Luca Marini leads French MotoGP FP1 on updated Honda
Luca Marini was fastest in first practice for the 2026 MotoGP French Grand Prix
Honda’s Luca Marini was fastest on his upgraded RC213V in a tight FP1 at the MotoGP French Grand Prix, as last year’s winner Johann Zarco was fourth.
Though poor weather is forecast to hit Le Mans for race day, conditions were perfect on Friday morning for the opening 45-minute FP1 session in France.
Following the post-race Jerez test, Honda has come to Le Mans with an updated aerodynamic package, with Luca Marini going top with a 1m30.857s after fitting a fresh medium rear tyre in the latter stages.
It proved to be a good morning for Honda, with last year’s French Grand Prix winner and home favourite Johann Zarco fourth on his LCR-run machine.
Encouragingly, Zarco’s lap was done on a 19-lap-old medium rear tyre, while KTM’s Pedro Acosta was second initially after fitting a fresh medium rear late on.
VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio set the early pace inside the first 15 minutes, going top with a 1m31.302s.
This kept him top of the pile until the closing six minutes, when Marini lit up the timing screens on new tyres to produce a 1m31.120s.
He improved on his following effort to a 1m30.857s, which would keep him 0.208s clear of the field at the chequered flag ahead of Acosta and Zarco.
Di Giannantonio remained top Ducati in fourth, though was promoted to second after the chequered flag after a cancelled lap was reinstated, with Acosta third and Zarco fourth.
A fresh medium rear helped Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez to fifth at the chequered flag.
Alex Rins was sixth on the leading Yamaha, having also run new tyres at the end, while Spanish Grand Prix winner Alex Marquez was seventh on used rubber on the Gresini Ducati.
Ai Ogura was eighth on the sister Trackhouse Aprilia on new tyres, while reigning world champion Marc Marquez was ninth after a late 1m31.388s on the factory Ducati with a 20-lap-old medium rear.
Ducati has brought a new chassis to Le Mans that was first debuted at Jerez, with all of its GP26s and GP25s running it in FP1 this morning.
KTM’s Brad Binder completed the top 10 after a late time attack on new medium rubber.
The returning Jonas Folger, who is replacing the injured Maverick Vinales, as 3.2s off the pace in 22nd as he make his first race weekend appearance in three years.
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