Rossi on track to retain his title
 |  Rossi is edging closer to his fourth MotoGP championship victory |
| |
PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia -- Italy's Valentino Rossi is on course to complete the defence of his MotoGP world championship in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, after taking provisional pole.
The Yamaha rider, who needs a top two finish on Sunday to clinch his fourth world championship, recorded a best lap time of one minute 30.22 seconds.
Rossi's nearest rival Sete Gibernau, who trails the 25-year-old by 30 points in the standings with two rounds remaining, was second-fastest in 1:30.60.
American Honda rider Nicky Hayden was back in third, 1.15 seconds slower than the Spaniard.
"I made a very good lap today, so I am pleased to have that under my belt already," Rossi said. "There is a lot of pressure this weekend. I need to transform that into positive energy.
"A lot of my pit crew are from Australia, so this is a significant race for them as well," he added.
Italy's Marco Melandri and Australian Garry McCoy came off the track during the first qualifying session but were not injured.
