Source: Supplied.

Movistar Yamaha newcomer Maverick Viñales will start the opening MotoGP race of the 2017 season in Qatar from pole position after storms forced the cancellation of Saturday’s proceedings.

After overnight rain, a storm and too much standing water, the original timetable for Saturday saw some adjustments before the decision was taken by race direction to cancel track action for the day.

Conditions were deemed too dangerous to enable riders to get out on track, with little chance of improvement as rain and lightning began again. Therefore, it’s combined times after the end of FP3 that will decide the grid ahead of Sunday’s racing.

That means Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) will start from his first pole for Yamaha, with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone and reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) joining him on the front row.

The second row is top rookie Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing) in sixth.

The third row – so from P7 to P9 – is Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda).

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) heads up row four in 10th, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) and Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) in 12th. Jack Miller (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda) starts 16th.

Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will start from pole in Moto2, ahead of teammate Alex Marquez. Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) is in P3. Aussie Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) lines up 23rd.

In Moto3, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) starts from pole ahead of Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) and Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers).