Monza: FGF Aprilia Friday first qualifying report

Haga at work to gain ground.

Superbike World Championship - Fifth round.
Italy - Monza circuit, 5,793 m. - First Qualifying Sessions

Monza (Milan), Friday 10 May 2002 - Noriyuki Haga makes 11th time in the first day of qualifying sessions for the Italian Superbike Grand Prix at Monza. The Playstation2 - FGF Aprilia Team rider from Japan made use of today's two sessions to match the settings and suspension to the characteristics of the new Dunlop tyres. On the 2002 championship's fastest track, Haga has only the experience of a brief half-day test ten days ago - by no means sufficient to complete the task of perfecting the set-up.

NORIYUKI HAGA (Playstation2 - FGF Aprilia Team) said: "Track conditions have little in common with the brief test we did on Monday 29 April. So we've had to start from scratch. We've got to solve the problem of rear-wheel vibration during braking, and we're hoping to get there by changing the calibration of the suspension. There's still one more day to improve our position."

GIACOMO GUIDOTTI (Technical Manager, Playstation2 - FGF Aprilia Team) commented: "Monza is a lightning-fast circuit, very different from the ones we've been on so far this season: we've found ourselves up against a whole series of problems we weren't expecting. We worked today on the performance of the tyres, frame, suspension and brakes without caring too much about the timing. Haga did very few kilometres here with our bike and we still don't have all the data we need to take on the competition. But the potential for getting our own back sure isn't lacking."

-fgf aprilia-