Capirossi confident of better race

The Ducati rider will start eight places behind teammate Casey Stoner, having run out of time to do his final flying lap.

"When I saw Casey had done two laps with a qualifying tyre I decided to do the same," said Capirossi.

"But on the first lap I almost lost the bike twice, so I slowed down a little, then when I crossed the line I got the chequered flag, so I missed the chance to do another lap.

"Anyway, I'm quite happy because my race rhythm isn't so bad.

"Today I made a different choice to Casey - I used the new 16 inch rear, which seems to give me better traction. I did 27 laps with the tyre and it performed well throughout, so I think I'll use it in the race, weather permitting, because the forecast isn't good."

Capirossi is confident that despite his disappointment in qualifying, he has taken a step forward with the Ducati today.

"Today we understood a lot on bike set-up, we changed the engine settings slightly and all the changes we've made have given me a better feeling with the bike, both in the wet and the dry," he said.

"That makes me confident, even if qualifying didn't go so well."