Dovizioso defends top spot in FP3
Andrea Dovizioso kept his Ducati on top of the overall timesheets during a bright and sunny MotoGP Free Practice 3 at Motegi, Japan.
Dovizioso, quickest in Friday's dry FP1 before sitting out the damp FP2, was strongest during the fast lap shootout on new soft tyres at the end of the Saturday morning session.
Andrea Dovizioso kept his Ducati on top of the overall timesheets during a bright and sunny MotoGP Free Practice 3 at Motegi, Japan.
Dovizioso, quickest in Friday's dry FP1 before sitting out the damp FP2, was strongest during the fast lap shootout on new soft tyres at the end of the Saturday morning session.
The Italian, who can delay Marc Marquez's title celebrations if he beats the Spaniard on Sunday, chipped 0.250s from his Friday pace to hold off another Honda rider, LCR's Cal Crutchlow, by just 0.027s.
Monster Yamaha Tech3's Johann Zarco completed a top three covered by 0.030s, while fourth place for Marquez (+0.182s) meant the top four riders replicated the results of FP1.
Dovizioso was fastest in sector one of the track, Zarco in sectors two and three, with Crutchlow making his time in sector four.
There was a notable change in fifth (+0.315s) as Valentino Rossi's final lap not only propelled the Italian safely back inside the top ten, but made him the top factory Yamaha rider. Team-mate Maverick Vinales was a constant top ten feature on his way to seventh (+0.363s), as FP2 leader Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) split the Movistar riders.
Alex Rins made big progress from 19th to eighth place (+0.401s), and top Suzuki rider, just ahead of team-mate Andrea Iannone, with Pramac Ducati's Jack Miller claiming the final top ten place for direct access to Qualifying 2.
Forced to fight for the final pair of Q2 places in Qualifying 1 will be the likes of Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati) and Alvaro Bautista (Aspar Ducati).
Petrucci initially recovered well from his 'worst Friday' after a set-up gamble went wrong, but a fast lowside in the closing stages ended his top ten hopes. Bautista meanwhile was nudged out of the top ten by Rossi's last lap progress, the Spaniard having lapped just 0.6s behind Dovizioso.
KTM's Bradley Smith and Suzuki wild-card Sylvain Guintoli were the only riders not to improve on their best Friday lap this morning.
