Honda’s Marquez Quickest at FP3 | Catalunya MotoGP

Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez
Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez

2013 Catalunya MotoGP Free Practice 3 Results

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez led the third and final practice at Catalunya MotoGP Saturday that decides what qualifying session the riders will progress to later this afternoon.

FP3 was followed by FP4, which was led by Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, but FP4 is basically for further dialing in before qualifying.

Marquez, who finished sixth fastest on Friday, posted a 1:41.853 around the  2.937-mile Spanish circuit containing 13 corners; this was a new fastest lap at Catalunya. The rookie, who crashed during the third-to-last lap at Mugello two weeks ago for his first premier-class DNF, was 0.063 of a second quicker than Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden.

Hayden broke the top speed record on Friday with a 210.8 mph aboard the GP13, but was even quicker on Saturday during FP3; the American was able to  reach 212.1 mph.

The current MotoGP Championship leader, Pedrosa, was 0.134 of a second behind his teammate, with Friday’s leader, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi, a further 0.156 of a second back.

The nine-time World Champion was followed by Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow. Rossi’s World Champion teammate in the Yamaha Factory Racing outfit Jorge Lorenzo ended up sixth, using bike two for most of the practice following an early crash at turn 5.

The free practice top ten was completed by LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl, Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso, GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista and the ever impressive Aleix Espargaro – who again makes Q2 for the Power Electronics Aspar team.

Missing out on top 10 spots in the combined free practice timesheets are the likes of Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Bradley Smith and Energy T.I. Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone who therefore participate in Q1 and will attempt to make Q2.

A crash at the end of the session for Avintia Blusens rider Hiroshi Aoyama saw him taken to the Medical Centre for examinations of a left hand injury, after he also hurt his left thumb at Mugello.

The riders are currently participating in the qualifying positions; results will be posted soon.

2013 Catalunya MotoGP Free Practice Results:

1 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 340.5 1’41.853
2 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 341.4 1’41.916 0.063 / 0.063
3 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 339.1 1’41.987 0.134 / 0.071
4 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 336.7 1’42.009 0.156 / 0.022
5 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 336.7 1’42.064 0.211 / 0.055
6 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 337.6 1’42.166 0.313 / 0.102
7 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 339.3 1’42.258 0.405 / 0.092
8 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 337.2 1’42.345 0.492 / 0.087
9 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 339.5 1’42.582 0.729 / 0.237
10 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Power Electronics Aspar ART 327.2 1’42.795 0.942 / 0.213
11 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 334.0 1’42.957 1.104 / 0.162
12 51 Michele PIRRO ITA Ignite Pramac Racing Ducati 332.9 1’42.970 1.117 / 0.013
13 29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 339.3 1’43.106 1.253 / 0.136
14 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Power Electronics Aspar ART 320.2 1’43.260 1.407 / 0.154
15 8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Blusens FTR 317.5 1’43.652 1.799 / 0.392
16 5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 320.4 1’43.942 2.089 / 0.290
17 9 Danilo PETRUCCI ITA Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 319.0 1’44.167 2.314 / 0.225
18 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing ART 320.7 1’44.434 2.581 / 0.267
19 70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 321.5 1’45.136 3.283 / 0.702
20 71 Claudio CORTI ITA NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 319.4 1’45.252 3.399 / 0.116
21 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Avintia Blusens FTR 318.3 1’45.407 3.554 / 0.155
22 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Paul Bird Motorsport ART 318.5 1’45.612 3.759 / 0.205
23 67 Bryan STARING AUS GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda 314.9 1’45.686 3.833 / 0.074
24 52 Lukas PESEK CZE Came IodaRacing Project Ioda-Suter 313.1 1’46.037 4.184 / 0.351

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