Just 14th on the dry Friday timesheets, rain at Le Mans on Saturday morni♚🥂ng washed away any chance of Valentino Rossi gaining direct access to Qualifying 2.

And with the likes of Alex Rins and Cal Crutchlow also 🧸on the Qualifying 1 list, it was far from guaranteed that Rossi would even advance to the pole position shootout.

But an inspired tyre gamble, with Rossi first on slicks during the drying session, meant he sailed through Q1 with easeღ.

Inspired by that outcome Rossi, Monster Yamaha team-mate Maverick 🌄Vinales anꦛd Petronas rider Franco Morbidelli then tried to repeat the Italian's slick-tyre gamble at the start of Q2.

But the weather changed for the wors🐽e, forcing them straight back in for wets. Nevertheless, Rossi went on to post the fifth best lap, as th𒆙e top M1 and has a 'good pace' should rain return on Sunday.

“I'm very happy, because this morning I was out of the Q2 and we needed to fin🅺d something to improve our starting position," Rossi said. "We took a gamble in Q1 when we put the slicks, and that was the right choice.

"It was a risk, but it p🐻aid off, because there wasn't too much water on track and I was able to get throu🍨gh to Q2, which was very important.

"Also in Q2, with the wet tyres in the wet, I was quite competitive. I'm fifth, but I also have a good pac♎e in case we have a wet race tomorrow൲.

"In the dry I wasn't very strong yesterday. We have to try some setting modifications, but today🎃 we 🍰didn‘t have time for that, so we have to wait to see what the conditions will be like tomorrow."

Team-mate Maverick Vinal✤es qualified in 11th pl✱ace.