KUALA LUMPUR: Despite challenging conditions in qualifying on Saturday, Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team's (SRT) Franco Morbidelli did well to snatch a second row slot on the starting grid for Sunday's French Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Track conditions, which ranged from damp to full wet, made tire choice a tricky affair during qualifying at the Le Mans circuit and Morbidelli, who missed out on a direct entry, sneaked into Q2 after finishing second in Q1 on a one minute and 39.262s lap behind Valentino Rossi (Monster Yamaha).
Wetter conditions in Q2 saw Morbidelli clocking a slower time of 1:41.681s but it was still good enough to place him sixth on the grid.
Morbidelli said he was pleased with his pace considering the circumstances during the session.
"I didn't have new tyres for Q2 and had to do what I could. Actually my performance was actually pretty good because I was able to put myself on the second row," said Morbidelli.
"I was faster in the wet, maybe wet conditions suit our level (of performance) so far this weekend. But I am also confident that we can improve in the dry as well.
"It (qualifying) was a good result for us, let's see what the weather brings tomorrow (Sunday) and we will react."
Teammate Fabio Quartararo, who went straight to Q2, settled for 10th after notching 1:42.509s.
The Frenchman, who became the youngest ever MotoGP pole-sitter in Jerez a fortnight ago, initially wet out on slicks but was forced to box as conditions changed before rejoining the session on wet tyres.
Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez, despite suffering a minor crash during the session, topped the timesheet on 1:40.952s.
He is joined by a pair of Ducatis on the front row with Ducati factory rider Danilo Petrucci (1:41.312s) second and Pramac Racing's Jack Miller (1:41.366s) rounding out the top three.
Red Bull KTM Tech's Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah will start from 21st on the grid after coming in 11th in Q1 on 1:41.717s.
Full wet conditions in the race today could help Hafizh's cause. His nickame 'Pescao' means fish in Spanish due to his wet weather prowess.
"I felt better step by step in the wet and also built some confidence with the wet tyre. I hope that we can make another step (forward) tomorrow and then enjoy the race," said Hafizh.
There were also good results for Petronas Sprinta Racing's Moto2 and Moto3 teams in qualifying.
Mattia Pasini, who has stepped in as a replacement rider for the injured Khairul Idham Pawi, was fourth fastest in Moto2 qualifying on 1:49.906s.
Petronas Sprinta's John McPhee became the first Moto3 rider to progress from Q1 and subsequently go on to take pole in Q2 (1:42.277s), since the two qualifying group format was introduced to the lightweight class this year.
Teammate Ayumu Sasaki, however, settled for 24th on 1:44.837s.