Franco Morbidelli fastest in FP3, Valentino Rossi sneaks into Q2

Franco Morbidelli’s stellar pace so far in Catalunya continued during MotoGP FP3 as he topped the session late on. 

Morbidelli overhauled his former team-mate Fabio Quartararo who was stuck in pit lane after missing the checkered flag. 

Quartararo was the first rider to set a sub 1m 39s lap this weekend, but while the Frenchman was heading down pit lane - hoping to do a practice start, Morbidelli set a 1:38.929s to move ahead by half a tenth.

Quartararo remained in second place while KTM’s renewed form from Mugello continued with Miguel Oliveira taking third position. 

Francesco Bagnaia left it late to move into the top ten as he claimed fourth, but team-mate and two-time winner this season Jack Miller will go through qualifying one later today as he finished 11th. 

Aleix Espargaro was fifth fastest for Aprilia after suffering a bit from his post arm pump surgery on day-one.

Brad Binder was sixth aboard the second factory KTM machine, one place ahead of day-one pacesetter Johann Zarco seventh. 

Zarco was the only rider not able to improve his lap time from yesterday, while Maverick Vinales, Joan Mir and Valentino Rossi rounded out the top ten. 

It was a much improved start to day-two for Rossi who finished 19th on friday’s combined times . 

Rossi was on the outskirts of the top ten following the opening time attack runs, but made his last lap count to finish six tenths down on Morbidelli. 

There were two crashes during the morning session with Enea Bastianini going down early on at turn five, while Lorenzo Savadori suffered the same fate in the final minutes.