Biaggi claims Donington pole

Max Biaggi benefited from a bout of bad weather to take pole position for the British Grand Prix after rain wrecked the qualifying session.  

The Marlboro Yamaha rider was able to fall back on his provisional pole time of one minute 31.964 seconds which he set on Friday.

That put Biaggi on pole position with great rival and fellow Italian Valentino Rossi back on the third row of the grid after setting 11th-best time on Friday.

Rossi threw his Nastro Azzurro Honda away after exiting Craner Curves and was unable to regain his composure for the rest of the timed session.

Heavy rain meant that Rossi's chance to make amends was spoiled as the Donington Park track did not dry out quickly enough for the 500s.

Even on a final flying lap at the end of the session Rossi failed to better Friday's time. Biaggi had been fortunate to escape his own crash at Redgate without injury during pre-qualifying practice session.

But he had to sit out most of the main qualifying session, as many of the field waited for the track to dry out and 10,000 spectators were left to watch only a handful of machines on the race circuit.

The rain had also spoiled the hopes of the British-based Telefonica Movistar Suzuki team of getting both of its riders on the front row.

American Kenny Roberts, the defending 500cc world champion, and Spanish team-mate Sete Gibernau were fifth and sixth respectively in Friday's dry qualifying session.

And before the rain Roberts set quickest time in the practice session with Gibernau in second, ahead of Brazilian Alex Barros on the West Honda, Biaggi and Rossi.