MotoGP 2015: Jorge Lorenzo takes pole at Misano, but is irritated over last-lap baulk by Valentino Rossi

VIDEO: IT was subtle, but Valentino Rossi may have just lit the fuse to properly ignite the MotoGP title battle between he and teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

IT was subtle, but Valentino Rossi may have just lit the fuse to properly ignite the MotoGP world championship battle between he and Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

Lorenzo has been entirely untouchable so far this weekend at the San Marino Grand Prix — being held in Rossi’s backyard at Misano, almost a literal stone’s throw from his hometown in Tavullia.

The Spaniard continued his rampage into qualifying, sweeping to pole position with a new lap record, edging out Marc Marquez by over a tenth of a second while Rossi was third.

RESULTS: Click here for full results from MotoGP qualifying at Misano

But it was a moment in the closing moments of the session that illustrates the rising tension between the two championship contenders.

Lorenzo was on his final flying lap, mere hundredths down on his record-setting — but, he claims, imperfect — run from earlier in the session.

And who else should he come across in the final corners but Rossi, cruising slowly back to the pits.

Their differing views on what happened next speaks volumes.

Lorenzo shook his head and gesticulated at Rossi when they pulled up to do their practice starts at the end of the session, continuing to appear frustrated in parc ferme and cryptically made his point to the media.

“I make a mistake on the previous tyre on the last corner, I open too much throttle and have to close, so the lap was better without this mistake,” Lorenzo explained.

“In the third try I try to be better, but in the previous corner I found Valentino going slow so I have to close the throttle a little bit to avoid impact.

“I lose probably two tenths to improve (my) 1m32.0 to 1m31.8, no?”

And Rossi’s view?

“(It was) nothing,” he said, with a giggle.

“I don't know, I make him lose time? Anyway, he’s on pole so I think is not a big problem.”

Afterwards, the pair shared jokes and smiles on the podium, but it showed the tension — at times, barely disguised animosity — that pervaded their relationship during their previous tenure together at Yamaha in 2008-2010 is still bubbling slightly below the surface.

Things have been more cordial since Rossi rejoined Yamaha in 2013 — but now, as in 2008-2010, there is a world title at stake.

The pair are separated by just 12 points with six races remaining in the season, Rossi edging ahead with his spectacular victory last time out in the wet at Silverstone.

But the nine-time world champion knows that his teammate has the raw speed to prevent him from making it ten, and a front row start at Misano is crucial to his title hopes.

“I still have some (setup) problems, but starting from the front row is important for tomorrow because Jorge is very strong, he has the best pace, and Marc is usually able to go with him,” he said.

“The first lap will be very important.”

Dani Pedrosa fell just 0.076 of a second short of leaving the partisan crowd disappointed, qualifying fourth ahead of Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, who beat the regulars to be the fastest of the team’s squadron of riders.

Bradley Smith was next in sixth ahead of the Andreas Iannone and Dovizioso, while Danilo Petrucci rounded out an all-Italian, all-Ducati third row aboard his Pramac machine.

Q1 graduates Aleix Espargaro and Cal Crutchlow were 10th and 11th, while Pol Espargaro crashed out of the session early and could do no better than 12th.

Scott Redding narrowly missed promotion into Q2 and will start 13th ahead of Maverick Vinales and Yonny Hernandez.

Loris Baz qualified fastest of the Open class bikes in 16th, but Australia’s Jack Miller was just 0.044 of a second down on his way to qualifying 17th.

Originally published as MotoGP 2015: Jorge Lorenzo takes pole at Misano, but is irritated over last-lap baulk by Valentino Rossi