MotoGP rookie
Jorge Lorenzo took his fourth pole position of the 2008 season, but first since April's Portuguese Grand prix, at Motegi on Saturday.
Lorenzo went on to claim his first and so far only MotoGP victory from pole at Estoril, while his Japanese qualifying triumph marked Michelin's first pole position since May's French GP with
Dani Pedrosa - ten rounds previously.
A frantic conclusion to the qualifying hour saw Lorenzo prevail by 0.288secs from Ducati's world champion
Casey Stoner, with outgoing Repsol Honda rider
Nicky Hayden leading the RCV challenge in third.
Lorenzo's Bridgestone-shod Fiat Yamaha team-mate
Valentino Rossi, who can clinch the 2008 MotoGP World Championship with third place even if Stoner wins on Sunday, will start from fourth on the grid, with Pedrosa fifth on his Bridgestone-backed pneumatic RC212V.
Loris Capirossi upheld Suzuki pride with sixth, albeit 0.9secs from pole, whilst
Colin Edwards - who had snatched pole with 23 minutes remaining - collected seventh for Tech 3 Yamaha.
Randy de Puniet was the top satellite Honda rider in eighth for LCR, with Gresini's
Shinya Nakano ninth in front of his home fans and Motegi rookie
James Toseland tenth.
John Hopkins was the top Kawasaki challenger in eleventh, one place in front of former Suzuki team-mate
Chris Vermeulen, with 2009 Repsol Honda rider
Andrea Dovizioso a disappointing 14th for JiR.
Alice team-mates
Toni Elias and
Sylvain Guintoli will start 14th and 15th, with Stoner's team-mate
Marco Melandri 16th - almost two seconds from pole - and Kawasaki's
Anthony West 17th.
Gresini rookie
Alex de Angelis fell on the exit of the final turn during the final minute and will start 18th, ahead of only Suzuki wild-card Kousuke Akiyoshi.
Qualifying:
1. Lorenzo
2. Stoner
3. Hayden
4. Rossi
5. Pedrosa
6. Capirossi
7. Edwards
8. de Puniet
9. Nakano
10. Toseland
11. Hopkins
12. Vermeulen
13. Dovizioso
14. Elias
15. Guintoli
16. Melandri
17. West
18. de Angelis
19. Akiyoshi
