Jorge Lorenzo destroyed his own lap record as he annihilated the opposition to take his final pole for Yamaha.
The master of Valencia was untouchable, making it look easy as he stormed to the top spot with three banzai laps which couldn’t be matched by anyone.
The Movistar Yamaha rider – who heads to Ducati next week - set the pace immediately as he scorched to a stunning 1’29.849 in his first flying lap, while Marquez almost came to blows on track with Ducati’s Andrea Iannone, messing up his first big lap.
As they all came back for a second run, it was soon clear Lorenzo was nowhere near done, and this time he went even better, shaving more time off to set a 1’29.613 with just over six minutes left.
Marquez was also on a fast one, but he wasn’t able to match the outgoing champ and slotted into second.
Crutchlow and Danilo Petrucci were the two riders who made it through to the second session after battling their way through qualifying one, the Brit clearly vexed after his first run by rivals trying to get a tow.
But the LCR Honda man made it through after a really strong second run, but having looked just slightly out of sorts all day, it was no huge surprise when he had a very fast off at turn 10 with just five minutes to run, scuppering any chances of a good grid position.
Aleix Espargaro crashed his Suzuki Ecstar with three minutes to run but thankfully it didn’t mess up anyone’s lap.
Lorenzo’s team-mate Valentino Rossi – who has been struggling all weekend - finally found what he was looking for as he went third quickest, and it looked like it was all final.
However, Lorenzo was back out for a third and final run which was fast from the start. After another inch-perfect lap the Mallorcan posted an eye-watering 1’29.401s lap, smashing his own record from last year by an incredible 0.610s and guaranteeing him pole as he makes his final outing for Yamaha.
Marquez had one last shot too, but despite setting the fastest first sector was unable to get anywhere near Lorenzo and had to settle for second, and the only other rider to post a time in the 1.29s.
Rossi managed to keep hold of third, while his soon-to-be team-mate Maverick Vinales will head the second row in his final race for the Suzuki Ecstar team.
Andrea Dovizioso will be the lead Ducati as he starts fifth with Pol Espargaro’s Monster Yamaha sixth. The second Ducati of Iannone starts seventh, with Marquez’ Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa eighth and Aleix Espargaro ninth.
Bradley Smith emerged top-placed Brit having shaken off the food poisoning which blighted yesterday, and he starts from 10th, just one place ahead of Crutchlow in 11th and Petrucci 12th. Hector Barbera will line up 13th ahead of the Scott Redding in 14th.
Eugene Laverty had crashed out during qualifying one, but did get back out on his second bike to set a lap before the flag. Now headed back to World Superbikes, he starts from 19th for his final MotoGP race of this part of his career.
And Mika Kallio impressed everyone as he emerged 20th in the debut race weekend for the new Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team – just hours after the news filtered through that his wife had just given birth to their baby daughter.