Doha MotoGP: Quartararo tops windy third practice
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo topped a wind-affected FP3 for the Doha Grand Prix, as MotoGP world champion Joan Mir once again missed the Q2 cut.
The wind had picked up considerably for the start of FP3, with a lot of dust being blown onto the Losail circuit which guaranteed there would be no combined time improvements.
Tech3 KTM rider Iker Lecuona set the early pace in the session with a 1m58.073s, before Quartararo moved ahead on his Yamaha with a 1m56.912s.
The Frenchman wasn’t happy with the feeling on his M1 on Friday in the lower grip conditions experienced by much of the field because of the humidity.
He continued to better his pace to a 1m56.723s, though Mir would depose him 10 minutes later with a 1m56.450s on his Suzuki.
Mir blamed a strategy gaffe by his Suzuki team on Friday evening in FP2 for stopping him advancing directly into Q2, with the Spaniard forced to go through Q1 for the second week in a row later today.
Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Photo by: Suzuki MotoGP
Mir's effort would remain the benchmark until the final three minutes, when team-mate Alex Rins moved to the top of the order with a 1m56.347s.
Rins looked set to end FP3 leading a Suzuki 1-2, but Quartararo produced a 1m56.064s at the death to end the session top – though Ducati’s Jack Miller remains fastest of all on combined times courtesy of his 1m53.145s from FP2.
The Suzuki duo rounded out the top three, Rins safely into Q2 with his FP2 effort, while Mir will join the likes of all four KTM riders, Honda’s Pol Espargaro and Valentino Rossi in Q1 later this evening.
Danilo Petrucci was fourth on his Tech3 KTM, but is only 12th on combined times and heads into Q1, while fifth-placed Maverick Vinales on the Yamaha will contest Q2.
Petronas SRT’s Franco Morbidelli, who was sixth in FP3, will join Vinales in Q2, with the remainder of the top 10 in the session – Avintia’s Enea Bastianini, LCR’s Alex Marquez, Rossi and Pol Espargaro – all facing Q1.
Francesco Bagnaia was the only factory Ducati rider to spin some laps in FP3, with the Italian 14th, while Miller, Pramac duo Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin and Avintia’s Luca Marini didn’t set times.
All but Marini of that quartet secured their Q2 places on Friday, with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro (17th) and Honda’s Stefan Bradl (16th) the last of the direct entrants into the pole shootout session.
Qualifying for the Doha GP gets underway at 8pm local time (BST +2).
MotoGP Doha Grand Prix - FP3 results
| Cla | Rider | Bike | Laps | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha | 12 | 1'56.064 | |
| 2 |  Alex Rins | Suzuki | 14 | 1'56.347 | 0.283 |
| 3 | Joan Mir | Suzuki | 13 | 1'56.450 | 0.386 |
| 4 |  Danilo Petrucci | KTM | 5 | 1'56.614 | 0.550 |
| 5 | Maverick Viñales | Yamaha | 8 | 1'56.647 | 0.583 |
| 6 | Franco Morbidelli | Yamaha | 13 | 1'56.660 | 0.596 |
| 7 | Enea Bastianini | Ducati | 11 | 1'56.668 | 0.604 |
| 8 | Alex Marquez | Honda | 7 | 1'56.701 | 0.637 |
| 9 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 15 | 1'56.718 | 0.654 |
| 10 | Pol Espargaro | Honda | 10 | 1'56.789 | 0.725 |
| 11 |  Miguel Oliveira | KTM | 15 | 1'56.855 | 0.791 |
| 12 |  Brad Binder | KTM | 14 | 1'56.933 | 0.869 |
| 13 | Iker Lecuona | KTM | 13 | 1'56.981 | 0.917 |
| 14 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 6 | 1'57.335 | 1.271 |
| 15 | Lorenzo Savadori | Aprilia | 15 | 1'57.378 | 1.314 |
| 16 |  Stefan Bradl | Honda | 12 | 1'57.450 | 1.386 |
| 17 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 5 | 1'58.633 | 2.569 |
| 18 |  Takaaki Nakagami | Honda | 4 | 2'03.348 | 7.284 |
| 19 | Johann Zarco | Ducati | 0 | ||
| 20 | Luca Marini | Ducati | 1 | ||
| 21 |  Jack Miller | Ducati | 0 | ||
| 22 | Jorge Martin | Ducati | 0 | ||
| View full results | |||||
Related video
Previous article
Rossi “not fast enough” ahead of Doha MotoGP qualifying
Next article
Doha MotoGP: Rookie Martin takes sensational pole, Rossi down in 21st
Marc Marquez is back
MotoGP Starting Grid: Portugal Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
Marc Márquez's first ride after his injury
Marc Marquez continues his recovery
Why Quartararo’s Catalunya suit penalty highlights a wider issue in MotoGP
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo racing with his leather suit open and subsequent penalty has been the main talking point of the Catalunya MotoGP weekend, which has highlighted a wider issue with MotoGP’s stewarding that risks a negative precedent going forward
How MotoGP’s “beast” tamers bounced back at Catalunya
The expectation on KTM to replicate its winning form from 2020 this season made its difficult start to the new MotoGP campaign even more disappointing. But a key update has seen KTM's fortunes reversed over the last week and returned it to the top step of the podium in Barcelona
The signs that point to Rossi's MotoGP retirement
It's not been a happy start to 2021 for Valentino Rossi at the Petronas SRT satellite squad, with performances that are a shadow of the rider that utterly dominated MotoGP at the start of the new millennium. At the age of 42, how much longer can he go on?
Why the most significant Le Mans MotoGP performance wasn't Miller's
Hot on the heels of his first MotoGP win in five years, Jack Miller made it two from two with a commanding French Grand Prix victory at Le Mans despite two long-lap penalties. Impressive though it was, it was an expectation-defying performance from an anticipated title rival that was the real standout
The impossible problem Honda faces with its 2021 MotoGP bike
Honda hasn’t enjoyed an easy start to the 2021 MotoGP campaign, despite gains last season which looked to have carried over into the pre-season. Now admitting it does have issues in serious need of resolving, it faces an almost impossible task in doing so
How Jerez underlined MotoGP's speed problem
The brutal nature of a series of crashes at Jerez has reopened the debate about whether current MotoGP speeds are beyond the safety limits of the tracks. But even if riders are supportive of the move, getting the manufacturers to find a consensus on how speed reductions should be achieved may be altogether harder
How a Crutchlow helped Miller to Jerez MotoGP redemption
Jack Miller’s tough start to life as a factory Ducati MotoGP rider left him mentally battered and bruised, but a pep talk and positive reinforcement from a surprising source aided the Australian to show his full potential with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix
What does Marc Marquez have to do to get back to his best?
Following his resounding MotoGP return with a seventh place finish in Portugal, Marc Marquez now must work to rediscover his best form before turning his attention towards results-based targets
