The 21-year-old rookie had never ridden his Fiat Yamaha at the Portuguese Grand Prix circuit before Friday's practice session, but that didn't prevent the reigning 250cc world champion from holding a near half-second advantage heading into the final minutes of Saturday's qualifying hour.
Arch-rival
Dani Pedrosa, winner last time out at
Jerez and the current
MotoGP World Championship leader, trimmed that down to 0.233secs with a few seconds remaining - but in reality Lorenzo, who had earlier survived a close moment as he squeezed past a slow moving
Chris Vermeulen, was always out of reach.
Lorenzo claims he is feeling no pressure to win on Sunday but, after showing such amazing one-lap pace during the first three rounds, even Jorge is talking in terms of 'when' not 'if' he wins his first race - having finished second and third in his two MotoGP starts to date.
As well as Honda-mounted countryman Pedrosa, one of the major obstacles between Lorenzo and a debut MotoGP victory on Sunday will be Fiat Yamaha team-mate
Valentino Rossi, who secured his first ever front row start with
Bridgestone tyres.
The Italian superstar was visibly happy afterwards and, having been in the top four all weekend, looks brimming with confidence for the race.
Heading row two on the grid will be Pedrosa's Repsol Honda team-mate
Nicky Hayden, who felt he was blocked on his best lap, while Tech 3 Yamaha team-mates
Colin Edwards and
James Toseland made good use of their newly acquired pneumatic-valve engines to completed row two - on a day when Toseland was confirmed as a Tech 3 rider for 2009.
Fellow rookie
Andrea Dovizioso qualified a best yet seventh, with fellow satellite Honda rider
Randy de Puniet eighth. World champion
Casey Stoner was the second best Bridgestone rider, behind Rossi, on the Michelin dominated grid - but will start in just ninth place as his search for front end feel continues.
