Vinales leads final day of Sepang MotoGP test

First it was Ducati test rider Casey Stoner, then Suzuki's Andrea Iannone, but it was the fastest man from the Valencia test – Yamaha's Maverick Vinales – who hit back on Day 3 to head the times on the final session of MotoGP testing at Malaysia's Sepang circuit. Fastest in the session and setting the quickest lap on combined times over the three days of testing, Vinales put in a 1:59.368 to go P1 from Honda rider Marc Marquez. Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso was third.

Despite a small shower in the latter half of the session setting back track action, the final day of testing was a productive one, averaging the most laps set by rider – although the brief rain did put paid to most attempts at a race simulation. High-profile crashers were Iannone, Hector Barbera and Pol Espargaro, fortunately without injuries

Vinales put in a mammoth 72 laps, setting his best time on his 40th circulation of the track. Teammate Valentino Rossi, after debuting Yamaha's new fairing featuring "internal winglets" yesterday, ended the day in P5 and just over two tenths of a second in arrears. The Italian legend put in 62 laps, with a best of 1:59.589.

Reigning MotoGP champion Marquez spent much of the Sepang test in the latter half of the top 10, but the Spaniard shot up the order on Wednesday. Marquez did the most laps of any rider – 85 – with a best of 1:59.506. Teammate Dani Pedrosa similarly catapulted up the list late in the test, with the three-time champion setting a 1:59.578 to take P4 – only hundredths off Marquez' best.

Splitting the Repsol Hondas was Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, who did 56 laps. New teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who had a difficult day one as he adjusts to the Ducati, maintained his impressive progress on the third day. Shaving off a lot of time on Day 2, he got down to a 1:59.766 while getting in another 66 laps of experience.

Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) was again a key presence on Day 3, and top Independent Team rider. After ending the second day of action in the top three, Bautista maintained his pace to close Day 3 in sixth. The Spaniard put in a best of 1:59.628 after 64 laps – a tiny margin ahead of Ducati test rider Casey Stoner in seventh, who did a 1:59.639 and 46 laps. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) ended Day 3 in P8 with a 1:59.728, completing 71 laps.

Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was again the fastest rookie on Day 3, continuing his impressive performance after the second day of testing. The Frenchman did a 1:59.772 as the last man below the two-minute barrier, completing the top ten. Teammate Jonas Folger was outside the top 10 for the first time in Day 3, in P15 with a 2:00.312.

Andrea Iannone ended the third day in 11th following his off-track excursion, unable to better his previous times and setting a 2:00.045. Teammate Alex Rins was the second fastest rookie on Day 3 – just behind his experienced teammate, in P12 – and finished his Sepang track action with an impressive 2:00.057. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) completed the top 15, in P13 and P14, respectively.

Red Bull KTM works team pair Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith continued their long program of work on the final day of testing, setting a combined total of 129 laps despite Espargaro's crash. The Austrian squad lines up full time for the first time in 2017 and has been testing something new or different each time out of the pits.

It was announced that Tito Rabat, who crashed on Tuesday and was sent to a Putrajaya hospital, will have surgery on his left knee wound and fractures to the right radius and right fifth metacarpal.

Testing resumes at Australia's Phillip Island, Feb. 15-17, with MotoGP's season opener set for Qatar .