Aron Canet set the pace in final Moto3 free practice in Qatar, though Jorge Martin remains fastest overall by virtue of his Friday time.
FP3 got underway in scorching conditions, which meant the pace was someway off the best of Friday's running.
Gresini's Martin headed into Saturday's action as the rider to beat after posting an unofficial lap record of 2:05.590s in the evening session, and was the early pacesetter in FP3 with a 2:09.320s.
The Spaniard soon found CIP's John McPhee behind him, the Scottish rider using the tow to maximum effect to take over top spot with a 2:08.134s with half an hour remaining in the session.
McPhee's lap stood as the best up until the final three minutes, when Canet guided his Estrella Galicia Honda to a 2:07.864s.
The Spaniard came under some threat as the final laps came in, with Martin missing out on deposing his compatriot by just 0.004 seconds. Niccolo Antonelli completed the top three on his SIC58 Honda.
McPhee found himself shuffled back to fourth at the chequered flag ahead of Marco Bezzecchi, the Prustel GP rider setting his best laps without the benefit of a slipstream. Philipp Oettl rounded out the top six.
Fabio Di Giannantonio put the second Gresini bike seventh on the FP3 standings ahead of Ayumu Sasaki, Gabriel Rodrigo and the sister CIP KTM of rookie Makar Yurchenko.
Kaito Toba headed the sole Red Bull Ajo KTM this season of Darryn Binder in 11th, with Andrea Migno, Kazuki Masaki and Lorenzo Dalla Porta rounding off the top 15.
Jaume Masia was the only faller in the session, the Bester Capital rider losing the rear end exiting Turn 5 in the opening stages, though mercifully escaped a highside. The Spaniard, making his full-time Moto3 debut this season, was 26th in FP3.
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