WELKOM, South Africa, 18 April 2004 — Three times world champion Valentino Rossi threw down the gauntlet to his critics at the South African Grand Prix yesterday as he took his new Yamaha machine into pole position for today’s opening race of the season.
The flying Italian set a new record time of 1min 32.647sec at the Phakisa Freeway track in central South Africa in cool but sunny conditions, setting an early tone for this year’s 16-race season.
Following closely behind was Spain’s Sete Gibernau, last year’s winner here and Rossi’s archrival, Italian Max Biaggi in third.
Both Honda riders said they will push hard to dethrone “The Doctor” around the high altitude 4.242 kilometer (2.636 mile) track today.
Gibernau, who won an emotional victory here in 2003 after the tragic death of Daijiro Katoh at the opening race in Japan that year, was said he was not surprised about Rossi being in front.
Although Honda took four of the six positions in the first two rows of the grid, both Gibernau and Biaggi said they were still experimenting as new parts arrived late this year and testing was hampered by rain at the Catalunya and Jerez tracks in Spain.
Starting on the second row of the grid will be Americans Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards, both on Hondas which confirm the Japanese manufacturer’s dominance of the sport.
