Dovizioso tops FP3, Marquez loses out

Andrea Dovizioso replaced Ducati team-mate Jorge Lorenzo at the top of the timesheets during Free Practice 3 for the Catalunya MotoGP.

But the biggest news was that world championship leader Marc Marquez fell for the second time this weekend, dropping him outside the overall top ten and meaning he will need to take part in Qualifying 1.

The Repsol Honda rider had only been twelfth fastest after day one, but quickly rose up the order to third overall in FP3.

However as the late push for a flying lap began, Marquez lost the front of his RC213V on entry to Turn 10 at the end of the back straight.

The incident meant Marquez could only look on helplessly as he was shuffled down the order to eleventh, with no time to get back on track after returning to the pits for minor repairs.

It is the first time since Mugello 2015 that Marquez has not achieved direct access to Qualifying 2.

Dovizioso meanwhile topped the session with a 1m 38.923s, just 0.007s under Lorenzo's Friday best. Lorenzo, like Suzuki's Andrea Iannone, failed to improve this morning but the pair remained second and fourth fastest overall.

Lorenzo did not fit new tyres this morning - staying on used softs throughout and setting a 1m 39.795s with 22 laps on his tyres! - while Iannone put new softs at the end.

Between them was Movistar Yamaha's Maverick Vinales, with LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow behind Iannone in fifth despite a fall at Turn 2.

Monster Yamaha Tech3's Johann Zarco, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) and Tito Rabat (Avintia Ducati) completed the top rider riders securing direct access to Qualifying 2.

Rabat, Rossi, Zarco and Crutchlow Joined Marquez and Dovizioso in leading the timesheets during the FP3 session.

The late push saw most riders fit brand new soft-soft tyres. However Honda riders Crutchlow, Pedrosa and Marquez opted for the medium-soft combination - the RCV still working the front harder than most - which Marquez was using at the time of his fall.

Marquez's Qualifying 1 opposition will include impressive rookie Hafizh Syahrin (Tech3), who narrowly lost his overnight top ten place, plus Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro and Pramac Ducati's Jack Miller.

Click Here for the full FP3 results and combined top ten…