Spain’s Dani Pedrosa (5/4 outright) clinched pole position for Sunday’s San Marino Moto GP, as he edged out championship leader Jorge Lorenzo.

The Spaniard maintained the form that had seen him win the Indianapolis Grand Prix when he set a fastest time of one minute 33.948 seconds, leaving Lorenzo second on the grid.

Casey Stoner, who topped the sheets before a crash, was third and Valentino Rossi fourth fastest for his home race.

Lorenzo has a 68-point lead over fellow Spaniard Pedrosa (16/1 to win the title) in the standings.

Ben Spies, who will be Lorenzo’s Fiat Yahama team-mate next season, was the highest placed non-factory team rider in fifth, one ahead of Randy de Puniet, who is still on the mend after a broken leg.

Colin Edwards, Andrea Dovizioso and San Carlo Honda Gresini pair Marco Simoncelli and Marco Melandri completed the top 10.

Earlier in qualifying for the 125cc race, Great Britain’s Bradley Smith took his second pole position of the season.

Smith set a fastest lap time of one minute 43.329 seconds right at the end of the session, depriving championship leader Marc Marquez (5/4 outright) of pole by just 0.158 seconds, with Smith’s Bancaja Aspar team-mate

Nico Terol, who was second in this race last year, in third spot. Fellow Briton Danny Webb qualified ninth fastest.

And Scott Redding was just edged out for pole in the Moto2qualifying by championship leader Toni Elias (7/4 outright).

Reigning 125cc world champion Julian Simon was third fastest.