Bagnaia fastest during Misano FP3, Marquez and Rossi suffer crashes

Francesco Bagnaia tops Misano MotoGP FP3 for Ducati, while Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi were just two of six riders to suffer crashes. 
Francesco Bagnaia, San Marino MotoGP, 18 September 2021
Francesco Bagnaia, San Marino MotoGP, 18 September 2021
© Gold and Goose

Last weekend’s latest maiden MotoGP race winner Francesco Bagnaia topped Misano MotoGP FP3 ahead of Fabio Quartararo and Jack Miller. 

After both Friday free practices were hampered by wet conditions, riders were instead greeted by bright sunshine for today’s morning session. 

Michele Pirro was the first rider to significantly improve and therefore break into the top ten on combined times with sixth, while Marc Marquez was relegated outside the automatic Q2 spots. 

Fabio Quartararo then improved to fifth moments before Francesco Bagnaia moved up from P3 to quickest overall. Quartararo followed that up two laps later by going P2 behind Bagnaia. 

With Ducati looking on top form during both dry and wet conditions so far this weekend, Johann Zarco reinforced that feeling by making it five Ducati’s inside the top ten with 20 minutes gone. 

Valentino Rossi crashed at turn 13 just moments later, while Maverick Vinales put in a stunning lap to go three tenths clear of Bagnaia. 

Stefan Bradl was enjoying a strong start to FP3 after moving up to seventh, however, the German rider then crashed at turn 14. 

Miguel Oliveira became the third rider to crash during FP3 with a fall at turn ten, while Quartararo became the first rider to set a sub 1m 32s lap this weekend. 

Quartararo’s team-mate Franco Morbidelli showed well on just his second day in factory colours to go P6 during the opening time-attack run. Morbidelli was eventually pushed down to 15th. 

Bagnaia regained top spot from Quartararo with five minutes remaining, while Pirro went seventh after following last weekend’s maiden race winner.

After going fifth fastest, Jack Miller then went third overall on his penultimate lap, while Marc Marquez crashed at turn 14. 

The Repsol Honda rider was quickly joined by Tech 3 KTM rider Danilo Petrucci in suffering a crash. 

Petrucci’s team-mate Iker Lecuona also went down seconds later at turn 14 - making him the sixth rider to fall in this session.

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