Happy Melandri praises team

Despite being the second best placed Bridgestone rider, the Italian is wary of Michelin's new found form, with four riders in the top six fit with the French rubber.

"The team have done a great job today," Melandri told Italia1 television.

"We've been working for two days trying to find many different paths, but in the afternoon we found the right one. I went in with a racing tyre and my pace improved by more than half a second all of a sudden, so the tyres are going very well.

"We've solved most of the chatter problems but we struggle a lot with the engine braking. Let's hope we can further improve a bit tomorrow morning, but the bike goes well overall. I enjoy the track.

"In qualifying I was fairly sorted in the first sector but unfortunately I was struggling a lot in the last one. I had a very soft tyre and in the last turn I was always finding myself with the rubber worn out.

"But it's OK, I'm second of the Bridgestone riders. But here the Michelins go well, so we'll see how the race goes tomorrow."