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Jerez MotoGP: Three from three for Yamaha's Lorenzo in practice

Jorge Lorenzo made it three out of three as he went fastest again in Saturday morning practice for MotoGP's Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez

The Yamaha rider's best Friday lap remained sufficient to keep him in the top seven on combined times for much of the session while he focused on long runs again.

When he went into qualifying simulation mode right at the end, Lorenzo was able to pop back to the top with a 1m38.493s amid a flurry of quick-fire position changes.

It was a Yamaha one-two, but the second man was Tech 3 rider Pol Espargaro, who had been quickest for a spell before Lorenzo's late lap and was only beaten by 0.054 seconds.

An unwell Cal Crutchlow had been fastest in the opening minutes and got back to third for LCR Honda late on, lapping just 0.082s off Lorenzo.

Aleix Espargaro completed a top four covered by 0.160s on his Suzuki.

Marc Marquez, who was concerned that his injured hand might become more painful through exertion as the weekend progressed, topped most of the session but fell to seventh amid the softer-tyre runs at the end.

That put him behind Andrea Dovizioso on the best of the Ducatis, and championship leader Valentino Rossi - who had struggled on Friday.

Factory Ducati rider Andrea Iannone and British pair Bradley Smith and Scott Redding were the final men to secure top 10 places and therefore automatic Q2 spots.

Suzuki's second rider Maverick Vinales and Ducati privateers Danilo Petrucci and Yonny Hernandez will be the leading contenders to come through Q1 into the pole shootout, as practice ended with the top 13 covered by just 0.819s. Vinales was only 0.045s shy of a guaranteed Q2 place.

Eugene Laverty was unhurt in the session's only crash, when he lost the front end of his Aspar Honda.

Follow the Jerez MotoGP race day with AUTOSPORT Race Centre Live from 10am UK time on Sunday - MotoGP starts at 1pm

PRACTICE THREE TIMES:

Pos Rider Team Bike Time Gap
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Yamaha 1m38.493s -
2 Pol Espargaro Tech 3 Yamaha 1m38.547s 0.054s
3 Cal Crutchlow LCR Honda 1m38.575s 0.082s
4 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki Suzuki 1m38.653s 0.160s
5 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati Ducati 1m38.728s 0.235s
6 Valentino Rossi Yamaha Yamaha 1m38.767s 0.274s
7 Marc Marquez Honda Honda 1m38.860s 0.367s
8 Andrea Iannone Ducati Ducati 1m38.876s 0.383s
9 Bradley Smith Tech 3 Yamaha 1m38.924s 0.431s
10 Scott Redding Marc VDS Honda 1m39.151s 0.658s
11 Maverick Vinales Suzuki Suzuki 1m39.196s 0.703s
12 Danilo Petrucci Pramac Racing Ducati 1m39.229s 0.736s
13 Yonny Hernandez Pramac Racing Ducati 1m39.312s 0.819s
14 Hector Barbera Avintia Racing Ducati 1m39.582s 1.089s
15 Alvaro Bautista Aprilia Gresini Aprilia 1m39.724s 1.231s
16 Karel Abraham AB Motoracing Honda 1m39.824s 1.331s
17 Mike Di Meglio Avintia Racing Ducati 1m39.840s 1.347s
18 Stefan Bradl Forward Racing Yamaha Forward 1m39.882s 1.389s
19 Eugene Laverty Aspar Honda 1m40.088s 1.595s
20 Hiroshi Aoyama Honda Honda 1m40.149s 1.656s
21 Loris Baz Forward Racing Yamaha Forward 1m40.354s 1.861s
22 Jack Miller LCR Honda 1m40.486s 1.993s
23 Nicky Hayden Aspar Honda 1m40.499s 2.006s
24 Alex de Angelis IodaRacing Project ART/Aprilia 1m41.049s 2.556s
25 Marco Melandri Aprilia Gresini Aprilia 1m41.433s 2.940s


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