Both Pol Espargaro and Marc Marquez took advantage of the better than expected conditions in France and ended up in the top ten on Friday in fourth and eighth place respectively.
As predicted, a gloomy morning opened the action at the French GP on Friday as the sound of MotoGP machines echoed along the main straight. Fortunately, the rain subsided as the first session of the day resumed and even allowed for brief slicks to be used on the 4.2 kilometer route towards the end of the first RP. During the entire Grand Prix weekend, it is crucial to make the most of the clear weather during practice.
Pol Espargaro took full advantage of the dry run at the end of Free Training 1 and left his run late but charged the timesheets to finish the morning as the fourth fastest driver. Time on the track gave Espargaro an opportunity to understand the Honda RC213V in the various conditions as the track changed from wet to dry. Espargaro’s good form continued in Free Practice 2, where he finished the day in fourth overall with a 1’32.137, just 0.001 seconds off third. An improved feeling when entering the corner thanks to a strenuous test in Jerez allows the # 44 to make confident progress.
Marc Marquez had a steady start to the day in France as he held a top ten position for much of the first RP. Marquez finished the morning session fifth, just one place behind teammate Pol Espargaro of the Repsol Honda team, and had already secured a spot in the second quarter. Marquez continued to improve his pace in FP2 alongside the rest of the field and secured his position in the top ten. Marquez finishes the day eighth and keeps an eye on the sky for tomorrow.
Since rain is forecast again on Saturday morning at Le Mans, the end of Friday in the top ten could prove to be decisive for the direct entry into the second quarter. Free Practice 3 will be the crucial session for this, slated to begin at 9:55 am local time – with a wet session the best times are sure to stay the same, while another dry session could be one last chance for improvement.