Yoshi Go Large - Osch Rumours Already...

Welcome to Set-Up Wednesday at Suzuka

For most of the European teams, who arrived in Japan yesterday, today has been spent preparing their bikes and pit-boxes for the first track sessions tomorrow. There are two exceptions; SERT Suzuki, who have already been here for a week, and Yamaha LTG57, who had not arrived at the circuit by mid-afternoon on Wednesday. Just in terms of acclimatising to the weather and time differences, this must be a huge advantage for SERT.

Tears Before Bedtime

Yamaha Japan have arranged for the six teams sponsored by Yamaha Europe (From left to right in the photo; Maco Moto, LTG57, Phase One, Folch, Moto74 and Moto38) to share a single large open plan pit area, with two teams to each pit box. Maco have already insisted on switching from a centre box to an end box, and we predict that things will get increasingly tense over the course of qualifying. Yamaha Austria are wisely staying out of all this, having partnered with Clever Wolf Yamaha for Suzuka.

Yoshi Go Large

Yoshimura Suzuki have upped their game after winning the 8 Hour last year, arriving at the circuit this morning with the biggest and shiniest truck in the paddock. In previous years they have operated out of a van little bigger than a Ford Transit, but they seem determined to make their presence felt this year. The No.11 and No.33 HRC Dream Hondas remain the bikes to beat, but Yoshimura have shown that Honda are not invincible.

Osch Rumours

Several rumours about next month's Oschersleben round of the championship are circulating at Suzuka. Some are probably just the usual pessimistic doom-mongering, but we think the stories of German Superbike teams signing up for the endurance race just to secure a pit-box and get a bit of extra track time might well be true. It would explain why some regular endurance teams have found the race over-subscribed…

Practice Tomorrow

Free practice starts tomorrow at 9:15am local time. Until then, it's back to tinkering with bikes and drinking Pocari Sweat...