Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo was the quickest rider in the final timed MotoGP free practice session, and on his penultimate lap went nearly half a second quicker than title challenger Repsol Honda’s, Marc Marquez with a 2’01.429, going five tenths under lap record pace at Silverstone.
Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso went nearly one second quicker than his best lap from FP2 and ended the morning third, going 0.1 seconds quicker than Dani Pedrosa to bag a top three spot on the timing-screens.
The leading Brit accolade went to Marc VDS Racing’s Scott Redding, who was languishing in the Q1 zone, and outside the top ten times, but a 2’02.119 was enough for him to go fifth fastest, ahead of Monster Yamaha’s Bradley Smith and LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow. Redding went over one second faster than yesterday and Smith, who was third quickest in FP2 lapped a 2’02.125, shaving 0.4 seconds off his time from Friday.
Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi was over one second slower than his team-mate in the final timed session, and the Doctor was dangerously close to not making it through to Q2. But he did improve slightly with a 2’02.203, as yesterday he was unable to lap inside the 2’02’s, which was something he managed today.
At first it was Marquez who came out all guns blazing and put down a quick 2’01.888, after only a few minutes out on track. But the reigning champ was not the only rider to better his FP2 time. Lorenzo was hot on the pace and on the twenty minute mark lapped a 2’01.972, but it was still one tenth off a P1 spot, but in the end that all changed towards the end of the session.
But with five minutes remaining, from out of no where Crutchlow propelled his Honda RC213V into third quickest and comfortably in to Q2 with a 2’02.341. But the Brits reign in the top three was not to last as Rossi and Smith bumped Crutchlow down to seventh. But at the flag the Honda man fell back one place as a last lap dash paid off for Redding.
Those failing to make it through to Q2 on the combined times included Aspar’s Eugene Laverty. The Monaco-based resident had another solid free practice outing and throughout the 45 minutes of lappery did edge close to the top ten quickest times. But when the chequered flag appeared he ended the morning in fifteenth with a 2'03.120, which he did on a soft front and soft rear tyre compound.
