"This is incredible, we didn't expect to be on pole position at the first race," commented Rossi. "This one pole is worth ten to me because of the hard work the whole team has put in since I joined Yamaha. It's a new season and a new adventure but we are starting it from the same place where we ended the last one - at the top."

Rossi emerged triumphant from an incredible final qualifying session which saw Shinya Nakano, Max Biaggi, Sete Gibernau and Nicky Hayden all move into provisional pole in the final ten minutes. Rossi regained control with three minutes on the clock and set the bar at 1'32.647 before returning to his box to watch Marco Melandri, Colin Edwards, Loris Capirossi and Gibernau produce potential pole laps which all faltered in the final sections. Rossi now starts tomorrow's race looking to make history as the first rider ever to win consecutive premier-class races with different manufacturers and the first since his hero Barry Sheene to win the opening round of the season for four years running.

Gibernau's last lap effort wasn't enough for pole but it did move him up to second place on the grid as he looks to repeat his famous victory at this circuit from last season. Max Biaggi completes the front trio, with new regulations stipulating just three riders per row on the MotoGP grid this season. Consequently fourth place was only enough for the second row for Nicky Hayden, who had only previously qualified in the top four once in his career. The youngster is joined on the second row by Honda colleague and American compatriot Colin Edwards and Japanese rider Shinya Nakano, who has so far enjoyed an outstanding debut with Kawasaki, providing them with their highest ever MotoGP grid position of sixth.

Like Nakano, Yamaha rider Melandri is a former winner of the 250cc race at this circuit and he was also in good form today, his own pole attack eventually serving for an important third row slot in seventh place. Honda rider Alex Barros and Ducati man Loris Capirossi complete a colourful third row which features three different factories and promises a guaranteed assault on the front six riders into the first corner.

Also looking to make a charge from the middle of the pack will be Suzuki pair Kenny Roberts and John Hopkins, who confirmed their improving prospects with the tenth and eleventh fastest times respectively. Honda rider Makoto Tamada completes an all-Bridgestone fourth row, capping an encouraging day for the Japanese rubber manufacturers, who also have Kawasaki rider Alex Hofmann starting his maiden MotoGP season from thirteenth place. Hofmann's fellow rookies Ruben Xaus, who crashed his Ducati without injury today, and Aprilia newcomer Shane Byrne were 16th and 19th fastest respectively, whilst World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson qualified 15th.

The 250cc pack began the hunt for preseason favourite Randy De Puniet today, closing in but not quite catching him as the Frenchman cruised to a new pole record of 1'35.300 and front spot on the quarter-litre grid for the seventh time in his career. Sebastian Porto was the closest of the chasers, lapping within 0.079 seconds of his Aprilia factory colleague and briefly sitting on provisional pole position. The Argentinean will head the chase again tomorrow, when Manuel Poggiali and Dani Pedrosa, reigning World Champions in the 250cc and 125cc classes respectively, also start from the front row.

Pedrosa's fellow rookie Alex De Angelis, who finished runner-up to the Spaniard in the minor class last season, also made an encouraging start to the year as he qualified fifth, heading up the second row from Fonsi Nieto, Roberto Rolfo and Eric Bataille, who qualified inside the top eight for the first time.

Andrea Dovizioso claimed the upper hand in the final qualifying session for the 125cc race, taking pole position in a time of 1'40.942. It was the second pole of the Italian teenager's fledgling career and confirmed his title potential amongst an intensely competitive field including former World Champion Roberto Locatelli, who had dominated proceedings up until this afternoon. Locatelli had been comfortably the fastest rider in the previous three sessions but could do nothing to stop Dovizioso today, despite lapping within 0.082 seconds of his compatriot. Mirko Giansanti made it three Italians in the top three positions with a surprise late lap, with Mike Di Meglio also making it onto the front row for the first time in fourth.