Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista took a shock pole position for the British MotoGP as home rider Cal Crutchlow missed the session through injury. Bautista clocked two minutes 03.303 seconds to earn the first pole of his career.
Tech 3 Yamaha rider Crutchlow crashed in final practice and was taken to hospital to assess his injuries.
Yamaha’s Ben Spies was second quickest ahead of Australian Casey Stoner and championship leader Jorge Lorenzo.
Dani Pedrosa was fifth for Honda with Pramac Ducati rider Hector Barbera a superb sixth on the best of the Ducatis.
Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi had near identical crashes at the entrance to Club during the session and could do no better than seventh and 10th. They were split by Tech 3 Yamaha rider Andrea Dovizioso and LCR Honda man Stefan Bradl.
1. Alvaro Bautista Gresini Honda 2m03.303s 2. Ben Spies Yamaha 2m03.409s + 0.106s 3. Casey Stoner Honda 2m03.423s + 0.120s 4. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 2m03.763s + 0.460s 5. Daniel Pedrosa Honda 2m03.835s + 0.532s 6. Hector Barbera Pramac Ducati 2m03.876s + 0.573s 7. Nicky Hayden Ducati 2m04.162s + 0.859s 8. Andrea Dovizioso Tech 3 Yamaha 2m04.304s + 1.001s 9. Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 2m05.035s + 1.732s 10. Valentino Rossi Ducati 2m05.416s + 2.113s 11. Aleix Espargaro Aspar Aprilia 2m06.283s + 2.980s 12. Randy de Puniet Aspar Aprilia 2m06.303s + 3.000s 13. Yonni Hernandez Avintia FTR-Kawasaki 2m06.814s + 3.511s 14. Michele Pirro Gresini FTR-Honda 2m07.016s + 3.713s 15. Colin Edwards Forward Suter-BMW 2m07.376s + 4.073s 16. Mattia Pasini Speed Master Aprilia 2m07.511s + 4.208s 17. James Ellison Paul Bird Aprilia 2m08.228s + 4.925s 18. Danilo Petrucci Ioda-Aprilia 2m08.686s + 5.383s 19. Ivan Silva Avintia Inmotec-Kawasaki 2m10.092s + 6.789s