World champion-elect Jorge Lorenzo will start Sunday’s Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang from pole position.
The Fiat Yamaha rider set a fastest lap of two minutes 1.537 seconds right at the end of qualifying to take pole from Ducati rider Nicky Hayden.
Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso was third fastest, ahead of Ben Spies, Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi.
Lorenzo only needs to finish in the top 10 on Sunday to be crowned champion. His worst finish this year is fourth. BBC Sport
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“I really wanted to take pole today for the race as I know it will be a difficult fight for the victory tomorrow,” Lorenzo said.
“This is a really important part of my career and I pushed the maximum to put myself in this position. There are still some problems with the bike but we worked really hard and managed one very good lap to give us that pole position.”
The only rider who can deny Lorenzo the crown, Dani Pedrosa, is not racing in Malaysia after suffering a fractured collarbone in practice for the last race in Japan.
Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) missed the race at Motegi as a result and having undergone surgery in Spain this week, decided that a comeback in Malaysia was too soon.
With Pedrosa standing 69 points behind his countryman but not making his anticipated comeback until Australia later this month, Lorenzo needs just seven points to take the title. SkySports
Completing the top ten in the session were Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Rizla Suzuki duo Álvaro Bautista and Loris Capirossi, and Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini). Héctor Barberá (Paginas Amarillas Aspar) had a fall at the very end of the session and qualified in 15th. Motogp.com
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