The Hammer Strikes Hard In Sepang FP3
- Oct 24, 2015
- 2 min read
Track conditions were at their best of the weekend this morning for the all important FP3 session that decides the qualifying running order.
Many of the riders were improving straight out of the box on used slicks from FP2 yesterday, Jorge Lorenzo being the man to set the early pace with a bets lap of the weekend of 2:00.198. Most switched to fresh slicks in the final ten minutes of the session to try and bag themselves direct passage into QP2.
Lorenzo continued to lead the way in the final ten-minute shoot-out with a record lap of 1:59.544, stamping his letter of intent to his team-mate Valentino Rossi seven tenths adrift in fourth. Importantly for Rossi, long run pace yesterday suggests a level playing field between himself and Lorenzo so fourth would not be end of the world. FP3 is also unrepresentative of race conditions as it takes place earlier, so FP4 will be very interesting indeed.
Marc Marquez was very close to taking his RC213V Honda to top spot right at the end of the session, but was just shy on a 1:59.655. Dani Pedrosa was a few tenths back in third, but he too showed very strong race pace yesterday.
Hector Barbera was the surprise of the session in fifth. We know the Avintia Ducati is a strong package around the Sepang International Circuit after the Spaniard finished ninth and top Open runner last year in the race. Barbera used the soft rear tyre to full effect and this will have a few big names a little worried.
Cal Crutchlow, Aleix Espargaro, Andrea Iannone, Andrea Dovizioso and Pol Espargaro made it through to QP2.
Bradley Smith, Maverick Vinales, Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding failed to make it through, setting up a very tense QP1 session as all of them are capable of getting into the pole shoot-out. The Pramac rider fell foul of a crash at Turn seven late in the session and was unable to challenge for a QP2 spot.
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