Rossi carries on regardless.

Despite being diagnosed with a slight fracture in his left thumb after a worrying crash in free practice yesterday, Valentino Rossi defied pain and apprehension to take his seventh pole position of the season.

The Italian was declared fit to race during a crucial morning medical before free practice began at Donington Park, and eventually came through to take pole position in record time for the Cinzano British Grand Prix. It will be the seventh time in eight races that the reigning 500cc champion has started from the front row of the grid in 2002, in what will be his 100th GP start.

It was a case of battling against the odds for Rossi, something he has not had to do too much of this season, but in his usual confident and stylish manner, he went on to record a best time of 1min 31.563secs after the chequered flag had been waved over his final flying lap.

"I did not expect pole position because, yesterday, I had a hard, hard crash," Rossi admitted, "Today, I have to say thanks to the mobile clinic because I am quite good now. I took something for the pain and I feel better - I have a little headache, but I am basically okay. I am lucky, because it was a big crash. I have to say thanks to the team also, because they worked hard to get the bike right with one day less than the others."

Never during the season had Rossi seemed so vulnerable as before today's sessions, and fifth place after the morning free practice left many wondering if the effects of the crash at Goddard's would leave the race wide open. Repsol team-mate Tohru Ukawa had earlier been ruled out for the weekend after spending the night in hospital, and the RC211V stranglehold on the MotoGP class looked to be loosening. With Alex Barros in fine form after a fantastic race in Assen, and the two Yamaha M1s of Checa and Biaggi also looking quick, the final qualifying session was gripping viewing and Rossi left it until the last moment to return to the top.

Brazilian Barros certainly cannot be discounted from the running tomorrow, leading for much of the session after improving his overnight pole time halfway through the hour. His familiar late-braking tactics suit the latter stages of the Leicestershire track, and he is undoubtedly in good shape. He will start tomorrow from fourth on the grid, however, after being pushed back by three late surges.

Firstly, Carlos Checa went quickest, steadily improving his times during the session, then, after Rossi stole pole, Tetsuya Harada stormed through the field on the Dunlop-fitted Pramac Honda NSR500 to take third - and his highest qualification of 2002.

With the front row decided, Max Biaggi recovered from a get-off midway through the practice to lead the second row of the grid. Trailing him was American youngster John Hopkins, who saw team-mate Garry McCoy return this weekend, but still continued his remarkable adaptation to the Yamaha YZR500. He equalled his best grid position of sixth in front of the only home-rider in the blue riband class this weekend, Jeremy McWilliams, who rides the Proton KR three-cylinder machine. In eighth was Suzuki's Kenny Roberts, who was one of two riders unable to improve on yesterday's times.

Jurgen van den Goorbergh set a season's best ninth fastest time, with Nobuatsu Aoki, Daijiro Kato and Olivier Jacque alongside him, while Norick Abe, Akira Ryo, Shinya Nakano and Regis Laconi made the fourth row.

Earlier in the day, Yamaha d'Antin rider Pere Riba suffered a heavy crash at the Old Hairpin bend during free practice. The Spaniard has had the worst of luck with injury since entering MotoGP this season, and this continued as it was confirmed that he has fractured the tibia in his left leg to leave the field several regulars short for tomorrow's race.

Fonsi Nieto shook off any apparent dip in his form as he took his fourth pole position of the year in the 250 class. The Spanish Aprilia rider will be looking to make up ground on Marco Melandri after the Italian took the lead in the championship in Assen, but it will surely be a fight to the line as his rival took second place next to him on the grid.

Sebastian Porto qualified on the front row for the third time this season on the Yamaha, and a clash of all three manufacturers was set up as Emilio Alzamora looked good on his way to fourth place with the Honda machine.

Looking to extend his lead in the 125 World Championship he won last year, Manuel Poggiali took his fourth pole in five races this afternoon, despite being unable to improve on his time from yesterday. Lucio Cecchinello set the day's best time, but it was only good enough for second behind the San Marino youngster.

The other two riders on the front row were also unable to better their Friday time, but Danny Pedrosa and Youichi Ui will nonetheless start from the privileged third and fourth spots, to set up a battle between bikes from four manufacturers in the first four positions.