French MotoGP, Le Mans – Warm-up Results

* Rookie

Pole position time:
Francesco Bagnaia  ITA Ducati 1m 30.705s

Official Le Mans MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 30.450s (2022)
Fastest race lap:
Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati 1m 31.778s (2022)

Johann Zarco delights the home fans by leading a dry but cool morning warm-up for the French MotoGP at Le Mans.

The Pramac Ducati rider, whose team-mate Jorge Martin took victory in the sprint, had a pace close to Martin yesterday but was hurt by ninth on the grid and could only reach sixth.

Saturday’s runner Brad Binder (KTM), now second to Bagnaia in the title chase, was second in warm-up ahead of Luca Marini (VR46) and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia).

Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) and Zarco’s countryman Fabio Quartararo (Monster Yamaha), who has qualified just 13th and ed from eighth in the Sprint, completed the top six.

Jack Miller, who fell from the lead group on Saturday after being caught out by the medium tyre, was back on the softs on his way to seventh this morning.

Martin was eighth ahead of pole qualifier and title leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).

Marc Marquez was twelfth on the Kalex-Honda but within 0.62s of Zarco.

Tech3 rookie Augusto Fernandez, who has qualified a best-yet 12th, and Repsol Honda’s struggling Joan Mir were the only fallers.

• Le Mans: Latest Moto2 Results
• Le Mans: Latest Moto3 Results

Marc Marquez has finally been cleared to make a MotoGP return this weekend after being ruled out of Argentina, COTA and Jerez due to a delicate thumb fracture when he lost control under braking and collided with Miguel Oliveira in the Portimao season-opener.

Earlier this week, the MotoGP Court of Appeal also confirmed that Marquez will not need to serve the double Long lap penalty he received for causing that incident, having overturned the FIM Stewards attempt to shift the penalty from ‘Argentina’ to Marquez’s next race back.

Danilo Petrucci is returning to MotoGP action in place of the injured Enea Bastianini, riding for the same factory Ducati team with which he won in the wet at Le Mans in 2020.

After leaving MotoGP as a full-time rider following a tough year at Tech3 KTM in 2021, Petrucci competed in the Dakar and MotoAmerica before a one-off MotoGP ride for Suzuki at Buriram last season.

The Italian, 32, is currently eleventh in the World Superbike standings with a best finish of fifth place for Barni Ducati.

Bastianini, who broke his shoulder when he was taken down by Luca Marini in the Portimao sprint race, attempted to return at Jerez but withdrew due to the pain.

Miguel Oliveira is missing after suffering a left shoulder dislocation and fracture when he was caught up in Fabio Quartararo’s opening lap accident in Jerez.

Oliveira, who previously missed Argentina due to hip injuries from the impact by Marc Marquez’s Honda at Portimao, is being replaced at RNF by Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori.

Team-mate Raul Fernandez, who underwent arm pump surgery following Jerez, tried to ride in Practice 1 but withdrew from the remainder of the weekend after just three laps.

GASGAS Tech3’s Pol Espargaro remains absent due to his multiple injuries in Portimao and is again replaced by KTM test rider Jonas Folger.