The French Grand Prix at Le Mans kicked off with a tabloid format, featuring a trio of riders eager to make their mark after the previous race in Jerez. Despite his crash in the Spanish GP, Jorge Martin, the current championship leader, set the pace for Pramac Ducati with a lap time of 1m31.421s. He was one of the few riders to opt for a soft tire towards the end of the session, which may have contributed to his quick lap. However, he did lose a potentially faster lap due to a front-end slide, which he managed to recover from skillfully.
Pedro Acosta, who had a relatively quiet race in Jerez, returned to his usual form during the Friday morning session. He briefly held the top spot and ended up in second place. He had a heart-stopping moment when he experienced a big twitch at the Chapelle corner, but he managed to navigate through the gravel without incident.
Maverick Vinales and Aprilia had a strong start at Le Mans after their winning streak was interrupted in Jerez. Vinales finished in third place, while his teammate Aleix Espargaro secured seventh place. They were sandwiched between the works Ducati duo of Enea Bastianini and Pecco Bagnaia, who took fourth and sixth place respectively, and Gresini’s Alex Marquez in fifth place.
Marc Marquez, a well-known figure in MotoGP, initially set the fastest time in the session but eventually settled for ninth place. The morning’s only crash came from KTM rider Brad Binder, who lost control of his bike while entering Garage Blue. Fortunately, the crash had no consequences, and Binder’s bike tumbled through the gravel on its own.