MotoGP – France – FP1: Jorge Martin is confident

MotoGP sets down in Sarthe for the French Grand Prix, during which Jorge Martin will have to reaffirm his status as leader after his retirement during the Spanish GP which served the cause of his rival, Francesco Bagnaia. The 5th round of the season will also be important for Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco who are playing on their home soil.

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EL1 :

• The MotoGP riders take on the Bugatti circuit under the sun, and Jorge Martín sets his mark from the start with a time of 1:34.162. Other drivers then complete their first attempt, and after five minutes of driving, Marc Marquez sets a benchmark in 1:32.188, before moving on to 1:31.971.
• Subsequently, the action on the track calms down, and no one comes to threaten the Spaniard’s time before the last twenty minutes of the allotted time.
• Marco Bezzecchi and Enea Bastianini then performed excellent first sectors, but the VR46 rider lost at the end of the lap and failed to reach third place, when the factory Ducati rider dislodged Marquez from the top of the table by only a few thousandths.

The Beast is on a roll! 💥@Bestia23 clocks the fastest lap of the session so far 🆙#FrenchGP 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/QWgvoji7vr

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 10, 2024

• However, the strong man at the end of the session is Pedro Acosta. Having woken up late, the young rookie first placed himself between Bastianini and Martin, before clocking a time of 1:31.883 to put himself in front.
• Five minutes from the end of the allotted time, the first six are held within 150 thousandths. The unstoppable Pedro Acosta, however, widens the gap by posting a mark in 1:31.658 to assert his leadership position.
• By trying to distance his opponents a little further, the Tech3 driver overdoes it and goes off the track. An incident which left the way clear for Jorge Martin who crossed the checkered flag in 1:31.421. None of his opponents will be able to beat him, while Maverick Vinales deprives Enea Bastianini of a top-3 finish at the end.

A monumental save from @37_pedroacosta 🤯

It’s a hectic final stretch in this FP1 session 😱#FrenchGP 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/8XFNgosh2s

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) May 10, 2024

• As usual, Francesco Bagnaia started the weekend slowly, and took the fifth time in a last effort.
• Discreet session for the French at home, Fabio Quartararo takes the 20th time, while Johann Zarco begins his Friday with the 16th time.

MotoGP France – EL1 ranking:

©MotoTiming

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