Jorge Lorenzo is on pole position for Sunday’s British GP at Silverstone. The Spaniard pipped fellow Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso by 15 hundredths of a second in recording a time of 2min 10.155sec.

Marc Márquez, the MotoGP championship leader, will start fifth, with Johann Zarco and Britain’s Cal Crutchlow also ahead of him. Márquez had the boost of seeing his nearest title challenger, Valentino Rossi, record the slowest time in the second qualifying session. The 39-year-old Italian will start from 12th on the grid.

Bradley Smith was quickest in the first session in front of his home crowd in 2min 13.340sec and improved by nearly two seconds in Q2 to qualify eighth.

The second session was delayed by an hour owing to the wet conditions. The final practice session was red-flagged after a multi-rider accident that resulted the Reale Avintia rider Tito Rabat being taken to hospital with multiple fractures in his right leg.

Officials decided the grand prix would be moved forward to an 11.30am start after declaring racing conditions to be too dangerous following Rabat’s accident.

A downpour flooded Silverstone, leading to riders crashing or overshooting at the end of the Hangar straight. That prompted the riders to support the move by Dorna, the FIM and Silverstone to bring forward the GP after forecasts predicted more rain at the circuit on Sunday afternoon.

The Moto3 and Moto2 races will be staged later at 1pm and 2:30pm respectively.

John McGuinness, who is making his TT comeback after breaking his back, leg and ribs during practice for the North West 200 in May last year, won the Senior Classic race at the Manx Grand Prix.

The 46-year-old put his Winfield Paton 1min 13.072sec ahead of Jamie Coward and Lee Johnston to win the four-lap race over the island course.