The third and final day of tests in Barcelona was a real mix of excitement and technical intrigue. The forty minutes of officially timed testing brought a buzzing public to the Catalunya circuit stands, but the most important part for the teams of course, was the time reserved for the usual technical tests. Alex was unable to make the most of the soft tyre during the qualifying time, but leaves Barcelona very satisfied with the tests, which have seen him improve both his race pace and fast lap performances constantly over the three days. Troy improved on his time from yesterday, using race tyres in the late afternoon and with the asphalt cooled down, so he was understandably pleased. The next appointment for the MotoGp teams is in just four days' time in Jerez for another three days of tests, and subsequently on the 10th of April, for the start of the 2005 season.
Sito Pons - Camel Honda
"I was delighted to see the grandstands full today, and I think that the crowd enjoyed this competitive test. Obviously, what mattered though were the tests to set up the bike at this track, and through the whole of the three days here they were good for us. Alex also demonstrated that he has a good race pace here, as he did in Malaysia, Australia and Qatar. I'm sure he will be in great shape for the start of the season in three weeks time. Troy continues to work determinedly and in the next test in Jerez he will be able to make a direct comparison between his feelings on the bike now and his feelings back in December. In Jerez not only does the winter testing come to an end, but the first race will be run there also; so it is an particularly important session."
Alex Barros - Camel Honda - 1'43.274 (51 laps) 9th fastest
"As I predicted yesterday, today was a little strange, split up by a timed test session which broke our work rhythm. In that period I used a soft tyre too, but it was a little too cold and the fast time didn't come for me. Nevertheless I think that we could have done more or less as well as Valentino, so congratulations to Sete for his fast lap. Afterwards we continued to test various tyres, picking out a front which could be good but which definitely needs more tests. We will try it in Jerez again. Even though today didn't go perfect, in general I'm satisfied with how things are going. As regards the new flag to flag ruling, the fact that they have decided to allow us to change the bike instead of just the tyres doesn't change much for me, but as long as my colleagues are happy, things are okay like that."
Troy Bayliss - Camel Honda - 1'43.775 (76 laps) 14th fastest
"I think that the times don't necessarily reflect the situation exactly because the day was a little weird. There were those who used a soft tyre in the timed session and those who did afterwards, those who made the most of it and those who didn't, and there were also those who improved their time from yesterday using race tyres. I'm one of the latter, and I'm particularly happy because I did it towards the end of the day, when the track was a lot cooler. Apart from continuing with the set-up, I have found a front tyre that gives me confidence, so I'm anxious to get to Jerez to confirm these positive feelings."
