Defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo will start Sunday's French Grand Prix from pole position having set a new lap record to top qualifying times on Saturday.

Yamaha rider Lorenzo, who turned 29 on Wednesday, was 0.441sec faster around the Bugatti circuit than fellow Spaniard Marc Marquez (Honda), the current series leader after victories in Argentina and the United States.

Italian Andrea Iannone, on a Ducati, will start in third having overcome an early crash in qualifying.

Lorenzo shattered the lap record at Le Mans, his fastest effort of 1min 31.975sec bettering Marquez's 1:32.042 set in qualifying in 2014. The fastest racing lap record was set by Valentino Rossi in 2015 (1:32.879).

The Spaniard's pole was his first in Le Mans and his 37th in MotoGP action.

Behind the top three come Pol Espargaro, Andrea Dovizioso and Bradley Smith, while Rossi, Maverick Vinales and Cal Crutchlow complete the third row.

Source :AFP