Grand Prix of France: Free Practice Report- Alice Team
May 16, 2008
Alice Team is back in action on the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans after the Chinese race. Toni Elias and Sylvain Guintoli didn’t make it to repeat the progress seen in China, but have encountered some difficulties to adapt to the historic French circuit on their Ducati Desmosedici GP8 SAT. Both riders, during the afternoon session, have improved their respective performances registered during the morning, but it hasn’t been enough to obtain a good position. The two Alice Team riders have in fact positioned in seventeenth and eighteenth place. Toni and Sylvain will have another hour at their disposal to try to improve Tomorrow morning before the qualifying session which will begin at 13.55 local time.
Fabiano Sterlacchini – Technical Director
“We are working to understand what is the biggest problem. For sure we didn’t begin in the best way possible. We have tried different solutions without obtaining nothing satisfying. We had some new material at our disposal, but this morning we preferred to go back at the material used in China. Tomorrow morning, if we’ll think it necessary, we could use it again.”
Toni Elias – Alice Team rider (17th best lap time in 1’36.039 – Total laps 51)
“We expected to be much more competitive since the begin, instead we had many problems. We have improved compared this morning, a little step forward that isn’t sufficient for us. We hope to be able to solve the problems we found for tomorrow and Sunday’s race. This isn’t surely an easy track for us. The only thing we can and must do is to work even harder.”
Sylvain Guintoli – Alice Team rider (18th best lap time in 1’36.414 – Total laps 50)
“Every time we begin to work on a new track, with my new bike, we start with too much distance from the fastest and we have to chase. In the afternoon we have improved by more than a second, but we must do much more. I want to do well in front of my public and today’s’ result isn’t satisfying. We have to work hard tomorrow to be able to be competitive for Sunday’s race.”
