Marc Márquez Dominates Le Mans

Marc Márquez made an impeccable start at the French Grand Prix, setting himself apart from the very first minute at the historic Le Mans track. The rider from Cervera arrived with the bitter taste of last Sunday's race in Jerez, where an untimely fall deprived him of the victory and the championship lead, which went to his brother Álex. Upon stepping into the paddock, the elder Márquez engaged in self-criticism and acknowledged his mistake. Once he donned his racing suit, he dispelled any doubts, if there were any. He led the first free practice session of the morning with superiority, achieving his time in the final stretch with a 21-lap tyre, outpacing his closest competitor by more than half a second.

And the best was yet to come in the afternoon practice, a session lasting an hour where times matter, as the top ten automatically qualify for Q2. From the outset, Márquez took the lead on the timesheet, working on race pace with used tyres. In the last fifteen minutes of practice, all riders went to the pits to put on soft tyres and start the unique 'Q0' of Fridays.

In his first time attack, 1:29.855, he already broke the circuit's absolute record, previously held by Jorge Martín from last year when he achieved pole at Le Mans. More than five minutes of the session remained, and another pit stop for everyone to put on the second set of soft tyres. Something Marc Márquez did not need, as he went out with a new medium rear tyre, which he maximised and with which he would have finished eighth.

Looking at Friday's results, it seems difficult to find a rival for the eight-time world champion, although the sun shone on Le Mans that Friday, which is not so common in these latitudes. In fact, rain is expected over the weekend, which could alter the status quo Márquez has established from the start, although the rider from Lleida was not too concerned about the change in conditions: "Obviously, when you're doing well in the dry, you prefer it to stay dry, but I've also felt good in the wet, and if it rains, it will be the same for everyone. There's no need to overthink it."

Fabio Quartararo had already surprised in Jerez with Saturday's pole and Sunday's second place, and he once again inserted his Yamaha among Ducati's red battalion with a commendable second place this Friday. Highly motivated by racing at home, the French champion executed an almost perfect lap in the final stretch to finish 177 thousandths off Márquez's time and surpass Pecco Bagnaia's time by seven, who finished third this Friday.

"For me, the main rival this weekend will be Pecco," analysed Marc Márquez after concluding the first day of practice. "When he has a good Friday, it means he'll be there. Then there's Quartararo, who is in France and can take risks because he has nothing to lose. I've also seen Viñales strong with used tyres, and then there's Álex, who is the World Championship leader, and no matter how much he seems to struggle, he'll be there," assured Marc. The younger Márquez had a discreet start, finishing fifth, behind his teammate and rookie, Fermín Aldeguer.

Another Yamaha slipped into sixth place, that of Australian Jack Miller, who surpassed the KTMs of Pedro Acosta and Maverick Viñales. A good start for the Murcian, in his first contact after undergoing surgery for compartment syndrome in his right forearm. The Catalan continued solidly, overcoming a fall in the final moments of practice but showing great pace throughout the day. The 'top 10' was completed by Italians Franco Morbidelli and Marco Bezzecchi, who placed the only Aprilia in Saturday's Q2. This time, there were no Hondas among the best, and Spaniards Joan Mir (14th), Raúl Fernández (15th), and Álex Rins (17th) will also have to go through Q1 repechage.

In the lower categories, Manu González emulated Marc Márquez in Moto2, leading both sessions authoritatively and finishing 335 thousandths ahead of Brazilian Diogo Moreira, second in practice, with a discreet performance from Arón Canet, 12th. In Moto3, the best time of the day went to Seville's David Muñoz, with Ángel Piqueras fourth and the leader of the small category, José Antonio Rueda, ninth.