Marquez fails to make Q2 cut as Lorenzo blitzes FP3

Andrea Dovizioso's FP2 benchmark of 1m47.479s stood as the quickest time for much of the session, with first Marquez and then the Yamahas of Bradley Smith and Valentino Rossi coming within a tenth of the Ducati rider's Friday effort as track conditions improved with rising temperatures.

Lorenzo then surged to the top of the timesheets with a 1m47.061s in the final five minutes, which was immediately bettered by Andrea Iannone, who went quickest with a 1m47.008s.

But Lorenzo was not to be outdone, finding over four tenths from his previous best to record a scintillating 1m46.617s on his final hot lap, 0.391s quicker than Iannone.

Dovizioso and wild-card Michele Pirro made it three Ducatis in the top four, the latter benefitting from a tow from his teammate, both lapping within a tenth and a half of Iannone.

Pol Espargaro ended up as the second fastest Yamaha in fifth, with Cal Crutchlow taking the honour of top Honda rider, narrowly ahead of an improving Dani Pedrosa.

Smith and Rossi meanwhile found themselves demoted to eighth and ninth in the late reshuffle, with Maverick Vinales aboard the Suzuki completing the top 10 - just nine thousandths quicker than Marquez, who tumbled down to 11th and out of the automatic Q2 slots.

This means the Spaniard will be forced to battle for one of two Q2 slots in the first phase of qualifying, along with felllow Honda rider Scott Redding, Suzuki's Aleix Espargaro and the Pramac Ducati duo of Danilo Petrucci and Yonny Hernandez.

Practice results: