Le Mans MotoGP FP1: Marc Marquez leads Brad Binder

Full 2025 Le Mans MotoGP FP1 Results – Marc Marquez delivered a resounding statement of intent as the weekend began, dominating opening practice with a performance that left the paddock in little doubt about his ambitions for the round.

The six-time premier class world champion riding for the Ducati Lenovo Team set a blistering benchmark of 1:30.764, placing him comfortably ahead of his rivals and confirming his rapid adaptation to Ducati machinery and a newly updated chassis.

This session marked a critical moment for Marc Marquez who arrived in France seeking redemption after a crash at the previous Spanish Grand Prix cost him the championship lead.

The weather during Le Mans MotoGP FP1 was characteristically cool but the action on track was anything but subdued. Marquez wasted no time asserting himself, quickly slotting into the top of the timesheets with a series of fast laps in the early stages of the 45-minute session.

His initial pace was formidable, clocking a 1:31.756 within the first ten minutes. Although his younger brother Alex Marquez briefly took over the lead with a 1:31.588, Marc responded with a 1:31.263 then chipped away further at his own time eventually setting a 1:31.099.

In the final moments with a medium rear tyre that had already completed 20 laps Marquez delivered his fastest lap of 1:30.764, a testament to both his consistency and the effectiveness of the updated Ducati chassis he had tested at Jerez.

KTM’s Brad Binder was the closest challenger but even he found himself 0.576 seconds adrift of Marquez’s pace. Binder’s approach was methodical; he waited until the closing stages to fit new tyres which allowed him to vault up the order and secure second place with a time of 1:31.340.

Alex Marquez who is currently leading the championship after his brother’s misfortune in Spain rounded out the top three. The BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP rider was 0.620 seconds slower than Marc but his consistency throughout the session bodes well for his prospects over the weekend.

Meanwhile Marquez’s teammate at Ducati Francesco Bagnaia ended the session in fourth. His morning was solid rather than spectacular; while he was just 0.633 seconds behind Marquez he did not find the late-session improvement that some of his rivals managed.

One of the standout performances during Le Mans MotoGP FP1 came from Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura who finished fifth, just 0.640 seconds off the top and was the leading Aprilia rider by a significant margin.

French hopes were buoyed by Fabio Quartararo who finished sixth on the Monster Energy Yamaha at his home Grand Prix. The 2021 world champion was 0.678 seconds behind Marquez but showed signs of renewed competitiveness, possibly aided by recent upgrades to Yamaha’s engine.

Meanwhile, Franco Morbidelli was seventh, marking the fourth Ducati rider in the top ten. Morbidelli’s session was not without drama as he suffered a crash but he was unhurt and able to continue, ultimately posting a respectable time of 1:31.506.

Fermin Aldeguer impressed by finishing ninth for Gresini while Maverick Viñales completed the top ten on the Red Bull KTM Tech3.

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