Riders disagree over qualifying tangle

The riders tangled between Turns 12 and 13 late in the session, both falling but escaping without injury.

"I was using a wider line through that corner in order to get a better exit speed," Capirossi explained.

"Vermeulen saw some space and tried to pass me but there wasn't enough room.

"I'm disappointed that I didn't have the chance to improve my time but I'm not complaining about the accident because these things can happen.

"I'm okay, though my right arm is bruised and quite painful."

Vermeulen claimed he had completed the pass before contact was made.

"That lap felt good and I was catching Loris, he made a mistake and I went up the inside of him and he then hit my back wheel and we both went down - that's the second time in two weekends someone has taken me out," said Vermeulen, who was also caught up in the multi-bike accident on lap one in Turkey.

"I'm obviously not very happy about that as I think I could have been on at least the front two rows."

The incident also impeded world champion Nicky Hayden, who backed off to avoid the crashing bikes and ended up ninth on the grid.

"My ideal time would have put me sixth but I was the next guy through after Vermeulen and Capirossi crashed," said Hayden.

"Looking back now it shouldn't have slowed me down but when I was approaching that corner there were bikes sliding across the track and they came together.

"I didn't know if one bike was going to stay in the middle of the track or if they were both going to slow down and really that ruined my second flying lap."