Jorge Martin, from Pramac Ducati, set the fastest time in the first MotoGP practice session for the French Grand Prix. The session was characterized by narrow margins and Martin clocked a time of 1:31.421s, more than two tenths faster than Pedro Acosta, from GasGas. Martin used a new soft rear tire on his final lap, which helped reduce the rear chatter of his bike but required him to use the softest compound from his allocation. Acosta, on the other hand, showcased impressive skills as he slid from side to side in the intense braking zones of Turns 7 and 9, pushing the limits of his GasGas KTM.
In a breathtaking moment, Acosta nearly lost control of his bike at Turn 5, but managed to save it from sliding out from under him and ran wide into the gravel area. Maverick Viñales secured third position with his Aprilia, joining Acosta in the 1:31.600s range. Both riders used worn tires on their last two laps. Some riders faced challenges with the new kerbs that were installed in the past weeks, giving their bikes a different feel. Turns 13 and 14 proved particularly tricky, with Enea Bastianini running over the irregular kerbs a few times during his first outing with his Ducati.
The current world champion, Francesco Bagnaia, finished in fifth place, initially facing similar difficulties with the track’s bumps as his Ducati teammate, Bastianini. Alex Marquez, from Gresini Ducati, took sixth place, although he had some laps cancelled. Aleix Espargaro finished in seventh place, followed by Brad Binder’s KTM in eighth. Unfortunately, Binder suffered a crash near the end of the session at Turn 11, right after setting his best lap, which was half a second slower than Martin’s. Marc Marquez, initially the fastest rider aboard his Gresini Ducati, dropped to ninth place at the end of the session, with Marco Bezzecchi completing the top ten.
