Sykes set a new track record of one minute 46.748 seconds to finish around half-a-second ahead of Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli (Liberty Racing) and champion Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati).

Sykes will hope for better in Sunday's two races than he could manage from pole at the season-opener in Australia, when his race pace was found wanting and came home fourth in race one and third in race two.

Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) took the final berth on the outside of the front row, while Max Biaggi was fifth for Aprilia and Haslam's team-mate Marco Melandri sixth at his home circuit.

Honda's Jonathan Rea took seventh but not before suffering a fast high-side crash, from which the Northern Irishman was lucky to walk away unscathed, while the second row was completed by Sykes' team-mate Joan Lascorz.