Rossi delighted with pole

Five-time world champion Rossi, 28, screamed around the circuit in 1:55.002 – a time half a second under the qualifying lap record set by Casey Stoner last year – and beat the new Ducati rider by only five thousandths of a second this time and described the lap as “very good.”

The Yamaha-riding Italian revealed afterwards though that he had to dig extra deep on his second lap on qualifying tyres after making a small mistake and having to get off the power in one of the slower corners during his first flyer.

Rossi said: “I made a mistake on the first lap, but the second was a 55.0, which is a great time. I'm happy for me and all the guys because we're on the top.

Rossi believes that second-place qualifier Stoner and his team-mate Colin Edwards will be among a quartet of riders that can deny him victory in Saturday's race.

He added: “Tomorrow three or four riders [are in] with the chance to win. I hope I can be the winner. You need to make advantages when you have such good feelings with your bike at a circuit.