British MotoGP, Silverstone - Free Practice (3) Results
Jack Miller puts Ducati fastest during Saturday morning's Free Practice 3 for the 2021 British MotoGP at a chilly Silverstone.
World championship leader fabio Quartararo, still limping from his Friday highside, was second fastest courtesy of his Friday time with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro completing the combined top three.
The top ten riders after FP3 (combined times) receive direct access to the second and final part of qualifying, with the likes of 2019 race winner Alex Rins (who fell in the closing stages) and Johann Zarco among those needing to fight through Qualifying 1.
Pol Espargaro, enjoying the extra grip from the track surface this weekend, fell in the final minute but had already done enough for sixth place. Team-mate Marc Marquez, distracted by sand in his eye on Friday after sliding off at 270km/h, was tenth.
With Maverick Vinales splitting from Yamaha after Austria, test rider Cal Crutchlow has been moved from Petronas Yamaha to the Monster Yamaha team at Silverstone.
As a result of Crutchlow's move, SRT has called-up Moto2 rider Jake Dixon to make a MotoGP debut in front of his home fans this weekend, riding in place of the injured Franco Morbidelli on the team's 2019-based A-Spec bike.
3.284s from the top in 21st on Friday, Dixon suffered his first premier-class fall when he lost the front early in FP3 at Turn 16 and was unable to improve on his Friday time.
Aprilia's Lorenzo Savadori abandoned his return from ankle injuries due to pain during Friday practice.
This weekend's event marks MotoGP's first visit to Silverstone since before the Covid pandemic, in 2019.
| British MotoGP, Silverstone - Free Practice (3) Results | |||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max | |
| 1 | ^1 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Team (GP21) | 1'59.288s | 11/15 | 340k |
| 2 | ^5 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | +0.098s | 14/15 | 334k |
| 3 | = | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP21)* | +0.108s | 14/15 | 336k |
| 4 | ˅3 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.173s | 13/17 | 332k |
| 5 | ^1 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Team (GP21) | +0.227s | 16/17 | 339k |
| 6 | ˅2 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.227s | 15/16 | 339k |
| 7 | ^3 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.265s | 16/17 | 330k |
| 8 | ^5 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.363s | 14/15 | 330k |
| 9 | ˅1 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.383s | 15/16 | 334k |
| 10 | ˅5 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.395s | 14/17 | 332k |
| 11 | ^3 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP21) | +0.437s | 17/18 | 338k |
| 12 | ^3 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.765s | 15/16 | 330k |
| 13 | ^3 | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.787s | 13/16 | 332k |
| 14 | ^6 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.869s | 15/16 | 332k |
| 15 | ˅6 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +1.049s | 12/14 | 332k |
| 16 | ˅5 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.071s | 16/17 | 330k |
| 17 | ^1 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.257s | 15/15 | 331k |
| 18 | ˅1 | Luca Marini | ITA | Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +1.260s | 10/15 | 332k |
| 19 | = | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.595s | 15/16 | 332k |
| 20 | ˅8 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +2.158s | 7/16 | 332k |
| 21 | = | Jake Dixon | GBR | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +3.526s | 6/13 | 324k |
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than Friday.
= Rider is same position as Friday.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than Friday.
* Rookie
| Riders directly to Qualifying 2 - Top 10 Combined Practice Times: | |||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team |
| 1 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Team (GP21) |
| 2 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 3 | Aleix Espargaro | ESP | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) |
| 4 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP21)* |
| 5 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Team (GP21) |
| 6 | Pol Espargaro | ESP | Repsol Honda (RC213V) |
| 7 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 8 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
| 9 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) |
| 10 | Marc Marquez | ESP | Repsol Honda (RC213V) |
Fastest Friday time:
Fabio Quartararo FRA Yamaha 1m 59.317s
Official Silverstone MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 58.168s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 59.936s(2019)
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
