Marc Marquez dominated the opening free practice session for the 2025 French MotoGP at Le Mans, showcasing a strong performance on Ducati’s updated chassis.
After losing the championship lead due to a crash at the Spanish Grand Prix, the eight-time world champion bounced back impressively in Friday’s FP1. Despite cold conditions, Marquez led the 45-minute session by 0.576s, ending with a best lap of 1m30.764s on a medium rear tyre that had already done 20 laps.
He tested the updated chassis recently at Jerez and used one standard and one updated frame during the session.
KTM’s Brad Binder, now riding a bike with a design closer to Maverick Vinales’, secured second on a fresh medium rear tyre. Championship leader Alex Marquez finished third without using new tyres, while Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia was fourth.
Ai Ogura impressed by taking fifth for Trackhouse Aprilia after a late push on fresh rubber. Fabio Quartararo, testing a new engine for Yamaha, was sixth, having used the same tyres throughout.
Franco Morbidelli was seventh despite crashing at Turn 8. Completing the top 10 were Johann Zarco (LCR Honda), Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini), and Maverick Vinales (Tech3).
Returning from injury, Miguel Oliveira placed 21st for Pramac, 3.367s off the pace. HRC wildcard Takaaki Nakagami finished 19th. Early crashes were recorded for Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) and Alex Rins (Yamaha).
