French Grand Prix, Le Mans, MotoGP, FP1: Fabio Quartararo, leader of the session!

After his victory at Jerez and his reconquest of the championship from Andrea Dovizioso, Marc Marquez arrives on the Bugatti Le Mans circuit in a very calm manner. He was also victorious there last year. But Alex Rins is right on his heels in the championship, riding the Suzuki and is only a small point behind. We will also have to count on Maverick Viñales, who finished third in Jerez, suggesting that the Yamaha's return to business may be this weekend. Unless the rain forecast changes the situation and makes 'The Pilot' who knew how to tame the elements stand out. A Frenchman, who knows?

 

Le Mans MotoGP™	2018	2019
FP1	1'32.476 Marc Márquez	1'31.986 Fabio Quartararo
FP2	1'31.936 Andrea Dovizioso
FP3	1'31.619 Maverick Viñales
FP4	1'32.337 Andrea Dovizioso
Q1	1'31.818 Danilo Petrucci
Q2	1'31.185 Johann Zarco
warm up	1'31.868 Marc Márquez
Course	Marquez, Petrucci, Rossi
All time lap record	1'31.185 Zarco (2018)

It's 14,4 degrees in the air and 23 degrees on the track. The weather is nice, good conditions for the MotoGP riders to work during this first free practice session.

It was Morbidelli who set the reference time at the start of the session, he set a lap time of 1.37.697s. He was quickly taken over by Petrucci, Viñales, Quartararo and Lorenzo. Miller made the effort and posted a 1.34.156s. Petrucci is second, Viñales third best time. Quartararo is fourth and runs in 1.34.685s. Miller, the unfortunate from Jerez, improves his time and passes the 1.33 mark and signs a 1.33.040s, Márquez is second in 1.33.142s. After 5 minutes, Lorenzo made a mistake in turn 8 while his teammate improved Miller's time, he clocked 1.32.915s.

But Miller responds and takes control of the session, he clocks a 1.32.551s. Marquez remains second, Dovizioso comes back and signs the best third time, he clocks 1.33.106s. Zarco is fifth with a lap time of 1.33.306s. Viñales is in fifth position, Rossi is eleventh. The Suzukis of Rins and Mir are fourteenth and fifteenth.

Between Marquez and Miller, it's back and forth, Márquez, at the limit, takes back the reins of the group and sets a lap time of 1.32.540s. Cervera’s pilot is boiling hot!

There are 22 minutes left before the end of the session, Márquez is dominating in the times ahead of Miller, Viñales, Crutchlow and Dovizioso. Rossi, at a standstill, returns to the pits on a scooter, the latter having lost the chain of his machine on the track.

P. Espargaró made the effort and came to position himself in fourth position with the KTM, his time was 1.32.841s. Morbidelli took fifth position, setting a lap time of 1.32.926s, with his French teammate ranked eighth. P. Espargaró improves his time and is now third best time, in 1.32.674s. But Viñales also improves and takes third place by a few tenths, he laps in 1.32.657s. The KTM rider leads the session and takes the best time, he sets a time of 1.32.341s.

Jack Miller hasn't said his last word 10 minutes from the end of the session, he sets a lap time of 1.32.238s. He is imitated by Viñales who is second and P. Espargaró third. Viñales takes the lead in the standings by improving his time to 1.32.203s.

Marquez is fourth. Lorenzo is thirteenth, the Doctor eleventh ahead of Zarco. Quartararo is sixth and laps in 1.32.911s, the best rookie of the session is ahead of Dovizioso. The official Ducatis are struggling. Petrucci being ranked ninth. The Suzukis are sixteenth and seventeenth. Zarco is tenth. There are 2 minutes left. At the end of the session, Quartararo set the best time of the session in 1.31.986s ahead of Dovizioso and Petrucci. Viñales is fourth and Márquez fifth. Zarco is ranked ninth.

French Grand Prix Le Mans MotoGP FP1: times

1	20	Fabio QUARTARARO	Yamaha	1'31.986
2	4	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	1'32.113	0.127	0.127
3	9	Danilo PETRUCCI	Ducati	1'32.193	0.207	0.080
4	12	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	1'32.203	0.217	0.010
5	93	Marc MÁRQUEZ	Honda	1'32.233	0.247	0.030
6	44	Pol ESPARGARÓ	KTM	1'32.237	0.251	0.004
7	43	Jack Miller	Ducati	1'32.238	0.252	0.001
8	36	Joan Mir	Suzuki	1'32.626	0.640	0.388
9	5	johann zarco	KTM	1'32.724	0.738	0.098
10	46	Valentino ROSSI	Yamaha	1'32.760	0.774	0.036
11	35	Cal Crutchlow	Honda	1'32.831	0.845	0.071
12	21	Frank MORBIDELLI	Yamaha	1'32.887	0.901	0.056
13	63	Francesco Bagnaia	Ducati	1'32.982	0.996	0.095
14	99	Jorge Lorenzo	Honda	1'33.091	1.105	0.109
15	30	Takaaki NAKAGAMI	Honda	1'33.123	1.137	0.032
16	41	Aleix ESPARGARÓ	Aprilia	1'33.259	1.273	0.136
17	42	Alex RINS	Suzuki	1'33.357	1.371	0.098
18	53	Tito RABAT	Ducati	1'34.113	2.127	0.756
19	29	Andrea Iannone	Aprilia	1'34.135	2.149	0.022
20	88	Miguel OLIVEIRA	KTM	1'34.229	2.243	0.094
21	17	Karel ABRAHAM	Ducati	1'34.481	2.495	0.252
22	55	Hafiz Syahrin	KTM	1'35.479	3.493	0.998