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And we're off. Miller gets a great start and takes the lead from Marquez and Kent. Rins has gone the other way - a shocker away from the line drops him down to around 10th coming through Turn 1.
Onto the warm-up lap. Where's your money for this one? Alex Rins starts from pole, but Marc Marquez's highly-rated younger brother Alex was just 0.152s slower in qualifying and will share the front row.
Jack Miller, Jakub Kornfeil, Isaac Vinales and Danny Kent should all be in the mix too.
Jack Miller, Jakub Kornfeil, Isaac Vinales and Danny Kent should all be in the mix too.
We'll be covering every lap, every turn of the MotoGP hierarchy live today.
After the imminent Moto3 race, Moto2 commences at 1720 GMT, before the showpiece MotoGP event kicks off at 1900.
After the imminent Moto3 race, Moto2 commences at 1720 GMT, before the showpiece MotoGP event kicks off at 1900.
Welcome back to Race Centre Live, where we are just minutes away from the start of the first Moto3 race of 2014.
Moto3 2014
Throw into the mix Alvaro Bautista's stunning performance - one-lap pace is his team's supposed weakness - Jorge Lorenzo's penchant for an early charge, and a seething Aleix Espargaro, and tomorrow's race already has all the ingredients to be a classic.
We'll be covering the season-opener, as well as Moto2, Moto3 and NASCAR Fontana live on AUTOSPORT from 1600 GMT. Join us then.
We'll be covering the season-opener, as well as Moto2, Moto3 and NASCAR Fontana live on AUTOSPORT from 1600 GMT. Join us then.
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So Marquez once again defies expectations and confounds logic, snatching pole little more than a month after breaking his right leg in a dirt-bike crash.
The Spaniard is still not 100 per cent fit however, and says his injury is likely to be exposed more over a race distance.
"Tomorrow will be hard for me because when I do many laps I get tired, especially because I cannot push with my [right] leg," he said following his pole heroics.
"But I will try to do my best, take some points and see where we finish."
The Spaniard is still not 100 per cent fit however, and says his injury is likely to be exposed more over a race distance.
"Tomorrow will be hard for me because when I do many laps I get tired, especially because I cannot push with my [right] leg," he said following his pole heroics.
"But I will try to do my best, take some points and see where we finish."
Breaking news
MotoGP - Qatar: The qualifying report is now ready for your perusal:
Red arrow
Marc Marquez MotoGP 2014
MotoGP - Qatar: The top dozen on the grid for tomorrow's race is:
1 Marquez; 2 Bautista; 3 Smith; 4 Dovizioso; 5 Lorenzo; 6 Pedrosa; 7 Bradl; 8 Crutchlow; 9 A. Espargaro; 10 Rossi; 11 Iannone; 12 P. Espargaro.
MotoGP - Qatar: Brilliant rides by Bautista and Smith as well, who also start on the front row.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Qatar: Yes, is the answer to that as Marquez tops the timesheet with a time of 1m54.507s! An incredible performance by the reigning champion after his off-season dramas.
MotoGP - Qatar: Will anyone demote Bautista from the top?
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Qatar: Lorenzo crosses the line as the chequered flag is waved and can't improve on his fifth position.
Crash
MotoGP - Qatar: The pressure looks to have got the best of Aleix Espargaro who has crashed for a second time!
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Qatar: Bautista goes quickest with 1m54.564s, ahead of Marquez and Smith.
MotoGP - Qatar: Three minutes remaining and Pol Espargaro has moved up from 12th to eighth, while brother Aleix looks to have shaken off his earlier shunt is improving.
MotoGP - Qatar: Crutchlow currently occupies ninth at present, ahead of Rossi and Pedrosa.
MotoGP - Qatar: The majority of the field are now diving into the pitlane with six minutes remaining. All eyes are currently on Aleix Espargaro, however, who will be under immense pressure.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Qatar: Marquez continues to set the pace, improving on his previous time with 1m54.599s, while Smith vaults to second with 1m54.601s, ahead of Bautista.
Crash
MotoGP - Qatar: Disaster for Aleix Espargaro, who has come off at Turn 2! Nine minutes of the session remain, has he blown his chance of a maiden MotoGP pole?
MotoGP - Qatar: Aleix Espargaro is the last to set a time and his 1m54.986s takes him up to third, behind Marquez and Bautista.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Qatar: Times are flooding in now and Marquez is currently quickest of anybody with 1m54.599s.
MotoGP - Qatar: Iannone, however, isn't as he's just stalled his Pramac Ducati in the pitlane.
Green flag
MotoGP - Qatar: Green flag and Lorenzo is the first to take to the circuit.
MotoGP - Qatar: So, as inevitable as night following day, Pol Espargaro and Crutchlow advance through to Q2. The final 15-minute qualifying session follows shortly.
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Qatar: End of the session and a great last effort by Hayden wasn't enough to depose either Pol Espargaro and Crutchlow from the top two positions.
Crash
MotoGP - Qatar: Crash number two goes to Mike Di Mieglo who came off at Turn 4.
MotoGP - Qatar: Redding's first time is enough to take him up to seventh. He needs to find the best part of 1.5 seconds if he is to progress to Q2.
MotoGP - Qatar: And another one back out is Hernandez. He currently lies in fifth position, 1.242s off the ultimate pace.
MotoGP - Qatar: The Brit is finally out with just over six minutes of the session remaining.
MotoGP - Qatar: Redding is yet to set a time as the Gresini rider is experiencing electrical issues with his Honda.
MotoGP - Qatar: Crutchlow, meanwhile, has gone up to second on his qualifying debut with Ducati. Colin Edwards is 0.539s behind the Brit at present.
Crash
MotoGP - Qatar: Hefty crash by Hernandez down at Turn 2. The Columbian walks away seemingly unscathed, but he's desperate to get back to the pits with less nine minutes of the session remaining.
Stopwatch
MotoGP - Qatar: Pol Espargaro sets the early pace with a time of 1m55.406s, ahead of Nicky Hayden and Yonny Hernandez.
Green flag
MotoGP - Qatar: The first MotoGP qualifying session of 2014 begins with Scott Redding first out of the pitlane.
Cal Crutchlow MotoGP 2014
MotoGP - Qatar: Two big names to keep an eye on in Q1 are Pol Espargaro and the man he replaced at Tech 3, Cal Crutchlow. Both missed out on automatic Q2 participation and they should, in theory, be the duo to filter through to the second qualifying session.
MotoGP - Qatar: Those that fail to set the two fastest times in Q1 will occupy grid positions 13 and above in accordance to their times in that session.
MotoGP - Qatar: The fastest two riders in Q1 then progress to Q2, which already includes the 10 quickest riders from practice, making a total of 12 riders competing for the first dozen grid positions.
MotoGP - Qatar: Q1 consists of riders whose combined times in the first three practice sessions were 11th place and below.
MotoGP - Qatar: Coming up next is qualifying, and just in case you need a reminder how that works...
Checkered flag
MotoGP - Qatar: Chequered flag is being waved and the session has finished.
Smith finished at the top of the pile, 0.005s ahead of Marquez, with Aleix Espargaro third, with Pedrosa and Iannone in fourth and fifth respectively.
Smith finished at the top of the pile, 0.005s ahead of Marquez, with Aleix Espargaro third, with Pedrosa and Iannone in fourth and fifth respectively.
By: Dan Cross, Sam Tremayne
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