On-fire Marquez takes pole for British MotoGP

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 2min 00.819sec 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. Source:AFP