Checa satisfied as Ito fumes at exclusion

Having qualified in ninth on the grid at Istanbul, Carlos Checa had to make his way through the pack after a sloppy start but recovered from 11th at the end of the first lap to take the chequered flag in fifth position.

"My position at the start was not the best and some of the other riders were really aggressive," said Checa. "This is racing but I made a quick recovery. I got a good pace but I could not maintain it. We lost some grip towards the end and I had to slow down. Other riders started closing from behind so I pushed hard to keep my position safe."

"I was controlling the gap to the rider behind, but trying to catch Sete Gibernau up ahead was impossible. I think we did the maximum we could with the package we had here, so I am satisfied with that, even if we need to push to improve next time. The aim for me this weekend was to finish top five and that is what we got."

The Spaniard teamed up with Japanese veteran Shinichi Ito in Turkey as the test rider deputized for the injured Loris Capirossi. However, the Japanese veteran endured a miserable day as he was black-flagged on lap six after not completing a ride-through penalty for jump-starting in time.

Despite setting the highest top speed of the race at 305.2kmph, Ito's eventual exclusion cost him a good chance of scoring points, leaving him disappointed with his afternoon's work.

"I did not think that I jumped the start," stated Ito. "And when I saw the black flag I pulled in. I'm unhappy about it but there is nothing I can do. The bike and tyres were OK, and I felt very comfortable on the bike: I am so disappointed that I couldn't complete the race. I would like to thank all the guys that have helped me - the team and the sponsors - for this fantastic opportunity."