Andrea Dovizioso bested Cal Crutchlow by 0.027 seconds in MotoGP FP3 for the Japanese Grand Prix to lead a repeat top four with Johann Zarco and Marc Marquez in third behind.
Dovizioso's Friday best of 1:45.358s remained the benchmark for almost the entirety of FP3, before the Ducati rider fired in a 1:45.107s at the death to usurp LCR's Crutchlow.
Despite the near-perfect conditions for FP3, improvements on the overall standings in the Q2 progression places were few and far between, with Nieto's Alvaro Bautista the only mover in seventh in the early stages.
Friday pacesetter Dovizioso led the early part of the session with a 1:46.091s, with Ducati stablemate Bautista bettering this by 0.011s to take over moments later and improve on the combined times.
With half the session gone, Suzuki's Andrea Iannone edged ahead of the Spaniard by 0.015s, while Dani Pedrosa elevated himself up from 12th to eighth on the combined times on his Honda.
Dovizioso soon returned to the top of the individual session times with the first 1:45s lap of the day of 1:45.869s, while Marquez upped his pace to a 1:46.014s to move into second.
With two minutes remaining, Crutchlow finally toppled Dovizioso's time from Friday with a 1:45.124s, though his time at the top of the standings was short-lived.
Dovizioso lit up the timing screens on his final effort and produced a 1:45.107s to edge 0.027s clear of the Briton, while brief FP3 leader Zarco moved his Tech3 M1 0.003s further adrift in third.
Marquez looked set to take over top spot in the closing moments, but the Honda rider lost out by just under two tenths and heads into qualifying fourth overall, while Valentino Rossi moved himself out of the Q1 places with a last-gasp 1:45.422s to go fifth.
Dani Pedrosa on the sister Repsol RC213V sandwiched the factory Yamaha duo in sixth, with Maverick Vinales – who lef FP3 for a short time – seventh overall.
Suzuki's Alex Rins moved into the Q2 places with a 1:45.508s in eighth, with Suzuki teammate Andrea Iannone and Pramac's Jack Miller completing the top 10.
The late flurry of fast laps saw Bautista shoved into Q1 in 11th ahead of Marc VDS' Franco Morbidelli and Danilo Petrucci, who wrecked his Pramac GP18 in a late tumble at Turn 12.
Home hopes Takaaki Nakagami [LCR] and wildcard Katsuyuki Nakasuga [Yamaha] will face Q1 after ending FP3 16th and 14th respectively, while Suzuki wildcard Sylvain Guintoli was 24th on the '19-spec GSX-RR.
Avintia stand-in Jordi Torres was the only other faller in the session, the Spaniard coming off at Turn 7 25 minutes in. He completed the now-25-rider field, depleted by one after Ducati stablemate Jorge Lorenzo pulled out following FP1 through injury.
