the training. Hopefully we can have a good race tomorrow and have some fun.”
Hiroshi Aoyama
“I am satisfied with today even though we missed out on the second row by hundredths of a second. I have got a good feeling with the bike and I think we will run the soft tyres tomorrow. I like this track and if we can refine the setting a little in the warm-up tomorrow I am sure we can be fighting near the front in the Malaysian Grand Prix.”
Álvaro Bautista
I’m not very happy with the position, because all weekend we have been in the top six and that’s what I expected this afternoon. We have a good rhythm compared to some of the other riders and when I put the first soft rear in the bike to make a fast lap I did it alone and I got up to third position. On the last tyre I tried to follow some riders to try and get some tenths to make sure I got at least on the second row, but I didn’t find anybody and also didn’t concentrate enough to do a lap by myself. I am happy with my race pace and the feeling from the bike, but I’m not pleased with my position on the grid. Tomorrow will be a hard race because with these conditions it’s always difficult here. During practice you can always do one fast lap and come back to the box, but in the race you have to be consistent and go for it for 20 laps. I’ll try to make a good start and stay with the group like I did in Phillip Island and see what happens. Today it was possible to be on the second row, but now I need to focus on the race and use all my energy tomorrow to get a good result.
Valentino Rossi
“Today went better. I was able to ride more effectively, although the fall was really a shame because it was the usual type, which means that we still have to solve that problem. In addition, that wasted some precious minutes, and I had to use the second bike, which I didn’t like quite as much. We’re pretty good on most of the track, but we lose a lot—six of the nine tenths in our gap to the front—in T4, especially on the exits of the last two hairpins. Anyway, our pace has improved, especially with the hard tyre, although to tell the truth, the choice for the race won’t be easy. We’ll make the decision at the last minute after evaluating tomorrow’s conditions, and it will really be crucial. I’m expecting a hard race as is always the case here at Sepang, where the conditions are extreme, but anyway, I’m happier than yesterday, as I’m able to ride better.”
Cal Crutchlow
“I’m much happier today and I want to say a big thanks to my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 crew because they’ve worked really hard to improve my feeling on the bike. We definitely made some progress today and the bike was turning better and the rear grip was improved as well. It is going to be a long and tough race in the heat but also the track isn’t in fantastic condition, so we’ll be sliding around a lot at the end. The surface feels really greasy and it will be a case of who can keep the best grip for the longest but I’m confident we’ve got a good set-up. We’ll try a couple of small changes to try and improve the bike in the warm-up and if we can gain a bit extra then I’m sure I can be fighting for the top 10 tomorrow. Colin did an amazing job today to take fourth. He’s doing Yamaha proud without Jorge being here and Ben obviously riding in a lot of pain, so if anything he’s getting faster as he gets older!”
Randy De Puniet
“I am a little disappointed because I was faster yesterday and today, despite several changes, we could not keep the same level. Compared to winter testing we are not too far away from the other riders and this is a good sign, but tomorrow will still be a complicated race. With the back of the bike I am quite comfortable, though now we will investigate further tomorrow something to help me during tomorrow’s race. It will be tough, it’s hot, but we need another good result and we will give it all.”
Loris Capirossi
“I am not happy today because we could be at least in the top ten. We tried a new solution because the track had deteriorated, but it did not go as hoped. So during the last attempt at the end we returned to this morning set-up and we were able to improve. Tomorrow we can have a good race because the race pace is good. Then everything will of course depend on the weather!”
Karel Abraham
“We changed the set-up that we used in the first and second practice session, but the lap times weren’t as good as we expected. We decided to return to the original set-up, but then we started to have problems with the clutch.
Although the engine in this bike was more worn, I managed to set a decent lap time and eventually finish in thirteenth position. I’m satisfied with this result despite the fact that I would like to start from the fourth row on the grid.”
Héctor Barberá
“Today was another tough one physically because I am still only around 60% fit. I hardly have any strength at all in my left arm so it is like riding one-handed. I had an injection but we couldn’t quite pin down the pain so it was hard to get a single good lap together. The actual collarbone is not a problem thanks to the perfect surgery and rehab I benefitted from. Hopefully I can be a bit stronger tomorrow and if we can pinpoint the cause of the pain it will be easier to anaesthetise it. We have come to Malaysia to fight and we will not give up easily. The objective is to go out and race tomorrow and finish as high up the order as we can.”
Toni Elias
“This morning it seemed we had found a better balance on front and rear suspension but with more heat and higher asphalt higher temperature we missed rear grip and the balance of the bike was not the same. The rear was pushing into the front and automatically I was losing the front in the corners. We must check the data to understand what we need to do because the setting of this morning on a 39 degrees track temperature was not working properly in this afternoon 50 degrees temperature”.
Ben Spies
“It’s been a pretty eventful weekend. The bike is working really well but I’m just not feeling 100% and ready to get it over and done with. Qualifying was tough, we went out there and experienced a crash, I’m not sure why yet but we’ll check the data later. We don’t have a great position on the grid but we’ll do the best we can for points to try and hold on to fifth place for the Championship.”
Katsuyuki Nakasuga
“This morning’s session was quite positive for me. I had a good feeling and found a rhythm on the track which was very motivating. Tomorrow I will try my best for a good position. The bike set up is working well so I am feeling confident for my first ever MotoGP race.”