French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (1) Results

Free Practice (1) results from the French MotoGP at Le Mans, round 7 of the 2022 world championship.
Pol Espargaro, French MotoGP, 13 May
Pol Espargaro, French MotoGP, 13 May
French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (1) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)1'31.771s20/21318k
2Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.109s20/21317k
3Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.122s21/22319k
4Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.141s20/23313k
5Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.162s21/21317k
6Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.171s20/21318k
7Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.190s18/22319k
8Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.307s19/20321k
9Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)+0.341s23/23315k
10Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+0.357s17/19317k
11Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+0.394s20/21319k
12Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)+0.484s18/18321k
13Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.495s21/21318k
14Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)+0.720s20/21315k
15Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*+0.903s15/21319k
16Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)+0.965s12/21316k
17Fabio Di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP21)*+0.984s21/22314k
18Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.985s21/23314k
19Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+0.991s20/21320k
20Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+1.166s20/21311k
21Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.250s12/13320k
22Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+1.531s19/19315k
23Raul FernandezSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+2.380s10/15312k
24Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*+2.853s18/19318k

* Rookie

Official Le Mans MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Johann Zarco FRA Ducati 1m 31.185s (2018)
Fastest race lap:
Maverick Vinales SPA Yamaha 1m 32.309s (2017)

Pol Espargaro put recent rumours surrounding his Honda future firmly behind him by starting the French MotoGP weekend on top of the timesheets in Free Practice 1 at Le Mans.

Completing his first MotoGP laps since being given the shock news that Suzuki is leaving MotoGP at the end of this season, and determined to prove the factory has made the 'wrong decision', Alex Rins put the GSX-RR fastest during the opening ten minutes.

Rins was pushed to fifth by the midway stage of the 45-minutes - when Jack Miller was quickest from home star Fabio Quartararo - before Rins fought his way back to the front in the final five minutes.

Miller and then Quartararo swiftly retaliated, but the times continued to tumble with Rins and then Pol Espargaro snatching P1 in the final minute, as Jerez winner Francesco Bagnaia sealed a late third.

Reigning champion Quartararo settled for fourth ahead of Aleix Espargaro, Joan Mir, Miller and Maverick Vinales.

Marc Marquez spent the early stages behind Aleix Espargaro's Aprilia, and later made a big save when he ran wide and lost the front over the kerb at Turn 8, on his way to 13th.

A nightmare session for KTM included two falls for Miguel Oliveira as well as accidents for factory team-mate Brad Binder and Tech3's Raul Fernandez, as the orange machines were left outside the top 17.

Double 2022 race winner Enea Bastianini (Gresini Ducati) and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Yamaha) were also caught out this morning.

Dry weather is predicted for Friday and Saturday, but rain is a threat for Sunday.

Fernandez is returning to action this weekend after being ruled out of the Portimao and Jerez rounds due to a right-hand injury.

Jack Miller won last year’s French Grand Prix, after a flag-to-flag race caused by a heavy rain shower. The Australian was joined on the podium by home heroes Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco.

Quartararo returns to Le Mans holding a 7-point title lead over Aleix Espargaro with Enea Bastianini in third (20 points).

Jerez winner Francesco Bagnaia is 33 points adrift, in fifth.

French MotoGP schedule – UK Time

Friday May 13

8.00-8.40am - Moto3 Free Practice 1

8.55-9.40am - MotoGP Free Practice 1

9.55-10.35am - Moto2 Free Practice 1

12.15-12.55pm - Moto3 Free Practice 2

1.10-1.55pm - MotoGP Free Practice 2

2.10pm-2.50pm - Moto2 Free Practice 2

Saturday May 14

8.00-8.40am - Moto3 Free Practice 3

8.55-9.40am - MotoGP Free Practice 3

9.55am-10.35am - Moto2 Free Practice 3

11.35am-11.50am - Moto3 Qualifying 1

12-12.15pm - Moto3 Qualifying 2

12.30-1pm - MotoGP Free Practice 4

1.10-1.25pm - MotoGP Qualifying 1

1.35-1.50pm - MotoGP Qualifying 2

2.10-2.25pm - Moto2 Qualifying 1

2.35pm-2.50pm - Moto2 Qualifying 2

Sunday May 15

8.00-8.10am - Moto3 warm-up

8.20-8.30am - Moto2 warm-up

8.40-9am - MotoGP warm-up

10am - Moto3 race

11.20am - Moto2 race

1pm - MotoGP race

Jerez: MotoGP World Championship standings
Pos RiderNatTeamPointsDiff.
1=Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)89 
2^1Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)82(-7)
3^1Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)69(-20)
4˅2Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)69(-20)
5^5Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)56(-33)
6=Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)56(-33)
7˅2Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)51(-38)
8˅1Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)48(-41)
9^2Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)44(-45)
10˅2Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)43(-46)
11˅2Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)42(-47)
12^1Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)35(-54)
13=Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)28(-61)
14=Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)27(-62)
15^3Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)21(-68)
16˅1Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)18(-71)
17^2Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)16(-73)
18^1Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*15(-74)
19˅3Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)14(-75)
20=Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)8(-81)
21˅1Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*6(-83)
22=Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*3(-86)

 

 

Read More

Subscribe to our MotoGP Newsletter

Get the latest MotoGP news, exclusives, interviews and promotions from the paddock direct to your inbox