Marc Marquez topped MotoGP World Championship practice Friday morning at Le Mans Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans. Riding his Michelin-shod Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25, the six-time World Champion turned a lap of 1:30.764 around the 2.6-mile (4.19 km) track and led the 22-rider field.
Brad Binder was second-best with a 1:31.340 on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16.
Alex Marquez was third with a lap of 1:31.384 on his BK8 Gresini Ducati Desmosedici GP24.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Marc Marquez tops Le Mans FP1 from Binder. The six-time MotoGP Champion makes a rapid start in France as Quartararo and Zarco enjoy a promising launch into the weekend on home turf.
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) was fastest out of the traps in FP1 at the Michelin Grand Prix of France thanks to a 1:30.764 time. That morning session best lap was enough for the six-time MotoGP Champion to beat second place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by a healthy 0.576s, while title race leader Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) completed the top three, 0.620s shy of his elder brother’s pace.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) began the weekend with a P4, the Italian is also six tenths away from the #93’s impressive pace, with rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) enjoying FP1 having rounded out the top five.
The reigning Moto2 World Champion was a place ahead of home hero Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), the French star was 0.678s away from top spot, with countryman Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol) beginning his home GP in P8.
There were crashes for Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in FP1, both riders were OK, with the latter ending the session in P7.
The all-important Friday afternoon Practice session bursts into life at 15:00 local time (UTC+2).