MotoGP Race Lap Record: Maverick Vinales, 1:32.309, 2017

MotoGP All Time Lap Record: Johann Zarco, 1:31.185, 2018

2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship

Bugatti Circuit

Le Mans, France

May 18, 2019

Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Session Two (wet conditions):

1. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:40.952, crash

2. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:41.312

3. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:41.366

4. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:41.552

5. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:41.655

6. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yamaha), 1:41.681

7. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:42.059

8. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Honda), 1:42.067

9. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:42.450

10. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yamaha), 1:42.509

11. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:42.555

12. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), no lap time recorded in Q2

From Qualifying Session One (wet-dry conditions):

13. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Ducati), 1:39.982

14. Johann Zarco, France (KTM), 1:40.029

15. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:40.114

16. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM), 1:40.385

17. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:40.482

18. Joan Mir, Spain (Suzuki), 1:40.606

19. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:40.706

20. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 1:41.351

21. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM), 1:41.717

22. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Aprilia), 1:41.786

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez equals Rossi with pole, Petrucci and Miller complete the front row

A 55th premier class pole sees the number 93 draw equal with the ‘Doctor’, with three Ducatis lurking close behind

Saturday, 18 May 2019

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has equalled Valentino Rossi’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) premier class pole position tally after mastering the damp qualifying conditions at the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, taking his 55th pole despite crashing in Q2. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and top Independent Team rider Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) join the Championship leader on the front row for Sunday’s race, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) making it three Ducatis on Marquez’ tail.

Question marks over which tyres to go with were obvious ahead of the green light and as the riders ventured out, only three riders gambled on slick tyres: Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), teammate Maverick Viñales and fellow Yamaha man Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). But it didn’t pay off as the rain started to fall slightly heavier at Le Mans, so the M1 trio came straight back into pitlane to switch bikes.

Meanwhile, the riders who had gone for wets were busy getting their first laptimes on the board, and it was Marquez who went to the top of the standings after Petrucci and Miller had taken turns to go P1. The Spaniard’s advantage was nearly 0.4 seconds as he set off on another hot lap but at Turn 6 it came to an abrupt halt as the Repsol Honda rider slid out, trying his best to save it but it wasn’t to be this time around. Miller would also later crash, as would a fair more more.

Conditions were getting ever so slightly worse as the rain continued to fall, and Q1 graduate Rossi was now out on wet tyres, gradually climbing his way up the timing screens as the field struggled to improve on their personal best laps. Marquez stayed out after his crash but the Championship leader wasn’t able to find any more time, with Rossi one of the only riders to find some; the 40-year-old jumping up to fifth on his final flying lap and set to line up alongside Dovizioso.

Closing out the second row is Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who was the last rider within a second of Marquez, ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), who heads row three despite suffering his first crash of the season. He has Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) alongside him as the number 99 had his best qualifying yet on the Honda. The six-time Le Mans winner was one who, like Rossi, was able to improve despite the worsening conditions. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was next up in P9 and that was another notable result; the Noale factory’s best of the season so far.

Home hero Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), meanwhile, looked disappointed with P10, but it’s a impressive result for the rookie as he had to get very quickly accustomed to a MotoGP™ machine in the wet. The Frenchman will start ahead of Viñales too after a disaster for the Spaniard, who had looked immensely strong in all conditions throughout the weekend. Pol Espargaro’s (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crash means he’ll start 12th on the KTM after failing to set a time, although it’s a step up from last season for the Austrian marque.

A notable name missing from the list? Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Despite good speed in a wet FP4, the Spaniard struggled in qualifying and will start the French GP down in P19. Can he pull his usual race day pace out the bag and slice back to the front? All eyes will be pointing to the skies tomorrow to see what the weather will bring but whatever the conditions, it looks set to be a French phenomenon in Le Mans. Don’t miss the premier class race at 14:00 local time (GMT+2).

Qualifying results:

1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 1’40.952

2 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) +0.360

3 – Jack Miller* (AUS – Ducati) +0.414

*Independent Team rider

Navarro beats Lüthi to pole after both go from Q1 to front row

The leading two in qualifying progress from Q1 to head the Moto2™ grid, Marquez joins them on the front row

After edging through Q1 by just 0.012, Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up) has taken his second consecutive pole position of the season to head fellow Q1 graduate Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) at the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, with Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) joining the duo on the front row in third. Like in Moto3™, the top two made a little history.

Damp and tricky conditions greeted the field in Q2 and it was Lüthi who set the pace in the early stages; the Swiss rider dialled in from a 15-minute Q1 session. Navarro was also up there alongside another rider who progressed from Q1 – Brit Jake Dixon (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team), with Marquez going well in the early stages too.

However, it was far from a smooth ride for the top two in qualifying as both then crashed. Lüthi hit the deck at the notoriously difficult Turn 3, while Navarro went down just after fourth-place Mattia Pasini (Petronas Sprinta Racing) had gone down in front of him at Turn 8. All three riders were ok and in the end, none ended up threatened as they watched the rest of the field push on from the sidelines. Only Marquez was within a little over half a second, and he remained third, with Pasini also not overtaken despite his crash and the impressive Italian taking P4.

Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will launch from fifth for the French GP after a solid Q2, with Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team) continuing his good weekend to earn his best qualifying position since starting seventh at last season’s Dutch GP. Championship leader Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP 40) spearheads the third row of the grid in seventh after improving his time in the latter stages, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Q1 graduate Lukas Tulovic (Kiefer Racing) also improving their times on their final flying laps to earn third row starts. This is Tulovic’s first top 20 start in the premier class; an impressive showing in the wet from the German rookie.

Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) completes the top ten in qualifying as the latter stages bumped Dixon down to P11 although the rookie’s Q1 time, if replicated, would have been enough to put the 23-year-old on the front row. Nevertheless, a great personal best qualifying and a top-notch return to action for the number 96 rider after missing the Americas and Spanish GPs through injury.

Who will take Moto2™ victory on Sunday? The question mark over the weather will be playing on everyone’s minds as we look ahead to Round 5 of the season. Don’t miss the intermediate class in action in Le Mans at 12:20 local time (GMT+2).

Qualifying results:

1 – Jorge Navarro (SPA – Speed Up) 1’49.055

2 – Tom Lüthi (SWI – Kalex) +0.078

3 – Alex Marquez (SPA – Kalex) +0.530

McPhee becomes the first to take pole after topping Q1

Since the introduction of the format, it hadn’t been done until a stellar day for the Scotsman at Le Mans

Petronas Sprinta Racing’s John McPhee made a little history at the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, becoming the first rider to progress from Q1 to then go on to take pole position in Moto3™. It’s his first pole position since Argentina 2017 – although he started from the front at Mugello the same year – and he’s joined on the front row by Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) and Friday’s fastest man, impressive rookie Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia).

McPhee moved through from Q1 ahead of Marcos Ramirez (Leopard Racing), Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) and Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0), with Argentina winner Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) surprisingly one to lose out. Once in Q2, McPhee set a 1:42.277 on slick tyres, with the track having dried from this morning’s wet FP3 session, and that was enough to earn him pole.

For Ogura, it’s his career best qualifying and therefore evidently his first front row. The Japanese rider beat compatriot Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) to the honour by just over half a tenth, so Jerez podium finisher Suzuki starts fourth at the head of row two. Kömmerling Gresini Moto3’s Gabriel Rodrigo was fifth quickest, ahead of Q1 graduate Ramirez as the Spaniard completes the second row.

Despite a third crash of the weekend, and a second at Turn 3, SIC58 Squadra Corse’s Niccolo Antonelli responded by setting a lap that will see him front row three of the grid in P7. The Italian is aiming to become the first double race winner of the 2019 season, as is Honda Team Asia’s Kaito Toba, who joins Antonelli on row three after going ninth quickest. The man between the two, Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team), won’t be starting eighth due to a 12-place grid penalty, however – so Toba will start P8, and he’ll be joined by Andrea Migno (Bester Capital Dubai) on row three as the Italian also gains a place due to the penalty. Sergio Garcia, after moving through Q1, also drops 12 places on the grid despite having gone tenth quickest.

That means Makar Yurchenko (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) starts 10th, Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers) 11th – the Italian still feeling some effects of his Friday highside – and Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) 12th, with a good few names looking to slice back through the order on Sunday.

The lights go out for the Moto3™ race at 11:00 (GMT +2), don’t miss it!

Qualifying results:

1 – John McPhee (GBR – Honda) 1’42.277

2 – Tony Arbolino (ITA – Honda) +0.190

3 – Ai Ogura (JPN – Honda) +0.238

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Oliveira and Syahrin master tricky conditions in French GP Qualifying their best

Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Miguel Oliveira will start the squad’s home round from the sixth row of the grid, while Hafizh Syahrin is set to launch from row seven.

Following a dry Friday, the Le Mans weather played a major role in today’s proceedings as some rain and cooler conditions delivered an adventurous poker in the Free Practice sessions and the Qualifying. Premier class rookie Oliveira, who was riding on a wet track for the first time in MotoGP this morning, took the gamble in Q1 and switched to Slicks around half time. He managed to safe sixth position through a minor fall ended his game a bit earlier.

On the other side of the garage, Syahrin, who likewise experienced the rain with the KTM RC16 for the first time, switched his bike even twice during the 15 minutes session after he had a better feeling on the wet rubber, but was running out of time in the final seconds to improve any further. Therefore, the Malaysian concluded Qualifying one in eleventh, yet he is ready to attack in tomorrow’s 27 laps encounter for the fifth round of the 2019 World Championship.

Miguel Oliveira

Position: 16th

Time: 1:40.385

Laps: 7

“My first experience on the wet was quite positive. This morning I felt good, my speed was ok and I had a decent feeling going into the Qualifying. The weather was quite strange, we didn’t know what to use. After doing two laps, I decided to risk using the slick tyre and I could not heat up the tyre at all and suffered a crash. It’s a shame because I think with the wet tyres I could have been a bit faster. I don’t know if it would have been enough to go to Q2, but for sure to be one row in front. But overall, it’s an ok day and Qualifying for us with 16th position. For tomorrow the forecast is similar, which is a good indication to do a decent race.”

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 21st

Time: 1:41.717

Laps: 7

“The conditions have been tricky today, but I felt better step by step in the wet and also build some confidence with the wet tyre. It’s difficult to say, because nearly all started with the wet tyres in Qualifying. Valentino (Rossi) was the cleverest rider as he commenced with the slicks, but I guess this is due to his experience. Anyway, I hope that we can make another step tomorrow and then enjoy the race.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

NICE QUALIFIERS FOR ALEIX WHO TAKES A SPOT ON THE THIRD ROW OF THE STARTING GRID TOMORROW AT LE MANS

ANDREA, WHO HAD NEVER RIDDEN THE RS-GP IN THE WET, IS HINDERED BY HIS PHYSICAL CONDITIONS FOLLOWING THE JEREZ CRASH

Aleix Espargaró had lain the groundwork for his outstanding undertaking yesterday when, in perfect conditions on a dry track, he had finished in the top ten to go straight through to Q2, the second qualifying session that decides the top end order on the starting grid. Today, in entirely different conditions that were difficult to interpret, with light rain that left everyone in doubt as to which tyres to use, he repeated the performance, doing the ninth best time which earned him a spot on the third row of the starting grid. Going out on track with rain tyres, Aleix did his fast lap on the second of the eight he turned, before the rain began to fall harder. For Aprilia, this is one of the best MotoGP qualifiers and confirmation of how much the RS-GP has grown in these early stages of the season.

Andrea Iannone was unable to get over the Q1 hurdle. Still dealing with difficult physical conditions, partly due to persistent pain in his left ankle after his crash in Jerez, Andrea battled hard, even taking a gamble on slicks when it seemed like the track might have conceded a small window of improved conditions. Making the day even more difficult was the fact that this was Andrea’s first time ever riding the Aprilia in the wet. The gamble did not pay of – it happens – and Andrea had to settle for 22nd place.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“The conditions today were extremely complicated. It was like riding on ice. When it rains lightly, there is less grip compared to heavy rainfall, plus the asphalt temperature was only 15°C. The third row is not bad at all. It will certainly make my life easier in the race. With a dry track, I am rather certain that I can still battle for a top-ten finish, but in the wet, I don’t have the best feeling. In qualifying, I didn’t feel much support from the rear tyre in acceleration. I took a few risks on my flying lap, but it would be difficult to do that for the entire race distance.”

ANDREA IANNONE

“Having to tackle conditions like today for the first time with a new bike is certainly not easy. In Q1, a lot of riders started on slicks, managing to do a flying lap in the few moments of dry track, whereas when I went out, it started raining again. My time with rain tyres wasn’t bad. In Q2 I would have been in seventh place, but unfortunately things went differently. In addition to the pain in my ankle, today I also had some stomach problems, but we are not giving up. We’ll keep giving it our best all the time.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Unstoppable Marquez back on pole in France, Lorenzo improves to eighth

Even a crash during Q2 couldn’t stop Marc Marquez from claiming his third pole position from five races, teammate Lorenzo taking a season-best eighth.

Wet and cold conditions, the track just 14°C and a brisk air temperature of 12°C, provided a gloomy welcome to the Le Mans circuit for Saturday’s running. Both Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo remained competitive, finishing second and seventh respectively.

Conditions remained equally treacherous in FP4, Marquez suffering a harmless fall at Turn 9 early in the session. The reigning World Champion went on to set the fastest time of the session, completely unphased by the off.

Rain returned to the 4.2 km long Le Mans circuit the same moment as pit lane opened for Q2. A second fall of the day, this time at Turn 6, after setting his fastest lap could not stop Marquez taking pole position for the French GP, his third pole from five races. Marquez’s 55th premier class pole draws him level with Valentino Rossi and just three behind Mick Doohan’s record 58 premier class poles.

Saturday in France presented Jorge Lorenzo with new conditions to learn on the Honda RC213V. Lorenzo and his Repsol Honda Team crew were able to adapt well, getting faster with each lap and claiming eighth place on the grid for Sunday’s race – his best grid position of the year. The result continues Lorenzo’s steady improvements over the course of the French GP.

Tomorrow’s 27-lap French Grand Prix will take place at 14:00 local time, the weather forecast remaining unpredictable. The race presents Honda with the first opportunity to seal their 300th premier class victory.

Marc Marquez

1ST 1’40.952

“Today was one of those days! The conditions meant you didn’t know if a slick or a wet tyre would be best with the light rain, it was really difficult. In Qualifying we knew we had to push on the first lap when there was the least water on track. Then with more water on track it got more difficult. I’m happy with this pole because it was a day where you could easily start from the back if you weren’t careful. Now we see what the weather does tomorrow!”

Jorge Lorenzo

8TH 1’42.067

“Very tricky conditions, especially in Qualifying today. There was one sector where it was full wet with no grip and then the others were almost dry – it was tough to stay on the bike. We could have made the front two rows I think but I chose to use the soft tyre first and the medium second, with the medium first I think we could have achieved more. But we have achieved our best position of the year, that’s the positive.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

TAKA THE SECOND BEST HONDA AT LE MANS

Takaaki Nakagami will start from the front of the third row at the French Grand Prix after securing his best-ever qualifying result on Saturday. Wet weather at Le Mans made life difficult for the MotoGP field, but the LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider showed skill and composure to take seventh position in Q2 and give himself every chance of challenging in Sunday’s race.

The damp conditions in France ensured Nakagami was rewarded for his efforts on Friday, when he finished inside the top 10, as he progressed straight into Q2 with the riders unable to improve their times in FP3. Although he struggled in FP4 as well, Taka bounced back in Q2 and posted his career best grid result despite a late fall in the session.

Takaaki Nakagami – 7th

(1’42.059 – lap 3 of 6)

“Overall today, all sessions were quite tricky, especially FP4 and qualifying. I saw that Q1 was really tough, but also in Q2 it was really difficult to make the right tyre choice. Some people went for the slicks, but for us it was too risky and we used two wet tyres. But even for us it was confusing, we went out with a medium rear but at the end changed to a soft and it was the wrong choice as I had a crash at the last moment. But it was ok, I’m really happy with the result, seventh is my personal best on the grid, so that’s good. Tomorrow it’s difficult to know about the track condition with the weather, if it’s like this then the first priority will be to finish the race. We have to think about improving the set-up of the bike and the grip, but I’m happy with the result.”

More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha SRT:

Second row start for Morbidelli after tricky qualifying

The Italian rider gets through Q1 and will start from 6th on the grid at Le Mans. Fabio Quartararo will begin his home race from 10th place.

6th FRANCO MORBIDELLI +0.729

10th FABIO QUARTARARO +1.557

PETRONAS Yamaha SRT riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo overcame difficult conditions at Le Mans to qualify in the top ten for tomorrow’s French Grand Prix. Morbidelli will start from sixth on the grid, having successfully made his way through Q1, while Fabio Quartararo will start from tenth at his home Grand Prix.

Both FP3 and Qualifying for were contested on a wet surface this Saturday, and the sessions were punctuated with numerous falls on track. The conditions meant that there was no change in the qualifiers for Q2 on Saturday, but the MotoGP riders used the FP3 session to test their wet set-ups and tyres comprehensively. It was Quartararo’s first time in such conditions in the premier class. He had already secured a spot in Q2 and finished 13th in FP3 with a 1min 44.197secs lap.

Morbidelli, who would have to go through Q1 for the first time this season, led the third practice session briefly and finished 16th thanks to a 1min 44.403secs time.

In Q1, Morbidelli set the second fastest time of the session with wet tyres. The Italian’s 1min 39.262secs earned him a place in Q2. In that second qualifying session, Franco set a best time of 1min 41.681secs, to secure him a spot on the second row for tomorrow’s race. The Italian rode with wet front and rear tyres for the entire Q2 session. Team-mate Quartararo started out with slicks for Q2, but reverted to wet tyres during the runout. He claimed 10th thanks to his 1min 42.509secs lap.

The 27-lap MotoGP race will start tomorrow at 2pm local time.

#21 Franco Morbidelli

“Q1 went well. I set a good lap time with the wet tyre and I felt good. Later on, I saw that Rossi was fastest and was on slicks, so a lot of riders went in to change tyres -just as it started to rain again. We went back to the pits and we waited to see what the other riders were doing. Finally we were able to break into Q2. I didn’t have a new tyre for that session, so I did what I could. Our performance was good, since I managed to set a 1min 41.6secs and reached sixth. I don’t know what the weather will be like tomorrow, so we’ll see. I’ve been somewhat faster in the wet than in the dry, but I also have faith that we can improve on the pace we showed on Friday in dry conditions.”

#20 Fabio Quartararo

“I’m a little frustrated with how Q2 went, but we had to try going out with slicks. It wasn’t the right decision, but the important thing is that we were able to improve our time with the wet tyres. My first lap was the best, but it started to rain more and more. We tried many things to get our fastest time as soon as possible, but the lap never came. In the end my time wasn’t so bad, considering the conditions. The bike feels good even if the grid position doesn’t look as good as I wanted. We are ready for the race tomorrow; in FP3 we worked hard to get a good race pace with the wet tyres, so I am positive for tomorrow whether it is wet or dry.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

DIFFICULT DAY FOR CRUTCHLOW IN FRANCE

Cal Crutchlow endured a day to forget at Le Mans as he qualified in 15th position for Sunday’s French Grand Prix. Mixed weather meant qualifying for the fifth round of the world championship was complicated for the MotoGP class, with riders struggling to adapt to the changing conditions at the historic French circuit.

Crutchlow paid the price for missing out on a top 10 position on Friday as, with riders unable to improve their times in FP3, he was forced to compete in Q1. Although he had demonstrated his pace by going sixth fastest in FP4, the Briton could not find the tyre selection he needed during a hectic qualifying session and ended down in fifth position, meaning he will start tomorrow’s race from the fifth row of the grid.

Cal Crutchlow – 15th

(1’40.114 – lap 8 of 8)

“The mistake was yesterday, I crashed in FP2 and had to go into Q1 and then didn’t make it through to Q2. Obviously I’m disappointed, it’s a bad day. I was actually pleased with my lap at the end, it was just too wet. It’s easy to say go out on slicks at the start of the session, but I felt I could go quicker with the medium rain tyres than with the slicks. I went out with a soft rear, thinking that if I then came in I could change to a medium and go faster, but then when I came in Valentino was on the slicks and putting red sectors everywhere, so I took the slick when I should have taken the medium and I would have been able to go fast. It was too late for slicks when I went back out and it was impossible to generate any heat. It’s a bad day, I’ve qualified 15th, but my race pace isn’t 15th that’s for sure. I’m not too optimistic in these wet conditions, I would prefer a dry race and then I have the pace.”

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:

#FrenchGP Quali. Miller Thriller: splendid front row start! Pecco one step away from the Q2

Jack Miller celebrates in the Parc Fermé the second front row start of the season after a crazy qualifying due to the weather conditions. Pecco pushes hard in Q1 but an unlucky choice doesn’t allow him to go to Q2.

FP3 (Practice Conditions: Wet – Air 15° – Ground 26°)

P3 Jack Miller (1’42.951, + 0.453 from P1)

Jack is incisive on the wet track and is immediately the fastest with the soft rubber at the rear. In the second part of the session, he returns to the track with the medium tyre and the results are excellent.

P17 Francesco Bagnaia (1’44.989, +1.123 from Top 10, +2.491 from P1)

A very important session for Pecco who, for the first time, can ride consistently in MotoGP on a wet track. The times are not indicative. The most important thing is the 19 laps completed with a good progression.

FP4 (Practice Conditions: Mixed – Air 14° – Ground 15°)

The track conditions are particularly insidious with some sectors completely dry and the second sector still wet. Pecco did a few laps without taking risks. Jack preferred not to go out.

Q1 (Practice Conditions: Mixed – Air 14° – Ground 16°)

P3 Francesco Bagnaia (1’39.982, + 2.315 from P1)

Pecco goes back to the pits with 3 red helmets to put on slicks tires. Unfortunately, however, the rain fell again not allowing him to improve to get the qualification for Q2.

Q2 (Practice Conditions: Mixed – Air 15° – Ground 17°)

P3 Jack Miller (1’41.366, + 0.414 from Pole Position)

A pyrotechnic qualification characterized by many crashes. Jack sets his best time on the first lap on the wet track. He returns to the track for the second time attack pushing to the maximum but crashes, however, conquering a great front row.

P13 – Pecco Bagnaia

“There was a misunderstanding when I got back to the garage after the second run. We could have fought better to get the Q2 that was within our reach. It’s a mistake we need to experience. I am very happy with the feeling with the bike in wet conditions. Tomorrow we can have a good race”.

P3 – Jack Miller

“I’m happy with the way things went today. The feeling with the bike is very good and we are doing a great job. I’m just sorry with the team about the crash in Q2 but I was pushing hard. We are fast and I am sure I am competitive in all conditions”.

More, from a press release issued by Mission Winnow Ducati:

French GP: splendid first row for Petrucci, 2nd in Qualifying at Le Mans. Dovizioso 4th on the grid

The Ducati Team put up a strong performance in the qualifying session of the French GP, held in particularly difficult conditions due to the intermittent rain that hit Le Mans since early morning. Danilo Petrucci qualified in first row for the first time in 2019, posting the second-best time with a 1:41.312, while Andrea Dovizioso secured second row in fourth position after clocking a personal best of 1:41.552.

Both Ducati factory riders gained direct access to Q2 thanks to the lap times posted yesterday in dry conditions. Petrucci, after showing promise during FP4, confirmed its competitiveness on the French track, where he finished second in 2018, posting his fastest lap at his second attempt. About two tenths of a second behind his teammate, Dovizioso was, on the other hand, one of the few riders capable of improving his lap times in the second and last stint despite progressively worse track conditions.

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 1:41.312 (2nd)

“I’m very happy because we finally managed to show our potential also in qualifying and tomorrow we’ll start from a good position on the grid. Together with my team, we adopted what turned out to be a good strategy, pushing hard early on in the session with a medium rear tyre, since track conditions became progressively worse as the time passed. At any rate, it wasn’t easy to do a quick lap time: the rain wasn’t intense enough for the tyres to work perfectly, so it was particularly difficult to find the limit in terms of grip, as the many crashes seem to show. Today we did a good job, but the race is tomorrow so we need to stay 100 percent focused.”

Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 1:41.552 (4th)

“I’m quite happy with fourth position on the grid because, given the conditions out there today, it was easier to make mistakes than to be fast. It was really difficult to find the right feeling on the bike, especially in the second part of the session. We bet our chips on that, and we were able to improve our lap time, but unfortunately the track was faster in the opening minutes. We couldn’t do many laps in properly wet conditions, so we still have a few question marks regarding tomorrow, but I hope to have a dry track since the morning warm-up session in order to be able to work on some details that could make a big difference during the race. There are many riders with a strong, similar pace so anything can happen tomorrow, but for sure we have the potential to be competitive.”

The Ducati Team will resume action tomorrow, May 19th, at 09:40 for a warm-up session ahead of the race, which is scheduled to start at 14:00 local time (CET).

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

UNSETTLED SATURDAY FOR SUZUKI AT LE MANS

Joan Mir: 18th – 1:40.606

Alex Rins: 19th – 1:40.706

• Joan Mir has first experience of GSX-RR in the wet.

•Alex Rins forced to fight against tightly packed field.

•Team prepare for hard race day with 18th and 19th grid spots.

The classic Le Mans circuit brought its typical unsettled conditions for Day 2, making for a difficult day of track sessions for the entire field. Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s riders were keen to build a good rhythm ahead of race day but found themselves down the order as Saturday drew to a close.

Rookie Joan Mir had his first taste of wet conditions on board his GSX-RR, getting to grips and gaining experience. He suffered a small crash without consequences during FP3. Meanwhile, Alex Rins placed himself in 4th at the flag. The FP4 session required the riders to be tentative as chilly track temperatures dominated the half-hour stint, Rins completed this session in 5th, while Mir was 17th.

A tumultuous Q1 session put pressure on all the riders participating, with tough decisions being made between wet and dry tyres. Rins and Mir began the session on wets, before switching to slicks. A cautious approach was necessary on track to avoid mistakes. Alex aimed to at least put himself up a few spots, but in the end he was 9th in the Q1 session, 19th on the grid. Joan was one spot ahead, 8th in the session and 18th on the grid.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“Unfortunately, Q1 didn’t go as we were hoping. The track was very mixed, and we saw that it was a case of being out at the right time with the right tyres. We missed being out at the optimum time. Anyway, we’re looking forward to tomorrow, whatever the conditions. We’ll put in a lot of effort and try to collect as many points as possible. It will be a difficult race, but that’s the game!”

Joan Mir

“It’s been a tricky day. I felt really good and comfortable in FP3, despite it being my first time in the wet. In Q1 I was on slicks at the wrong time, and by the time I changed the tyres the conditions changed too. It was really hard to put together a strategy, but nevertheless I feel that my pace is quite good. I would prefer tomorrow to be dry; I think I could make a great comeback.”

Alex Rins

“We had a bit of a problem during qualifying, and it was difficult to have a strategy. I started on wets, then I changed to slicks, but it started to rain more, and it was too risky to push. The session is short, and the time ran out. I’m starting near the back, but I’ll try to overtake as many riders as possible. I feel calm and good with either conditions; and let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP TO COMMENCE FRENCH GP FIGHT FROM 5TH AND 11TH

Le Mans (France), 18th May 2019

GRAND PRIX OF FRANCE

QUALIFYING

Tricky qualifying conditions at the Le Mans – Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit resulted in Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi turning his French GP Day 1 misfortunes around and secure 5th on the grid for tomorrow‘s race, despite having to come through Q1. Maverick Viñales had shown competitive speed throughout the weekend but was unable get in the hot lap he aimed for in Q2 and ended in 11th place.

5th VALENTINO ROSSI 1’41.655 / 8 LAPS

11th MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’42.555 / 8 LAPS

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi delivered a masterstroke today during qualifying at the Le Mans – Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit. He gambled on slicks in a damp Q1 session and went on to secure 5th place in Q2. Maverick Viñales had a less fortunate second day at the Grand Prix de France. His initial tyre choice didn’t work for him in the Q2 shoot-out and he qualified in 11th place.

Faced with damp conditions in FP3, Rossi found himself on the entry list for Q1. As the drizzle continued throughout the afternoon, the Italian made the bold decision at the end of FP4 to head out on slicks at the start of Q1 – the only rider to do so. With the track temperature between 15-17?, his first lap put him in 11th place, but it was all part of the plan. His next attempt put him in first place with a 1‘39.074s, and he was only getting faster.

With the tyres up to temperature he dropped a 1‘37.667s, giving him a 1.595s lead over his closest rival, whilst his opponents were in the box to change to slick tyres. His time remained unthreatened for the remainder of the session and saw him through to Q2.

The Doctor stuck to the same strategy in the second 15-minute shoot-out, but this time the gamble didn‘t pay off. He quickly switched to wets and set the provisional eighth fastest time on his first try. He gained another place on his next lap and kept firing in personal best sectors. Despite the rain intensifying, he moved up to fifth with a 1.41.655s, 0.703s from first. His hard work today earns him a place in the middle of the second row.

Viñales had watched his team-mate‘s performance in Q1 and decided to also opt for the slick tyres at the start of Q2. He had let everyone leave pit lane ahead of him in order to have clear space on track, but with the rain becoming heavier, he had to return to the garage immediately to change to wet tyres.

With a little less than eleven minutes to go, he was back out to set his first flyer, that moved him up to ninth position. However, with the pace increasing he was pushed down to tenth place. He improved his time on his fourth lap to 1‘42.555s, but it kept him in eleventh place, 1.603s from first. The Spaniard will start tomorrow‘s race from the fourth row.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“Again, we have mixed emotions in our pit box. Valentino was in a difficult situation this morning, because the FP3 was wet, so he had to go through Q1. The conditions were constantly changing, but it was never fully dry or fully wet, so making the right decision between slicks and wets was really key. The gamble to use slicks at the start of Q1 really paid off for Vale, but when we tried the same strategy in Q2, we were unlucky that it started raining harder again. Vale lost some time, having to come back in for wet tyres, but he still managed to secure a place on the second row, which, considering the situation this morning, is a positive outcome. The heavier rain in Q2 was also disappointing for Maverick, who, like Vale, attempted to start his first run on slicks. Mack has been fast all weekend, but his Q2 strategy didn’t work out for him, which is a shame, because P11 doesn‘t reflect his level of competitiveness. He will have to start the race from the fourth row, which is a big challenge, but his race pace is quite strong, so we know he can fight his way up the order. Tonight, we will gather the data for the wet and prepare some setting updates, but it depends on the weather whether we will be able to test them in tomorrow’s Warm Up. Either way, we keep our fingers crossed for either a completely wet or a completely dry race.”

VALENTINO ROSSI

“I‘m very happy, because this morning I was out of the Q2 and we needed to find something to improve our starting position. We took a gamble in Q1 and put in the slicks, and that was the right choice. It was a risk, but it paid off, because there wasn‘t too much water on track and I was able to get through to Q2, which was very important. Also in Q2, with the wet tyres in the wet, I was quite competitive. I‘m fifth, but I also have a good pace in case we have a wet race tomorrow. In the dry I wasn‘t very strong yesterday. We have to try some setting modifications, but today we didn‘t have time for that, so we have to wait to see what the conditions will be like tomorrow.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES

“The strategy didn‘t quite go to plan. We decided to give the slick tyres a chance at the start of Q2, but it started to rain more. We lost two or three laps at the moment the track was in the best condition to set a fast time. Anyway, I think we are doing well this weekend. We are trying to improve ourselves, and in the wet we improved a lot. In the dry I always felt great, so it‘s a good track for us. It‘s true that I have to start the race from 11th, but we‘re going to do our best to be on the podium. We have confidence, because I understand how to ride the bike and how to be faster. The bike, right now, is on a good level. We still have to improve in some areas, but it‘s coming. Nothing is impossible, so we are going to push tomorrow, give our best, and see what we can achieve. We‘ll try to be strong tomorrow, especially in the first half of the race, because it‘s going to be very important to overtake.”

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

Q2 QUALIFICATION FOR ESPARGARO THROUGH TRICKY LE MANS CONDITIONS

MotoGP 2019 – Round 5, Le Mans (FRA)

Red Bull KTM have showed promising speed in the first two days of the Grand Prix of France and Pol Espargaro was able to enter Q2 directly, eventually taking 12th position in difficult mixed conditions at Le Mans. Johann Zarco was also competitive and will sit 14th on the grid for his home event and for what is round five of nineteen in 2019.

For the last twenty years the Bugatti section of the famous Le Mans circuit has hosted the French stop of MotoGP. The fifth round of the 2019 calendar took place on the layout that was resurfaced in 2016 and is renowned for heavy braking zones and tight, relentless corners. Red Bull KTM came to Le Mans in the wake of a private test at the venue three weeks previously and after two days of more work at Jerez. Espargaro made the most of new upgrades to the KTM RC16 to set lap-times throughout Free Practice 1 and 2 to vie for positions on the first two rows of the provisional grid. Johann Zarco eagerly approached his home Grand Prix and was also impressive in Free Practice. Friday was chilly but sunny and Pol’s lap to sit 7th quickest (and just half a second from the top time) was enough to enter directly to Q2, particularly when the weather turned and Saturday was dark and showery. Riders were surprisingly able to use slick Michelins through Q1 and as Le Mans started to develop a dry line. Zarco was less than a second from grabbing the last slot to make the Q1 cut but still posted his best Qualification of the year in 14th. The rain then fell for Q2 and Espargaro was caught out at Turn 6 where he slipped off and could not post a significant lap. Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Miguel Oliveira was edging towards the top of Q1 when the Portuguese could not generate sufficient heat in his rear slick and crashed. Saturday represented #88’s first wet outing in MotoGP and he will set-off from 16th tomorrow. Hafizh Syahrin was 21st. Pol Espargaro: “This morning we made some changes on the bike that I really liked and in FP4 I was fast over one lap. We had a few problems in the end but that first lap out of the box was really fast. I had good feelings for the Quali, but Le Mans is complicated! Things change very quickly with the weather. It was much more slippery and it was hard to find a good feeling. I stopped to fit a softer rear tyre to find more grip and in the end, nothing. On the first lap I crashed. I don’t understand [why] that well because I was 7ks slower and not leaning more or pushing more on the brakes. In the dry we have top ten pace but if it is wet we’ll have to see tomorrow.” Johann Zarco: “My best qualifying so far but I was disappointed after Q1 because we missed the strategy with the tyres. I left the box with the slick and it was too late to do something. It was a shame. There were conditions where I felt good I think we could have played for Pole Position today. To miss the Q2 I was on-fire inside! But, positive for tomorrow, I think in mixed conditions we have the chance to do a good race. It is also the first time since I have been on the KTM that I can feel some strong points on the bike. Don’t forget the target is to be at the top and when we have a day when something is possible then you must trust and remember this target.” Miguel Oliveira: “My first experience in the wet was quite positive. This morning I felt good, my speed was OK and I had a decent feeling going into the Qualifying. The weather was quite strange, we didn’t know what to use. After doing two laps, I decided to risk using the slick tyre and I could not heat up the tyre at all and suffered a crash. It’s a shame because I think with the wet tyres I could have been a bit faster. I don’t know if it would have been enough to go to Q2, but for sure to be one row in front. But overall, it’s an OK day.” Hafizh Syahrin: “The conditions have been tricky today but I felt better step by step in the wet and also built some confidence with the wet tyre. I hope that we can make another step tomorrow and then enjoy the race.” Moto2 & Moto3 Brad Binder set the fastest Free Practice lap-time to head straight into the Moto2 Q2 with his Red Bull KTM Ajo machine. The South African then placed 8th in the wet, five slots ahead of his teammate Jorge Martin in 13th. In Moto3 Raul Fernandez of the Sama Qatar Angel Nieto team took his KTM RS250GP to the eighth fastest time but was later hit by a penalty that shifts the Spaniard to the seventh row of the grid. Andrea Migno will start from 8th place. Races: May 19, 2019 – Moto3 11.00 | Moto2 12.20 | MotoGP 14.00 CET Results Qualifying MotoGP Le Mans 2019 1. Marc Marquez (ESP), Honda 1:40.952 2. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), Ducati +0.360 3. Jack Miller (AUS), Ducati +0.414 4. Andrea Dovizoso (ITA), Ducati +0.600 5. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Yamaha + 0.703 12. Pol Espargaro (ESP), Red Bull KTM NA 14. Johann Zarco (FRA), Red Bull KTM 1:40.029 (Q1) 16. Miguel Oliveira (POR), Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:40.385 (Q1) 21. Hafizh Syahrin (MYS), Red Bull KTM Tech3 1:41.717 (Q1) Results Qualifying Moto2 Le Mans 2019 1. Jorge Navarro (ESP) Speed Up 1:49.055 2. Thomas Luthi (SUI) Kalex +0.078 3. Alex Marquez (ESP) Kalex +0.530 8. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.872 13. Jorge Martin (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.987 Results Qualifying Moto3 Le Mans 2019 1. John McPhee (GBR) Honda 1:42.277 2. Tony Arbolino (ITA) Honda +0.190 3. Ai Ogura (JPN) Honda +0.238 27. Can Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:45.796

Moto3 Race Lap Record: Jorge Martin, 1:41.754, 2018

Moto3 All Time Lap Record: Jorge Martin, 1:41.754, 2018

2019 FIM Moto3 World Championship

Bugatti Circuit

Le Mans, France

May 18, 2019

Qualifying Results (all on Dunlop tires):

From Qualifying Session Two:

1. John McPhee, UK (Honda), 1:42.277

2. Tony Arbolino, Italy (Honda), 1:42.467

3. Ai Ogura, Japan (Honda), 1:42.515

4. Tatsuki Suzuki, Japan (Honda), 1:42.567

5. Gabriel Rodrigo, Argentina (Honda), 1:42.743

6. Marco Ramirez, Spain (Honda), 1:42.892

7. Nicolo Antonelli, Italy (Honda), 1:42.951

8. Raul Fernandez, Spain (KTM), 1:42.961

9. Kaito Toba, Japan (Honda), 1:42.969

10. Sergio Garcia, Spain (Honda), 1:42.988

MotoGP Race Lap Record: Maverick Vinales, 1:32.309, 2017

MotoGP All Time Lap Record: Johann Zarco, 1:31.185, 2018

2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship

Bugatti Circuit

Le Mans, France

May 18, 2019

Free Practice Three Results (wet conditions, all on Michelin tires):

1. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:42.498

2. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:42.678

3. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:42.951

4. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:43.438

5. Johann Zarco, France (KTM), 1:43.452

6. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:43.487

7. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Honda), 1:43.668

8. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), 1:43.715

9. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:43.766

10. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:43.857

11. Joan Mir, Spain (Suzuki), 1:43.942

12. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM), 1:44.017

13. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yamaha), 1:44.197

14. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:44.277

15. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:44.402

16. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yamaha), 1:44.403

17. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Ducati), 1:44.989

18. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:45.191

19. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 1:45.559

20. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:45.638

21. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM), 1:46.046

22. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Aprilia), 1:47.711

IDM Championship Series

Lausitzring, Germany

May 17, 2019

BMW Boxer Cup Qualifying Session One Results (all riding BMW R nineT Racer motorcycles):

1. Nate Kern, USA, 1:54.709

2. Christof Hofer, Germany, 1:54.728

3. Harald Kitsch, Germany, 1:56.404

4. Tobias Munchinger, Germany, 1:56.550

5. Marvin Jurgens, Germany, 1:56.838

6. Fritz Spenner, Germany, 1:58.173

7. Marco Gluch, Germany, 2:00.301

8. Bjorn Winkelmann, Germany, 2:00.771

9. Burkhard Bender, Germany, 2:04.299

10. Pascal David, Belgium, 2:06.266

MotoGP Race Lap Record: Maverick Vinales, 1:32.309, 2017

MotoGP All Time Lap Record: Johann Zarco, 1:31.185, 2018

2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship

Bugatti Circuit

Le Mans, France

May 17, 2019

Free Practice Two Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:31.428

2. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:31.618

3. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yamaha), 1:31.713

4. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Honda), 1:31.716

5. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:31.736

6. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:31.899, crash

7. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), 1:31.923

8. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:32.132

9. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:32.203

10. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yamaha), 1:32.239

11. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:32.270, crash

12. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Ducati), 1:32.285

13. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:32.320

14. Joan Mir, Spain (Suzuki), 1:32.322

15. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:32.385

16. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:32.573, crash

17. Johann Zarco, France (KTM), 1:32.574

18. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:32.999

19. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Aprilia), 1:33.141

20. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM), 1:33.401

21. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 1:33.431

22. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM), 1:33.903

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Red Bull KTM Tech3 experiences uphill opening to their home round

Miguel Oliveira and Hafizh Syahrin initiated the French Grand Prix with some progress today, although their final positions didn’t reflect the hard work of riders and team.

Red Bull KTM Tech3’s MotoGP rookie Oliveira lowered his lap time around the crew’s home track from FP1 to FP2 by 0.828 seconds to conclude Friday 1.163 seconds off the top 10. On the other side, Syahrin made a huge step this afternoon as well to go 1.576 seconds faster than during the morning session. The Malaysian ended up 0.502 seconds behind his teammate.

Tomorrow’s action is set to start with FP3 at 9.55 local time followed by FP4 (13.30) and the all-important Qualifying session at 14.10.

Miguel Oliveira

Position: 20th

Time: 1:33.401

Laps: 39

“Actually, this hasn’t been the best start at this track, but we did some changes on the bike before the second Free Practice that I liked a lot. I was able to feel more comfortable and to go faster than this morning, which was the target. Obviously, everyone is quite close to each other, so it’s really hard for me to judge if today was good or not. Anyway, we look forward to improve a bit more tomorrow and definitively to be faster.”

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 22nd

Time: 1:33.903

Laps: 38

“During the day we made a big improvement, although we know that we are still far behind. At least, we move forward step by step. In the beginning of the session like in FP1 we always have a quite huge gap to the rest of the riders, though I was trying to push and to understand, but I didn’t have confidence in the first Free Practice session. Later in FP2, we made a really good move forward as we tried some different settings than this morning, which helped me to stop the bike better and to enter the corners faster. I could have improved my lap time even more on the last lap, but I did a mistake in the last sector. I still believe, that we can get further towards the top, but we need to work hard, stay focused and keep the motivation high.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

GOOD START FOR ALEIX WHO RIDES HIS APRILIA INTO THE TOP TEN ON THE FIRST DAY

ANDREA GRITS HIS TEETH AND IS BACK IN THE SADDLE AFTER THE JEREZ INJURY BUT HIS WORK ON DEVELOPMENT IS HINDERED BY HIS FOOT

It was a good day of practice in France for Aleix Espargaró who finished the first two practice sessions in eighth place. The time of 1’32.132 places him solidly in the top ten, despite a crash a few minutes from the end of FP2 that kept him from improving even further. In any case, there was a clear step forward compared to the morning that places him among the best while everyone waits to see if the weather, always cantankerous in North-eastern France, will let the riders improve on their times in the Saturday morning session.

Andrea Iannone tackled his first day of practice with the unpleasant company of pain in his left foot due to the accident which forced him to miss the last GP in Jerez. Andrea, also busy dialling in his RS-GP, improved his times by almost one second between the first and second session, finishing 19th at 1’33.141. It seems that he and his team are moving in the right direction, especially in the braking phase, and they will continue working in this direction tomorrow for the qualifiers.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“Despite a less-than-perfect feeling, I finished a good lap toward the end of FP2 that put us in the top ten. Our biggest difficulty right now is acceleration. We don’t have much rear grip and on a stop-and-go track like this one we are forced to make it all up in braking. Doing that is risky, because it is easy to make mistakes when braking late, which is what happened in the second session. We took a step forward after FP1, but we still need to improve further in this area.”

ANDREA IANNONE

“I’m still not at 100% with the ankle. I am suffering a bit in braking because of the pain, but that is not what is limiting us the most. We are working on trying to stop the bike better. Braking is where we struggle the most and that then compromises the other riding phases, like coming out of corners and acceleration. We made a good improvement compared to the morning and we’ll keep working in this direction. So, I’ll grit my teeth and continue giving it my all.”

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:

#FrenchGP FP. Precious Top 10 for Jack, protagonist of a great FP1 while Pecco improves lap by lap

The free practices of the Grand Prix of Le Mans end with a good result for Jack Miller – 10th in the combined standing – who would be directly qualified to Q2 in case of rain tomorrow. Constant progress for Pecco (13th after Friday’s free practices) who is very close to the Top 10 and seems to be in great confidence.

FP1 (Practice Conditions: Dry – Air 15° – Ground 26°)

P7 Jack Miller (1’32.238, +0.252 from P1)

Extremely incisive start for Jack who stays in first position for a long time. The Australian finished seventh but is among the few not to have used the soft rubber at the rear.

P13 Francesco Bagnaia (1’32.982, +0.222 from Top 10, +0.996 from P1)

After a small technical issue in the first run, lap after lap Pecco becomes familiar with the circuit of Le Mans and finishes very close to the Top 10.

FP2 (Practice Conditions: Dry – Air 20° – Ground 31°)

P12 Francesco Bagnaia (1’32.285, +0.046 from Top 10, +0.875 from P1)

As in FP1, Pecco improves lap by lap managing to stay closer to the Top 10. In the time attack, however, he can not find the ideal conditions to get the top 10 and he will be hoping for good weather tomorrow to try to win the Q2.

P16 Jack Miller (1’32.573, +0.364 from Top 10, +1.145 from P1)

It was a difficult session for Jack, who crashed in the first lap and was forced to stay in the pits for 15 minutes. The team did a great job allowing him to return to the track with bike 1 but the feeling is not the same as in the morning. The lap time of the FP1 still allows him to finish in the Top 10.

P13 – Pecco Bagnaia

“I’m satisfied. The race pace is good and I feel that we are making important progress. It’s a shame about the time attack: I found some traffic on track and I couldn’t push as hard as I could. The feeling is very positive. We’ll try again tomorrow morning “.

P10 – Jack Miller

“It was a very strange crash. I honestly didn’t really understand what happened. After the crash the feeling with the bike was not the same as I started to feel some vibrations. We still managed to take the Top 10 and this could be important in view of qualifying”

More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team:

Brilliant start by Fabio Quartararo at his home GP

The Frenchman leads FP1 and finishes 3rd on the combined timesheets, whilst Franco Morbidelli goes 11th fastest overall at Le Mans.

CLEAR SKY | AIR 20ºC | TRACK 31ºC | HUMIDITY 39%

3rd FABIO QUARTARARO +0.285

11th FRANCO MORBIDELLI +0.811

PETRONAS Yamaha SRT sensation Fabio Quartararo had a superb start to the weekend at the FrenchGP, ending Friday third fastest in the MotoGP class and topping the timesheets in FP1. Team-mate Franco Morbidelli ran for much of the day in the top ten but ended his day just outside with the 11th fastest time.

In the first practice session for his home round, Quartararo was the man to watch. He clocked a 1 min 31.986 secs time on his final lap, in which he used a soft front and rear tyre. The PETRONAS Yamaha SRT rider was the only man to go round in the 1 min 31 secs in the morning and headed a Free Practice session for the first time in his premier class career.

Morbidelli gave a maiden race weekend runout to the updated aerodynamic winglets that he tested at Jerez last week. The Italian finished in 12th place, with a time of 1 min 32.887 secs, after having been in the top five at the midway point of FP1.

In the afternoon, both PETRONAS Yamaha SRT riders followed the same plan as in the morning. Quartararo was the pacesetter for much of FP2 and remained fast when the times came tumbling down late on. His definitive lap time was a 1 min 31.713 secs, for third overall. Morbidelli also improved on his morning time, breaking into the top ten, but his 1 min 32.239 secs lap would put him 11th overall – just outside the provisional Q2 spots.

Quartararo and Morbidelli have an FP3 and FP4 session tomorrow, followed by Q1 at 2:10pm local time and Q2 at 2:35pm. Quartararo took pole position at the most recent round, the Spanish GP and he will try to make another great performance at his Home GP.

#21 Franco Morbidelli

“In general, today has been a positive day. We felt comfortable with the medium tyre and I had a good feeling overall. When we tried the soft tyre, the feeling wasn’t what I expected and I started to skid out slightly with the front. We will try to understand what happened and improve it for tomorrow. We need to continue working on making improvements, but in general our pace is good. I would like to send my condolences to the family and friends of the marshal who passed away today. Marshals always do a very important task during each Grand Prix and riders and teams must always thank them for their hard work.”

#20 Fabio Quartararo

“Today has been a very positive day. At first it was a bit difficult, because the braking reference in FP1 was somewhat tricky, but that was something that went a little better in FP2. I’m happy overall. We worked on our pace today, and while we still have to improve things, I feel good on the bike and I’m satisfied. Tomorrow we will continue working on what will be an important day, and we’ll see what the weather is like. I think this track is good for the Yamaha; we saw Viñales go really fast today. I’m enjoying my home GP; I don’t feel like I’m under pressure and I’m having fun with the fans. I also would like to send all my support to the friends and family of the marshal who passed away today at Le Mans. It has been very sad news for everybody.”

More, from a press release issued by Mission Winnow Ducati:

French GP: Dovizioso and Petrucci respectively fifth and sixth in Friday’s free-practice at Le Mans

The Ducati Team resumed track action today at Le Mans (France) for the fifth round of the 2019 MotoGP Championship. Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci took fifth and sixth position respectively in the combined time sheets at the end of Friday’s free-practice.

Second in the morning session, Dovizioso further improved his lap times by about four tenths of a second in FP2, posting a personal best of 1:31.736, 0.308 seconds behind the provisional leader. Petrucci, third in FP1, also showed progress in the afternoon despite an early crash without physical consequences, finishing just 0.163 behind his teammate with a personal best of 1:31.899.

Andrea Dovizioso (#04 Ducati Team) – 1:31.736 (5th)

“We’ve just started the weekend, but my sensations on the bike are quite good. Compared to last year, however, there are more competitive riders so there’s quite a pack fighting for top positions, but we’re part of that. We still need to improve some details to be able to keep the pace we have in mind. We tried different setups and evaluated several tyre options, making a step forward during FP2, but we still have room for improvement and we’ll need to be smart and put together all the data we gathered to be even more competitive tomorrow and prepare for the race in the best possible way.”

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 1:31.899 (6th)

“This morning we started off on the right foot, while the crash at the beginning of FP2 forced us to slightly modify our program. The feeling with my Desmosedici GP was slightly better during FP1, but I think this is due to the trickier conditions of the tarmac in the afternoon, as the multiple crashes seem to indicate. We’ve made a comparison between different setups and now we’ll look for the best possible compromise to make another step forward tomorrow. I want to try to be more competitive during qualifying and then play our cards right during the race.”

The Ducati Team will resume action tomorrow, May 18th, at 09:55 for a third free-practice session ahead of qualifying, which will start after FP4, at 14:10 local time (CET).

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Repsol Honda Team show fine form in France

Marc Marquez and teammate Jorge Lorenzo completed a positive opening day of practice in France, taking second and fourth respectively.

Building on the work done in Free Practice 1, Marc Marquez was immediately able to lap in the low 1’32s and quickly moved to top the time sheets during the second session. Although focusing on longer runs, Marquez remained quickest for much of the session and ended the day with a 1’31.618, the second fastest rider of the day.

A small fall at Turn 8 early in Free Practice 1 did little to upset Jorge Lorenzo’s Friday performance in France. A calm start to Free Practice 2 saw Lorenzo explode to the top of the time sheets in the closing minutes of the session. Ultimately setting a 1’31.716 to end the day in fourth overall.

Action resumes in France with Free Practice 3 at 09:55 local time on Saturday, May 18, and Q2 then starting at 14:35 local time. Mixed forecasts mean the Repsol Honda Team are ready for rain or shine tomorrow.

Marc Marquez

2ND 1’31.618

“The feeling is great today and I’m very happy because we were able to work in a good way, like always. The only change we made was a new tyre at the end of FP2 where normally we use the same tyres. With the weather looking unstable tomorrow it was best to do this. Also today I made a big save in FP1, it was my second run and I was able to save it but it took me by surprise a little bit because it’s so bumpy. Another nice video for the collection! There are many fast people and with the changing weather we will maintain our focus.”

Jorge Lorenzo

4TH 1’31.716

“Today didn’t start in the ideal way with the crash this morning. I was running with too much lean over the curbs and wasn’t able to save it. We came back stronger, in Free Practice 2 we made one change to the bike and I was able to feel much better on corner entry. It has helped a lot and we will keep trying different bits to become more and more confident. Conditions look like they could change tomorrow, but for today it was positive.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

VIÑALES SETS BENCHMARK TIME ON FIRST DAY OF FRENCH GP WEEKEND

GRAND PRIX OF FRANCE

FREE PRACTICE

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi have started their quest at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit with mixed results. The first free practice sessions were dry, so the team-mates used all the available time to try various set-up options, ending the day in 1st and 14th place respectively in the combined FP timesheets.

1st MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’31.428 / 21 + 21 LAPS

14th VALENTINO ROSSI 1’32.320 / 18 + 20 LAPS

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team had a full-on first day at the Grand Prix de France, preparing for Sunday’s race. Maverick Viñales likes the Le Mans circuit, and it showed today as his pace was unmatched in the dry FP2 session, earning him 1st place. Valentino Rossi left it late to finalise his set-up and ended the day in 14th place.

Viñales stuck to the plan he made in the run-up to the weekend in Le Mans. He wanted to make a strong start to the French GP, and he was quick to position himself in the mix for top billing in the morning session. He showed great confidence in his pace, opting to keep his attention on the setting of his YZR-M1 rather than putting in a fast lap with a soft rear tyre, and still remained inside the top-5. He set a best time of 1’32.203s for fourth place, 0.217s from first.

The Spaniard kept the good vibes going in the afternoon, despite threatening clouds invading the Bugatti circuit. He quickly moved up into the top-3 again and spent the remainder of the session getting ready to fire in hot laps during the final minutes. He wrapped up FP2 with a stunning final run, setting multiple fastest laps of the day, to finish in first place with a 1‘31.428s, 0.190s ahead of his closest rival.

Rossi started the FP1 session with the intention to follow up on the leads found in the Jerez test. However, after encountering a chain issue halfway through the session, he had to alter his planning. The Italian hurried back to the pit box and headed out on his second bike. He pushed in the latter stages to make the top-10, bettering his time to a 1‘32.760s in the process, and finished in tenth place, 0.774s from the front.

The Doctor had his work cut out for him during FP2, trying to make up for lost time. He continued to perfect the set-up of his YZR-M1 until the last four minutes of the session. He put in a soft rear tyre for a time attack, hoping to be able to move into the top-10 again, but as he only had enough time for one flying lap, he ended up in 13th place. His best lap of 1’32.320s puts him in 14th place overall for the day, 0.892s from the top.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“It‘s been a mixed first day for us in terms of results. On the one side we have Maverick, who is feeling really comfortable. He showed competitive speed in a race configuration and even more so on his flying lap with the soft rear tyre. Valentino, on the other hand, was unlucky to face some setbacks in FP1 that cost him track time. Because of this, they had to really work hard in FP2 trying different set-ups, and this meant there was only time left for one hot lap. Today he finished outside of the top-10 and, if the weather forecast is correct, FP3 will be wet, so this means he might have to take part in Q1 again. Anyway, we hope that it will remain dry, so we can continue working on the set-ups. Should it rain tomorrow, today‘s data could be vital if Sunday‘s race turns out to be dry.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES

“It’s been a very positive start to the weekend for me. I think we found our set-up very fast, so I was able to make many laps and I felt quite good with the bike. I have good feeling, also with the tyres, but anyway we need to keep working. There are still some places where I need to improve, also concerning my riding style, so tomorrow I have a lot of work to do. Let’s see what the weather will be like, because it seems to be uncertain. We will have to pay close attention in qualifying, because it will play an important role in being able to be in front during the race. For sure, we’ll have to make quick decisions. I haven’t ridden the bike in full wet yet, but in Austin I felt great on the wet tyres. So, I think tomorrow it will be important to understand in which direction to work and how to improve.”

VALENTINO ROSSI

“We had some problems during the day and, sincerely, I expected to be stronger, but unfortunately I wasn’t very fast, so we have to work this evening to try to find something better. In the end I did just one lap with the soft tyre and I’m outside the top-10, so now we have to hope that tomorrow morning I can ride in dry conditions to try to improve, and we have to try to work on the bike to have better pace.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

TRICKY AND TECHNICAL LE MANS TESTS RIDERS ON DAY 1

Joan Mir: 15th – 1:32.322 (+ 0.894)

Alex Rins: 16th – 1:32.385 (+ 0.957)

• Joan Mir hovers around Top 10 during Day 1

•Alex Rins working hard to improve lap times.

•Team keen to find strong set-up for race day.

Friday’s action at the historical circuit of Le Mans saw a few struggles for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR, with Joan Mir and Alex Rins both sitting outside the Top 10 at the end of the day.

In the morning’s FP1 session, rookie Mir found some good pace and placed himself just 0.640 from the top, in 8th place. The youngster felt confident and was third fastest through sector 3. Meanwhile, Rins struggled to find his rhythm and ended the session in 17th place.

During FP2 both riders worked hard to try and ensure direct passage into Q2, with track temperatures predicted to be low in FP3 tomorrow morning, making it potentially tricky to improve. Despite bettering his lap time by over a second, Rins missed out on the Top 10 when other riders went for a final push, he was 16th at the line. Mir also found improved feeling during the afternoon, but he nevertheless ended the session in 14th place.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“I think the final results don’t represent what we feel we’re capable of. Both riders showed some good pace during the sessions, but we didn’t get to do an effective time attack. We’ll continue to work with the race in mind, and if the weather conditions are OK tomorrow, we hope to improve. Anyway, we collected a lot of useful information today.”

Joan Mir

“I’m quite happy about today, unfortunately I didn’t reach my goal of getting directly into Q2, but despite that I feel quite confident and I feel that my pace is not bad. I’m still missing that really fast lap, but I hope to get a good grid position tomorrow. If it’s wet it will be a new experience for me.”

Alex Rins

“We tried a lot of things today, some different tyre combinations and some adjustments with the set-up. But this track always produces tight lap times, with many riders running very close together. I’m not so far off but I’m down in 16th place, I’m just a tenth of a second from 10th position, so I still feel that things are going in a good way. I’m not too concerned about riding in Q1 if I have to.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

WORK TO DO FOR CRUTCHLOW AT LE MANS

Cal Crutchlow looks to face an uphill task in qualifying for the French Grand Prix after a demanding opening day at Le Mans. The LCR Honda CASTROL rider struggled to find his rhythm as round five of the world championship got underway and finished down in 12th place overall on Friday.

Battling with the front end of his Honda, Crutchlow posted the 11th fastest lap in the morning’s FP1 session. With bad weather forecast for Saturday, all riders had their eyes on a top-10 position to ensure direct entry into Q2. But the Briton saw his hopes dashed by a fall towards the end of FP2 and is now hoping that the rain holds off tomorrow morning.

Cal Crutchlow – 11th

(1’32.270 – lap 12 of 18)

“I crashed going into turn four. We still don’t have a great feeling with the front end and it seemed that with the new rear tyre, it pushed the front and I went down. I didn’t do anything I hadn’t done there before, but the situation is what it is. I felt quite good with the hard rear tyre in the session, I was able to do a lap time when I needed. Anyway, I’m outside the top 10 which is never good on a Friday at Le Mans as it’s probably going to rain at some point. We just have to bite the bullet tomorrow morning and hopefully it stays dry.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

TAKA BACK IN THE TOP 10 AT LE MANS

Takaaki Nakagami made a solid start as free practice for the French Grand Prix got underway at Le Mans on Friday. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider once again cracked the top 10 to ensure he’s in good shape should the bad weather forecast for Saturday qualifying arrive as predicted.

Nakagami endured a rather low-key morning as he managed only the 15th fastest time in FP1. However, he improved by nearly a second in an FP2 session that saw multiple crashes, to finish the day in ninth position overall. That result will guarantee the Japanese star a place in Q2 should rain prevent the riders from improving their times in FP3 tomorrow.

Takaaki Nakagami – 9th

(1’32.203 – lap 17 of 20)

“We still had quite a struggle to find the grip, especially on the edge and we struggled in both the FP1 and FP2 sessions. But, luckily, I managed to get into the top 10 because the weather forecast tomorrow looks bad. Our first priority is to get into the top 10 and get into Q2; we used two soft tyres, that was our strategy and we did well, but we still need to improve on the edge grip.”

“It’s been a long time since I rode in wet conditions with this bike, it would be like starting from zero. But it will be the same for everybody (if it rains on Saturday), so we’ll prepare well for all conditions and, if it does stay dry, we can continue to try and improve. If it’s wet, we’ll try two different set-ups on the bike and see what works best.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Viñales fights off Marquez to go fastest in France

…and Quartararo and Lorenzo get in the mix at the top, with Dovizioso next up in fifth

Friday, 17 May 2019

It was a high-stakes Friday in the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, with the weather fine on Day 1 but rain and worsening conditions expected on Saturday – meaning the end of FP2 became a frantic dash to ensure a provisional place in Q2. As the dust settled it was Monster Energy Yamaha’s Maverick Viñales at the top of the pile, with the 2017 race winner fast all day and deposing reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) by 0.190 seconds. Home hero Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completed the top three after topping FP1, with the Frenchman’s pace showing no sign of abating.

The day started sunny before the Le Mans clouds loomed at the start of FP2 to serve as a reminder of the weather warnings for Saturday…not that anyone needed one. After some drama that saw Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) take a tumble and then Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller, it was Honda at the top with Marquez, followed by Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), but the timing screens were about to be painted red. With just under ten minutes to go to get that fast lap in, Repsol Honda Team’s Jorge Lorenzo bolted first and went fastest overall. It was game on.

Then Crutchlow crashed, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro capitalised to push the British rider out the provisional top ten, and Viñales moved the goal posts again to go top. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) then seemed on to go faster still but lost time near the end of the lap, before there was more drama as Aleix Espargaro crashed, Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed for a second time and then Miller followed his lead.

Meanwhile, Viñales was busy at the top going quicker again and that was, then, how it would stay. Marquez jumped from fifth to second across the two sessions, with Quartararo slotting into third and remaining ominous.

Lorenzo remained fourth overall as the Spaniard found some impressive pace in the afternoon, recovering from an FP1 crash to find some top form in France – a venue where he has six wins across all classes, five of which are in MotoGP™. Dovizioso stayed safely inside the top ten and ended Friday in fifth, just ahead of teammate Petrucci after ‘Petrux’ bounced back from his crash. Pol Espargaro, despite his eventful day, is seventh overall in yet another impressive performance from the 2013 Moto2™ Champion to put KTM on course for an automatic place in Q2, likewise brother Aleix, who puts Aprilia in P8.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was another with something to smile about after FP2, with the Japanese rider improving vastly upon his FP1 to end the day in ninth – just ahead of Miller. The Australian didn’t improve in FP2 but had done enough to edge out Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) by just 0.001 – something that could prove crucial.

That’s a phrase that two men will likely be repeating and regretting after a tough first day in France, chiefly Crutchlow down in P12 and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). The ‘Doctor’ is P14 overall heading into FP3 and couldn’t crack the top ten, although he was another suffering some drama on Friday as one run in FP1 was interrupted by his chain coming off. Finally, second in the Championship Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also had a tougher day. He’s down in P16 and could well face another fight through the pack on Sunday although it’s not stopped the Spaniard hitting the front yet.

That’s it from Day 1 at Le Mans and, come rain or shine on Saturday, we look set for a thriller of a qualifying day. Will FP3 stay dry and let the field improve? Or could Q1 even prove an advantage for those who are forced to fight it out and let them check out the conditions ahead of Q2? And, if the fight for pole in France sees rain shuffle the pack, who can master the classic venue in the wet? Find out from 9:55 (GMT +2) local time for FP3, before qualifying from 14:10.

Binder blasts KTM back to the top

South African leads the way on Friday after a late lunge for the front in France

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) shot to the top late on Friday at the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, taking over as fastest from Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) late in FP2 – but not by much. A mere 0.049 split the two men by the end of play, with Championship leader Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP40) in third only 0.117 off the top.

Augusto Fernandez, fresh from his first Grand Prix podium at Jerez, was just behind teammate Baldassarri by 0.019 and took P4 overall, with replacement rider Mattia Pasini (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completing the top five just 0.007 in further arrears. Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) ended Day 1 in sixth.

Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team) had an impressive first day in France as he topped FP1 and ended the day seventh overall despite a crash, edging out compatriot Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2), whose good form at Le Mans continued in 2019. Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) was ninth by the end of Day 1, with Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) locking out the top ten as top rookie on Friday. Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) was just behind him, however, and fellow rookie Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was close behind in P13. Bo Bendsneyder (NTS RW Racing GP) put the sophomore amongst the debutants in P12.

Xavi Vierge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will be the final man moving straight through to Q2 if the weather switches on Saturday and laptimes can’t be improved in FP3, with the Spaniard just ahead of Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2). Lowes suffered a crash in FP2 and was the only rider who failed to improve on his morning’s laptime, making him a surprise name outside the graduation zone on Friday. That’s also true of the two men who trail him: Jorge Navarro (Lightech Speed Up), who’s been on the podium in both the last two races, and Le Mans master Tom Lüthi (Dynavolt Intact GP), who crashed on Friday.

FP3 starts at 10:55 (GMT +2) for the intermediate class on Saturday, before qualifying from 15:05.

Ogura on fire on Friday

Japanese rookie sets the timesheets alight on Day 1 at Le Mans

Rookie Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) flew to the top of the timesheets on Friday in the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, a tenth clear of Jerez winner Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) despite the Italian crashing on Day 1. The afternoon saw all but one improve their laptimes, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing the top three after another top showing of pace from the Japanese rider.

The gaps all the way down the timesheets were better measured in hundredths than tenths and Suzuki was only 0.005 ahead of last year’s podium finisher Andrea Migno (Bester Capital Dubai) by the end of the day. It stayed close to complete the top five, too: 2018 winner Albert Arenas (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team) was just 0.017 further back, 0.011 ahead of Tony Arbolino (VNE Snipers) in P6. The Italian, in turn, bested COTA winner and Championship leader Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) by only 0.015. Canet suffered a crash on Day 1.

Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) ended the day eighth overall after topping FP1, ahead of an impressive day’s work from rookie Raul Fernandez (Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team), who had to be passed fit to ride after a foot fracture in Jerez. Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46) completed the top ten.

Kazuki Masaki (BOE Skull Rider Mugen Race) was pushed down to P11 by just 0.002, 0.003 ahead of Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) as the Jerez polesitter crashed twice on Day 1. Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia) was 13th, with Romano Fenati (VNE Snipers) down in P14 by the end of play and as it stands, the last rider provisionally on course for a place in Q2. Fenati had a highside on Friday and headed to the medical centre but was declared fit, as was Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) after the Spaniard crashed too. He ended the day in P16, just behind Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing).

Has Friday decided the riders heading through to Q2? Will the weather worsen on Saturday? Or is there time left yet for a last push to the top…find out in FP3 at 9:00 (GMT +2) on Saturday, before qualifying from 12:35.