Portimao MotoGP: Miller tops tight FP3 as Mir misses Q2 cut
Pramac’s Jack Miller led Tech3’s Miguel Oliveira in FP3 for the Portuguese Grand Prix, as new MotoGP world champion Joan Mir missed the Q2 cut on his Suzuki.
As is typical in FP3 sessions, improvements on the combined order relevant to the Q2 progression places weren’t had for much of the opening half of the 45-minute outing.
Honda duo Alex Marquez and Stefan Bradl, LCR counterpart Takaaki Nakagami and home hero Miguel Oliveira on the Tech3 KTM all took turns leading the individual FP3 timesheet across the first 15 minutes.
Oliveira’s 1m40.290s was beaten by Nakagami with a 1m40.114s with just over 17 minutes to go, before the Japanese rider moved up to ninth overall with a 1m39.804s on his first soft tyre time attack.
Pramac’s Miller finally deposed Friday pacesetter Johann Zarco with 12 minutes remaining, guiding his Ducati GP20 to a 1m39.414s, while Petronas SRT’s Fabio Quartararo moved up to third.
This stood as the benchmark until the closing two minutes, as a final salvo of laps shook up the order.
Oliveira edged ahead of Miller first with a 1m39.372s, before an injured Alex Rins took over top spot on his Suzuki with a 1m39.355s.
Oliveira’s final effort of a 1m39.330s put him back on top of the pile for all of a few seconds, as Miller took the chequered flag with a 1m39.205s to end the morning 0.125 seconds clear of the field.
Rins held onto third spot ahead of Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso ahead of his final race before taking a sabbatical, with Nakagami rounding out the top five.
Fabio Quartararo secured a place in Q2 after finishing FP3 sixth on his Petronas SRT Yamaha, though currently won’t be joined by teammate Franco Morbidelli.
The Italian was ninth on the FP3 timesheets, but his 1m39.619s was only good enough for 11th on the combined times.
KTM’s Pol Espargaro survived a scary moment early in the session when he ran onto the grass on the run into Turn 7 to end FP3 seventh, with Bradl eighth and Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales rounding out the top 10.
Vinales didn’t actually improve on his 1m39.536s from FP2, but still secures a place in Q2, with Zarco also holding onto a top 10 place on combined times despite ending FP3 13th.
World champion Joan Mir was only 15th in FP3 on the Suzuki and faces a tough Q1 session ahead, with the likes of LCR’s Cal Crutchlow, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, Marquez and KTM’s Brad Binder joining him in the first part of qualifying this afternoon.
Valentino Rossi’s tough time failed to improve on Saturday morning, with the Yamaha rider 1.5s off the pace in 20th ahead of Avintia’s Tito Rabat and Tech3 stand-in Mika Kallio.
FP3 results:
| Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jack Miller |  | Ducati | 1'39.205 | |
| 2 |  Miguel Oliveira |  | KTM | 1'39.330 | 0.125 |
| 3 |  Alex Rins |  | Suzuki | 1'39.355 | 0.150 |
| 4 |  Andrea Dovizioso |  | Ducati | 1'39.404 | 0.199 |
| 5 |  Takaaki Nakagami |  | Honda | 1'39.411 | 0.206 |
| 6 |  Fabio Quartararo |  | Yamaha | 1'39.480 | 0.275 |
| 7 | Pol Espargaro |  | KTM | 1'39.513 | 0.308 |
| 8 |  Stefan Bradl |  | Honda | 1'39.569 | 0.364 |
| 9 | Franco Morbidelli | | Yamaha | 1'39.619 | 0.414 |
| 10 | Maverick Viñales |  | Yamaha | 1'39.693 | 0.488 |
| 11 |  Cal Crutchlow |  | Honda | 1'39.717 | 0.512 |
| 12 | Aleix Espargaro |  | Aprilia | 1'39.732 | 0.527 |
| 13 | Johann Zarco |  | Ducati | 1'39.801 | 0.596 |
| 14 | Lorenzo Savadori |  | Aprilia | 1'39.934 | 0.729 |
| 15 | Joan Mir | | Suzuki | 1'39.951 | 0.746 |
| 16 | Alex Marquez |  | Honda | 1'40.005 | 0.800 |
| 17 |  Brad Binder |  | KTM | 1'40.030 | 0.825 |
| 18 | Francesco Bagnaia |  | Ducati | 1'40.448 | 1.243 |
| 19 | Danilo Petrucci |  | Ducati | 1'40.484 | 1.279 |
| 20 | Valentino Rossi |  | Yamaha | 1'40.722 | 1.517 |
| 21 | Tito Rabat |  | Ducati | 1'41.992 | 2.787 |
| 22 |  Mika Kallio |  | KTM | 1'42.468 | 3.263 |
| View full results | |||||
Related video
Previous article
Morbidelli to contest WRC Rally Monza in a Hyundai
Next article
Bezzecchi doesn't get VR46 nod to join Aprilia MotoGP team
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Portuguese GP |
| Sub-event | FP3 |
| Author | Lewis Duncan |
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title
