Suzuki boss hoped for better positions

Vermeulen claimed fourth on the grid in the extremely wet session, with Capirossi five places further back after falling without injury.

But Denning felt that both would have done much better had they capitalised on the slightly better conditions in the first part of the hour.

"The qualifying result today is a bit disappointing," said Denning. "I think we had the capability to have both riders a bit further up the grid - we just missed the best of the conditions to improve further.

"Also, when our guys went out at the end on new development rain tyres the performance wasn't as good as the normal Bridgestone wets which have worked superbly all day, but of course we have to try all the options."

Vermeulen agreed that the changing conditions had cost him an opportunity to qualify higher, but was optimistic about his chances of claiming a second consecutive podium in tomorrow's race.

"From this morning's wet session to this afternoon's qualifying it was very different because at the start of this afternoon it was much wetter, but there was still a lot of grip out there and I managed to get a few reasonably quick laps in and made quite a good time," he said.

"I had to come in and make a change - which was quite lengthy - and when I went back out the conditions had deteriorated so much that I came straight back in.

"I'm in fourth place on the grid and really happy with that and it gives me a good opportunity in whatever conditions tomorrow to get away at the front. I hope it is fine and we can have a strong race and fight for another podium."

Capirossi was left ruing his accident early in the session, which sidelined the veteran Italian when the track was in better shape.

"At the start I was doing really well and thought I could get a good position, but I made a mistake and crashed and because of that I missed the best time on the track to go fast, before it got too wet," he said.

"I stayed in the pit for a long time waiting for it to get better and when I went out at the end I tried a new rear tyre but that didn't work that well so I couldn't go any quicker."