Everything that happened in Austin MotoGP practice three

Reigning MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo set the pace in the third practice session at Circuit of the Americas, as a number of potential event favourites were consigned to contesting the first qualifying segment.

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Key moments:

– Quartararo leads Bastianini and Miller

– COTA king Marquez a strong fourth, but impedes Bastianini

– Crash costly for Q1-bound Martin

– Rins, both Aprilias and all KTMs also heading for Q1

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So formidable was Johann Zarco’s Friday benchmark that it stayed well out of reach for the vast majority of the FP3 session, even as riders began to swap to fresh soft rear rubber en masse.

With 10 minutes left on the clock, a 2m04.420s from Enea Bastianini (Gresini Ducati) finally deposed Zarco in the combined classification, and this kept him top until the chequered flag fell.

However, a last-gasp improvement from Quartararo, featuring a mammoth final sector, lifted the Yamana man past Bastianini with a 2m02.361s.

The factory Ducatis of Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia progressed into Q2 directly from third and fifth respectively, with the factory Hondas of the returning Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro did likewise in fourth and sixth – Espargaro doing so after suffering from food poisoning on Friday that left him “completely destroyed” and still struggling overnight, according to his team boss Alberto Puig.

Marquez, for his part, seemed to baulk a late improvement attempt from Bastianini so could yet be subject to a stewards’ investigation.

Despite a late crash at Turn 11, Joan Mir advanced into Q2 from seventh courtesy of a prior lap, whereas his Suzuki team-mate Alex Rins – who had looked so strong through Friday – will have to face Q1.

Also facing Q1 is Argentine GP winner Aleix Espargaro and his Aprilia team-mate Maverick Vinales, with the elder Espargaro left on the outside looking in by LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami and VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini.

Zarco was among those to crash in the session, falling at Turn 1 late on, but though he hadn’t improved on his Friday time that was still plenty good enough to book him a Q2 spot.

However, his Pramac Ducati team-mate Jorge Martin – likewise crashing and failing to improve on his Friday effort – was not so lucky and will go into Q1.

Among the other riders who will face the first qualifying segment are the second works Yamaha of Franco Morbidelli and all four KTMs – including its top rider Brad Binder, who crashed late on.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) and Darryn Binder (RNF Yamaha) rounded out the fallers on what was a much more crash-strewn session than either of Friday’s practices.

Practice 3 Results