Valentino Rossi takes 50th career pole position

Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi took the 50th pole position of his MotoGP career at the final race of the season in Valencia today.

Fellow Italian Andrea Iannone took second, with Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa taking third.

Marc Marquez, who has already been crowned this season's world champion, will start from fifth position, one place behind Rossi's Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi is one of MotoGP's most successful riders of all time, having claimed six world championships between 2002 and 2009.