Alex Barros and Troy Bayliss were however capable of making the most of the dreary conditions and the damp track, setting the first and third fastest times respectively in the afternoon session, even though they were unable to make a dent in the times set during the dry morning practice. In the combined classification they took the fourth and eighth fastest times, just hundredths of a second outside the fastest riders. All in all a good start for the Camel Honda team.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda

“As a first day of practice goes, I would say we are rather well positioned, with Alex and Troy very quick this afternoon when the track conditions weren’t easy, and also had a good rhythm in the morning when riding was more normal. In any case, tomorrow is what counts, because whether it’s wet or dry we need to work hard to be quick in the afternoon. We still have some testing to do, but overall we’re in a good spot.”

Alex Barros – Camel Honda – 1’30.118 – 4th fastest

“We worked well up to the end of the morning practice. The bike was pretty well set-up and we only had to make a few slight modifications for the second session. In the end it was a pretty good set-up because in the afternoon I was the fastest despite the track conditions preventing us from pushing too hard. We will still need to make a few more checks though to see if we really are in a good shape in the dry. We still need to pick out the right rear tyre for the race, if it is dry, but if it were to rain tyre choice isn’t a problem.”

Troy Bayliss – Camel Honda – 1’30.580 – 8th fastest

“I’m quite satisfied, because here in Donington like at Laguna Seca I already feel comfortable on the bike. We have got off on the right foot just like two weeks ago, but now I want to finish it off better. The uncertain conditions today meant we couldn’t test too much, but I have to say that I’m very optimistic about this weekend.”