MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez topped a damp FP3, as Valentino Rossi will be forced to go through Q1 at the Red Bull Ring.
With a damp circuit greeting the riders this morning, many knew were resigned to the fact that their FP1 times was going to be their fastest through the free practice sessions. Despite the track drying out over the course of the session and a dry line starting to form, times were never quick enough to challenge yesterday’s times.
As the session went out riders went out slick tyres but with a lack of track temperatures times were never going to be that fast. Marquez topped the session with a 1’26.496, which was two seconds off of his time from FP1.
It was a good session for the Brits with Bradley Smith, Scott Redding and Cal Crutchlow making up the next three spots in second, third and fourth respectively, although Crutchlow’s Friday time was the only one the British trio to make it directly into Q2.
Tom Luthi was fifth ahead of the Ducati dup of Jack Miller and overall free practice fastest man Andrea Dovizioso. Alex Rins was eighth fastest with Hafizh Syahrin and Maverick Vinales rounding out the top ten.
The damp track this morning will mean that Valentino Rossi will be forced to go through Q1 and with rain settling in, the Italian won’t find it easy to navigate through to Q2.
With conditions tricky and times not going to be improved Danilo Petrucci, Andrea Iannone, Aleix Espargaro and Tito Rabat all chose not to run a quick lap.