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Three minutes to go, all 12 riders are on track. Now or never, gents.
Dovizioso improves again, he is fourth, 0.420s off Lorenzo.
90 seconds to go. Riders are starting their final flying laps.
Marquez is fastest of all through the first sector. Lorenzo is not on a flier.
Rossi improves, he is seventh, but gets another lap.
Marquez does not improve, he greets the chequered flag. Ditto Lorenzo, Dovizioso and Smith.
Still Lorenzo on pole.
But Iannone, Rossi and Vinales are all fastest of all through the first two sectors.
Redding is also set to improve.
Vinales goes P3.
Rossi goes P5.
Iannone also improves but stays fourth.
Checkered flag
Jorge Lorenzo will start the Qatar Grand Prix from pole position.
Replays suggest Lorenzo made a mistake on his final lap.
Information
The top 12: Lorenzo, Marquez, Vinales, Iannone, Rossi, Dovizioso, Pedrosa, Barbera, Espargaro, Crutchlow, Smith and Redding.
Marquez also ran off the road in the closing stages.
Marquez's moment was actually after his practice start. The factory Honda veered to the left and spat him off the road.
So, that's the first qualifying session of the new season in the books. Pole for Lorenzo is the perfect way to start his title defence.
Marquez and Vinales will join him on the front row, with Iannone, Rossi and Dovizioso on the second row tomorrow night.
An update on the tyre compounds - hard fronts and medium rears for Marquez, Rossi and Crutchlow.
Lorenzo and Hernandez on hard fronts and soft rears. Soft fronts and backs for the rest of the field.
The riders return to the grid.
Green flag
Go!
Lorenzo leads Iannone, a slow start for Vinales, he has lost a number of places already.
Vinales is down to seventh, Marquez also started slowly and has dropped to fifth.
Lorenzo leads Iannone, Dovizioso, Rossi, Marquez, Pedrosa, Vinales, Crutchlow, Hernandez and Smith.
Bautista ran off the road at Turn 1 on his Aprilia.
Both Ducatis fly past Lorenzo on the front straight at the end of the first lap. Iannone leads Dovizioso!
Those Ducatis have serious straightline speed, were the best part of 10km/h up on the next brands during practice.
Lorenzo has tucked back into third, right behind Dovizioso, just ahead of his team-mate Rossi.
The top five riders - the Ducatis, Yamahas and Marquez - have broken away from the pack.
Pedrosa and Vinales are a little bit further back, then it's Crutchlow in eighth.

By: Matt Beer

Published: