Kawasaki pleased with practice

De Puniet topped the times in the afternoon session, just ahead of Ducati's Casey Stoner. During today's running, de Puniet tried a hard race tyre and was pleased with how it felt to ride and the times he achieved with it.

"During the first part of the practice session the track conditions weren't so easy, which is why I stayed in the pits, but I went out on track after about 20 minutes. The surface was becoming dry and I feel I did a good job.

"I tried a hard compound race tyre, which gave me a really good feeling, so I'm pleased with that, and I did some really good, consistent lap times so it's not been such a bad day!

"I think we can improve the bike a little bit for tomorrow but I think, for the first day, we've not done badly."

With Randy de Puniet's crew chief Christophe Bourguignon expecting rain tomorrow, he got his rider to try out two different dry race tyres and was pleased with the results.

"Conditions this morning meant the new surface was really slippery so we couldn't really set up our machine. The lap times were really slow and we decided not to touch the bike during lunchtime, keeping the morning set up to see what it would do when it was drier.

"At the beginning of the afternoon session, the track was still not completely dry so we decided that Randy would stay in for the first 20 minutes.

"The weather is due to be bad tomorrow so we planned for him to do just two, long runs on two different-spec race tyres, so we could get a thorough evaluation of them.

"Obviously we will slightly adjust the set up: the mapping, engine braking and suspension, but it looks like both Randy and the bike are at a good level after only one day."

After a disappointing end to his home race last weekend, Anthony West bounced back today, setting the fastest time consistently in the damp first half of the afternoon session, before setting the fifth fastest time on dry tyres at the end of it.

"It was my first time here on this bike and I'm really pleased with the way it went today.

"The track's okay but there are some slippery areas which never seem to completely dry out and, while grip's not perfect, it should get better over the weekend when the surface gets some more rubber laid down on it.

"However, my tyres have been feeling pretty good.

"At Phillip Island, I had a lot of problems with the rear but today I had loads more grip, so things have already improved and hopefully we can keep getting better tomorrow."