MotoGP Doha FP3: Fabio Quartararo leads FP3 as times slow down

April 3, 2021April 3, 2021 EMR Writer

Fabio Quartararo took the lead in the FP3 session as the times across the 3 classes slowed down.

Fabio Quartararo led a Suzuki duo of Alex Rins and Joan Mir in the FP3 session, throughout the FP3 sessions of all three classes there was nothing of note to talk about, the times were 3 seconds off the pace and the session was fairly dull and boring with Zarco, Marini, Miller and Martin not even setting a lap time as there was next to no point given the conditions of the circuit. The sessions were affected by a high track temperature and strong winds which were blowing riders off their riding lines and covering them in sand and dust.

Because of this much slower session many riders’ positions were quite jumbled with some unexpected names popping up in the top 10 due to the riders either not performing at Qatar or not very quick on one lap, this includes Joan Mir who continues to struggle to set a single fast lap time and will have to go via Q1 as a result of this issue which plagued him throughout 2020, Danilo Petrucci is another unexpected rider in the top 10 finishing the session in P4, KTM are massively struggling in the desert at Qatar and did throughout testing, they will be counting down the minutes until we get to see them race at Portimao where Oliveira won the race last season.

In P5 and P6 were a Yamaha duo of Maverick Vinales and Franco Morbidelli who had complete opposite races last weekend, Vinales won the race in a dominating fashion whilst Morbidelli really struggled after an issue with his holeshot device was found on the grid, this issue upset the bikes riding height and he raced the race like he was riding a ‘chopper’ motorcycle coming home in P18, he will be hoping for a better weekend this weekend and has earned a spot in the Q2 session later today.

Rapid rookie Enea Bastianini finished in P7 and in P19 overall, he was incredibly close to a Q2 spot last week and will be putting his all in to try and fight for a good starting position, he leads Alex Marquez and Valentino Rossi in P9, another two riders who will be going via Q1.

Pol Espargaro rounded off the top 10 ahead of the Factory KTM riders of Oliveira then Binder with Lecuona just behind them in P13, all four of these riders will also be going through Q1.

Full FP3 results: