Marc Marquez has put the outgoing factory KTM team on pole position for the penultimate round of the 125cc World Championship, at Sepang in Malaysia.

The Spaniard took his second pole of the season, and his grand prix career, by just 0.055sec from new world champion Julian Simon (Aspar Aprilia).

Simon's team-mate and Friday pace setter Bradley Smith, who needs to secure four points more than Nicolas Terol to secure second in the championship on Sunday, suffered a painful highside out of the final hairpin while holding second position with three minutes to go. The Englishman then lost the position to Simon.

Sandro Cortese was the top Derbi in fourth, while Terol will head row two for Jack & Jones Aprilia. Double 2009 race winner Pol Espargaro was left eleventh after an early fall.

Qualifying - Sepang:

1. Marquez (KTM)
2. Simon (Aprilia) +0.055sec
3. Smith (Aprilia) +0.453sec
4. Cortese (Derbi) +0.475sec
5. Terol (Aprilia) +0.647sec
6. Rabat (Aprilia) +0.930sec
7. Olive (Derbi) +1.060sec
8. Webb (Aprilia) +1.164sec
9. Vazquez (Derbi) +1.164sec
10. Folger (Aprilia) +1.236sec

17. Redding (Aprilia) +1.728sec