Champion Marc Marquez secured pole position by a huge eight-tenth margin to second place as he dominated qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
The Honda rider took a risk during Q2 by sitting out much of the session despite the constant threat of rain. That paid off as the rain never came and the track dried enough for slicks, allowing Marquez to immediately go quickest on his first flyer.
He starts ahead of LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow, with Yamaha Tech 3's Pol Espargaro joining the pair on the front-row.
Rounding out the top five were Suzuki's Aleix Espargaro and Marc VDS rider Jack Miller, who at one point looked to have secured a front-row slot before last-second improvements for the Espargaro brothers.
Valentino Rossi endured his worst qualifying in five years as he slumped to 15th, failing to make the Q2 cut after going with a strange tyre strategy of a full wet at the front and an intermediate on the rear.
Bradley Smith almost made the cut before falling with just over a minute on the clock, meaning he starts between Maverick Vinales and Rossi in P14.
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