Marquez followed Honda MotoGP team-mate Pedrosa in Jerez qualifying

Pedrosa was quickest in the first three practice sessions of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, and went on to take a narrow pole after a close fight with Marquez.

The two works Hondas completed their final pole bids in convoy, which Marquez said was a conscious decision on his part.

"The strategy was to try to push with three tyres but then when I went in for the last tyre I saw something strange with Valentino [Rossi] and Maverick [Vinales] waiting, so I said 'OK I will wait too'," said Marquez, who had been on provisional pole early on.

"Then when I saw Dani in front I went with him to try to see two or three corners that when I compare on data he is faster than me.

"I understood a few things when I was behind him."

Pedrosa said he had initially tried to shake Marquez off.

"I decided to go for the second tyre and there was a lot happening in the pitlane. Then when I started, Marc started with me," said Pedrosa.

"He was following all the time. By the middle of the track I stopped, and then he stopped too.

"We were alone and obviously he was on pole.

"I knew if I improved he might improve behind me.

"But when I looked at him I said 'OK I take this challenge and I go for it'. "For sure it wasn't any help from him today, but when I saw him following me this motivated me and I said 'why not, let's do it.'"

Pedrosa moved onto provisional pole with their lap together, but Marquez was then on course to beat him on a final attempt before a slide near the end of the lap left him 0.031 seconds adrift.

"The last lap was all-in. Luckily in the fast corner I saved the crash," said Marquez. "I enjoyed it a lot.

"I'm really happy with this second place because normally Jerez is a circuit where I struggle personally and in the past it was not the best circuit for me but today I feel really good and really comfortable."

Pedrosa's pole was his first since the 2015 Malaysian GP in October that year.

"It's been quite a long time I've been struggling in qualifying, not able to do good lap times and to be on the front row consistently," he said.

"The key for me in this qualifying was to be able to finish on the front row.

"After the first tyre I was happy because I was already second, this was already a good feeling. I was enjoying it, I was having a good feeling."