The Moto2 title fight reflected in the FP3 standings as Raul Fernandez headed Remy Gardner on Saturday morning.
The Red Bull KTM Ajo pair running near identical pace for the final practice with Marco Bezzecchi trailing closely behind. Sam Lowes secured his Q2 spot with the sixth fastest time of the algarve GP preparation while Jake Dixon was denied his place in the final minutes, finishing 17th.
Friday’s leading trio maintained their dominance as Saturday’s FP3 fired up. Fernandez heading Lowes at the top of the standings before Gardner and Augusto Fernandez split the pair with their fourth efforts.
Bezzecchi joined the fray with his next lap, in second, as Lorenzo Baldassarri crashed out at turn four. Lowes once again bettering his Marc VDS teammate with Joe Roberts following for fifth, despite recent surgery on his broken collarbone, albeit narrowly adrift of the promotion zone overall.
Dixon circulated in 10th after 15 minutes of action, his Petronas partner Xavi Vierge sitting seventh with Hector Garzo and Marcos Ramirez separating the pair before the Spaniard advanced to sixth next time around.
Jorge Navarro became the next victim of the rollercoaster layout at the halfway stage as the KTM duo continued to swap places at the front. Lowes locked in his own battle with Bezzecchi and Fernandez for third to fifth until the Brit struck for second.
The title-challenging rookie was once again in a class of his own as he set a blistering 1’42.462 to sit almost a second clear of his nearest rivals before Fernandez crashed out at turn 13. Lowes and Gardner circulating on near identical 1’43.2 pace.
Garzo sat on the bubble of 1’43 as the final 10 minutes approached. Gardner’s fastest lap deleted due to yellow flags with the Australian dropped to eighth as Albert Arenas advanced to fourth.
Bezzecchi continued his climb as he claimed second with eight to go, the Sky VR46 rider under two-tenths away from the KTM target with Gardner regrouping for fifth and Fabio Di Giannantonio rising to seventh. The second Sky machine of Celestino Vietti found his rhythm in the closing minutes to advance to fourth with a 1’43.000 while Vierge did likewise one place behind.
Another stellar lap from Roberts placed the American into the top 10 as the pace began to heat up. Gardner returning to the top two achingly close to his teammate as Augusto Fernandez improved to fourth.
Dixon lost his Q2 promotion in the final four minutes as Stefano Manzi joined the fight in ninth. Vietti refining his pace with his 15th lap as Sky and Marc VDS locked out third to sixth.
Cameron Beaubier was the next to improve as the American Racing rider bettered his countryman for 11th while Dixon clung on to 14th. Aron Canet denied the Brit next time around as the Aspar rider rider to 10th, Ai Ogura doing likewise moments later as Di Giannantonio lost his promotion too.
The flag found Fernandez in charge despite his earlier fall from Gardner and Bezzecchi. Vietti improving his time as he sat between the two Elf Marc VDS machines with Arenas consolidating seventh. A regrouped Navarro claimed eighth with his final effort, from Garzo, Canet, Manzi and Ogura, Vierge and Beaubier collecting the final direct Q2 promotions with Roberts unlucky to miss out in the closing seconds.
