Quartararo leads quiet Doha MotoGP FP3 with last gasp flyer

Fabio Quartararo led the way in FP3 for the Doha Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit in what was a quiet session due to significant wind and sand.

Visibility was low as a smattering of riders headed out on track as the session got underway thanks to the wind blowing sand through the air, therefore greatly reducing grip level around the 5.3km venue.

Quartararo led the way early on with a relatively pedestrian 1:56.912s due to the conditions, an effort nearly four seconds slower than Jack Miller’s FP2 leading gambit.

He soon lowered his benchmark by a couple of tenths before Joan Mir manoeuvred his way to the head of the timing sheets by posting a 1:56.450s lap.

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Suzuki team-mate Alex Rins lowered the bar to a 1:56.347s in the closing minutes as track activity increased in intensity, though Yamaha’s pilots looked threatening.

All four M1 racers posted session-best sectors across their final laps, though struggles in the final sector seemed to ultimately dull the efforts of Petronas SRT pair Valentino Rossi and Franco Morbidelli.

Quartararo managed to hold his advantage the end of his final effort though as he posted a 1:56.064s, the Frenchman already guaranteed a spot directly into the pole shootout due to his Friday performance.  

The high winds that swept sand across the track surface combined with a high ambient temperature once again meant that improvements from Friday evening’s FP2 session were impossible, meaning reigning MotoGP world champion Joan Mir was left once again playing catch-up after ending the test outside the top ten after running out of time to set a final flyer.

Mir managed a solid third in FP3 just behind team-mate Rins-who did manage a Q2 berth with the eighth best time in FP2-though he will have work to do if he wants to capture a top ten starting spot for Sunday’s Doha GP.

Danilo Petrucci was fourth quickest in what so far has been a more encouraging weekend for KTM following their disastrous Qatar GP outing, while Maverick Vinales completed the top five as the next man to secure a Q2 spot.

Morbidelli ended FP3 sixth fastest and will also progress to Q2, while Enea Bastianini ended the test as fastest rookie ahead of LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez.

Rossi and Honda’s Pol Espargaro completed the top ten, though both will have to navigate Q1 after only managing the 14^th and 17^th best times on Friday respectively.

The Ducati armada elected to take it easy in FP3 after dominating FP2, Miller and Johann Zarco deciding not to post a representative effort while Francesco Bagnaia ended up 14^th.