2024 French Moto3 Grand Prix, Le Mans - Qualifying Results

Qualifying for round five, the Moto3 French Grand Prix, saw David Alonso maintain his momentum after topping every session, to take pole for the third time in a row.

The CFMoto Gaviota Aspar rider arrived as the form man after practice, topping both Friday sessions - with a new lap record - before dropping it further to 1m 40.121s in the morning session.

The gap to the rest had come down as they chased his times, with Daniel Holgado staking a claim for the top spot on the grid.

The #80 responded with another record lap - passing his teammate to set a new  1m 40.114s best.

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Championship leader Holgado only arrived with the 13th best time, but had strong track position, leading his own train of bikes through as the fast riders found it hard to shake interest from those looking for a boost. The Red Bull GasGas Tech3 rider pushed to the very end, but his final effort was just 0.011s slower in a tense, close session.

Jose Antonio Rueda didn’t take long to get back up to speed in France after missing two rounds, and was also in contention for pole. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider finished third after a brief spell topping the timesheets.

Jerez winner Collin Veijer stayed out on track while the pack peeled in for tyres, the move helping the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP rider to fourth.

A late push saw Adrian Fernandez challenge for the position before he was forced to settle for fifth on the Leopard.

Ivan Ortola tucked in behind Alonso early on and time behind the line of the fastest rider on track helped him up his pace on the MT Helmets - MSI bike for sixth.

Joel Kelso was also off schedule with the rest of the riders who pitted for a tyre change, allowing the Australian to improve to seventh for BOE Motorsports.

His teammate David Munoz lines up eighth, ahead of Angel Piqueras, who had a late crash, yellow flagging several late laps, but having done enough before highsiding from his Leopard to hold ninth, with Ryusei Yamanaka completing the top ten for MT Helmets - MSI.

Jacob Roulstone was the best of the riders who came through Q1, running about the same pace for eleventh for Red Bull GasGas Tech3, just ahead of MLav Racing’s Scott Ogden in twelfth.

Aspar's Joel Esteban made huge improvements to finish Friday second, the rookie could not match that in qualifying, so starts 17th.

Q1- No progression for Nepa

Roulstone went on to Q2 with the top time, riding solo. He was joined in the second session by fellow rookie Luca Lunetta (15th, SIC58 Squadra Corse).

Despite his best efforts, Ogden was on the cusp of the Q2 places, but was shuffled back to 19th in the morning, so a trip through Q1 beckoned for the Brit. Circulating with Tatsuki Suzuki(14th), the par ensured they both made it to Q2, with Ogden third and the class veteran fourth.

Matteo Bertelle improved but could not make the top four for the Snipers team, so will start 19th.

Stefano Nepa has featured in Q2 for every round so far, but it was not to be in Le Mans. The experienced Level - Up MTA rider could only manage the ninth best time despite improving every lap, so will fill 23rd on the grid.

Crashes, injuries and replacements

Nicola Carraro fell after topping the timesheets in Q1, which saw his time slip to sixth, for 20th on the grid. Piqueras was the only other faller, at the end of Q2.