Daijiro Katoh went half-a-second quicker in the final 250cc qualifying session at Suzuka and will start on the pole for Sunday’s 250cc Grand Prix of Japan. Marco Melandri did not better his first-session time but will still start second on the grid. Top times follow, listed down to 22nd place because 10th through 22nd are all on the same second:

1. Katoh, Honda, 2:07.414
2. Melandri, Aprilia, 2:08.546
3. Locatelli, Aprilia, 2:08.633
4. Debon, Aprilia, 2:09.295
5. McWilliams, Aprilia, 2:09.363
6. Battaini, Aprilia, 2:09.450
7. Matsudo, Yamaha, 2:09.563
8. Harada, Aprilia, 2:09.683
9. Rolfo, Aprilia, 2:09.741
10. De Puniet, Aprilia, 2:10.013
11. Porto, Yamaha, 2:10.046
12. F. Nieto, Aprilia, 2:10.251
13. Nohles, Aprilia, 2:10.261
14. Aoyama, Honda, 2:10.264
15. Sekiguchi, Yamaha, 2:10.463
16. Nakatomi, Honda, 2:10.477
17. Boscoscuro, Aprilia, 2:10.497
18. Hofmann, Aprilia, 2:10.528
19. Alzamora, Honda, 2:10.594
20. De Gea, Yamaha, 2:10.598
21. Yuzy, Yamaha, 2:10.678
22. Allemand, Yamaha, 2:10.732

Katja Poensgen qualified 31st out of 32 qualifiers, with two entrants (D. Tomas of Spain and C. Barros of Brazil) not qualifying because their times were not within 107 percent of pole time. Poensgen took three seconds off her first-session time and turned a 2:15.821.