French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (2) Results

Free Practice (2) results from the French MotoGP at Le Mans, round 7 of the 2022 world championship.
Enea
Enea
French MotoGP, Le Mans - Free Practice (2) Results
Pos RiderNatTeamTime/DiffLapMax
1^11Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)1'31.148s16/16317k
2^3Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.202s19/19318k
3˅1Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.297s21/21319k
4^5Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)+0.360s17/17317k
5˅2Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.487s8/17319k
6˅2Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.492s6/21314k
7^11Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)+0.509s18/18318k
8˅2Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)+0.518s14/16318k
9^5Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)+0.764s20/20319k
10˅3Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)+0.766s17/17315k
11^9Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)+0.877s19/19312k
12˅4Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)+0.903s19/19319k
13˅12Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+0.928s5/21320k
14˅1Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)+1.005s13/20316k
15^2Fabio Di GiannantonioITAGresini Ducati (GP21)*+1.127s7/17318k
16˅1Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*+1.166s7/17317k
17˅7Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)+1.268s15/18315k
18^1Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)+1.357s15/18317k
19˅3Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)+1.388s14/20316k
20^1Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)+1.547s18/18318k
21^1Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+1.589s5/17316k
22˅11Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)+2.249s14/18321k
23=Raul FernandezSPAKTM Tech3 (RC16)*+2.409s17/19313k
24=Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*+2.413s16/16314k

Key:
^X Rider is X positions higher than FP1.
= Rider is same position as FP1.
˅X Rider is X positions lower than FP1.

 Top 10 Combined Practice Times:
PosRiderNatTeam
1Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)
2Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Factory (RS-GP)
3Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)
4Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)
5Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)
6Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)
7Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)
8Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)
9Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)
10Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)

* Rookie

Official Le Mans MotoGP records:
Best lap:
Johann Zarco FRA Ducati 1m 31.185s (2018)
Fastest race lap:
Maverick Vinales SPA Yamaha 1m 32.309s (2017)

Enea Bastianini rockets to the top on new tyres at the end of Free Practice 2 for the French MotoGP at Le Mans, edging out Aleix Espargaro and Alex Rins.

Pol Espargaro's 1m 31.771s morning time remained the lap to beat until just over half an hour to go when local star Fabio Quartararo put his factory Yamaha fastest with a '31.640s.

Jerez winner Francesco Bagnaia then pulled ahead, keeping his #63 Ducati in command until new soft rear tyres made an appearance in the final five minutes.

Espargaro used the new rubber to put his Aprilia fastest by just 0.061s, before Bastianini blasted to the top - with a new lap record - with just a few seconds remaining.... then fell at the first chicane.

Local star Johann Zarco suffered a much bigger scare when he ran straight on through the ultra-fast first corner, keeping control as his Pramac Ducati speared through the gravel and then jumped over the kerbs at the opening chicane.

Not so fortunate was factory Ducati's Jack Miller, who fell moments later at Turn 11. The Australian then ran through the gravel on new tyres at the end of the session.

Joan Mir had been the first faller of this afternoon, sending his Suzuki barrel-rolling through the gravel after losing control in the braking zone for Turn 7, after ten minutes. Mir was only 19th as the final minutes began but broke into the top ten by the end.

Rookie Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez fell at the same place as Mir, with Bezzecchi's VR46 team-mate Luca Marini, Monster Yamaha's Franco Morbidelli and Darryn Binder also among the many afternoon fallers.

Mir's team-mate Alex Rins had a lucky escape when he narrowly missed a slow-moving Pol Espargaro on his way to third place, with Zarco overcoming his earlier moment to be the top Frenchman with reigning champion Fabio Quartararo just behind Bagnaia in sixth.

Pol Espargaro didn't improve this afternoon, but sits ninth on combined times. Repsol Honda team-mate Marc Marquez made another big save, his second of the day, on the way to 14th this afternoon.

Prior to the time attacks, medium compound tyres were used by most riders for both the front and rear this afternoon, Suzuki riders Rins and Mir proving the exception by putting in laps on the soft front.

Dry weather is predicted for Friday and Saturday, meaning lap times should improve further in FP3, but rain is a threat for Sunday.

Tech3 KTM's Raul Fernandez is returning to action this weekend after being ruled out of the Portimao and Jerez rounds due to a right-hand injury.

Jack Miller won last year’s French Grand Prix, after a flag-to-flag race caused by a heavy rain shower. The Australian was joined on the podium by home heroes Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco.

Quartararo returns to Le Mans holding a 7-point title lead over Aleix Espargaro with Enea Bastianini in third (20 points).

Jerez winner Francesco Bagnaia is 33 points adrift, in fifth.

Le Mans is also the first event since the shock news that Suzuki intends to leave MotoGP at the end of this season.

French MotoGP schedule – UK Time

Friday May 13

8.00-8.40am - Moto3 Free Practice 1

8.55-9.40am - MotoGP Free Practice 1

9.55-10.35am - Moto2 Free Practice 1

12.15-12.55pm - Moto3 Free Practice 2

1.10-1.55pm - MotoGP Free Practice 2

2.10pm-2.50pm - Moto2 Free Practice 2

Saturday May 14

8.00-8.40am - Moto3 Free Practice 3

8.55-9.40am - MotoGP Free Practice 3

9.55am-10.35am - Moto2 Free Practice 3

11.35am-11.50am - Moto3 Qualifying 1

12-12.15pm - Moto3 Qualifying 2

12.30-1pm - MotoGP Free Practice 4

1.10-1.25pm - MotoGP Qualifying 1

1.35-1.50pm - MotoGP Qualifying 2

2.10-2.25pm - Moto2 Qualifying 1

2.35pm-2.50pm - Moto2 Qualifying 2

Sunday May 15

8.00-8.10am - Moto3 warm-up

8.20-8.30am - Moto2 warm-up

8.40-9am - MotoGP warm-up

10am - Moto3 race

11.20am - Moto2 race

1pm - MotoGP race

Jerez: MotoGP World Championship standings
Pos RiderNatTeamPointsDiff.
1=Fabio QuartararoFRAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)89 
2^1Aleix EspargaroSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)82(-7)
3^1Enea BastianiniITAGresini Ducati (GP21)69(-20)
4˅2Alex RinsSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)69(-20)
5^5Francesco BagnaiaITADucati Lenovo (GP22)56(-33)
6=Joan MirSPASuzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)56(-33)
7˅2Johann ZarcoFRAPramac Ducati (GP22)51(-38)
8˅1Brad BinderRSARed Bull KTM (RC16)48(-41)
9^2Marc MarquezSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)44(-45)
10˅2Miguel OliveiraPORRed Bull KTM (RC16)43(-46)
11˅2Jack MillerAUSDucati Lenovo (GP22)42(-47)
12^1Pol EspargaroSPARepsol Honda (RC213V)35(-54)
13=Jorge MartinSPAPramac Ducati (GP22)28(-61)
14=Maverick ViñalesSPAAprilia Racing (RS-GP)27(-62)
15^3Takaaki NakagamiJPNLCR Honda (RC213V)21(-68)
16˅1Franco MorbidelliITAMonster Yamaha (YZR-M1)18(-71)
17^2Alex MarquezSPALCR Honda (RC213V)16(-73)
18^1Marco BezzecchiITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP21)*15(-74)
19˅3Luca MariniITAMooney VR46 Ducati (GP22)14(-75)
20=Andrea DoviziosoITAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)8(-81)
21˅1Darryn BinderRSAWithU Yamaha RNF (YZR-M1)*6(-83)
22=Remy GardnerAUSKTM Tech3 (RC16)*3(-86)

 

 

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