KTM’s Remy Gardner reigned supreme after a sensational Moto2 final practice saw Jerez’s all-time track record broken multiple times by the top-six riders.

Britain’s Sam Lowes was the first to shatter the circuit’s best time before the Australia won out from Fabio Di Giannantonio and Jorge Navarro. Lowes and countryman Jake Dixon both securing passage into the afternoon’s Q2 shootout with sixth and 10th places respectively.

Lowes kicked off his Saturday morning at the head of the standings as the opening FP3 laps registered with the Brit instantly improving on both his Friday and session-opening bids thanks to a 1’41.496 on his third lap before advancing yet again, this time by another four-tenths, to secure an all-time lap record on his fourth attempt with a 1’41.078.

Marco Bezzecchi sat second after 10 minutes of action as Hector Garzo and Albert Arenas went down at turns six and 11 respectively. Somkiat Chantra emulating the Aspar rider’s incident on the following revolution in almost identical style.

There was just 0.04s separating Gardner from Lowes’ time as the pace increased in the following laps. Bezzecchi held third from Raul and Augusto Fernandez, with the namesakes split by another marginal 0.01s in fourth and fifth, and the entire top-five covering just three-tenths.

Di Giannantonio had control of sixth from Ai Ogura, Lorenzo Baldassarri, Joe Roberts and Chantra with Simone Corsi, Nicolò Bulega, Marcel Schrotter and Xavi Vierge inside the top-14 - the later rider denied a Q2 place by team-mate Jake Dixon thanks to the Brit’s impressive Friday pace.

Di Giannantonio continued to impress as he moved his Gresini up to fourth at the halfway stage, Aron Canet doing likewise, for seventh, moments later as Marcos Ramirez found 10th.

15 minutes to go and the majority of the pack hit the pits in preparation for the final hot-laps. Vierge once of the first to reappear as he improved his pace, returning the favour on his Petronas partner and denying Dixon the final Q2 position. The Spaniard continuing his climb as he claimed seventh, then fifth on his subsequent laps.

Baldassarri became the next rider to leave the session early, at turn six with just over 10 to go, with Corsi doing likewise as turn 11 claimed another victim moments later.

Bezzecchi matched Lowes at the head of the standings as FP3 counted down, 0.005s now the gap to the leading Brit with Gardner, Roberts and Vierge the next in line. Navarro claimed the headlines with another sensational lap at the five minute mark becoming the first rider to set a 1’40 time around the Jerez Circuit on a Moto2 machine.

An improved Schrotter made moves to fourth as Di Giannantonio claimed second with another 1’40 effort, Roberts mimicking the time almost instantly as one-tenth separated the top-three with Raul Fernandez another four-thousandths off for fourth. Canet tipping off at turn six as his rivals battles for glory.

Gardner’s opening bid for honours was denied due to track limits but the Australian instantly hit back with a 1’40.841 on his penultimate effort, securing the session in the process as Di Giannantonio improved again for second to finish ahead of Navarro, Roberts and Fernandez. Lowes settled for sixth at the flag with Bezzecchi and Schrotter for company, his Marc VDS teammate heading Dixon, Arenas and Vierge on the cusp of the top-10 with Canet and Ogura consolidating the final promotion places in 13th and 14th respectively.