Yamaha's Maverick Vinales topped the third MotoGP practice of the French Grand Prix weekend with an unofficial lap record time of 1:31.619s, while Marc Marquez was second despite a crash.
The cooler temperatures met by the riders for the start of FP3 meant improvements on the combined times were few and far between, with Marquez setting the pace on the individual session timesheet with a 1:32.515s.
LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow was the first major improver, the Briton jumping up from 11th to fifth on the combined standings with a session-topping time of 1:32.262s, while Avintia's Tito Rabat moved up to a provisional Q2 place in ninth.
Home hero Johann Zarco guided his Tech3 Yamaha to top spot in FP3 with 14 minutes remaining with a 1:32.258s, though it wouldn't be until the final four minutes when more overall improvements would come in.
Marquez began his assault on the combined timesheets with seven minutes remaining, but crashed at the Dunlop chicane.
The Spaniard was able to rejoin, but was left with just half an aerodynamic fairing to complete the session with.
However, he was still able to improve to a 1:32.011s, while Zarco dipped underneath the lap record with a 1:31.866s with just over a minute of the session remaining.
The Frenchman was denied top spot, first by Yamaha's Valentino Rossi, before Marquez went to the top of the pile with a 1:31.774s.
Marquez's time at the top of the timesheets was short-lived, though, as Vinales edged ahead with a 1:31.619s on his final effort, while Rossi held onto thid spot.
Zarco found himself shuffled back to fourth but safely into Q2, as is Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati stablemate Jack Miller.
Late improvements for Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro secure him seventh ahead of Rabat, Suzuki's Andrea Iannone and Crutchlow, though the LCR rider will face Q2 after Rabat leaped up to ninth on the combined times on his final lap.
Friday pacesetter Andrea Dovizioso was only 15th in FP3, but his 1:31.936s from FP2 was good enough to keep him sixth overall and inside the direct progression places for Q2.
Dani Pedrosa was a place ahead of Dovizioso in 14th on the FP3 timesheets, but will face Q1 after ending the morning 16th overall following an early crash at Turn 12.
KTM duo Pol Espargaro [19th] and Bradley Smith [16th], Tom Luthi [23rd] and Xavier Simeon [24th] also crashed during FP3.
Discussion about this post