2022 Austin MotoGP, COTA - Free Practice (3) Results

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP2.
= Rider is same position as FP2.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP2.

* Rookie

Fastest Friday time:
Johann Zarco FRA Ducati 2m 2.542s

Official COTA MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 2m 2.135s (2015)
Fastest race lap:
Marc Marquez SPA Honda 2m 3.575s (2014)

Fabio Quartararo leads Free Practice 3 for the Americas MotoGP in Austin, Texas, but a spate of late yellow flags contributed to the likes of 2019 winner Alex Rins, new world championship leader Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia team-mate Maverick Vinales all missing out on the top ten and heading for Qualifying 1.

"Working for the race with the used soft tyre we did a really good lap time and had good pace," Rins said. "The problem was with the new tyre, on both laps, we had yellow flags. So bad luck and now we need to go through Qualifying 1. But I'm feeling quite good so, theoretically, it won't be a problem..."

Yellow flags had already influenced the outcome of the earlier Moto2 session, prompting the MotoGP time attacks to begin earlier than usual, just after the halfway stage of FP3.

Takaaki Nakagami, Joan Mir and Aleix Espargaro all featured at the top but Johann Zarco's Friday best held firm until Qatar winner Enea Bastianini fired his Gresini Ducati to the head of the combined times with ten minutes to go.

Bastianini's reign continued until the very last lap, when Quartararo surged from third to first by just 0.059s with a 2m 2.361s.

Jorge Martin, tenth but the quickest rider not to attempt a flying lap on Friday, fell on his out-lap with the hard front tyre, forcing the Termas de Rio Hondo runner-up to rush back to the Pramac Ducati pits for his spare machine. The Argentine runner-up didn't make the top ten cut.

Joan Mir was another faller, at Turn 11, and after setting a 'red' first sector. Fortunately for the former world champion, he was already up to fifth. 

Current champion Quartararo had a different kind of issue, with a swarm of riders trying to get a late tow from the Monster Yamaha rider. But the Frenchman, aready in fourth, didn't need to oblige and deliberately ran wide to force some of them to pass.

Marc Marquez found another Yamaha to chase in the form of Andrea Dovizioso, helping the returning eight-time world champion jump from sixth to second place, before Quartararo hit the top. The #93 later appeared to accidentally obstruct Bastianini.

Zarco fell in the final minute at Turn 2, but his Friday time kept him safely in the top ten. Brad Binder was another to bring out the yellow flags at the end of the session, robbing the likes of Rins of a last chance to advance directly to Qualifying 2.

Marc Marquez is returning to action after missing the Mandalika race and following Argentine weekend due to a new episode of double vision caused by his huge warm-up accident in Indonesia.

COTA is one of his most successful circuits, having won seven of the eight MotoGP races held at the Texan track, falling while leading in 2019, when Suzuki's Alex Rins took victory.

Subsurface soil movement means large bumps have been a persistent issue at COTA, resulting in the latest partial resurfacing for the 2022 event, covering Turns 2-10 and 12-16.

The soft front tyre was popular this morning, but the hard is expected to be used by almost all riders for the hotter afternoon sessions and Sunday's grand prix. Rear choice for the race is more complicated with some - such as Alex Rins - potentially able to make the soft last the distance, rather than needing the medium. FP4 will prove crucial in that regard.

Track schedule in UK time - 2022 Austin MotoGP

Friday
3pm-3.40pm: Moto2 Free Practice 1
3.55pm-4.40pm: MotoGP Free Practice 1
4.55pm-5.35pm: Moto3 Free Practice 3

7.15pm-7.55pm: Moto2 Free Practice 2
8.10pm-8.55pm: MotoGP Free Practice 2
9.10pm-9.50pm: Moto3 Free Practice 2

Saturday
3pm-3.40pm: Moto2 Free Practice 3
3.55pm-4.40pm: MotoGP Free Practice 3
4.55pm-5.35pm: Moto3 Free Practice 3

6.35pm-6.50pm: Moto2 Qualifying 1
7pm-7.15pm: Moto2 Qualifying 2
7.30pm-8pm: MotoGP Free Practice 4
8.10pm-8.25pm: MotoGP Qualifying 1
8.35pm-8.50pm: MotoGP Qualifying 2
9.10pm-9.25pm: Moto3 Qualifying 1
9.35pm-9.50pm: Moto3 Qualifying 2

Sunday
3.20pm-3.30pm: Moto2 warm-up
3.40pm-4pm: MotoGP warm-up
4.10-4.20pm: Moto3 warm-up

5.20pm: Moto2 race
7pm: MotoGP race
8.30pm: Moto3 race