French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (2) Results
Home stars Zarco and Quartararo lead the way during a dry Free Practice 2 for the French MotoGP at Le Mans.
After a damp track in the morning session, which saw some slicks appear in the final ten minutes, FP2 took place on a fully dry track but with forecasts of more rain on Saturday morning, riders knew this afternoon's session might well decide direct access to Qualifying 2.
That pressure to push - combined with low temperatures - contributed to a spate of accidents, with Aprilia's Espargaro and then Ducati world championship leader Bagnaia early front-end fallers on entry to the notorious Turn 3 chicane, a stunned Espargaro then falling again at the very same corner soon after.
Quartararo, riding for the first time since arm-pump surgery on his right forearm and fastest from the start of FP2 until Zarco's attack in the final minute, also joined the Turn 3 fallers club at the midway stage of the session, then Rins in the closing stages.
Morning leader Miller bucked the Turn 3 trend by sliding off at Turn 7 and world champion Mir at Turn 8, where Marc Marquez ran off track but remained upright.
Injured rookie Jorge Martin is again replaced by Rabat. Marquez, sidelined for nine months after complications to a broken right arm at Jerez last July, is taking part in his third event since returning to MotoGP action.
Lecuona has a three-second time penalty for the race after causing a crash, with Alex Marquez, at Jerez.
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| French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (2) Results | |||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max | |
| 1 | ^1 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP21) | 1'31.747s | 20/21 | 321k |
| 2 | ^14 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.095s | 14/16 | 316k |
| 3 | ^9 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.389s | 22/22 | 314k |
| 4 | = | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.390s | 19/23 | 321k |
| 5 | ^8 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.532s | 18/21 | 311k |
| 6 | ^2 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.549s | 20/20 | 315k |
| 7 | ˅6 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Team (GP21) | +0.614s | 20/20 | 320k |
| 8 | ˅3 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.885s | 19/19 | 317k |
| 9 | ^5 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.922s | 23/24 | 313k |
| 10 | ^5 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.964s | 7/20 | 315k |
| 11 | ˅2 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +1.015s | 7/18 | 315k |
| 12 | ˅5 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Team (GP21) | +1.053s | 7/12 | 321k |
| 13 | ˅10 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +1.161s | 16/22 | 315k |
| 14 | ˅4 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | +1.199s | 11/12 | 316k |
| 15 | ^2 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +1.293s | 18/20 | 313k |
| 16 | ^2 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.370s | 20/20 | 314k |
| 17 | ˅6 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.457s | 20/22 | 323k |
| 18 | ^3 | Tito Rabat | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP21) | +1.614s | 22/22 | 313k |
| 19 | ^3 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +1.789s | 14/16 | 317k |
| 20 | ˅14 | Lorenzo Savadori | ITA | Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP)* | +2.238s | 18/21 | 309k |
| 21 | ˅1 | Luca Marini | ITA | Sky VR46 Avintia Ducati (GP19)* | +2.400s | 18/20 | 314k |
| 22 | ˅3 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | KTM Tech3 (RC16) | +2.773s | 5/19 | 311k |
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP1.
= Rider is same position as FP1.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP1.
* Rookie.
Official Le Mans MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Johann Zarco FRA Yamaha 1m 31.185s (2018)
Fastest race lap:
Maverick Vinales SPA Yamaha 1m 32.309s (2017)
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
