Italian rider Luca Marini (Honda RC 213 V) propelled the Japanese manufacturer to the front of the timesheets in the opening free practice session of the MotoGP French Grand Prix at the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans.
Marini set a best lap of 1:30.857, edging out Spaniard Pedro ‘Tiburón’ Acosta (KTM RC 16) by just over two-tenths of a second, with Frenchman Johann Zarco (Honda RC 213 V) in third.
Reigning world champion Marc Márquez (Ducati Desmosedici GP26) finished ninth, half a second behind Marini.
Italian Franco Morbidelli (Ducati Desmosedici GP25) was penalized with a five-minute delayed start in this first session and a €1,000 fine for his conduct during the Spanish Grand Prix. The sanction resulted from his engine failure during qualifying, when he remained on the racing line while returning to the pits, creating a dangerous situation for other riders.
Another Italian, Morbidelli’s teammate Fabio di Giannantonio (Ducati Desmosedici GP26), was the early leader with a lap of 1:31.302, while attention briefly turned to 2024 world champion Jorge Martín (Aprilia RS-GP), who lost an aerodynamic piece from his bike early on.
Di Giannantonio was followed by Spaniard Joan Mir (Honda RC 213 V) and Ducati factory riders Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia and Marc Márquez.
However, the order quickly shifted as Marini, Marco Bezzecchi, Acosta, Zarco (winner of last year’s French race), Enea Bastianini, Fabio Quartararo, and Alex Márquez entered the fray.
Di Giannantonio held the top spot until the final minutes, when Marini took over with a 1:31.120 with just over five minutes remaining, though many riders were already setting fast laps. The battle intensified as Marini improved to 1:30.857, though several laps were canceled for exceeding track limits.
Behind Marini, the top ten consisted of Acosta, Zarco, Di Giannantonio, Raúl Fernández, Alex Rins, Alex Márquez, Ai Ogura, Marc Márquez, and Brad Binder.
