Spain’s Marc Marquez yesterday topped the times in the third practice session for the Aragon MotoGP with Valentino Rossi 10th on his return three weeks after leg surgery.
Rossi is back on his Yamaha in double quick time after an operation on the leg fractures he sustained in a training crash at the end of last month.
The nine-time world champion finished almost a second adrift of reigning MotoGP champion Marquez, who shares the lead in the 2017 title race with Andrea Dovizioso.
Photo: EPA
However, the 38-year-old, who limped to his bike, did enough to make it into the second qualifying session, proving he is not in Aragon to make up the numbers.
Rossi defied medical forecasts in returning for this race after missing San Marino last weekend.
He is placed fourth in the world championship table, 42 points behind Marquez and Dovizioso with five races remaining.
Dani Pedrosa, who emerged quickest at the end of Friday’s two practice sessions held in damp conditions, came in third with Rossi’s teammate Maverick Vinales splitting the Honda duo.
Marquez led the third session by three tenths of a second on a contrasting dry circuit compared to Friday.
“I’m quite happy, because I feel comfortable on the bike,” said Rossi on Friday. “The leg, after two practice sessions, is in a good condition, I don’t feel a lot of pain.”
“For sure on the wet it’s a bit easier, because it’s less demanding to ride the bike, but I hope we will have better weather conditions tomorrow and on Sunday, in order to try to understand my level on the dry and also so we can work on the setting and the tires.”
Rossi made a tentative start to the opening session on rain tires, before completing 13 laps in the second stint to end up 20th on the combined timesheets.
Spanish teammate Maverick Vinales was 17th.
“We didn’t know what to expect from Rossi on this first day of riding, but the wet conditions gave him a smooth transition coming back from injury,” team director Massimo Meregalli said.
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