Jorge Lorenzo claimed pole position for the Catalan Grand Prix at Barcelona, his first since switching to Ducati.
Lorenzo ended a barren spell with victory at the preceding event in Italy, his first with Ducati, but it was insufficient for the parties to stay together beyond this year, with Lorenzo securing a Repsol Honda seat for 2019/20.
Reigning World Champion and current points leader Marc Marquez had looked poised for pole, even on a difficult weekend, having had to participate in Q1 off the back of a crash in FP3.
Marquez sat atop the times with a 1:38.886 and improved to a 1:38.746; rivals made gains to close in, but Andrea Dovizioso’s quick lap faded in the final sector, leaving the Repsol Honda rider clear up front.
But a stunning last sector from Dovizioso’s team-mate Lorenzo vaulted the Spaniard above compatriot Marquez, a time of 1:38.680 giving the #99 top spot in qualifying for the first time since his Yamaha swansong in Valencia two years ago.
Maverick Vinales was the lead Yamaha rider in fourth position while Andrea Iannone spearheaded Suzuki’s charge, taking fifth, leaving Lorenzo’s 2019 Ducati replacement Danilo Petrucci to take sixth for Pramac.
Valentino Rossi registered seventh spot, with Johann Zarco eighth, the Frenchman taking to Turn 1’s gravel trap after a close moment with Marquez in the braking zone.
Tito Rabat was ninth for Avintia, while Cal Crutchlow crashed heavily through the penultimate corner as he rounded out the top 10.
Dani Pedrosa’s difficult campaign continued as he took only 11th, with Crutchlow’s LCR team-mate Takaaki Nakagami the slowest rider in Q2.
Pramac’s Jack Miller was the quickest of the Q1 competitors who failed to reach Q2 and will start from 13th, in front of Hafizh Syahrin, while Alex Rins took a lowly 15th for Suzuki.
Aleix Espargaro and Bradley Smith led the charge for Aprilia and KTM respectively, ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Marc VDS), Pol Espargaro (KTM) and outgoing Aprilia rider Scott Redding.
Angel Nieto pair Karel Abraham and Alvaro Bautista took 21st and 22nd, the latter crashing late on at Turn 4, while KTM tester Mika Kallio was 23rd.
Tom Luthi (Marc VDS), Suzuki wildcard Sylvain Guintoli and Avintia’s Xavier Simeon will round out the expanded 26-bike grid for Sunday’s race.
