French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (4) Results
| French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (4) Results | ||||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time/Diff | Lap | Max |
| 1 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | 1'31.444s | 12/15 | 312k |
| 2 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.010s | 12/16 | 315k |
| 3 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +0.264s | 9/13 | 316k |
| 4 | Aleix Espargaro | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.331s | 13/13 | 316k |
| 5 | Takaaki Nakagami | JPN | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +0.365s | 4/16 | 314k |
| 6 | Jack Miller | AUS | Ducati Lenovo (GP22) | +0.388s | 4/13 | 315k |
| 7 | Jorge Martin | SPA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.437s | 7/15 | 320k |
| 8 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21) | +0.455s | 14/14 | 322k |
| 9 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)* | +0.459s | 12/13 | 317k |
| 10 | Miguel Oliveira | POR | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.474s | 14/16 | 312k |
| 11 | Maverick Viñales | SPA | Aprilia Racing (RS-GP) | +0.520s | 16/17 | 317k |
| 12 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.547s | 6/14 | 316k |
| 13 | Marc Marquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | +0.582s | 4/12 | 317k |
| 14 | Joan Mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | +0.617s | 7/13 | 316k |
| 15 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Pramac Ducati (GP22) | +0.627s | 4/15 | 317k |
| 16 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM (RC16) | +0.629s | 12/15 | 314k |
| 17 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | +0.779s | 8/13 | 309k |
| 18 | Luca Marini | ITA | Mooney VR46 Ducati (GP22) | +0.797s | 11/14 | 314k |
| 19 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Gresini Ducati (GP21)* | +1.008s | 4/14 | 318k |
| 20 | Alex Marquez | SPA | LCR Honda (RC213V) | +1.264s | 7/16 | 316k |
| 21 | Remy Gardner | AUS | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +1.275s | 16/17 | 314k |
| 22 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1) | +1.298s | 15/16 | 309k |
| 23 | Raul Fernandez | SPA | KTM Tech3 (RC16)* | +2.135s | 11/12 | 312k |
| 24 | Darryn Binder | RSA | WithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)* | +2.179s | 4/16 | 315k |
* Rookie
Fastest Practice time:
Johann Zarco FRA Ducati 1m 30.547s
Official Le Mans MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Johann Zarco FRA Ducati 1m 30.547s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Maverick Vinales SPA Yamaha 1m 32.309s (2017)
MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo takes over from fellow home hero Johann Zarco at the top of the timesheets during final practice for the French MotoGP at Le Mans.
Jack Miller (Ducati) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) were both caught out by early front-end falls at Turn 7, with Marc Marquez crashing from his Repsol Honda on the entry to Turn 9 in the closing minutes.
Medium front tyres and soft rears were the preferred choices in preparation for Sunday's race, Suzuki being a notable exception in using the medium rear.
However, all slicks could be redundant tomorrow if the forecast rain materialises.
Qualifying 1, for those outside the top ten after third free practice, including Joan Mir, will now get underway.
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.
