Alvaro Bautista will try and secure only his second victory of the 2008 season from pole position at Assen on Saturday, after a final qualifying session in which the top two riders failed to improve.
Bautista will line-up 0.231secs ahead of countryman Hector Barbera, with Marco Simoncelli - whom Bautista has tangled with during several last lap battles, most recently at
Donington Park - improving his time but staying in third.
Alex Debon completes the front row, while Donington winner and world championship leader Mika Kallio will start just eleventh after being bumped down a position.
Simoncelli, Debon and Roberto Locatelli (ninth) were the only riders in the top ten to lap faster on Friday.
Final qualifying - Assen:
1. Bautista (Aprilia) 1min 39.510secs
2. Barbera (Aprilia) +0.231secs
3. Simoncelli (Gilera) +0.344secs
4. Debon (Aprilia) +0.549secs
5. Espargaro (Aprilia) +0.700secs
6. Luthi (Aprilia) +0.945secs
7. Simon (KTM) +1.176secs
8. Pesek (Aprilia) +1.232secs
9. Locatelli (Gilera) +1.249secs
10. Takahashi (Honda) +1.286secs
20. Laverty (Aprilia) +3.433secs
