Marc Marquez has moved ahead on the combined practice timesheets on the run-up to Qualifying for the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. With Jorge Lorenzo already out of action following an accident on Friday, championship leader Dani Pedrosa has become the latest to suffer a large highside crash.

Pedrosa’s fall came on the exit of the first corner, 15 minutes into the session. Despite carrying relatively low speed, the Repsol Honda Team rider was dramatically flicked over the top of his bike before landing hard on his left collarbone. Early checks suggested that the Spaniard had not broken any bones, but he has since been airlifted to the Klinikum Chemnitz hospital for further examination; this will include a second x-ray and a CT scan, as the rider complained of feeling faint.

Another faller was Avintia Blusens’ Hector Barbera, having only returned to action a day earlier after his hand-injuring crash in Barcelona. Energy T.I. Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone also went off-track this morning, but was able to rejoin the action, before PBM’s Michael Laverty joined the list of fallers right at the end of the session.

In the classification, the combined times from between Free Practices 1 and 3 decided which ten riders headed directly to Q2 later today. Repsol Honda Team’s Marquez posted 1’21.903, which in FP3 edged out Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro on the CRT-specification ART machine.

Overall, LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl is placed second from the aforementioned Espargaro, Pedrosa and Assen winner Valentino Rossi. Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow is sixth from Ducati Team’s Nicky Hayden, GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista, Tech 3’s Bradley Smith and Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso who completes the top ten.

Following the fourth practice session, which has no bearing on the qualifying running order, Q1 will begin at 2:10pm local time (GMT +2).

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