Source: MotoGP.

The MotoGP Q2 session at Phillip Island saw dual world champion Marc Marquez take pole, with Cal Crutchlow and Jorge Lorenzo also securing front row starts for Sunday’s Tissot Australian Grand Prix race.

After light rain fell before Q2 the riders were not overly affected as the track remained dry with Marquez taking pole position with a 1m28.408 lap, outpacing his nearest rival by 0.234s.

Crutchlow (Ducati Team) showed his pace with the second best lap of the session, giving Ducati another front row result after Andrea Dovizioso’s pole at Motegi. It is Crutchlow’s first front row this year.

Completing the front row, Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) lapped just 0.008s behind Crutchlow for third, making it three different manufacturers on row one.

Heading the second row Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) was on a similar pace, just 0.006s behind Lorenzo. Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) was in fifth, again just fractionally (0.19s) behind the rider in front, having made it through from Q1.

Just before rain began to fall in Q1 Pedrosa set the fastest time in that session and the fastest of the weekend at that point with a 1m29.097. That was a significant improvement on his 1m29.976 in FP3.

Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) completed the second row, just in front of third row qualifiers Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing), Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3).

The fourth row, meanwhile, features Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) and Hiroshi Aoyama (Drive M7 Aspar). Japanese rider Aoyama also went through from Q1 with Pedrosa but could only qualify 12th.

Lone Australian Broc Parkes posted a credible 1m31.730 lap on the PBM, to start his first premier class grand prix at home from 22nd on the grid.

2014 MotoGP World Championship
Round 16 – Phillip Island, VIC

MotoGP qualifying results:
1. Marc MARQUEZ 1m28.408
2. Cal CRUTCHLOW 1m28.642
3. Jorge LORENZO 1m28.650
4. Bradley SMITH 1m28.656
5. Dani PEDROSA 1m28.675
6. Aleix ESPARGARO 1m28.866
7. Andrea IANNONE 1m28.887
8. Valentino ROSSI 1m28.956
9. Pol ESPARGARO 1m28.968
10. Andrea DOVIZIOSO 1m29.088
11. Stefan BRADL 1m29.155
12. Hiroshi AOYAMA 1m29.955
13. Scott REDDING 1m30.280
14. Hector BARBERA 1m30.348
15. Nicky HAYDEN 1m30.542
16. Karel ABRAHAM 1m30.569
17. Alvaro BAUTISTA 1m30.635
18. Yonny HERNANDEZ 1m30.729
19. Danilo PETRUCCI 1m30.812
20. Mike DI MEGLIO 1m31.431
21. Michael LAVERTY 1m31.492
22. Broc PARKES (AUS) 1m31.730
23. Alex DE ANGELIS 1m32.595

Click here for detailed results