He starts ahead of Max Neukirchner, although the German will be kicking himself for not getting onto the front row after an error out of the Adelaide hairpin almost shook him off the Suzuki. Recovering well to go sixth on the grid, the seven tenths he lost could have seen him up there with Nieto.

Continuing the surprising theme, David Checa was an outstanding seventh on the Yamaha France Ipone machine. The Spaniard, who many thought had only qualified for Superpole by virtue of getting a lap in before the rain came down, actually went on to improve considerably from his provisional 11th on the grid.

Max Biaggi and Michel Fabrizio sneaked into the top ten in eighth and ninth, the Italian pair having otherwise been limited by their early running order, while fellow countryman Lorenzo Lanzi sneaked into the top ten on the RG Ducati.

That displaced more fancied Ducati rider, Ruben Xaus, down to 11th, ahead of the frustrated Corser. Checa's team-mate Sebastien Gimbert will start 13th, ahead of Kenan Sofuoglu and Yukio Kagayama, the Japanese rider having a similar moment to Neukirchner at Adelaide. Gregorio Lavilla, meanwhile, was slowest of the Superpole contingent after going out onto track first.