Emilia Romagna MotoGP, Misano - Free Practice (3) Results

Free Practice (3) results from the Emilia Romagna MotoGP at Misano, round 16 of 18 in the 2021 world championship.
Johann Zarco , Emilia-Romagna MotoGP, 22 October 2021
Johann Zarco , Emilia-Romagna MotoGP, 22 October 2021
© Gold and Goose Photography

Johann Zarco sets the pace as wet weather continues during FP3 for the Emilia Romagna MotoGP at Misano, but world championship rivals Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo both miss out on the top ten and will head for Qualifying 1.

Despite the continued rain, Saturday morning saw the best times of the weekend so far, meaning the top ten places for direct access to Qualifying 2 were all decided in this session.

Marc Marquez was first to improve, climbing to second behind Jack Miller's Friday time within the opening 15-minutes.

But it was the Ducati riders who continued to dominate in the wet with Miller, Jorge Martin and Zarco swapping places at the sharp end of the timesheets. However there were shocked faces in the factory Ducati pits as title contender Francesco Bagnaia found himself pushed out of the top ten.

Fabio Quartararo has his first chance to win the 2021 MotoGP title this weekend, providing he can keep his 52-point lead over Bagnaia to at least 50-points on Sunday.

After sinking to 16th as the Yamahas continued to struggle in wet - and especially drying conditions - on Friday afternoon, Quartararo made an encourahing start to FP3, breaking back into the top ten.

But the Frenchman was then pushed back to 13th as the final ten minutes began, with the other three Yamahas at the very bottom of the timesheets.

Facing his first Qualifying 1 visit of the season, Quartararo dug deep to snatch tenth place with five minutes remaining but was almost immediately bumped back out of Qualifying 2 and repeatedly made mistakes as he tried to retaliate.

Nonetheless, Bagnaia's lack of speed was the biggest surprise and will be a massive relief for Quartararo and Yamaha. As well as Bagnaia and Quartararo, reigning champion Joan Mir was another big name that failed to make the top ten cut.

Quartararo's team-mate Franco Morbidelli did find time, leaping to seventh as best of the M1s with Petronas riders Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi 22nd and 23rd.

Rossi is competing in his final Italian round before retirement, unveiling a special helmet design on Saturday morning.

Wild-cards Lorenzo Savadori and Michele Pirro both fell in the early stages of the session, followed by a nasty highside for Alex Rins at turn 13.

The rear of Miguel Oliveira's KTM span out through the final corner shortly after he had gone fastest, the Portuguese being grabbed by a marshal as he tried to run across the track to get back to the pits.

Bagnaia won last month's first Misano round, ahead of Quartararo and Enea Bastianini. The tyre allocation will be the same for this weekend, but temperatures are cooler.

After wet weather throughout FP1, FP2 and FP3 better weather is forecast for this afternoon and especially Sunday.

Emilia Romagna MotoGP, Misano - Free Practice (3) Results
Pos RiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1^1Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)1'40.384s17/21298k
2^8Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*+0.087s16/21298k
3˅2Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)+0.136s13/17297k
4^1Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.448s13/21290k
5^9Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.471s13/18292k
6^13Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.541s21/23293k
7^13Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.558s16/19286k
8˅5Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+0.580s18/18294k
9=Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+0.583s17/19289k
10˅4Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+0.601s21/21292k
11˅3Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)+0.737s20/20296k
12˅1Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.745s20/20290k
13^5Michele PirroITADucati Team (GP21)+0.784s20/20290k
14˅10Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+0.852s22/22289k
15^1Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.891s21/22289k
16^1Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.101s21/21290k
17^4Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+1.154s22/23293k
18˅6Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.407s17/17291k
19˅6Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+1.492s20/20292k
20^3Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+1.504s22/23293k
21˅6Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+1.639s17/19292k
22^2Andrea DoviziosoITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.867s19/21285k
23˅1Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+2.217s19/19288k
24˅17Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)*No Time0/00

* Rookie
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP2.
= Rider is same position as FP2.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP2.

Riders directly to Qualifying 2 - Top 10 Combined Practice Times:
PosRiderNatTeam
1Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)
2Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*
3Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)
4Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)
5Marc MarquezESPRepsol Honda (RC213V)
6Pol EspargaroESPRepsol Honda (RC213V)
7Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)
8Aleix EspargaroESPAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)
9Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)
10Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia (GP19)*

Official Misano MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Maverick Vinales SPA Yamaha 1m 31.007s (2020)
Fastest race lap:
Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati 1m 32.242s(2021)

By Peter McLaren

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