French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (3) Results
| French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (3) Results | |||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max | |
| 1 | ^3 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 1'30.537s | 21/21 | 320k |
| 2 | ^3 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +0.031s | 20/22 | 317k |
| 3 | ^3 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.145s | 20/20 | 314k |
| 4 | ^10 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.248s | 20/20 | 315k |
| 5 | ^5 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +0.300s | 21/21 | 319k |
| 6 | ˅4 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.449s | 19/20 | 318k |
| 7 | ^15 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.525s | 22/22 | 317k |
| 8 | ˅5 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.550s | 20/20 | 318k |
| 9 | ^4 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.565s | 16/17 | 317k |
| 10 | ˅1 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.614s | 19/22 | 318k |
| 11 | ^1 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.632s | 17/19 | 320k |
| 12 | ˅4 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.691s | 16/21 | 317k |
| 13 | ^4 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +0.691s | 22/22 | 319k |
| 14 | ˅7 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.816s | 20/20 | 314k |
| 15 | ^1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | +0.866s | 21/21 | 322k |
| 16 | ˅15 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | +1.002s | 16/18 | 320k |
| 17 | ˅2 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* | +1.056s | 16/18 | 320k |
| 18 | ^2 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +1.162s | 18/20 | 314k |
| 19 | ˅8 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +1.179s | 20/21 | 312k |
| 20 | ˅1 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | +1.310s | 21/23 | 313k |
| 21 | = | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.350s | 16/18 | 317k |
| 22 | ˅4 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.465s | 21/22 | 318k |
| 23 | = | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +2.546s | 9/15 | 314k |
| 24 | = | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | +2.704s | 16/19 | 316k |
Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP2.
= Rider is same position as FP2.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP2.
* Rookie
Fastest Friday time:
Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati 1m 31.148s
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)
Johann Zarco thrills the Le Mans fans by rocketing to the top of a frantic Free Practice 3 for the French MotoGP, at a bright and sunny Le Mans.
Fellow home hero and reigning champion Fabio Quartararo was first to break the official lap record, with Ducati's Jerez winner Francesco Bagnaia on top as the chequered flag was waved.
But Zarco wasn't done yet and steered his Pramac Ducati to a time of 1m 30.537s, 0.031s better than Bagnaia, on his 21st and final lap.
Marc Marquez hitched a tow behind Quartararo to claim fourth in the final minute, the pair shaking hands after the chequered flag.
Jack Miller, Aleix Espargaro, Takaaki Nakagami, Alex Rins and Pol Espargaro (who fell) completed the top nine withEnea Bastianini clinging to the final direct transfer place for Q2 courtesy of his Friday best, having been forced to park his Gresini Ducati at the side of the track due to a technical problem.
Among those heading to Qualifying 1 will be Jorge Martin, Maverick Vinales and Joan Mir.
| Riders directly to Qualifying 2 - Top 10 Combined Practice Times: | |||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team |
| 1 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) |
| 2 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) |
| 3 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) |
| 4 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) |
| 5 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) |
| 6 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Factory (RS-GP) |
| 7 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) |
| 8 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) |
| 9 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) |
| 10 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) |
Tech3 KTM's Raul 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.
Le Mans is also the first event since the shock news that Suzuki intends to leave MotoGP at the end of this season.
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 | Rider | Nat | Team | Points | Diff. | |
| 1 | = | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 89 | |
| 2 | ^1 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 82 | (-7) |
| 3 | ^1 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | 69 | (-20) |
| 4 | ˅2 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 69 | (-20) |
| 5 | ^5 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 56 | (-33) |
| 6 | = | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | 56 | (-33) |
| 7 | ˅2 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 51 | (-38) |
| 8 | ˅1 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 48 | (-41) |
| 9 | ^2 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 44 | (-45) |
| 10 | ˅2 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | 43 | (-46) |
| 11 | ˅2 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | 42 | (-47) |
| 12 | ^1 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 35 | (-54) |
| 13 | = | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | 28 | (-61) |
| 14 | = | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | 27 | (-62) |
| 15 | ^3 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | 21 | (-68) |
| 16 | ˅1 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 18 | (-71) |
| 17 | ^2 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | 16 | (-73) |
| 18 | ^1 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | 15 | (-74) |
| 19 | ˅3 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | 14 | (-75) |
| 20 | = | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | 8 | (-81) |
| 21 | ˅1 | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | 6 | (-83) |
| 22 | = | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | 3 | (-86) |
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.
