Johann Zarco secured the top spot in a high-tension Practice session at the French MotoGP in Le Mans, clocking a time of 1 minute 29.907 seconds. The Honda LCR rider finished just 0.010 seconds ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio, marking a dominant opening day for Honda after Luca Marini had previously led the FP1 session.
The session was characterized by an incredibly tight performance window, with the top 10 riders separated by only 0.289 seconds and the top 19 within a mere 0.816 seconds. This marginal gap indicates a high level of technical parity across the grid, where the decision to switch to fresh soft rear rubber in the final minutes proved decisive for those fighting for the lead positions.
The most significant setback of the afternoon fell upon Marc Marquez, who failed to secure a direct entry into Q2. The reigning world champion had attempted a technical pivot by utilizing 2025-spec aerodynamics on his factory Ducati. Despite the upgrade, a mistake on his penultimate effort compromised his momentum just as he entered the critical final stages of the session.
As Marquez initiated his final flying lap, teammate Francesco Bagnaia crashed at Turn 6, triggering yellow flags across the sector. This intervention forced Marquez to abandon his attempt at a top-10 lap, leaving him in 13th position. While Bagnaia had already safely secured third place, the timing of the incident left Marquez with no option but to compete in Qualifying 1 (Q1) on Saturday morning.
Further up the standings, Alex Marquez claimed fourth place with a time identical to Bagnaia's, while Joan Mir finished fifth. Jorge Martin managed to secure sixth despite an early-session crash, and Alex Rins provided a surprising result for Yamaha by finishing eighth to bag a direct Q2 ticket. Pedro Acosta also managed to keep his place in the top ten despite suffering a fall during the session.
Beyond the timing sheets, the session was marked by a frightening technical failure when Raul Fernandez's satellite Aprilia burst into flames on track. Although Fernandez escaped the incident unharmed, the fire highlights the volatility of the current technical packages under high-stress conditions. Other riders, including Fermin Aldeguer, also suffered crashes, illustrating the low grip levels and high risks associated with the Le Mans layout.
Marquez will now face a difficult path back to the front, joining the likes of Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini in Q1. The failure to capitalize on the 2025-spec aero during Practice puts additional pressure on the Ducati garage to refine the setup overnight. For MotoGP, the events at Le Mans prove that in a field this competitive, a single yellow flag can completely shift the qualifying hierarchy.
| POS | FOTO | RIDER / TEAM | TIME / GAP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | Johann ZarcoCastrol Honda LCR | 1:29.90s Prancis | 0 |
2 |  | Fabio Di GiannantonioPertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | 1:29.91s Italia | 0 |
3 |  | Francesco BagnaiaDucati Lenovo Team | 1:30.04s Italia | 0 |
4 |  | Alex MarquezBK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP | 1:30.04s Spanyol | 0 |
5 |  | Joan MirHonda HRC Castrol | 1:30.09s Spanyol | 0 |
6 |  | Jorge MartinAprilia Racing | 1:30.12s Spanyol | 0 |
7 |  | Marco BezzecchiAprilia Racing | 1:30.17s Italia | 0 |
8 |  | Alex RinsMonster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team | 1:30.19s Spanyol | 0 |
9 |  | Ai OguraTrackhouse MotoGP Team | 1:30.19s Jepang | 0 |
10 |  | Pedro AcostaRed Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1:30.19s Spanyol | 0 |
11 |  | Enea BastianiniRed Bull KTM Tech3 | 1:30.27s Italia | 0 |
12 |  | Brad BinderRed Bull KTM Factory Racing | 1:30.28s Afrika Selatan | 0 |
13 |  | Marc MarquezDucati Lenovo Team | 1:30.37s Spanyol | 0 |
14 |  | Raul FernandezTrackhouse MotoGP Team | 1:30.41s Spanyol | 0 |
15 |  | Jack MillerPrima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP | 1:30.42s Australia | 0 |
16 |  | Luca MariniHonda HRC Castrol | 1:30.46s Italia | 0 |
17 |  | Fabio QuartararoMonster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team | 1:30.46s Prancis | 0 |
18 |  | Franco MorbidelliPertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | 1:30.67s Italia | 0 |
19 |  | Diogo MoreiraPro Honda LCR | 1:30.72s Brasil | 0 |
20 |  | Toprak RazgatliogluPrima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP | 1:31.32s Turkey | 0 |
21 |  | Fermin AldeguerBK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP | 1:31.43s Spanyol | 0 |
22 |  | Jonas FolgerRed Bull KTM Tech3 | 1:32.45s Germany | 0 |
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