Their Petronas FP-1 is unique in several ways, its design featuring a 900cc, three-cylinder engine, but with the usual configuration reversed. The exhausts thus exit from the rear of the engine, while the intake is at the front. At the fast Phillip Island circuit, it may be a particularly tough challenge for the Petronas boys, but in front of their home crowd, the interest in their progress will be immense.
In World Supersport Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Katsuaki Fujiwara headed off what appeared to be a certain disappearing act from his team-mate Sebastien Charpentier in Qatar, taking his first win for Honda.
Hondas are well represented in WSS 2005, with Team Megabike runners Fabien Foret and
Michel Fabrizio, plus WSS rookie Tatu Lauslehto, from the Klaffi Honda team, all on fully supported machinery. Aussie pairing Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes, from the Yamaha Motor Germany team, will feel strong support from the understandably partisan Phillip Island crowd. In the Ducati camps, Gianluca Nannelli had the best showings at Losail, on his Scuderia Caracchi 749.
With two days of qualifying culminating in the exciting Superpole discipline on Saturday 2 April, World Superbike racing itself gets underway on Sunday 3rd, with two WSBK rounds sandwiching a single Supersport outing.
