#CzechGP MotoGP FP3: Marc Marquez leads what seems to herald the clash of the Titans…

For the first time this weekend, the MotoGP riders will start their session on a completely dry track, and this is good since it is the last opportunity for them to pre-qualify in the Top 10, and thus directly access in Q2, which is currently not the case for Maverick Vinales, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Iannone.

However, the race is still expected to be wet tomorrow where heavy storms are expected in the morning.

Ducati informed that if Jorge Lorenzo et Danilo Petrucci would use today new fairing, this would not be the case for Andrea Dovizioso who prefers to wait for testing days to concentrate for the race this weekend.

Sam Lowes had to have 4 stitches put into his foot after his fall yesterday.

Here are the references available at the start of this third 45-minute MotoGP session:

#CzechGP MotoGP	2016	2017
FP1	1'56.189 Andrea Iannone (see here)	2'05.201 Johann Zarco (see here)
FP2	1'55.840 Marc Marquez (see here)	1'56.332 Andrea Dovizioso (see here)
FP3	1'54.791 Jorge Lorenzo (see here)
FP4	1'56.275 Jorge Lorenzo (see here)
Q1	1'55.793 Dani Pedrosa (see here)
Q2	1'54.596 Marc Marquez (see here)
Warm up	2'09.500 Scott Redding (see here)
Course	Crutchlow, Rossi, Marquez (see here)
All time lap record	1'54.596 Marc Márquez 2016

The numerous falls in Moto3 have just shown a track which presents a slight lack of grip after the rain which occurred yesterday, but if Alvaro Bautista, Marc Marquez et Cal Crutchlow all three fell in turn number 10, following an oil or water leak from the Spanish rider's Ducati.

The red flag came out following a pierced Airfence!

The session resumes with a 36° track and, immediately, Alex Espargaro brings his Aprilia into second position. It is immediately followed by Dani Pedrosa who takes provisional pole position thanks to an excellent 1'55.541 which leaves everyone more than 7 tenths behind.

Obviously, the grip is now more than adequate with the Michelin tires, and we are even starting to consider coming close to or beating the track record when Dani Pedrosa minor fall at turn #8.

Johann zarco also falls in turn #3 and we therefore finally find ourselves in the same situation as in Moto3: fast times but also numerous crashes!

Maverick Vinales entered the top 10, in sixth position, before climbing another two levels.

At the end of the first run, the Top 10 consists of Pedrosa, Marquez, Dovizioso, Vinales, Aleix Espargaro, Crutchlow, Folger, Zarco, Petrucci et Lorenzo.

Loris Baz is then 14th, Valentino Rossi 15th and Andrea Iannone 19e.

Johann zarco took advantage of the second run to reposition himself in 5th after a small fall in the gravel, while Valentino Rossi goes back to 13th then 11th place

During the last 10 minutes, all the drivers fitted a soft rear tire and Alex Espargaro repositions himself second, but Jorge Lorenzo gives up his 11th place to take that of the driver from Granollers.

Scott Redding fall without gravity while Maverick Vinales, then 6th, taken three levels. Andrea Iannone who was last took advantage of the Yamaha rider's wheel to position himself 6th.

Loris Baz achieves a superb time taking advantage of the wheel Jonas Folger and takes fifth place but it's Valentino Rossi who creates the sensation by placing second at 2/10 of Dani Pedrosa. Cal Crutchlow follows suit.

Two minutes from the checkered flag, Marc Marquez leaps 2nd and Andrea Dovizioso, who had fallen to 13th place, returned to 5th position.

The leaderboard lights up red everywhere and, in the end, it's Marc Marquez which puts everyone in agreement with a 1'55.370.

Loris Baz fall without gravity.

The 10 drivers qualified directly in Q2 are Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi, Maverick Vinales, Andrea Dovizioso, Cal Crutchlow, Aleix Espargaro, Johann Zarco, Jorge Lorenzo et Loris Baz.

FP3 ranking:

01- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 1’55.370
02- Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda Team - Honda RC213V - + 0.171
03- Valentino Rossi – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.388
04- Maverick Vinales – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.403
05- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP – + 0.407
06- Cal Crutchlow – LCR Honda – Honda RC213V – + 0.449
07- Aleix Espargaro – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – Aprilia RS-GP – + 0.501
08- Johann Zarco – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.525
09- Jorge Lorenzo – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP – + 0.599
10- Loris Baz – Reale Avintia Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP – + 0.807
11- Jonas Folger – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.898
12- Andrea Iannone – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki GSX-RR – + 0.910
13- Hector Barbera – Reale Avintia Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP – + 0.950
14- Pol Espargaro – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM RC16 – + 0.980
15- Alvaro Bautista – Pull&Bear Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP – + 1.297
16- Danilo Petrucci – OCTO Pramac Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP – + 1.316
17- Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki GSX-RR – + 1.396
18- Jack Miller – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Honda RC213V – + 1.465
19- Scott Redding – OCTO Pramac Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP – + 1.535
20- Karel Abraham – Pull&Bear Aspar Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP – + 1.786
21- Tito Rabat – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Honda RC213V – + 1.937
22- Bradley Smith – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM RC16 – + 2.028
23- Sam Lowes – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – Aprilia RS-GP – + 2.036