Portimao MotoGP, Portugal - Free Practice (3) Results

Free Practice (3) results from the Portimao MotoGP at Portimao in Portugal, round 3 of the 2021 world championship.
Fabio Quartararo, MotoGP, Portuguese MotoGP 16 April 2021
Fabio Quartararo, MotoGP, Portuguese MotoGP 16 April 2021
© Gold and Goose

UPDATE: Jorge Martin 'declared unfit with a head contusion, right hand and ankle contusion. He will be transferred to hospital for further medical checks'.

Quartararo and Yamaha take over at the top during a red-flagged Free Practice 3 for the Portimao MotoGP round.

The session was stopped with four minutes to go in order to treat rookie Martin, who had a big accident on his out-lap at Turn 7. The Qatar pole and podium star was conscious but clearly in a lot of pain and required extensive treatment in the gravel trap before eventually being moved to a waiting ambulance.

A replay of the end of Martin's accident showed the young Spaniard having already fallen from his Pramac Ducati and sliding at high-speed towards the gravel trap, where rider and bike looked to become tanged together as they flipped over multiple times.

Marshals, Portuguese MotoGP, 17 April 2021
Marshals, Portuguese MotoGP, 17 April 2021
© Gold and Goose

Fully dry conditions meant the fastest laps of the weekend so far in FP3, with the top ten riders (combined times) receiving direct access to the second and final part of qualifying.

Among those missing out on the top ten was eight-time world champion Marquez, returning to MotoGP action this weekend after being sidelined for the past nine months due to complications with his broken right arm, which eventually required three operations.

Marquez said he expected to struggle more with the arm today and will be joined in Qualifying 1 by the likes of world champion Mir, Repsol Honda team-mate Espargaro and Petronas Yamaha's Rossi, whose rookie brother Marini had his best MotoGP session so far.

Nakagami struggled with the aftermath of yesterday's heavy accident, especially on his right collarbone and stopped riding after just five laps this morning, shortly after a clash with Morbidelli, before attempting a return later in the session. However the Japanese elected not to take part in the final 4-minute sprint.

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