Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) laid down the gauntlet on the opening day of the Michelin Grand Prix of France, setting a new all-time lap record of 1:29.855 to top the timesheets. Home favourite Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) delighted the packed Le Mans grandstands by claiming second, while Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounded out the top three.
As the final 30 minutes of Practice began, Marquez held the top spot, with Quartararo 0.4 seconds adrift in second and Bagnaia in third. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) briefly jumped into second, flying the KTM flag high as the session progressed.
Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) made a significant improvement, leaping to fourth from outside the top 10 on a soft Michelin rear tyre. However, his teammate Joan Mir, the 2020 World Champion, suffered a crash at Turn 13 with 17 minutes remaining.
Viñales, pushing hard on fresh rubber, closed the gap to Marquez to just 0.005 seconds before an innocuous crash at Turn 9 ended his charge. Meanwhile, Bagnaia improved his time to move into third.
With 10 minutes to go, Quartararo sent the home crowd into raptures by going 0.3 seconds clear at the top. However, his joy was short-lived as Marquez responded with a blistering 1:29.855, setting a new all-time lap record just five seconds later.
Bagnaia managed to close the gap to Marquez to 0.184 seconds, while rookie sensation Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) briefly jumped ahead of Quartararo into third. A late crash for Johann Zarco (Honda HRC Castrol) and an improvement from Marini saw the Frenchman lose out on a top 10 spot, but Quartararo’s final lap secured him second place.
Reflecting on his performance, Marquez said, “We did a good job, but it’s only Friday, and there’s still something to work on. We made a few steps forward in the afternoon – I felt more comfortable especially in the second and third runs – so let’s see how things go tomorrow. I think the lap-times will be even closer, but I’m having fun and continuing to work to improve.”
Bagnaia, who finished third, commented, “I’m happy with today. We’re working to maximise my performance with this bike configuration and I’m satisfied, as the feeling kept improving throughout the day. I still can’t do exactly what I want with the front-end, so we need to keep focusing on that area. We did a good job, though there’s still a step to make. Right now, Marc has something extra, but we’re working to bridge the gap and fight for the top positions.”
Aldeguer continued to impress, ending the day in fourth ahead of teammate and World Championship leader Alex Marquez. Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) enjoyed a fruitful session, securing sixth, while Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led a pair of KTMs into Q2, with Viñales ultimately finishing eighth.
Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) claimed ninth, and a last-gasp effort from Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) saw him snatch the final automatic Q2 spot in 10th, narrowly edging out Marini.
Attention now turns to qualifying and the Tissot Sprint on Saturday, with a capacity crowd ready to cheer on local hero Zarco in Q1 at 10:50 local time. The stage is set for an exciting weekend of racing at the legendary Le Mans circuit.
