MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez set a new circuit-record to take pole for the Czech Grand Prix on Saturday.
The Repsol Honda rider will start at the front of the grid for the 63rd time in his career courtesy of a blistering lap of one minute 54.596 seconds at the Automotodrom Brno.
Marquez, who holds a 43-point lead over second-placed Jorge Lorenzo, dislocated his shoulder during a practice session at the last round in Austria, but is clearly not feeling the effects of that injury.
Lorenzo had earlier set a new circuit record, but was upstaged by fellow-Spaniard Marquez, who weaved his way through traffic to take yet another pole in the closing stages of Q2. Marquez squeezed between Pol Espargaro and Valentino Rossi through the final apex in a dramatic finale to move Lorenzo down into second on the grid, 0.253secs off the pace.
Reigning champion Lorenzo had set the pace in FP4, having broken the lap record in FP3, before being outdone by Marquez on a track where he was victorious last year. Ducati's Andrea Iannone, on a high after his maiden MotoGP victory in Spielberg, will start Sunday's race in third place, with Aleix Espargaro fourth.
Hector Barbera claimed fifth spot ahead of Valentino Rossi, 57 points adrift of Marquez in the battle to be crowned world champion, and Andrea Dovizioso seventh after having problems with the front end of his Ducati. Dani Pedrosa topped Q1, but will start back in ninth place after such a promising start.
Provisional classification:
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 1:54.596sec
2. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) 1:54.849s
3. Andrea Iannone (Ducati) 1:55.227s
4. Aleix Espargaro (Suzuki Ecstar) 1:55.324s
5. Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) 1:55.437s
6. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) 1:55.509s
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 1:55.748s
8. Maverick Vinales (Suzuki Ecstar) 1:55.787s
9. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 1:55.841s
10. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) 1:55.930s
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