Melandri thanks Honda for new parts

Both Melandri and his team had repeatedly called on Honda to provide more of their latest parts to the satellite squad as both the customer and factory Hondas struggled in the opening rounds of the season.

Melandri has received a revised exhaust for the Sachsenring, and has qualified third on the grid - his best starting position of the season so far.

"Now I'm enjoying myself: I'm back to riding a bike that works," he told Italia1 television.

"Even if it was late, I thank Honda for giving me the material they have given me. The team have never given up, they have been all fantastic and I must thank them.

"I had some difficult times, I was very nervous and I apologise for what I did bad for the team, but I believe in a good race tomorrow. It will be very hot and very tough, but I hope I'll be here (in the top three) again after the race."

The Gresini rider felt that he could even have taken his first MotoGP pole position. He believed that an error early in his lap cost him a tenth of a second, yet was only 0.013 seconds behind Casey Stoner.

"I made a mistake at the first corner, because on the out-lap I had (John) Hopkins behind me so I went slow in the downhill bit and didn't warm up the tyres well," Melandri said.

"At Turn 1, as soon as I hit the gas, I lost it a bit. I think I lost one tenth of a second, because when I then entered Turn 3 I was a bit wary, as I was afraid the tyre was still cold."