Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has emphatically claimed pole position for Sunday’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

The Spaniard set a blistering pace on his Repsol Honda in practice at Phillip Island, where he was quickest in all four sessions, and took that form into second qualifying in which he finished ahead of Italian Andrea Iannone on a Ducati and Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) in third.

Lorenzo is 18 points adrift of Italian teammate and MotoGP championship leader Valentino Rossi, who will start from the second row on the grid in seventh position.

Local hope Jack Miller qualified in 15th position on his LCR Honda – surpassing his previous best mark of 16th, which he’s achieved twice this season.