Source: Supplied.

First it was Ducati test rider Casey Stoner, then Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Andrea Iannone, but it was the fastest man from the Valencia test, Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who hit back on day three to head the timesheets.

Fastest in the session and setting the quickest lap on combined times over the three days of testing, Viñales put in a 1m59.368s to go P1 from Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez. Ducati Team’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 at Sepang International Circuit 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.

One high-profile crasher was Iannone, while Hector Barbera (Reale Esponsorama Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also suffered incidents on the third and final day.

Viñales, who went fastest once again after topping the timesheets first time out on his Yamaha in Valencia, put in a mammoth 72 laps on day three, setting his best time on his 40th circulation of the track.

Teammate Valentino Rossi, after debuting Yamaha’s new fairing featuring internal winglets on Tuesday, ended the day in fifth and just over two tenths of a second in arrears. The Italian legend put in 62 laps, with a best of 1m59.589s.

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was the man closest to Viñales on the timesheets. After spending much of the Sepang test in the latter half of the top 10, the Spaniard shot up the timesheets and closed out the action in second.

Marquez did the most laps of any rider – 85 – with a best of 1m59.506s, as teammate Dani Pedrosa similarly catapulted himself up the timesheets late in the test, setting a 1m59.578s to take fourth. Splitting the Repsol Hondas was Ducati’s Dovizioso.

‘DesmoDovi’ has been a key presence on the timesheets for much of the Sepang test and did 56 laps on day three. The Italian, who won the Malaysian GP in 2016, was the fastest race rider on day one of testing and ended the third day in third.

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 two, the ‘Spartan’ got down to a 1m59.766s on Wednesday and got in another 66 laps of experience.

Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) was again a key presence and top Independent Team rider. After ending the second day of action in the top three, Bautista maintained his pace to close the test in sixth.

The Spaniard put in a best of 1m59.628s after 64 laps – a tiny margin ahead of Ducati test rider Casey Stoner in seventh, who did a 1m59.639s and 46 laps yesterday. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) ended in P8 with a 1m59.728s, completing 71 laps.

Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was again the fastest rookie on the third day, continuing his impressive performance after the second day of testing. The Frenchman did a 1m59.772s as the last man below the 2m00s barrier, completing the top 10. Teammate Jonas Folger was outside the top 10 for the first time in day three.

Iannone ended the third day in 11th following his off-track excursion, unable to better his previous times and setting a 2m00.045s. Teammate Alex Rins was the second fastest rookie, just behind his experienced teammate in 12th.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) completed the top 15, in P13 and P14 respectively, while Aussie Jack Miller (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda) climbed the order to 16th at 2m00.439s.

Red Bull KTM Factory racing pair Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith continued their long program of work on the third and final day of testing, setting a combined total of 129 laps despite Espargaro’s crash. The Austrian factory line up full time for the first time in 2017 and have been testing something new or different on every exit of the pits.

The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Australia is next up as testing continues from 15-17 February and the clock continues its countdown to the first race of the year in Qatar.