MOTOGP: Lorenzo beats Ducatis in practice three

Jorge Lorenzo stormed to another fastest time in third practice for MotoGP's Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, despite a strong late challenge from the Ducatis.

Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso looked set to threaten Yamaha rider Lorenzo's weekend-long supremacy when they put on the extra soft rear tyres for the final minutes of the Saturday morning session.

But though Iannone was briefly fastest, Lorenzo responded with a 1m44.235s then a 1m44.089s - nearly half a second clear of both the Ducatis in the session and of Dovizioso's 2014 pole time.

Lorenzo's title rival and team-mate Valentino Rossi improved slightly on his Friday form to take fifth, behind Marc Marquez on the leading Honda.

Both Tech 3 Yamaha riders crashed yet still made it through to Q2, Pol Espargaro thanks to a late lap when back on his bike, and Bradley Smith because his Friday time was good enough to keep him safe even as he sat out the closing minutes.

Eugene Laverty and Mike di Meglio also had accidents. Both were unhurt, although the Frenchman's Avintia Ducati's front end was ripped off in his violent crash.

Dani Pedrosa, Cal Crutchlow and Aleix Espargaro are also going into Q2, with Scott Redding and Maverick Vinales narrowly missing out and joining the satellite Ducatis in Q1.

Both Pedrosa and Espargaro made the Q2 cut on Friday times having been outside the top 10 on Saturday morning.

Originally on Autosport.com