Bautista takes fourth pole with Donington Friday time

As in the 125cc class, the nature of split qualifying sessions played into the hands of the provisional poleman in 250cc. With a wet track with which to set about improving on dry times, Alvaro Bautista was the principal beneficiary in the quarter litre class, taking a fourth pole of the season and continuing his 100% record of front row starts courtesy of his Friday marker.

With the chance to take the lead in the overall standings this weekend at Donington Park, and on a run of winning form, Marco Simoncelli joins Bautista on the front row for the fourth time in as many races. The Metis Gilera rider and his Spanish rival will be accompanied by Team Toth´s Hector Barbera and Emmi-Caffe Latte man Thomas Luthi on the first line.

JiR Team Scot´s Yuki Takahashi, plus fellow Japanese rider Hiroshi Aoyama and the Spanish duo of Julian Simon and Aleix Espargaro, feature on the second row.

Despite recording the fastest time in the second qualifying session, current World Championship leader Mika Kallio will only take off from fourteenth on the grid after a dismal Friday afternoon. Also cursing their comparatively poor initial results will be Alex Debon and Mattia Pasini, in eleventh and twelfth respectively. Lotus Aprilia rider Debon fell from his machine early in the wet run, although the bike continued of its own accord and crossed the track in an incident which thankfully ended without any collision.