MADRID, Nov 10: Local favourite Dani Pedrosa broke the Valencia circuit record on his way to pole position for the season-ending MotoGP round on Saturday.

The Honda rider scorched round in one minute 30.844 seconds in the final minutes of a dry qualifying session at the Cheste circuit.

Fellow-Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, who has already clinched his second world championship for Yamaha, was second fastest with Honda’s Australian Casey Stoner third ahead of his last race before retirement.

Qualifying results: Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 1:30.844; 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 1:31.195; 3. Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 1:31.428; 4. Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 1:31.512; 5. Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda 1:31.757; 6. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Yamaha 1:31.795; 7. Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati     1:32.503; 8. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 1:32.585; 9. Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati 1:32.605; 10. Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 1:32.834.—Reuters