On Wednesday we went to the circuit in the morning but didn’t really do a great deal. The mechanics we’re still setting up so we left them to it, stayed there for a couple of hours then went back to the hotel. On Thursday we went back to the circuit, I sorted out all my kit, talked with my mechanics and walked a lap of the track. That track and all its facilities definitely sets the standard for every other circuit.
Not so much the track layout, there’s a couple of good corners but for me there’s not enough excitement with up’s and down’s etc. I really like the fast left-handed 4th corner, but am not so keen on the first 'roundabout' corner, it’s a weird one. On Thursday evening I met Casey (Stoner) who was also staying at our hotel. He told me there was a bowling alley at our hotel so we went and nailed that for about 3 ˝ hours. I might be being a bit optimistic when I say 'nailed', I was pretty poor to start with, but got much better and at the end we were pretty evenly matched.
Friday was a mixed day, conditions wise, one minute it was raining and the next it was bright sunshine. We got the wet part of the day for both of our sessions. In free practice we had some engine problems which meant I didn’t get as many laps in as most but was reasonably happy with the chassis. I needed a bit more grip on the rear for the afternoon session.
For qualifying one we put a softer spring in the rear so that it would squat more as soon as I got on the gas and work the suspension rather than just working the tyre. It helped me get a bit more feeling for the rear and mainly improved grip and turning whilst on the gas. I finished the session in 21st which was bad but the feeling was there to put me in the top 15.
