Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin set the fastest time in the first MotoGP practice session for the French Grand Prix. The session was characterized by close margins and Martin clocked a time of 1:31.421s, more than two-tenths quicker than Pedro Acosta’s GasGas. Martin used a new Soft rear tire for his final run, which helped reduce the rear chatter of his bike but required him to use the softest rubber from his allocation. Acosta, on the other hand, showcased impressive skills as he slid from side-to-side at the heavy braking zones of Turns 7 and 9, pushing the limits of his GasGas KTM.
In a heart-stopping moment, Acosta nearly lost control of his bike at Turn 5, but he managed to save it from sliding out from underneath him and ran wide into the gravel. Maverick Viñales secured the third spot with his Aprilia, joining Acosta in the 1:31.600s bracket. Both riders used worn tires for their final two runs. Some riders faced challenges with the new kerbs that had been installed in recent weeks, which gave their bikes a different feeling. Turns 13 and 14 proved particularly tricky, with Enea Bastianini running over the bumpy kerbs a few times during his first outing on his Ducati.
Reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia finished fifth fastest, initially experiencing similar difficulties with the track’s kerbs as his Ducati teammate Bastianini. Alex Marquez of Gresini Ducati claimed the sixth position, although he had a couple of laps cancelled. Aleix Espargaro took seventh place, followed by Brad Binder’s KTM in eighth. Binder unfortunately crashed near the end of the session at Turn 11, shortly after setting his best lap time, which was half a second behind Martin. Marc Marquez, initially the fastest rider aboard his Gresini Ducati bike, slipped down to ninth place by the end of the session, with Marco Bezzecchi rounding out the top ten.