Casey Stoner claims Sachsenring MotoGP pole in thrilling session

Top spot changed hands time after time in the closing minutes, with seven riders all holding provisional pole as circuit conditions improved dramatically in the final stages.

It had looked like LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl would be set for a first MotoGP pole on home soil, the German topping the timesheets when the deluge hit and most riders pulled back into the pits with 20 minutes to run.

The rain abated however and those out on track began to improve, acting as a catalyst for a rush out of the pits and an incredible finish to the session.

Ducati's Nicky Hayden kicked off proceedings by going fastest with seven minutes to run, only to be immediately demoted by Bradl, Yamaha's Ben Spies and then Tech 3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow.

Hayden was soon back at the top of the timesheets, but as the two works Hondas also got up to speed the pole spot changed hands almost every time one of the seven came over the line.

With one minute to go the sequence was still being repeated. Hayden went fastest, only for Stoner to take it just before the chequered flag flew.

On their final laps Crutchlow, Dani Pedrosa (Honda) and then Spies all went top, but Stoner was still out on track and came round in a 1m31.796s to finally earn pole.

Spies and Pedrosa did enough to take second ahead of Crutchlow and Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo, leaving Bradl sixth on the grid for his home grand prix.

Hayden meanwhile slipped to seventh, having been third with less than one minute on the clock.

Tech 3's Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi on the second works Ducati rounded out the top nine.

The early torrential conditions caught out several riders, particularly at the treacherous Turn 12 where both Hector Barbera (Pramac Ducati) and Michele Pirro (Gresini FTR) fell heavily.

Stoner too had to switch bikes, although his malady was caused by the engine on his second chassis cutting out midway around the circuit.

Pos  Rider             Team/Bike                 Time       Gap
 1.  Casey Stoner      Honda                     1m31.796s
 2.  Ben Spies         Yamaha                    1m31.989s  + 0.193s
 3.  Dani Pedrosa      Honda                     1m32.081s  + 0.285s
 4.  Cal Crutchlow     Tech 3 Yamaha             1m32.288s  + 0.492s
 5.  Jorge Lorenzo     Yamaha                    1m32.381s  + 0.585s
 6.  Stefan Bradl      LCR Honda                 1m32.510s  + 0.714s
 7.  Nicky Hayden      Ducati                    1m32.795s  + 0.999s
 8.  Andrea Dovizioso  Tech 3 Yamaha             1m33.205s  + 1.409s
 9.  Valentino Rossi   Ducati                    1m33.217s  + 1.421s
10.  Aleix Espargaro   Aspar Aprilia             1m33.900s  + 2.104s
11.  Alvaro Bautista   Gresini Honda             1m34.088s  + 2.292s
12.  Hector Barbera    Pramac Ducati             1m34.542s  + 2.746s
13.  Colin Edwards     Forward Suter-BMW         1m34.649s  + 2.853s
14.  Randy de Puniet   Aspar Aprilia             1m34.651s  + 2.855s
15.  Mattia Pasini     Speed Master Aprilia      1m34.938s  + 3.142s
16.  Danilo Petrucci   Ioda-Aprilia              1m35.590s  + 3.794s
17.  Michele Pirro     Gresini FTR-Honda         1m35.595s  + 3.799s
18.  Yonny Hernandez   Avintia FTR-Kawasaki      1m35.962s  + 4.166s
19.  Ivan Silva        Avintia Inmotec-Kawasaki  1m36.183s  + 4.387s
20.  James Ellison     Paul Bird Aprilia         1m36.355s  + 4.559s
21.  Franco Battaini   Cardion Ducati            1m36.438s  + 4.642s