Le Mans (AFP)
The two French riders entered in MotoGP, Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac) and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) finished first in the first practice of the MotoGP French Grand Prix on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans on Friday.
Taking advantage of a dry track, all the pilots improved the times achieved in the morning on a still wet track at the start of the afternoon.
Zarco edged Quartararo by 95/1000 and Spaniard Maverick Vinales, also on Yamaha, by 389/1000.
Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), currently world championship leader with two points ahead of Quartararo, finished 12th by more than a second.
This second session was marked by several minor crashes including those of Fabio Quartararo, Jack Miller (Ducati), winner of the last Spanish GP, Suzuki riders Alex Rins and Joan Mir, the latest reigning world champion, and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), the latter even falling twice at the same place of the track.
A third practice session will take place on Saturday at 9:55 am (07:55 am GMT) before qualifying from 2:10 pm.
The race will start on Sunday at 2 p.m. (12 p.m. GMT).
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Combined classification of the first two MotoGP free practice sessions of the French Grand Prix held on Friday on the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans (4,185 km):
1. Johann Zarco (FRA / Ducati-Pramac) 1: 31.747
2. Fabio Quartararo (FRA / Yamaha) at 0.095
3. Maverick Vinales (ESP / Yamaha) at 0.389
4. Pol Espargaro (ESP / Honda) at 0.390
5. Franco Morbidelli (ITA / Yamaha-SRT) at 0.532
6. Miguel Oliveira (POR / KTM) at 0.549
7. Jack Miller (AUS / Ducati) at 0.614
8. Marc Marquez (ESP / Honda) at 0.885
9. Valentino Rossi (ITA / Yamaha-SRT) at 0.922
10. Takaaki Nakagami (JPN / Honda-LCR) at 0.964
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Editor's note: the drivers having achieved the ten best times of the first three free practice sessions participate directly in the second qualifying session (Q2), which determines the first 12 places on the starting grid.
The others must participate in a preliminary qualifying session (Q1), the two fastest of which are drafted for Q2.
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