Styrian MotoGP, Austria - Free Practice (3) Results

Free Practice (3) results from the Styrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, round 10 of the 2021 world championship.
Francesco Bagnaia, Styrian MotoGP, 6 August 2021
Francesco Bagnaia, Styrian MotoGP, 6 August 2021
© Gold and Goose

Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati take over at the top during a dry and sunny Free Practice 3 for the Styrian MotoGP.

The fine conditions meant all riders beat their Friday pace, meaning the top ten for direct access to the second and final part of qualifying was decided purely on FP3 times.

Among those missing out will be all five of the home KTM riders, but with wild-card Dani Pedrosa again impressing as the quickest RC16.

World championship leader Quartararo was visibly angry after repeatedly running on at Turn 3 as he struggled to stop his M1 and had been outside of the top ten with just 3mins to go. Quartararo then leapt to second... only to have the lap time cancelled for track limits, putting him back to 13th.

The Frenchman kept clear of the green next time around to go fastest, before Bagnaia's late attack, while team-mate Maverick Vinales had the best pace of the M1s.

Suzuki riders Mir and Rins received the factory's new rear ride-height device available for the first time on Saturday morning, meaning all six manufacturers now have the device, which can be used for the race start and to aid hard acceleration around the rest of the lap.

Miguel Oliveira injured his hand in a Friday highside but was back for FP3.

Pedrosa, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2018, is returning to action this weekend as a wild-card entry for KTM, where he is employed as an official test rider. Pedrosa won 31 races during his premier-class career, spent entirely with Honda.

Cal Crutchlow is also back in MotoGP, for the next three rounds, as a replacement for the injured Franco Morbidelli at Petronas Yamaha. A three time MotoGP race winner, Crutchlow signed up as Yamaha's official test rider after retiring from MotoGP at the end of last season.

Valentino Rossi announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of the 2021 season.

The back-to-back Austrian events will be the first since the start of the Covid pandemic without special restrictions in place for spectator numbers.

Rain is forecast for Sunday.

Styrian MotoGP, Austria - Free Practice (3) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)1'23.114s23/23318k
2Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.028s23/24310k
3Maverick ViñalesSPAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.148s21/21311k
4Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*+0.180s20/20317k
5Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.273s22/23309k
6Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)+0.373s20/22316k
7Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.399s16/21315k
8Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)+0.480s16/19311k
9Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)+0.617s23/23315k
10Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+0.626s20/22313k
11Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.643s20/21319k
12Dani PedrosaSPARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.644s21/23313k
13Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.652s19/24309k
14Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+0.675s23/24316k
15Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.685s22/22313k
16Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.821s20/22310k
17Iker LecuonaSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.045s19/21309k
18Danilo PetrucciITAKTM Tech3 (RC16)+1.228s19/21308k
19Valentino RossiITAPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.267s21/21306k
20Enea BastianiniITAAvintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.270s20/22314k
21Luca MariniITASky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)*+1.289s18/18311k
22Lorenzo SavadoriITAAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)*+1.323s22/23310k
23Cal CrutchlowGBRPetronas Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.530s18/21305k
 

* Rookie

Riders directly to Qualifying 2 - Top 10 Combined Practice Times:
PosRiderNatTeam
1Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Team (GP21)
2Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)
3Maverick VinalesESPMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)
4Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP21)*
5Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)
6Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP21)
7Marc MarquezESPRepsol Honda (RC213V)
8Aleix EspargaroESPAprilia Gresini (RS-GP)
9Jack MillerAUSDucati Team (GP21)
10Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)

Fastest Friday time:
Takaaki Nakagami JPN Honda 1m 23.805s

Official Red Bull Ring MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 1m 23.027s (2019)
Fastest race lap:
Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati 1m 23.827s (2019)

By Peter McLaren

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