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Honda's Dani Pedrosa not only took pole position for the start of the 2013 Spanish MotoGP at Catalunya - he broke the lap record, too.
It was Pedrosa' second pole of the season and 26th of his career.
Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow was second and Jorge Lorenzo filled out the front row of the grid on another Yamaha.
Pedrosa took his Honda around the Circuit de Catalunya in a flying lap of 1minute40.893 under sunny skies in his native region of north-eastern Spain.
Newcomer Marc Marquez will start Sunday's race from sixth on the grid.
The rest of the qualifying results are below.
BUT ON FRIDAY...
However it was Valentino Rossi who gave his faltering season the urgent kick-start it needed on Friday when he topped the times in practice for Sunday's Catalunya MotoGP.
With track temperatures on that day soaring towards 50 degrees the nine-times World champion clocked 1min42.297 with Yamaha team mate Jorge Lorenzo second at 0.049sec slower while World championship leader Dani Pedrosa was back in third, 0.148sec off the pace.
All that changed, of course, on Sunday when Pedrosa not only took pole for Sunday’s race but also broke the track record.
Rossi won once in the 125cc series in 1997 then claimed 250cc wins in 1998 and 1999, one 500cc victory in 2001 and five MotoGP victories - 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009.
"I love this track; it is one of the best. The M1 (bike) is always great here in Catalunya," Rossi said. "It is just Friday but I am very happy to be in front, although we have still a lot of work to do.
“We have to decide which tyres to use and we have some corners and sections where we have to improve for Saturday. Anyway, it is great to be back on top."
Reigning World champion Lorenzo had been fastest in the morning session on Friday in front of his home crowd, 0.023sec ahead of compatriot Pedrosa.
Catalunya MotoGP qualification
1 Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Honda 1min40.893
2 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR) Yamaha 1min41.501
3 Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Yamaha 1min41.566
4 Alvaro BAUTISTA (SPA) Honda 1min41.714
5 Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati 1min41.800
6 Marc MARQUEZ (SPA) Repsol 1min41.842
7 Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha 1min41.959
8 Andrea IANNONE (ITA) Pramac 1min41.963
9 Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Ducati1min42.053
10 Stefan BRADL (GER) Honda 1min42.090
11 Bradley SMITH (GBR) Yamaha 1min42.548
12 Aleix ESPARGARO (SPA) Aspar 1min42.878
Catalunya Moto2 qualification
1 Pol Espargaro (Spain) Pons Kalex 1min46.410
2 Scott Redding (Britain) Kalex 1min47.029
3 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Pons Kalex 1min47.076
4 Takaaki Nakagami (Japan) Kalex 1min47.098
5 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Speed up 1min47.149
6 Johann Zarco (France) Suter 1min47.213
7 Jordi Torres (Spain) Suter 1min47.258
8 Randy Krummenacher (Switzerland) Suter 1min47.418
9 Sandro Cortese (Germany) Kalex 1min47.422
10 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter 1min47.424
Catalunya Moto3 qualification
1 Luis Salom (Spain) KTM - 1min50.782
2 Alex Rins (Spain) KTM - 1min51.108
3 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Mahindra - 1min51.540
4 Alex Marquez (Spain) KTM - 1min51.668
5 Maverick Vinales (Spain) KTM - 1min51.802
6 Efren Vazquez (Spain) Mahindra - 1min51.952
7 Isaac Vinales (Spain) FTR - 1min51.966
8 Jack Miller (Australia) FTR - 1min52.060
9 Niccolo Antonelli (Italy) FTR - 1min52.105
10 Alexis Masbou (France) FTR - 1min52.299
Motorcycle World championship standings ahead of the 2013 Catalunya MotoGP
1 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 103
2 Jorge Lorenzo(ESP/Yamaha) 91
3 Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 77
4 Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 71
5 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 50
6 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 47
7 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) 45
8 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Honda) 38
9 Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda LCR) 30
10 Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) 28
11 Bradley Smith (GBR/Yamaha Tech3) 24
12 Michele Pirro (ITA/Ducati) 22
13 Andrea Iannone (ITA/Ducati Pramac) 21
14 Hector Barbera (ESP/FTR Kawasaki) 13
15 Randy de Puniet (FRA/Aprilia) 11
Moto2
1 Scott Redding (GBR/Kalex) 101
2 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Suter) 58
3 Mika Kallio (FIN/Kalex) 58
4 Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) 55
5 Pol Espargaro (ESP/Kalex) 54
Moto3
1 Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM) 106
2 Luis Salom (ESP/KTM) 102
3 Alex Rins (ESP/KTM) 81
4 Jonas Folger (GER/Kalex KTM) 63
5 Alex Marquez (ESP/KTM) 35
It was Pedrosa' second pole of the season and 26th of his career.
Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow was second and Jorge Lorenzo filled out the front row of the grid on another Yamaha.
Pedrosa took his Honda around the Circuit de Catalunya in a flying lap of 1minute40.893 under sunny skies in his native region of north-eastern Spain.
Newcomer Marc Marquez will start Sunday's race from sixth on the grid.
The rest of the qualifying results are below.
BUT ON FRIDAY...
However it was Valentino Rossi who gave his faltering season the urgent kick-start it needed on Friday when he topped the times in practice for Sunday's Catalunya MotoGP.
With track temperatures on that day soaring towards 50 degrees the nine-times World champion clocked 1min42.297 with Yamaha team mate Jorge Lorenzo second at 0.049sec slower while World championship leader Dani Pedrosa was back in third, 0.148sec off the pace.
All that changed, of course, on Sunday when Pedrosa not only took pole for Sunday’s race but also broke the track record.
Rossi won once in the 125cc series in 1997 then claimed 250cc wins in 1998 and 1999, one 500cc victory in 2001 and five MotoGP victories - 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009.
"I love this track; it is one of the best. The M1 (bike) is always great here in Catalunya," Rossi said. "It is just Friday but I am very happy to be in front, although we have still a lot of work to do.
“We have to decide which tyres to use and we have some corners and sections where we have to improve for Saturday. Anyway, it is great to be back on top."
Reigning World champion Lorenzo had been fastest in the morning session on Friday in front of his home crowd, 0.023sec ahead of compatriot Pedrosa.
Catalunya MotoGP qualification
1 Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Honda 1min40.893
2 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR) Yamaha 1min41.501
3 Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Yamaha 1min41.566
4 Alvaro BAUTISTA (SPA) Honda 1min41.714
5 Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati 1min41.800
6 Marc MARQUEZ (SPA) Repsol 1min41.842
7 Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha 1min41.959
8 Andrea IANNONE (ITA) Pramac 1min41.963
9 Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Ducati1min42.053
10 Stefan BRADL (GER) Honda 1min42.090
11 Bradley SMITH (GBR) Yamaha 1min42.548
12 Aleix ESPARGARO (SPA) Aspar 1min42.878
Catalunya Moto2 qualification
1 Pol Espargaro (Spain) Pons Kalex 1min46.410
2 Scott Redding (Britain) Kalex 1min47.029
3 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Pons Kalex 1min47.076
4 Takaaki Nakagami (Japan) Kalex 1min47.098
5 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Speed up 1min47.149
6 Johann Zarco (France) Suter 1min47.213
7 Jordi Torres (Spain) Suter 1min47.258
8 Randy Krummenacher (Switzerland) Suter 1min47.418
9 Sandro Cortese (Germany) Kalex 1min47.422
10 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter 1min47.424
Catalunya Moto3 qualification
1 Luis Salom (Spain) KTM - 1min50.782
2 Alex Rins (Spain) KTM - 1min51.108
3 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Mahindra - 1min51.540
4 Alex Marquez (Spain) KTM - 1min51.668
5 Maverick Vinales (Spain) KTM - 1min51.802
6 Efren Vazquez (Spain) Mahindra - 1min51.952
7 Isaac Vinales (Spain) FTR - 1min51.966
8 Jack Miller (Australia) FTR - 1min52.060
9 Niccolo Antonelli (Italy) FTR - 1min52.105
10 Alexis Masbou (France) FTR - 1min52.299
Motorcycle World championship standings ahead of the 2013 Catalunya MotoGP
1 Dani Pedrosa (ESP/Honda) 103
2 Jorge Lorenzo(ESP/Yamaha) 91
3 Marc Marquez (ESP/Honda) 77
4 Cal Crutchlow (GBR/Yamaha) 71
5 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 50
6 Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 47
7 Nicky Hayden (USA/Ducati) 45
8 Alvaro Bautista (ESP/Honda) 38
9 Stefan Bradl (GER/Honda LCR) 30
10 Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) 28
11 Bradley Smith (GBR/Yamaha Tech3) 24
12 Michele Pirro (ITA/Ducati) 22
13 Andrea Iannone (ITA/Ducati Pramac) 21
14 Hector Barbera (ESP/FTR Kawasaki) 13
15 Randy de Puniet (FRA/Aprilia) 11
Moto2
1 Scott Redding (GBR/Kalex) 101
2 Nicolas Terol (ESP/Suter) 58
3 Mika Kallio (FIN/Kalex) 58
4 Esteve Rabat (ESP/Kalex) 55
5 Pol Espargaro (ESP/Kalex) 54
Moto3
1 Maverick Vinales (ESP/KTM) 106
2 Luis Salom (ESP/KTM) 102
3 Alex Rins (ESP/KTM) 81
4 Jonas Folger (GER/Kalex KTM) 63
5 Alex Marquez (ESP/KTM) 35