Reigning 250cc world champion
Jorge Lorenzo not only defended his provisional Catalan pole position, but pushed it nearly one second clear of his nearest rival during Saturday's second qualifying session.
The Fortuna Aprilia rider flew out of the starting blocks on a mission to add another Tissot watch to his collection, and improved considerably from yesterday's record-setting provisional pole lap - which broke
Dani Pedrosa's 2005 marker.
Lorenzo, who fell on the final lap of last weekend's Italian Grand Prix after clashing with countryman Alvaro Bautista, later described his fifth pole of the season as "the best lap of my life."
Fellow Spaniard Hector Barbara and Italian
Andrea Dovizioso kept second and third, while Aprilia wild-card Alex Debon grabbed the final place on the front row.
Final qualifying – Catalunya:
1. Lorenzo (Aprilia)
2. Barbera (Aprilia) +0.915secs
3. Dovizioso (Honda) +1.103secs
4. Debon (Aprilia) +1.235secs
5. Luthi (Aprilia) +1.284secs
6. de Angelis (Aprilia) +1.324secs
7. Bautista (Aprilia) +1.338secs
8. Kallio (KTM) +1.531secs
9. H. Aoyama (KTM) +1.566secs
10. Simoncelli (Gilera) +1.568secs
23. Laverty (Honda) +4.212secs
