Patrick, who is still looking for her first win in Nascar, earned the top spot after recording the fastest lap time during qualifying last weekend.

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"We were really comfortable and competitive on this track, but when I had my last chance to do a quick lap time I found some slower riders on track and they wanted to follow me, " said Lorenzo.

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It is a major change from the last three seasons, when drivers had just one lap to set their time but they ran alone on the track.

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But the McLaren man had to produce a dramatic last lap to pip Robert Kubica in the BMW who had surprisingly posted the quickest time moments before in Saturday's session.

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Bahrain's Maryam Jamal clocked a national record and world-leading time for 2005, winning the 3, 000m in eight minutes 28.87 seconds, covering the last lap in under a minute.

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He aborted his last flying lap and finished down in ninth place, nearly half a second off Massa's time.

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