Rossi claims pole position

Valentino Rossi's bid to reclaim the MotoGP world championship got off to the best possible start as he claimed pole position for the opening round at the Losail circuit in Qatar.

The Italian, seeking his fifth MotoGP title and an eighth world crown overall, lapped the desert circuit just outside Doha in one minute 55.002 seconds, edging out Ducati Marlboro's Casey Stoner by just five thousandths of a second as the chequered flag fell.

Rossi's Fiat Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards completed the front row line-up in third place, while reigning champion Nicky Hayden will start the race on the back of row three after bringing his Repsol Honda home in ninth.

The British-based Ilmor team struggled on its full-time debut in the series, with Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams down in 20th place after a high-speed crash towards the end of the session. Team-mate Andrew Pitt brought up the rear of the pack.

Rossi said: "It's very important. The start of the season is always important for the rest of the championship.

"I made a mistake on the first lap but the second lap was very fast. But we wait for Saturday. I think we will have a fight because there are three or four riders with the pace to win."

Honda Gresini's Toni Elias caused a surprise by snatching fourth on the grid while Hayden's team-mate Dani Pedrosa upstaged the American with fifth.