MotoGP Qatar: Bastianini beasts the FP3 standings

Gresini’s Enea Bastianini was determined to impress as MotoGP took to the Lusail International Circuit for Saturday’s FP3.

The Italian claimed the session standings with a 1’53.790 in the closing second after having multiple leading laps denied due to track limits on his 2021 Ducati Desmosedici. HRC’s Pol Espargaro and Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia completed the top three while the late drama saw Fabio Quartararo dumped out of automatic qualification for the Q2 push of pole and sitting 11th in the combined times.

Alex Rins was straight to the front as MotoGP free practice fired out of pit lane, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, Pramac’s Jorge Martin and VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi bettering before the Suzuki hit back in third with Joan Mir up to fifth. The times shuffling as the pace picked up with Ducati then Suzuki hitting the front as Rins and Mir took charge once again, the only riders so far under the 1’55 barrier.

Five manufactures in the top ten after four laps around Lusail saw Yamaha sitting a disappointing 12th and 13th as Quartararo led Monster Energy teammate Franky Morbidelli. The World Champion rising to fifth on as many laps to sit behind the Espargaro brothers with Brad Binder narrowly behind on the KTM.

A strong early performance from Bastianini found the Gresini rider seventh and leading Ducati after ten minutes on track, Marc Marquez trailing the Italian with Miguel Oliveira and Johann Zarco rounding out the top ten.

Mooney VR46’s Luca Marini was the only rider to have improved on Friday’s efforts with a third of FP3 dispatched, albeit from the back of the overall standings, in 23rd, and 17th in the session.

Zarco was on the move at the mid stage, sitting fourth, two-tenths shy of the Suzuki’s and a mere 0.001s