MotoGP Netherlands: Dovizioso steals top spot from magnificent Marquez

     With team-mate Andrea Iannone topping both of Friday's free practice sessions, Andrea Dovizioso rose to the fore on Saturday morning, as his last lap was enough to push him to top spot in FP3. 

Dovizioso was placed well inside the top six in the closing moments before a final flyer pushed the astonishing Marc Marquez back to second by a mere 0.028s in what was a highly dramatic session. 

As the fast turn seven claimed Jorge Lorenzo, Pol Espargaro and Yonny Hernandez in frightening front end falls, Marquez was extremely fortunate to save a colossal moment while braking for turn one. 

The back wheel of the 23-year old's Honda RC213V was so far removed from the line of his front, it flicked him upwards violently, triggering the airbag in his leathers to go off. He soon recovered from the moment to set his fastest time on his penultimate lap. 

Another to hold top spot in a frantic final five minutes, Maverick Viñales was third fastest, a further 0.034s back of Marquez's fastest time. The 21-year old, who foresees a podium challenge on Sunday using Suzuki's new 'evo' chassis, displaced Valentino Rossi (fourth), with the Italian just 0.1s off the fastest time of the session. 

Rossi spent the majority of the session leading and tailing fellow Italian Andrea Iannone, with both men showing well in race trim. 

Cal Crutchlow (+0.303s) was a strong sixth, and Scott Redding (+0.382s) ensured a smooth passage into the afternoon's Q2 session with the sixth fastest time. Underling the potential of Ducati machinery around 2.8-mile Dutch track, Danilo Petrucci was seventh. 

Aleix Espargaro was eighth, Andrea Iannone ninth and a subdued Jorge Lorenzo in tenth. The Majorcan appeared to have grazed his neck in the fast fall early into the session and his time of 1m 33.919s was some way off (0.611s) the fastest man. 

The result leaves both Tech 3 Yamahas and Dani Pedrosa outside the overall top ten, meaning they will need to navigate their way through the choppy waters of Q1 on Saturday afternoon. 

Both Eugene Laverty and Michele Pirro were also fallers in the session. 
Read more at http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/231591/1/dovizioso-steals-top-spot-from-magnificent-marquez.html#2r1qCEmwDRCB3vWm.99.                                                                                                        1. Andrea Dovizioso 
2. Marc Marquez 
3. Maverick Viñales 
4. Valentino Rossi 
5. Cal Crutchlow 
6. Scott Redding 
7. Danilo Petrucci 
8. Aleix Espargaro 
9. Andrea Iannone 
10. Jorge Lorenzo 
11. Hector Barbera 
12. Pol Espargaro 
13. Dani Pedrosa 
14. Jack Miller 
15. Bradley Smith 
16. Stefan Bradl 
17. Yonny Hernandez 
18. Alvaro Bautista 
19. Tito Rabat 
20. Michele Pirro 
21. Eugene Laverty