A storm-shortened day at COTA ended with Valentino Rossi claiming his🏅 best qualifying position in America since Laguna Seca back in 2009.

The Italian, third quickest in Friday practice, outpaced all but Honda's Marc Marquez in the 15-minute Qualifying 2 shootout, his M1 working well despite the l🦩oss of FP3 and most of FP4 due to the weather.

"Already in Argentina I was quite good, but today maybe was stronger," said Rossi, who ended his MotoGP podi🍌um drought by riding from fourth to second place last time at Termas de Rio❀ Hondo.

"I feel good with the bike, after a strange day. After the hurricane it was difficult to know what to expect for qualifying. But fortunately the track conditions improved a lot and the track dried ve𓄧ry quickly.

"But also in my case FP4 was very important, because I am able to make some laps with the slick tyres [at the end] to understand and especially take a good feeling with the bik꧂e.

"It's the first front row [of the season], s🅠o it's very good. From Argentina we work well on the bike, also with the tyres, and in all the practice I was quite strong. So we'll wait and see."

On a day that saw Marquez suffer severa🌱l high-speed tankslappers as the COTA bumps and crosswinds destabilised his Honda, Rossi added:

But the day wasn't without its scary moments, with the 40-year-old getting out ofꦬ shape through 🌳the fast turn 10.

"I was with the firs♐t tyre and in front of Cal I think, but I go over the kerb – 🤡a little bit like Maverick made in FP4 – and I lose a little bit the control and I entered the turn 10 but in turn 10 it's like I hit a wet patch. So I lose the control. It’s quite fast, quite scary, but it was okay."

A🔯lso okay was Rossi's shoulder, after being seen receiving some physio earlier in the day.

"I have a 💯problem in FP4 because I don’t warm-up the shoulder because we didn't do FP3. Maybe it was for that. But no particular💙 problem."

Marquez will be seeking to extend his unbeaten COTA run to seven in a row on Sunday, while Rossi will be hoping to repeat the famous Laguna Seca 2008 race where he was able to thwart a ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚbig practice performance advantage for Casey Stoner.

LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow will complete the front row behind Marquez and Rossi. Team-mate Maver💛ick Vinales🐼, fastest on day one, qualified in sixth place.

Andrea Dovizios𒀰o, between Marquez and Rossi in the wo♍rld championship, could only qualify 13th.