Dovi celebrates fresh Ducati contract by topping FP time sheets

Le Mans, 18 May 2018: Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), fresh from signing a new contract with the Bologna factory, was the quickest man on the opening day at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France, here on Friday, setting a new circuit record with a 1:31.936 – the only rider to delve into the 1:31’s.

FP1 and World Championship leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) ended the day in second, 0.168 behind, with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a further 0.075 seconds back on board his M1, the ‘Doctor’ ended the day P3 overall.

Despite track temperatures rising from 19 degrees to over 40 degrees between FP1 and FP2, there were a whole host of crashes early in the session. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), LCR Honda Idemitsu rider Takaaki Nakagami and Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) all fell, riders ok.

Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ended the day fourth overall, the Spaniard was third in FP1, but left it late to jump up into the top five in FP2. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was fifth in front of his home crowd, with the Frenchman was also fifth in FP1, confirming his solid pace in Le Mans.

Alma Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller was sixth on the combined Free Practice timesheets, the Australian was in and around the top eight throughout FP2 and looks good for an automatic Q2 spot after ending FP1 in P12. Espargaro had a good showing on KTM, despite his early crash. He ended the day seventh quickest, building on his P10 in FP1.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), sporting a new aerodynamic fairing in FP2, jumped up to eighth on his final lap to grab a provisional Q2 spot. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) impressed again to finish ninth in FP2, getting himself into the top ten after ending the morning session in P14. Rounding out the top ten was Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), the Spaniard finished eighth this morning, dropping two positions in the afternoon.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), who was inside the top three for most of the session, crashed on his final run to end the day outside the top ten in P11, after a flurry of quick times from the riders on fresh rubber – rider ok.

With less than a second covering the top 16, the battle to make it into Q2 should be very interesting on Saturday.

Marcel Schrötter quickest in Moto2

Despite suffering from shoulder ligament damage, Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) topped the Moto2™ combined Free Practice timesheets on Friday. The German was 0.081 seconds ahead of World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) who was second overall despite a big crash in FP1, with Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) third overall and just 0.093 behind Schrӧtter’s fastest time. The Spaniard also crashed at the final corner late in FP2 – rider ok.

Despite conditions seemingly more suited to setting quicker lap times this afternoon, both Schrӧtter and Marquez failed to improve on their FP1 times, with Bagnaia going over half a second quicker in FP2 to top the session. Just behind his teammate in fourth on the combined times was rookie sensation and reigning Moto3™ World Champion Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), who finished FP2 in second.

Jerez winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) and teammate Hector Barbera both crashed in FP2, with the Italian finishing the day just outside the top ten in P11 – slipping five places from his FP1 position.

Niccolo Antonelli takes charge in Moto3

Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), who was 20th in FP1, was the rider to beat on the opening day, setting his quickest time of FP2 with two minutes to go. Despite a late crash in the session at Turn 11, second quickest in the lightweight class was Kaito Toba (Honda Team Asia), with Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) rounding out the top three.

After a chilly morning in northern France, track temperatures were up and the lap times for most of the grid tumbled. Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) cemented P4 in the afternoon, improving his time but not improving his position, with World Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PrustelGP) in fifth, jumping up one position in FP2.

Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), who’ll start from the back of the grid on Sunday, was sixth quickest on the combined timesheets, improving his time on his final run of the day after finishing this morning’s session down in P15. Del Conca Gresini Moto3 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio was back on track after his big off this morning, the Italian ended P7 – importing track time for Giannantonio after completing just six laps in FP1.