Last year's winner wasted no time finding his rhythm, while reigning World Champion Marc Marquez endured a messy Friday as MotoGP delivered one of the tightest-ever Practice sessions at the iconic Le Mans Circuit.
Johann Zarco lit up his home crowd by topping Friday's running, picking up right where he left off in 2025. The LCR Honda Castrol rider was in commanding form in dry conditions, edging out Fabio Di Giannantonio by a razor-thin 0.010 seconds. Francesco Bagnaia secured third despite a late crash, proving that even a tumble couldn't slow down the Ducati ace.
It didn't take long for things to unravel for some. Jorge Martin hit the deck at Turn 9 just minutes into the session, and Fermin Aldeguer followed with a crash of his own at Turn 3. Later, Raul Fernandez brought out a brief stoppage after his bike went up in flames—drama that kept pit crews on their toes from the opening laps.
Out front, Di Giannantonio looked dialed in early, carrying strong form from FP1 into the afternoon. But Zarco responded with back-to-back fastest laps as the session approached its final phase, setting the tone for a frantic finish that had fans on their feet.
The closing minutes delivered the chaos MotoGP thrives on. Pedro Acosta was charging before crashing at the penultimate corner, scrambling back for a second bike to salvage a Q2 spot. Joan Mir briefly went fastest before Bagnaia fired in a 1'30.045 to take over at the top—a lap that screamed championship intent.
Late improvements shook up the order. Alex Rins surged into the top ten, while Martin and Marco Bezzecchi clawed their way in after difficult sessions. Alex Marquez and Ai Ogura also jumped into Q2 contention—pushing Marc Marquez out of the top ten. The #93 couldn't respond and ended the day 13th, marking his first Q1 appearance since Indonesia last season. For a rider of his caliber, it was a rare off day at a track where he's historically dominated.
Zarco led the way in front of a roaring home crowd, with Di Giannantonio second and Bagnaia third. Alex Marquez and Mir rounded out the top five, followed by Martin, Bezzecchi, Rins, Ogura, and Acosta. Remarkably, less than three tenths of a second covered the entire top ten—a testament to the incredible parity in today's MotoGP field.
Big names left fighting through Q1 include Enea Bastianini, Brad Binder, and Marc Marquez. Fabio Quartararo could only manage 17th, while Aldeguer ended down in 21st. For the French crowd, seeing their home hero struggle was a bitter pill to swallow.
Qualifying kicks off Saturday morning, followed by the Sprint race in the afternoon. With rain looming over Le Mans, the stage is set for a weekend that could shake up the championship standings. Whether you're cheering from the grandstands or watching from home, this is MotoGP at its unpredictable best.