Teruel MotoGP: Morbidelli tops FP3, all Ducatis miss Q2
Franco Morbidelli led a tight third MotoGP practice for the Teruel Grand Prix as all Ducati runners fall into Q1 for the second week in a row.
Not even four tenths covered the direct Q2 graduates at the end of FP3 in the top 10, with Petronas SRT’s Morbidelli leading the pack by 0.059 seconds with a 1m47.333s posted at the death.
Improvements on the combined timesheets were typically minimal in the early stages of FP3, with Morbidelli the most notable improver up to eighth from 15th with a 1m48.233s.
The factory Ducatis of Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso did find time on their Friday bests, but remained 16th and 18th on the timesheets following a dismal Friday.
With half the 45-minute session gone, Morbidelli’s SRT teammate Fabio Quartararo went fastest on the individual timesheet with a 1m48.171s, before finally deposing Nakagami’s Friday best with a 1m47.401s.
Quartararo, just as he did on Friday, spent a handful of laps at the start of the session shadowing title rival Joan Mir on the Suzuki having spotted on Friday where the Yamaha was losing out to the GSX-RR.
Nakagami’s first time attack lap put him to within 0.009s of Quartararo’s lap, before his second effort on the 2019 Honda put him top of the pile with a 1m47.392s.
As the pace increased in the closing stages as the grid made their plays to gain direct access to the pole shootout session, Nakagami’s lap remained intact.
However, Morbidelli found time on his last lap to depose Nakagami by 0.059s, while Quartararo held onto third ahead of factory Yamaha counterpart Maverick Vinales.
Alex Marquez on the factory Honda leaped up to fifth late with a 1m47.546s to make his second appearance in Q2 this season, while fellow rookie Iker Lecuona led the KTM charge on the Tech 3 RC16.
Aragon GP race winner Alex Rins was the best Suzuki runner in seventh, with Miguel Oliveira ensuring both Tech 3 KTMs feature in Q2 this afternoon after the Austrian manufacturer made a breakthrough in set-up following a tough time last weekend.
Cal Crutchlow was ninth on his LCR Honda, with championship leader Mir securing the final Q2 place by just 0.007s from Pramac’s Jack Miller.
Miller was the closest any Ducati rider got to escaping Q1 in FP3, with title contender Dovizioso only 14th as his tough weekend continues.
He’ll be joined in Q1 by teammate Petrucci, who was 17th ahead of Pramac’s Francesco Bagnaia, while factory KTM rider Pol Espargaro will also feature after a late mistake on his flying lap.
Avintia’s Johann Zarco brought up the rear of the field after crashing at Turn 9 in the closing stages.
FP3 results:
| Cla | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Franco Morbidelli |  | Yamaha | 1'47.333 | |
| 2 |  Takaaki Nakagami |  | Honda | 1'47.392 | 0.059 |
| 3 |  Fabio Quartararo |  | Yamaha | 1'47.401 | 0.068 |
| 4 |  Maverick Viñales |  | Yamaha | 1'47.473 | 0.140 |
| 5 | Alex Marquez |  | Honda | 1'47.546 | 0.213 |
| 6 | Iker Lecuona |  | KTM | 1'47.548 | 0.215 |
| 7 | Alex Rins |  | Suzuki | 1'47.554 | 0.221 |
| 8 |  Miguel Oliveira |  | KTM | 1'47.625 | 0.292 |
| 9 |  Cal Crutchlow |  | Honda | 1'47.708 | 0.375 |
| 10 | Joan Mir |  | Suzuki | 1'47.715 | 0.382 |
| 11 |  Jack Miller |  | Ducati | 1'47.739 | 0.406 |
| 12 | Aleix Espargaro |  | Aprilia | 1'47.742 | 0.409 |
| 13 |  Brad Binder |  | KTM | 1'47.822 | 0.489 |
| 14 | Andrea Dovizioso |  | Ducati | 1'47.878 | 0.545 |
| 15 | Tito Rabat |  | Ducati | 1'48.023 | 0.690 |
| 16 | Pol Espargaro |  | KTM | 1'48.025 | 0.692 |
| 17 | Danilo Petrucci |  | Ducati | 1'48.096 | 0.763 |
| 18 | Francesco Bagnaia |  | Ducati | 1'48.134 | 0.801 |
| 19 |  Stefan Bradl |  | Honda | 1'48.255 | 0.922 |
| 20 | Bradley Smith |  | Aprilia | 1'48.471 | 1.138 |
| 21 | Johann Zarco |  | Ducati | 1'48.501 | 1.168 |
| View full results | |||||
MotoGP on TV today – How can I watch qualifying for the Teruel GP?
Bradl claims he'll see out 2020 season in place of Marquez
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 Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of 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. We analyse 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 praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to 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
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
The MotoGP rookie fighting two fronts in his debut year
Darryn Binder has found himself in the unenviable position as MotoGP's most under-pressure rookie in 2022 having made the step directly from Moto3 with a reputation as an over-aggressive rider. This hasn't been an easy thing to shake at the start of the season, but he believes tangible progress is being made
How ‘Beast’ mode is putting Ducati in 2022 MotoGP title contention
Enea Bastianini’s second win of the 2022 campaign at COTA puts him back in the lead of the standings and once again showed the best Ducati package is still the 2021 bike. Those closest to Bastianini tell Motorsport.com why he’s so good on the GP21 relative to his factory counterparts.
How Espargaro helped Aprilia shed MotoGP's underdog tag
Aleix Espargaro became MotoGP's newest winner in a thrilling Argentina Grand Prix in which he also proved the merits of the Aprilia project. After six years of hard graft, both parties have reaped the rewards they have long thought they deserved. But it was several key moments in that journey that led both to that momentous Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo.