French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (2) Results

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP1.
= Rider is same position as FP1.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP1.

* 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)

Enea Bastianini rockets to the top on new tyres at the end of Free Practice 2 for the French MotoGP at Le Mans, edging out Aleix Espargaro and Alex Rins.

Pol Espargaro's 1m 31.771s morning time remained the lap to beat until just over half an hour to go when local star Fabio Quartararo put his factory Yamaha fastest with a '31.640s.

Jerez winner Francesco Bagnaia then pulled ahead, keeping his #63 Ducati in command until new soft rear tyres made an appearance in the final five minutes.

Espargaro used the new rubber to put his Aprilia fastest by just 0.061s, before Bastianini blasted to the top - with a new lap record - with just a few seconds remaining.... then fell at the first chicane.

Local star Johann Zarco suffered a much bigger scare when he ran straight on through the ultra-fast first corner, keeping control as his Pramac Ducati speared through the gravel and then jumped over the kerbs at the opening chicane.

Not so fortunate was factory Ducati's Jack Miller, who fell moments later at Turn 11. The Australian then ran through the gravel on new tyres at the end of the session.

Joan Mir had been the first faller of this afternoon, sending his Suzuki barrel-rolling through the gravel after losing control in the braking zone for Turn 7, after ten minutes. Mir was only 19th as the final minutes began but broke into the top ten by the end.

Rookie Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez fell at the same place as Mir, with Bezzecchi's VR46 team-mate Luca Marini, Monster Yamaha's Franco Morbidelli and Darryn Binder also among the many afternoon fallers.

Mir's team-mate Alex Rins had a lucky escape when he narrowly missed a slow-moving Pol Espargaro on his way to third place, with Zarco overcoming his earlier moment to be the top Frenchman with reigning champion Fabio Quartararo just behind Bagnaia in sixth.

Pol Espargaro didn't improve this afternoon, but sits ninth on combined times. Repsol Honda team-mate Marc Marquez made another big save, his second of the day, on the way to 14th this afternoon.

Prior to the time attacks, medium compound tyres were used by most riders for both the front and rear this afternoon, Suzuki riders Rins and Mir proving the exception by putting in laps on the soft front.

Dry weather is predicted for Friday and Saturday, meaning lap times should improve further in FP3, but rain is a threat for Sunday.

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