Marc Marquez isn't unbeatable in MotoGP at Austin - Jorge Lorenzo

Marquez has won all three previous MotoGP races at the Circuit of the Americas, and after topping every practice session made it four consecutive pole positions there on Saturday.

Lorenzo has finished on the podium at the venue just once, the maiden race in 2013, and this weekend's second to Marquez represents his best qualifying result.

Having finished just 0.069 seconds shy of the polesitter, the world champion believes Yamaha's progress in recent years could mean an end to Marquez's dominance in Sunday's 21-lap race.

"Unbeatable is not anyone," Lorenzo said.

"You have to finish the race, anything can happen with these new tyres, you can have an engine failure, you can make a mistake, you can not feel comfortable on Sunday - anything can happen.

"As I said before coming here, if there is one year that we can make a good result, or be close, or even win, it's this year.

"I think Marc feels so comfortable and he's making the difference with the other Honda riders, that seem to have some trouble to be competitively fast.

"It looks like it's not an easy bike to be fast, but he is for the moment making the difference, especially for this track he likes.

"I think for example on braking we improved so much compared to 2013, already from the end of 2014 we are better here, especially with the Michelin.

"I think we [can] get close to the Honda in this particular track."

Team-mate Valentino Rossi, who will start third, is confident Yamaha will not be hit by the front-tyre wear issues that have plagued it in recent years at Austin.

"In the last two years we suffered very much with front tyre wear," he said.

"2014 a disaster, last year the race was strange, because nobody wanted to push, to try to save the tyres for the end, and at the end it was a little bit better.

"But now at the this moment it looks like with the front we have less problems compared to last year. This is very important.

"It looks like we can push, but you never know."

MARQUEZ EXPECTING CHALLENGE

Pole for Marquez is his 32nd in the premier class, and the championship leader says he is expecting both Lorenzo and Rossi to make life difficult for him.

"Both Yamaha riders look pretty strong," he said.

"They are two good riders, they already arrived from a good base in Argentina and Qatar, they are very fast.

"It will be hard to beat them but we will try to find the best way for the last laps."

Follow the third race of the MotoGP season at Austin with Autosport Race Centre Live on Sunday night, from 7:45pm UK time