Qatar MotoGP: Iannone keeps Ducati on top in third practice
Andrea Iannone set a blistering pace in the third free practice session of the Qatar MotoGP weekend to beat Jorge Lorenzo and keep Ducati atop the timesheets.
Andrea Iannone, Ducati Team
Ducati Corse
It was Dani Pedrosa who was first to bust Iannone's best time from second practice, the Repsol Honda man setting a 1m55.357s that went unchallenged until the final 10 minutes.
Iannone's Ducati teammate Andrea Dovizioso then lowered the bar to a 1m55.239s, before Lorenzo snatched away the top spot with a time just 0.020s faster.
The reigning champion subsequently put his Yamaha a full 0.463s clear of the field on his next flying lap, a 1m54.776s, but moments later Iannone was able to respond with a 1m54.639s, a full seven tenths faster than his best from earlier in the day.
Lorenzo was thus forced to settle for second, with Marc Marquez slotting into third and ending up best of the Hondas, 0.196s off the pace.
Dovizioso made a late move to fourth at the expense of Suzuki rider Maverick Vinales, Pedrosa ending up being demoted to sixth at the chequered flag.
Valentino Rossi was seventh for Yamaha, 0.536s off the pace, with Hector Barbera (Avintia Ducati), Scott Redding - who crashed his Pramac Ducati at Turn 13 at the end of the session - and Pol Espargaro (Tech 3 Yamaha) rounding off the top 10.
Espargaro's teammate Bradley Smith suffered his second crash of the weekend at Turn 6, and, after setting only the 12th-best time, will have to battle his way through the first phase of qualifying on Saturday.
Jack Miller was the only other man to fall during the session, losing his Marc VDS Honda at Turn 9 late in the session on his way to the 17th best time.
Practice times:
Pos | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Andrea Iannone | Ducati Desmosedici GP16 | 1:54.639 | 1:54.639 |
2 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha YZR-M1 | 1:54.776 | +0.137 |
3 | Marc Marquez | Honda RC213V | 1:54.835 | +0.196 |
4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati Desmosedici GP16 | 1:54.945 | +0.306 |
5 | Maverick Vinales | Suzuki GSX-RR | 1:54.976 | +0.337 |
6 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda RC213V | 1:55.113 | +0.474 |
7 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha YZR-M1 | 1:55.175 | +0.536 |
8 | Hector Barbera | Ducati Desmosedici GP14 | 1:55.323 | +0.684 |
9 | Scott Redding | Ducati Desmosedici GP15 | 1:55.399 | +0.760 |
10 | Pol Espargaro | Yamaha YZR-M1 | 1:55.476 | +0.837 |
11 | Aleix Espargaro | Suzuki GSX-RR | 1:55.491 | +0.852 |
12 | Bradley Smith | Yamaha YZR-M1 | 1:55.505 | +0.866 |
13 | Loris Baz | Ducati Desmosedici GP14 | 1:55.773 | +1.134 |
14 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati Desmosedici GP15 | 1:55.931 | +1.292 |
15 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda RC213V | 1:55.946 | +1.307 |
16 | Yonny Hernandez | Ducati Desmosedici GP14 | 1:56.100 | +1.461 |
17 | Jack Miller | Honda RC213V | 1:56.207 | +1.568 |
18 | Tito Rabat | Honda RC213V | 1:56.625 | +1.986 |
19 | Alvaro Bautista | Aprilia RS-GP | 1:56.749 | +2.110 |
20 | Stefan Bradl | Aprilia RS-GP | 1:57.069 | +2.430 |
21 | Eugene Laverty | Ducati Desmosedici GP14 | 1:57.135 | +2.496 |
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