Ducati 1-2-3-4-5 in third Aragon practice, Marquez crashes

Five Ducati riders were split by just a tenth out front in the third Aragon MotoGP practice, as the returning Marc Marquez fell.

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Key moments:

> Works duo lead dominant Ducati

> Marquez saves crash, then doesn’t

> Both Aprilias to Q1

> Quartararo hangs on to Q2 spot

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Marquez, returning after a grand prix weekend absence that has spanned nearly four months, acknowledged on Friday that his first crash of the comeback was coming “sooner or later, I prefer later than sooner”.

But he was virtually down already at the very start of third practice, folding the front as he washed out wide at the final corner, only to manage to lift himself and his Honda RC213V up in the run-off in a trademark save.

Front folded, elbow on the ground, foot off the peg… 🤯@marcmarquez93 is BACK! 💪#AragonGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/clGjKjLzoz

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 17, 2022

Yet a fall coming up to the Turn 7 right-hander followed later into the session, one that was far too sudden to be save-able – and while Marquez was able to rejoin the session subsequently, he could only finish 12th-fastest on his spare bike despite towing championship leader Fabio Quartararo late on.

There was no saving that one this time! 💥

No warning at all for @marcmarquez93! 😮

Thankfully he was immediately up to his feet 👍#AragonGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/k0PhHDKN1R

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 17, 2022

Jack Miller set the pace out front with a 1m46.992s, the only sub-1m47s lap of the weekend so far, albeit with Ducati factory team-mate Francesco Bagnaia just 0.030s slower courtesy of his own late attempt.

VR46 Ducati rookie Marco Bezzecchi, Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini and Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin completed the top five, all within a tenth of Miller’s time.

KTM had a surprisingly strong single-lap showing, both works riders Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira securing Q2 spots and doing it with some margin in sixth and seventh.

And the final automatic Q2 spots went to Quartararo, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) and Alex Rins (Suzuki).

Aleix Espargaro was left to lament his struggles in the final sector as he placed 11th, with his Aprilia team-mate Maverick Vinales also coming up short, seemingly unable to get a proper lap in on fresh soft tyres late on.

They are likely to be challenged for progression out of Q2 by the likes of Marquez, VR46 Ducati rider Luca Marini and Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco.

Marquez’s crash remained the sole fall of the session until the final minutes, during which four riders fell in quick succession.

These were Rins, Binder, his younger brother Darryn and the latter’s team-mate Cal Crutchlow.

Rins’ team-mate Joan Mir, who was considering an early exit from the weekend on Friday as his injury has been taking a greater toll than expected, is persevering for now and was 0.771s off the pace in 18th.

Practice 3 Results