Italian Max Biaggi will start tomorrow's Australian 500cc Grand Prix in pole position after setting the fastest ever qualifying lap at Phillip Island. The Yamaha rider, second in the world championship, but 67 points behind countryman Valentino Rossi with three races left, clocked one minute 31.984 seconds in final qualifying on Saturday, with an average speed of 174.082 kph.
Biaggi's time beat the previous mark of 1:32.319 set in 1999 by American Kenny Roberts, last year's world champion. Roberts still holds the race lap record for the circuit set during the 1999 event of 1:32.743.
Rossi improved from midfield late in the one-hour afternoon session to grab second place on the grid in 1:32.408, with Brazil's Alex Barros qualifying third fastest in 1:32.421. Honda rider Rossi is poised to become Italy's first 500cc world champion for 19 years, requiring just eight points from Sunday's race.
Barros, on a Honda, had the fastest time for much of today's final qualifying session until Biaggi took top spot with five minutes remaining, and the Brazilian then crashed as he made a desperate last minute effort to recapture pole position. A team spokeswoman said Barros suffered a bruised neck, but would be fit to take his place in the starting line up tomorrow.
Filed by Dónal Moriarty
