Marc Marquez topped MotoGP FP3 for the Qatar Grand Prix despite an early fall, while Honda team-mate Jorge Lorenzo also suffered a crash.
On his first flying lap, Lorenzo was flicked from his RC213V as he applied the throttle exiting Turn 6, before team-mate Marquez fell after running wide at Turn 14 just a moment later.
Lorenzo never returned to the session after going to the medical centre for checks, while Friday pacesetter Marquez got back into the action around 15 minutes later.
Alex Rins set the early pace on his Suzuki with a 1:55.275s, before improving to a 1:55.142s to move six tenths clear of LCR's Cal Crutchlow.
Yamaha's Maverick Vinales cut Rins' deficit down to just under a tenth, with the Suzuki rider's effort remaining the benchmark through to the closing minutes of the session.
Marquez finally deposed Rins in with four minutes remaining with a 1:54.677s, which would go unbeaten despite the best efforts of Pramac's Francesco Bagnaia, who missed out by 0.063s late on.
With condition less than optimal in FP3, only Bagnaia, third-placed Pol Espargaro and his KTM stablemate Miguel Oliveira [Tech3] in 10th improved their times on the combined standings.
However, this still proved not enough for them to progress into Q2. This rung true for Yamaha's Valentino Rossi, whose 1:55.098s in the closing stages of FP3 kept him 16th overall and forcing him into the first part of qualifying later this evening.
He will be joined by Takaaki Nakagami [LCR], who was fifth in FP3, while Rins – despite a late fall at Turn 2 – will go straight into Q2 along with Sepang Racing's Franco Morbidelli and Vinales.
Johann Zarco leapt up to ninth on his KTM to lead Oliveira by a tenth, though the Frenchman will face Q1.
Pramac's Jack Miller secured a place in Q2 on Friday, and was 11th in FP3 ahead of Crutchlow who was not able to gain direct passage into the second part of qualifying.
Danilo Petrucci [13th] and Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso [14th], as well as SRT's Fabio Quartararo [15th], Suzuki's Joan Mir in 17th and Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia [20th] also secured their Q2 spots on Friday evening.
Lorenzo was shuffled out of the top 10 late on in Friday's FP2, and will have to go through Q1 on his Honda qualifying debut later this evening.
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