MotoGP Jerez: Bagnaia back at the top in FP3

Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia was back to his MotoGP session-topping best at Jerez as his 1’36.782 lap led the way in FP3.

Friday’s pace setter Fabio Quartararo continued to shine on the Monster Energy Yamaha in second with LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami the leading Honda in third.

Aprilia led the way as Saturday’s morning action got up to speed. Aleix Espargaro improving on his Friday best as he headed teammate Maverick Viñales in the session times with Quartararo narrowly behind in the top three.

Nakagami split the RS-GP’s next time around with Bagnaia and Marc Marquez joining the top five fight. Brad Binder and Marco Bezzecchi staked their claim on the Q2 times as the pair struck for second and third in the session. The KTM sitting seventh overall with the Mooney VR46 just missing out in 12th.

The Espargaro brothers took charge of FP3 after the opening ten minutes with Aleix’s 1’37.386 promoting him to fifth in the combined times as his younger sibling sat in eighth.

Monster Energy Yamaha’s Franky Morbidelli circulated in 15th overall despite improving on his Friday time with Ducati’s Jack Miller narrowly adrift from 11th with half an hour still to run. The bankers giving way to mid-session race prep ahead of the frantic final push.

The halfway stage saw Suzuki’s Joan Mir in control thanks to a 1’37.341. His tenth lap boosting him to fourth in the Q2 fight ahead of Pramac’s Jorge Martin with just himself and the two Aprilias having improved on Friday’s times so far.

Espargaro was the first to head out on a brand new soft as the final 20 minutes began before a track limits infringement and a turn 11 moment curtailed his front running ambitions and he returns to pit lane. Mir capitalising on his new Michelin and an empty