VALENTINO ROSSI PROMISES FITTING FAREWELL

WORLD champ Valentino Rossi has promised to give Donington Park the perfect send-off after securing pole for today's British GP.

MotoGP will be held at Silverstone from next year, with Donington hosting Formula One.But eight-time champion Rossi says he will produce something special after a last-gasp qualifying time of 1 minute 28.116 seconds.

"It's important to have a good race because it's a great racetrack full of history, and I got my first victory here in the 500cc class back in 2000," said the Italian. "I have great memories here."

Surprise

It is Rossi's fourth pole of 2009 but his first in Britain since 2005 - and even he was stunned.

"It was a surprise because we were struggling for grip on the harder tyre," he added. "We made some modifications and I could ride the bike how I wanted and it felt great, fast and flowing."

Rossi blasted past title rival and Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who kept his 100 per cent record of front row starts by coming third, behind Repsol Honda star Dani Pedrosa.

Crashes

The future of Britain's James Toseland showed signs of life after he qualified ninth, his best this season. The Yamaha Tech 3 rider has had a disappointing 2009 that started with two pre-season crashes.

But he will now be hopeful of improving on his shocking performance at Donington last year, when he fell at the first corner and limped home in last place.

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