Lorenzo, the title favorite after world champion teammate Valentino Rossi broke a shin at his home Italian Grand Prix 14 days ago and was ruled out for months, lapped the new Silverstone layout with a best time of two minutes 03.308 seconds.

The pole was the 23-year-old Spaniard's first in five races this season, the 10th of his MotoGP career, and left him perfectly placed to stretch his 25-point overall lead on Sunday.

France's Randy De Puniet will line up second on the grid on the LCR Honda, despite crashing on his final lap, after qualifying 0.126 slower.

Pedrosa, who suffered bruising to both knees and was due to undergo X-rays at the medical centre after the fall in the dying seconds, completed the front row trio.

De Puniet had appeared to be heading for a surprise first career pole on the Playboy-sponsored non-works machine until Lorenzo pushed him off the top with the seconds ticking away to the checkered flag.

The Frenchman then fell, without injury, as he tried to reclaim the position.

"I pushed a lot on the last lap and went faster in the middle of the track but then pushed too much and made a mistake," De Puniet said.

"It's no problem for me, I am on the first row...I think we have a good target and we'll see tomorrow. I think it's better for me to crash today because I will be more quiet for the race." Pedrosa had moments earlier slipped off his Honda and tumbled into the gravel at turn 12. The machine carried on in a straight line before hitting the tyre wall head-on and rebounding expensively.

The Spaniard — winner of the previous race at Mugello in Italy, which enabled him to leapfrog the absent Rossi into second place overall — had difficulty getting up and was taken away on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance.

Silverstone, home of the British Formula One Grand Prix, has taken over hosting the motorcycle race from financially stricken Donington Park.

The former World War Two airfield last hosted a British motorcycle Grand Prix in 1986, before Lorenzo was born.

In the 125cc category, Spanish rider Marc Marquez deprived local hope Bradley Smith of a home pole position with the quickest lap in the final seconds.