US GP: Gresini Racing qualifying report

CRASHES RUIN QUALIFYING FOR TEAM SAN CARLO HONDA GRESINI

Shinya Nakano and Alex De Angelis will be restricted by twelfth and sixteenth place starts when the US Grand Prix gets underway tomorrow after another unfortunate qualifying practice. Having been on the pace all weekend, the Team San Carlo Honda Gresini pair both crashed out this afternoon, Nakano losing grip on the front on the way into turn four, fortunately escaping without injury, whilst De Angelis lost the rear in the penultimate turn and broke a bone in his left thumb.

Shinya Nakano (12th - 1'22''092): "I'm disappointed with this session because we've managed to set a fast pace throughout free practice, lapping consistently in the top six, so to be starting from twelfth is not satisfactory. This afternoon we went out on the tyres we'll use for the race and I set a good pace, with a good feeling. Unfortunately on my first lap with a qualifier I was going a little faster than usual through turn four and lost the front, although I was lucky not to be injured. I got straight back to the box and went back out on the second bike but couldn't improve my lap time as much as I would have hoped. Anyway, my pace is good and the objective is to get a good start and make up positions as early as possible."

Alex De Angelis (16th - 1'23''035): "Unfortunately I crashed when we were trying out the race tyre. I tried to go back out but the pain in my left thumb was too much, so after just one lap I came back in with twenty minutes still remaining of the session. Obviously that meant I didn't get chance to put in a qualifier."

Fausto Gresini - Team manager: "It's a shame what happened this afternoon, with both Shinya and Alex crashing out before getting chance to set a good lap time on a qualifying tyre. We've been on the pace for three free practice sessions and our hopes were high for a good race but to start from so far back on the grid is going to make life very difficult for us tomorrow."

-credit: gersiniracing.com