Championship leader Marc Marquez stormed to a third consecutive pole at the Austrian MotoGP on Saturday.

The Repsol Honda rider has won the last two races and gave himself a great chance of continuing his purple patch at the Red Bull Ring. 

Marquez was quickest in FP3 and FP4 before a lap of one minute and 23.235 seconds in qualifying ensured he will start at the front of the grid for the fifth time this season.

The Spaniard took a minor tumble in the final practice session prior to getting back on his bike and upping the pace and there was no halting the defending champion's momentum as he took pole ahead of Ducati duo Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo.

Marquez, holding a 14-point lead over Maverick Vinales as he eyes a fourth title in five years, was 0.144secs faster than pre-race favourite Dovizioso, and Lorenzo was 0.386secs off the pace.

Vinales will start in fourth on Sunday, with Danilo Petrucci and Johann Zarco joining him on the second row.

Valentino Rossi had to settle for seventh, while Andrea Iannone, winner on this circuit last year, improved from 22nd to 10th.

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 1:23.235secs
2. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 1:23:379s
3. Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) 1:23:621s
4. Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha) 1:23:754s
5. Danilo Petrucci (OCTO Pramac Racing) 1:23:780s
6. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) 1:23:879s
7. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) 1:23:982s 
8. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) 1:23:985s
9. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) 1:24:024s
10. Andrea Iannone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) 1:24:185s