Honda's Marc Marquez will start on pole position for the final race of the MotoGP season as seeks a fourth championship.
The Spaniard set a scintillating lap mid-way through qualifying at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo and that proved enough for pole – despite then taking a tumble after a front end washout on his final run.
Tech 3's Johann Zarco takes second after improving on his final lap, three tenths off polesitter Marquez, with Andrea Iannone completing the front row in another show of good pace in the season finale.
Friday’s fastest Jorge Lorenzo heads up the second row after a fast crash when setting red sectors – rider ok – with the five-time World Champion only a tiny margin off a top three start at the venue where he holds the pole lap, race lap and most premier class wins records.
The rider with the most victories at the circuit across all classes, Dani Pedrosa, is just behind Lorenzo in fifth after ending Day 1 in P2. Ducati Team test rider and wildcard Michele Pirro completes the second row.
Alex Rins completes the top ten, ahead of Q1 graduate Pol Espargaro, who went eleventh fastest but will start from the pitlane due to an engine penalty.
Jack Miller takes P12 and was another to crash in the session, moving one place forward on race day as Espargaro’s penalty shuffles the grid forward.
That’s good news for Maverick Viñales after a tough day at the office for the rider from Roses, qualifying in P13 and gaining one place. He’s followed by Tito Rabat, with Danilo Petrucci and Q1 faller Cal Crutchlow completing the fastest sixteen and the top fifteen on the grid.
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