Johann Zarco dominated the practice session at Le Mans, thrilling the home crowd with a record-breaking lap.
Friday’s action at the French Grand Prix has wrapped up, with Zarco setting the pace. Here’s a quick look at Saturday’s schedule:
– Moto3 FP2: 8:40 AM
– Moto2 FP2: 9:25 AM
– MotoGP FP2: 10:10 AM
– MotoGP Q1: 10:50 AM
– MotoGP Q2: 11:15 AM
– Moto3 Q1: 12:45 PM
– Moto3 Q2: 1:10 PM
– Moto2 Q1: 1:40 PM
– Moto2 Q2: 2:05 PM
– MotoGP Sprint (13 laps): 3:00 PM
A yellow flag caused by Pecco Bagnaia’s crash ended Marc Márquez’s chances of improving his time. The Spaniard pushed hard on his final lap but was unable to advance, finishing 13th and forced into Q1 on Saturday.
Here’s the full classification after the practice session:
Honda seems to have found its footing at Le Mans. Luca Marini topped the timesheets in FP1, while Zarco replicated that in practice. Joan Mir also secured a direct spot in Q2, marking a strong weekend for the Japanese manufacturer so far. However, Marini could only manage 16th. The fourth Honda, rookie Diogo Moreira, ended 19th, ahead of debutants Toprak, Aldeguer (who struggled after a crash), and substitute rider Jonas Folger, replacing Maverick Viñales.
Zarco lived up to expectations, but the practice results were unusual. Fabio Di Giannantonio, a consistent performer this season, took second. Pecco Bagnaia, despite crashing, grabbed third as the second-best Ducati.
The top 10 also included Àlex Márquez, Joan Mir (highlighting Honda’s resurgence at this track), championship leaders Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi (both making it by the skin of their teeth), plus Álex Rins, Ai Ogura, and Pedro Acosta. For the first time this season on a dry track (it happened in Brazil in wet conditions), all five manufacturers are represented in the top 10.
Bad news for Marc Márquez. The eight-time world champion couldn’t string together a strong final lap and missed the top 10, which grants direct entry to Q2. He will now face Q1 on Saturday, where only the top two riders advance to fight for pole.
Zarco gave the French fans reason to cheer, securing the top spot with a champion’s performance and a new lap record.
Pecco Bagnaia was visibly frustrated after his crash. Despite the incident, his earlier time held up for third place, behind Di Giannantonio and Zarco.
Bagnaia hit the deck, bringing out another yellow flag. It remains to be seen if any late laps were compromised.
