Fabio Quartararo snatched a shock maiden Moto2 pole in qualifying for the Catalunya Grand Prix ahead of Alex Marquez.
Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia led the timesheets coming into qualifying after topping FP3 by almost four tenths of a second, though it was Marcel Schrotter who was the rider to beat in the opening stages of the pole shootout.
The Dynavolt Intatct GP rider set the benchmark at a 1:43.933s, which he improved to a 1:43.797s on his follow-up lap.
A further improvement to a 1:43.619s put him in control of the timesheets for the next 20 minutes, before he came under threat from Marc VDS' Marquez.
Marquez edged ahead of Schrotter with a 1:43.590s with 14 minutes remaining, though found himself sensationally deposed by Speed Up rider Quartararo with a 1:43.474s in the closing stages.
Quartararo was unable to improve on his time, but came under no threat as the chequered flag flew, and claims his first grand prix pole since his debut season in Moto3 in 2015.
Marquez remained second, while Schrotter completed the front row. Bagnaia will head up the second row, four tenths off ple, with Brad Binder top KTM rider in fifth.
Bizarrely, Binder's team-mate and Mugello race winner Miguel Oliveira was only able to put his Ajo machine a lowly 17th on the grid.
Mattia Pasini completes the second row on his Italtrans Kalex, while Xavi Vierge tops the third row after a late tumble at Turn 1.
Suzuki MotoGP-bound Joan Mir will launch from eighth on Sunday on the second Marc VDS machine, with an ill Sam Lowes and Lorenzo Baldassarri, who crashed early on at Turn 12, completing the top 10.
Honda Team Asia rider Tetsuta Nagashima was another early faller, but was able to rejoin the session and qualify a career-best 12th behind Tasca Racing's Simone Corsi.
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