Tamada: I couldn't quite reach Rossi.

Anybody that doubts the importance of tyres needs only to look at the performances of Makoto Tamada this season; when his Bridgestones are on form he's in race winning contention - and when they're not he's left fighting at the lower end of the top ten.

Fortunately for the Japanese, Bridgestone got it right at Estoril and allowed the Camel Honda rider - fielding the least developed RC211V - to take a solid second place, and claim top Honda honours in a race 'controlled' by Yamaha's Valentino Rossi.

The outcome rarely looked in doubt, but just after mid-race distance Tamada briefly began to reel Rossi in: The #6 had reduced the gap to 2.4secs by lap 19 of 28 after taking half a second out of Rossi's advantage on the previous lap... But by the closing stages the gap was back up to 4secs and was eventually 5.1secs at the flag.

"The race was controlled by Valentino," said the straight talking Tamada afterwards. "I tried really hard to catch him but he was simply faster and hard to chase.

"I didn't quite have that edge to make a final attack, but it was a good race anyway, great to start from the front and to be able to decide what movements to make," he added. "Motegi is up next, an important race because it's my home. The place I most want to win."

"We're delighted with Makoto's race, we even began to think that he was going to catch up the race leader," admitted Tamada's team manager Gianluca Montiron. "The tyres have really made a step forward and the bike's set-up was really good.

"We're reaching that consistency which helps you go that extra mile: the extra three or four seconds on the race time which means you can compete with the leaders throughout. Now we go to a really important race for our Japanese rider; Motegi, and we want to back up the positive steps we have made in this race."