Marquez takes British pole

Silverstone - Spain's world championship leader Marc Marquez set himself up for a potential fifth successive MotoGP win on Saturday as he took pole for Sunday's British Grand Prix.

The 20-year-old Repsol Honda rider - bidding to become the first rookie since American Kenny Roberts in 1978 to win the world championship - edged out compatriot and defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo on a Yamaha to take his fifth pole position of the campaign.

Marquez left 26-year-old Lorenzo stunned as the latter had broken the lap record with a time of 2:00.819 to move into pole position only to see his younger compatriot put in an even better lap of 2:00.691.

"I thought I had pole position," said Lorenzo.

"I am disappointed because it was one of the best laps of my career and it was not enough.

"But it is a long race on Sunday and I hope to fight for victory."

Briton Cal Crutchlow produced an impressive performance in qualifying to take third place on the grid having had a terrible time in practice earlier on Saturday as he crashed twice.

Stefan Bradl was fourth, Marquez's team-mate Dani Pedrosa - who had started the season as principal rider but has seen his position usurped - fifth and Italy's multiple world champion Valentino Rossi sixth.

Grid:

1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 2m 0.691s
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 2m 0.819s
3. Cal Crutchlow GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 1.425s
4. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 2m 1.558s
5. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 2m 1.624s
6. Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha Factory Racing (YZR-M1) 2m 2.109s
7. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP13) 2m 2.123s
8. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 2m 2.252s
9. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Team (GP13) 2m 2.289s
10. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 2m 2.409s
11. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT) 2m 4.032s
12. Aleix Espargaro ESP Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) No Time
13. Randy De Puniet FRA Power Electronics Aspar (ART CRT) 2m 4.114s
14. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT) 2m 4.236s
15. Michele Pirro ITA Ignite Pramac Racing (GP13) 2m 4.680s
16. Andrea Iannone ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing (GP13) 2m 4.692s
17. Yonny Hernandez COL Paul Bird Motorsport (ART CRT) 2m 4.749s
18. Danilo Petrucci ITA Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT) 2m 4.798s
19. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM-ART CRT) 2m 4.936s
20. Claudio Corti ITA NGM Forward Racing (FTR-Kawasaki CRT) 2m 5.356s
21. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Avintia Blusens (FTR-Kawasaki CRT) 2m 5.622s
22. Lukas Pesek CZE Came IodaRacing Project (Suter-BMW CRT) 2m 7.261s
23. Bryan Staring AUS Go&Fun Honda Gresini (FTR-Honda CRT) 2m 7.300s