VNE Snipers’ Tony Arbolino obliterated Joan Mir’s previous best-ever Moto3™ lap around the Red Bull Ring from 2016 by going an incredible half a second quicker with a 1:35.778. Subsequently, the Italian was 0.520 of a second quicker than anybody else as the Italian put down a massive marker at the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich.
Fresh from bagging a third pole position of the year in Brno just seven days ago, the Italian and Dutch GP winner surely looks favourite for a fourth pole position of 2019 if he can repeat his FP3 heroics.
The all-time record has gone, in some style! ????@TonyArbolino sets the fastest ever #Moto3 lap of the Red Bull Ring to top FP3! ????#AustrianGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/wOvQsWTkkC
— MotoGP™ ???????? (@MotoGP) August 10, 2019
Bester Capital Dubai’s Jaume Masia appeared to have also gone beneath Mir’s 2016 lap but the Spaniard’s final lap was cancelled for exceeding lap limits and instead of sitting second on the timesheets, he now sits 16th and will have to fight it out in Q1. As a result, second place went the way of Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee.
Leopard Racing’s Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Marcos Ramirez both secured places in Q2 after they ended FP3 third and fourth respectively. SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Niccolo Antonelli completed the top five, over six-tenths of a second adrift of compatriot Arbolino.
That looks like the end of @AlbertArenas75's session! ????
— MotoGP™ ???????? (@MotoGP) August 10, 2019
The @AngelNietoTeam rider is outside the top 14 and looking set for Q1! ????#AustrianGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/wAD9HC6Gd8
Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) bagged himself a place in Q2, which holds even more important for the Japanese rider after he was handed a 12-place grid penalty for reckless riding in FP2 yesterday. Friday’s fastest man Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) ended eighth ahead of Honda Team Asia’s Kaito Toba.
SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Tatsuki Suzuki was the only rider inside the top ten who failed to improve on yesterday but clung on to a Q2 place in ninth ahead of the World Championship leader, Sterilgarda Max Racing Team’s Aron Canet, in tenth.
Top 10 combined:
1. Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) – 1:35.778
2. John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) + 0.520
3. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) + 0.567
4. Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing) + 0.575
5. Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) + 0.636
6. Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) + 0.693
7. Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 0.719
8. Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) + 0.801
9. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) + 0.860
10. Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) + 0.877
Click here for full results!