Kato: It's been easier than I thought.

Although Max Biaggi broke his own pole position record by almost exactly 0.7 seconds today at Brno, he wasn't the only rider under the magical two minute mark. Daijiro Kato showed he needed no time to become competitive with the RC211V Honda he rides here for the first time.

The reigning 250cc World Champion set the second quickest time after having been in front from only the third lap of the session, riding as if he had been on the bike all year as he slid his new charge around the technical Brno circuit. Kato ended the session just 0.094 seconds behind Max Biaggi and 0.257 seconds ahead of Rossi.

"It's been much easier than I thought it would be," said Kato, who'd only ridden the bike for a couple of laps around Honda's Tochigi test course before coming here. "Each session gets better and I'm very happy to be second first time out on the bike."

The Japanese rider will start from just in front of his Honda colleague Rossi, who was unable to return to the track for a final flying lap having run out of time to get back onto the track and around to the finish line before the chequered flag was raised.