French MotoGP, Le Mans Bugatti Circuit - Warm-up Results

* Rookie

Pole position time:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 30.450s

Official Le Mans MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 30.450s
(2022)
Fastest race lap:
Maverick Vinales SPA Yamaha 1m 32.309s (2017)

Aleix Espargaro edges out home star Fabio Quartararo during a dry but cloudy morning warm-up session for the French MotoGP at Le Mans.

After two days of sunny weather, rain is a threat for this afternoon's grand prix. But with warm-up also remaining dry, if wet weather does arrive, it will be a leap into the unknown for riders and teams.

Unsurprisingly, all riders practised bike swaps during warm-up, some also scrubbing in a set of wets.

Quartararo, Jack Miller and Alex Rins took turns at the top in the early stages of warm-up, home hero and reigning champion Quartararo returning to the head of the timesheets during the middle stages.

Front row qualifier Aleix Espargaro, who will be hoping a new carbon clutch can end his run of bad starts this afternoon, then put Aprilia fastest on his 9th of 12 laps, where he remained to the flag.

Quartararo, pushed to the second row in qualifying but extremely confident in his race pace, was 0.155s behind for Monster Yamaha with a limping LCR Honda's Takaaki Nakagami a surprise third.

Jorge Martin, Rins and Miller completed the top six ahead of home hero Johann Zarco, who has been demoted from sixth to ninth on the grid by a penalty for 'riding slowly and disturbing' Pol Espargaro during qualifying.

Pole man Francesco Bagnaia was only 13th, just behind Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez, who tweaked his weakened right arm during a practice start.

Double 2022 race winner Enea Bastianini was the only faller this morning, losing the front under braking for the first chicane.

KTM's miserable weekend continued with Miguel Oliveira the best RC16 in 17th place.

Soft tyres were the preferred choice front and rear, Joan Mir and Pol Espargaro trying the medium rear.

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.

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