Ducati on the shield again today, with Pecco closing the third session in command ahead of Quartararo. In the combined Zarco remains the best. Martìn falls and goes to Q1
Written by Marco Caregnato – Sat, 14/08/2021 – 09:50
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10:50 – Our live chronicle of the third free practice session of the Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring ends here, thank you for following it with us. The appointment with the second live of the day is at 14:10 with the qualifications that will determine the starting grid of the race. It will be a real fight between Ducati and Yamaha. Stay Tuned!
10:45 – This is the combined free practice session of the Austrian Grand Prix, with Zarco closing in the lead and applying for pole.
10:42 – Bagnaia closes with the best time of FP3, but Zarco remains the leader in the combined.
10:39 – Miller also did well, entering Q2 with the 5th time in the combined. Last minutes of fire, many red and yellow helmets in the standings.
10:38 – Bagnaia is in front of everyone in this FP3! Rossi also improves and is 11th.
10:36 – Bagnaia marks the third time, fourth in the combined. Step forward also for Rossi, who is now 13th less than a tenth from tenth place which would make him return to Q2.
10:33 – Both Quartararo and Martìn are improving, the very hot phase of the session is starting.
10:29 – There are ten minutes to the end of the session, this is the ranking in this moment of FP3. Very good Aleix Espargarò, who is very close to the top
10:27 – Even Bagnaia on the track with a new soft at the rear. The Italian tries the first time attack of the day.
10:24 – Quartararo denies us and gets very close to Zarco. Now the gap between the two is 0’148 seconds. In short, he is pushing very hard and wants to apply for pole.
10:22 – Quartararo improves, returning second behind Zarco. The reference set yesterday by the Frenchman from Ducati remains unapproachable. We have to wait a few minutes before we can see the real time attacks that could undermine Zarco’s record.
10:20 – The Ducatis are all strong, but Jack Miller continues to suffer slightly. For now he is 13th and out of Q2, while Zarco, Martìn and Bagnaia are inside.
10:17 – The images showing the operation of the Suzuki lowering device, a novelty that is working very well on Mir and Rins’ GSX-RR
10:15 – There are just under 25 minutes to the checkered flag of FP3, here is the ranking with Mir who climbed up behind Zarco
10:12 – Out of program for Aleix Espargarò who misses a braking and makes a long stretch in the gravel, fortunately without consequences
10:10 – Binder continues to perform better than Oliveira. Perhaps the Portuguese is still not completely okay with his hand, which suffered a slight injury over the weekend of the Styrian GP.
10:08 – Several drivers have already been able to improve yesterday’s times, so the list of those admitted to Q2 has already changed slightly.
10:07 – Development for KTM does not stop. Tech3 brings to the track a new aerodynamic solution for the rear of the RC16
10:06 – Zarco barefoot Quartararo. The two Frenchmen lead the standings, the Ducatis are doing well and they are all in front.
10:05 – Problem for Bastianini, who stops with his Ducati along the track. Perhaps a technical problem for Avintia’s Italian
10:04 – The KTMs are running with the hard front, probably the new solution brought by Michelin here in the wake of the protests for what happened in Oliveira on Sunday. The Portuguese finished the race early because the front tire had literally lost so many pieces
10:02 – The ranking takes shape in Austria, with Quartararo in front of everyone
10:00 – The sun is shining on the track, the times today will be really interesting
9:57 – Pol Espargarò is ready to take command of the operations. Second time for Quartararo, then followed by Miller. Interesting times right away, the track seems ‘fast’.
9:55 – FP3 starts, the riders enter the track immediately for this truly decisive session.
9:52 – The bombshell of the morning is the official withdrawal of Petronas from the role of main sponsor for Team SRT. With a press release issued this morning, the news that he was running around the paddock was confirmed. More information will arrive at Silverstone about the future of the team, which is involved in Moto3, Moto2 and of course MotoGP. It is difficult to imagine the same deployment of forces for 2022.
9:50 am – Hello and welcome to our LIVE chronicle of the FP3 MotoGP in Austria. Drivers ready to take to the track, the rain for now has spared the Red Bull Ring track.
The rain yesterday afternoon prevented the riders from improving FP1 times, so today’s FP3 will be absolutely decisive for gaining direct access to Q2 without having to go through a Q1 that becomes increasingly treacherous. Johann Zarco yesterday gave Ducati more than a smile, proving to be very fast in both dry and wet conditions and setting the new record for the Red Bull Ring track.
The Frenchman has regained a great energy after the success of his teammate Jorge Martìn on Sunday, but also the Spaniard yesterday confirmed that he can be competitive and in contention for the podium even in this circumstance. Ducati can therefore smile, hoping that this time Bagnaia and Miller will also be able to exploit the Desmosedici’s potential in Austria.
Yamaha is betting everything on Quartararo, who seems to be able to stem the overwhelming power of the V4s at the Red Bull Ring thanks to a guide at the tip of foil on his M1, but it is undeniable that the Frenchman is practically surrounded by a real pack of hunting. Yesterday the Suzuki also surprised, who finished in 2nd and 3rd position in the combined with Mir ahead of Rins. The new lowering seems to have given back momentum to the GSX-RR, a bike whose performance had slightly plafonised in recent races.
Aleix Espargarò was also very incisive yesterday, with a 5th time in the dry and a 3rd in the wet. Performances that nominate Aprilia to a leading role also this weekend and on a track that in the past had proved very difficult for the bike from Noale. On the other hand, the one who smiles little is Marc Marquez, who still appears to be in great difficulty from a physical point of view and does nothing to hide it. The Honda champion has now understood that the road to return to being the steamroller of 2019 is long and that the goal of the journey may not be what he hoped for.
For Valentino Rossi it is not going to be an easy day. Yesterday the Yamaha rider finished 14th behind his brother Luca. Certainly the M1 is not the best bike of the lot here, but Quartararo manages to go beyond the problems to stay close to the leaders in any case.
Our LIVE report of the FP3 MotoGP in Austria will start at 9:55, Stay Tuned!
This is the combined ranking of the free practice sessions:
