Stoner pole at soaking Donington.

MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner has taken pole position for the British Grand Prix during a wet and gloomy qualifying session at Donington Park.

Having dominated in the dry on Friday, helped by some improved engine electronics, Stoner tuned himself in to the slippery conditions with sixth by the end of Saturday morning practice - but was soon on top during the qualifying hour.

Fellow Australian Chris Vermeulen then exactly matched the Ducati rider's best time from the 13th to the 42nd minute, when Vermeulen briefly broke clear, before Stoner began an unstoppable charge.

The Qatar night race winner, currently fourth in the points and 50 behind Valentino Rossi, was soon over one-second clear of Vermeulen and - whenever the opposition nibbled away at his advantage - Stoner was always able to respond.

The Ducati Marlboro rider's last lap of the afternoon pushed him 0.786secs clear of Vermeulen's Rizla Suzuki, with Rossi then snatching a late second on the grid, but still a distant 0.649secs from pole.

Stoner's second pole position in a row thus placed him at the head of an-Bridgestone top three, with Nicky Hayden leading an all-Michelin second row in front of Colin Edwards and Andrea Dovizioso.

Hayden has been rejuvenated by the use of Honda's pneumatic-valve engine, while Edwards has put himself in contention to repeat his 2007 Donington podium. London-based Italian Dovizioso was fastest of all on Saturday morning and the top rookie rider this afternoon.

Edwards' Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate James Toseland endured a nightmare session in front of his home fans, falling twice in the closing stages - a highside out of the final turn being followed moments later by a much faster accident through Starkey's. The double World Superbike champion was able to walk away but will start from a MotoGP-worst of 16th on the grid.

Enjoying a much more impressive day was Ben Spies. The reigning AMA Superbike champion, drafted in to replace the injured Loris Capirossi, qualified an excellent eighth for his MotoGP debut and did his hopes of a 2009 ride no harm.

A sore Dani Pedrosa, who will start Sunday's race seven-points behind Rossi, could manage just ninth in the rain, while Shinya Nakano rounds out the top ten for San Carlo Honda Gresini.

Anthony West, whose rear traction problems have been improved by a recent visit to the Kawasaki factory in Japan, produced his now expected wet weather magic to hold third for much of the session, but was shuffled back to a 2008-best of seventh at the chequered flag.

Team-mate John Hopkins, still nursing a back injury from Catalunya, will start eleventh with Marco Melandri 15th and returning rookie race winner Jorge Lorenzo just 17th as he seeks to rebuild his confidence after a string of accidents and injuries.

Sunday's weather forecast remains uncertain.

Qualifying:

1. Stoner
2. Rossi
3. Vermeulen
4. Hayden
5. Edwards
6. Dovizioso
7. West
8. Spies
9. Pedrosa
10. Nakano
11. Hopkins
12. Guintoli
13. de Angelis
14. de Puniet
15. Melandri
16. Toseland
17. Lorenzo
18. Elias