Team San Carlo Honda Gresini enjoyed their best opening day to a Grand Prix this season in Malaysia today as Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama both lapped inside the top five fastest riders.

The only downside for the team at the moment is the gap to the sensational Dani Pedrosa, who is looking unstoppable, but hopes are high for both riders tomorrow after such positive beginnings.

Marco Simoncelli:

“We had a very positive weekend in Australia but things have been more difficult here. We improved from the morning to the afternoon but Pedrosa is like a missile. We have to have a look at our data tonight and work out how we can close the gap. As well as choosing our tyres for the race we also need to find better feeling with the front in corner entry and try to work on the electronics to get more out of the acceleration in the final section. We have work to do but I am confident.”

Hiroshi Aoyama:

“It has been a good start and my feeling for the bike is great. I had a lot of confidence with the bike already last week at Phillip Island but the rain ruined everything. The conditions are completely different here and the track temperature is high, which gives me a better feeling for the bike. We have been able to make some interesting comparisons with the data from winter and previous races, which should help me to do well this weekend. Tomorrow we will try to improve again and secure a good starting position on Sunday's grid.”

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