Qualifying Result - Brno GP

[R1 Biker]

Sete Gibernau will start the Czech Grand Prix from pole position after a fraught battle with the other leading guns from the premier class, and he will have Nick Hayden and Ducati man Loris Capirossi alongside him on the front row.

The official qualifying hour started with a whimper as the riders felt out the track under hotter afternoon conditions than those experienced during Friday's second free practice session. There was no real action to speak of inside the first 30 minutes, but all that was to change as the second half of the session began.

Catalan Gibernau, who led Capirossi by 0.3 seconds after 32 minutes, looked in fine form in qualifying trim and the pair headed Hayden, Rossi and Edwards to form the top five as the action intensified.

Team Kawasaki team leader, Shinya Nakano, moved into second spot after using an early qualifying tire, just 0.222 seconds behind Gibernau. However, Nick Hayden stole the spotlight from the Japanese several minutes later, provisional pole for Nicky with the first 1 minute 58 second lap of the session.

The Repsol Honda man held onto his advantage at the top of the timing sheets until Gibernau set a blistering lap time with just 19 minutes of the session remaining. The Team Movistar rider recording a time of 1 minute 58.4 seconds, and his team-mate Marco Melandri demoted Hayden to third as he moved into second place behind Gibernau.

Team Suzuki fitted the Bridgestone qualifying rubber in the back of the GSV-R machine of John Hopkins and the American moved up from 13th on the provisional grid to second spot. "Hopper" sat just 0.205 back of pole sitter Gibernau with a little over 15 minutes remaining in the session.

The magic 1 minute 57 second barrier was the target of all the main protagonists as the hour wound down, and it was the flying Gibernau who would take first blood. Sete recorded a stunning lap of 1 minute 57.615 seconds to retake pole from Rossi who had used his first qualifying tire just minutes earlier.

That time from Gibernau would stand until the final three minutes before Nick Hayden slipped past the Spaniard into provisional pole with a lap time just 0.064 seconds ahead of the double MotoGP vice-champion; Hayden from Gibernau from Rossi as the clock ticked down.

Gibernau had entered pit-lane and fitted his final sticky qualifying tire whilst Nicky was circulating on his hot-lap and Sete went on to reclaim the pole with a time just 0.047 seconds quicker than the Kentucky kid.

Capirossi claimed third spot with a bucking and weaving lap that saw the back end of the Demosedici GP-5 step out on several occasions during the last ditch flyer from the Italian, just 0.181 seconds the difference between pole and third on the grid.

Rossi's final lap slipped away from the six-time world champion and "The Doctor" had to settle for fourth spot on the grid, heading up row two. That left Gibernau firmly on pole with Hayden back in pit-lane, but Nicky's pace on race tires has been strong and leaves the Laguna Seca race winner in prime position to fight for his second race victory of the year tomorrow.

Melandri and Checa join Rossi on the second row, and both Ducati pilots (Capirossi and Checa) will be hoping for a swift start and longevity from their Bridgestone race tires to try and upset the apple cart and take a famous victory over Rossi and Co.

Row three sees Barros ahead of Hopkins and Edwards, and Max Biaggi's reputation as the "King Of Brno" took a knock as the factory Honda rider could only qualify in tenth place, 0.883 seconds back of pole.

The 22 lap Gauloises GP Ceske Republiky is due to start at 2pm, local time, tomorrow (Sunday) following of course the morning warm-up and support races (125cc and 250cc classes).

Tune in tomorrow for times, results, reports and press releases from Round 11 of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship, here on Soup.