Tough break for De Angelis in thumb-fracturing crash

Once more the San Carlo Honda Gresini riders had been fast in practice, but unfortunately the trend of not being able to carry this form into qualifying continued at Laguna Seca. Alex de Angelis and Shinya Nakano both crashed in the hour-long outing, with the former fracturing his thumb in a nasty highside.

Alex de Angelis – Sixteenth

`Unfortunately I crashed when we were trying out the race tyre. I tried to go back out but the pain in my left thumb was too much, so after just one lap I came back in with twenty minutes still remaining of the session. Obviously that meant I didn´t get chance to put in a qualifier´

Shinya Nakano – Twelfth

` I´m disappointed with this session because we´ve managed to set a fast pace throughout free practice, lapping consistently in the top six, so to be starting from twelfth is not satisfactory. This afternoon we went out on the tyres we´ll use for the race and I set a good pace, with a good feeling. Unfortunately on my first lap with a qualifier I was going a little faster than usual through turn four and lost the front, although I was lucky not to be injured. I got straight back to the box and went back out on the second bike but couldn´t improve my lap time as much as I would have hoped. Anyway, my pace is good and the objective is to get a good start and make up positions as early as possible.´