MUGELLO, (Italy): Championship leader Fabio Quartararo will start on pole for the fourth successive race after dominating Italian MotoGP qualifying with what he hailed as “the best lap” of his career at Mugello on Saturday.

Francesco Bagnaia had been fastest in all the first three practice sessions for local team Ducati, setting a new lap record in FP3 on Saturday morning.

Quartararo was top in final practice and kept the home favourites at bay again in qualifying.

The French Yamaha rider took pole in style, lowering the record Bagnaia set only hours earlier, with a new fastest time at the circuit of 1min 45.187sec.

Bagnaia, was second at 0.230sec, with Johann Zarco on Ducati satellite Pramac bike completing the front row of Sunday’s grid.

“I enjoyed that lap,” beamed Quartararo.