Moto GP Mugello: Marquez tops FP3, Vinales resigned to Q1
Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez topped the third MotoGP practice session at Mugello, as Yamaha's Maverick Vinales was resigned to Q1
Vinales had ended Friday's running second-fastest, but could not improve on his laptime in FP3 and was knocked out of the combined-classification top 10 at the death.
Having convincingly topped both of Friday's sessions, Suzuki's Andrea Iannone was into the lead once more six minutes into FP3 and concluded his first run two tenths clear of LCR's Cal Crutchlow.
Pramac Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci soon edged a few hundredths closer to Iannone's 1m47.236s effort, and remained in the runner-up spot until teammate Jack Miller, who had crashed at the Correntaio right-hander earlier in the session, improved to just 0.066s off the Suzuki man's pace.
As late-session soft-tyre time attacks kicked off, Iannone was finally deposed by compatriot Valentino Rossi, the Yamaha rider dipping below the 1m47s mark.
Shortly thereafter, Honda rider Marquez fired in the best lap of the weekend so far, eclipsing Iannone's Friday benchmark with a 1m46.439s.
His lap also surpassed the pole record, which had likewise been set by Iannone, on a Ducati back in 2015.
Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo improved to second place before being relegated to third by Rossi at the chequered flag, as the Yamaha man wound up 0.336s slower than Marquez.
Iannone ended the session in fourth, ahead of Tech 3 Yamaha's Johann Zarco, Petrucci and Crutchlow.
Marc VDS Honda rider Franco Morbidelli followed Marquez throughout the Spaniard's pace-setting lap and managed to book his first Q2 appearance as a result, finishing eighth in FP3.
Iannone's Suzuki teammate Alex Rins stunned Vinales at the chequered flag by snatching ninth place and securing a Q2 berth, while Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso also advanced in 10th.
Miller and Honda's Dani Pedrosa are the other frequent frontrunners who will be joining Vinales in Q1.
FP3 results
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Marquez | Honda | 1m46.439s | - | 20 |
| 2 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | 1m46.775s | 0.336s | 20 |
| 3 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 1m46.782s | 0.343s | 17 |
| 4 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 1m46.790s | 0.351s | 19 |
| 5 | Johann Zarco | Tech3 Yamaha | 1m46.863s | 0.424s | 18 |
| 6 | Danilo Petrucci | Pramac Ducati | 1m46.946s | 0.507s | 18 |
| 7 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR Honda | 1m46.946s | 0.507s | 18 |
| 8 | Franco Morbidelli | MVDS Honda | 1m46.987s | 0.548s | 17 |
| 9 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 1m47.056s | 0.617s | 18 |
| 10 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 1m47.086s | 0.647s | 16 |
| 11 | Jack Miller | Pramac Ducati | 1m47.134s | 0.695s | 16 |
| 12 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | 1m47.227s | 0.788s | 19 |
| 13 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 1m47.248s | 0.809s | 16 |
| 14 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha | 1m47.249s | 0.810s | 21 |
| 15 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda | 1m47.257s | 0.818s | 21 |
| 16 | Hafizh Syahrin | Tech3 Yamaha | 1m47.269s | 0.830s | 15 |
| 17 | Tito Rabat | Avintia Ducati | 1m47.460s | 1.021s | 22 |
| 18 | Karel Abraham | Aspar Ducati | 1m48.019s | 1.580s | 18 |
| 19 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | 1m48.093s | 1.654s | 18 |
| 20 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | 1m48.148s | 1.709s | 16 |
| 21 | Alvaro Bautista | Aspar Ducati | 1m48.194s | 1.755s | 19 |
| 22 | Bradley Smith | KTM | 1m48.534s | 2.095s | 17 |
| 23 | Thomas Luthi | MVDS Honda | 1m48.799s | 2.360s | 19 |
| 24 | Xavier Simeon | Avintia Ducati | 1m49.224s | 2.785s | 19 |
Michele Pirro suffered concussion and dislocated shoulder in Mugello crash
MotoGP Mugello: Yamaha rider Rossi takes first pole since 2016
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022