> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What went on in first MotoGP practice at Le Mans - URL: https://www.the-race.com/motogp/what-went-on-in-first-motogp-practice-at-le-mans/ - Published: 2022-05-13T09:51:48.000Z - Updated: 2023-09-16T14:37:51.000Z - Description: Under-pressure Honda rider Pol Espargaro led the opening MotoGP practice session of the French GP weekend at Le Mans - Author: Valentin Khorounzhiy - Tags: MotoGP, #image-top-left Under-pressure Honda MotoGP rider Pol Espargaro led the way in the opening practice session of the French Grand Prix weekend at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit. --- **Key moments:** \> Espargaro a tenth up on Rins \> Bagnaia and Quartararo complete top four \> Four KTM crashes --- Espargaro moved up to first place with a minute left on the clock, going a tenth clear of Suzuki’s Alex Rins – who had logged his best time just moments earlier – with a 1m31.771s. [![](https://storage.googleapis.com/the-race-com.appspot.com/1/2022/05/974923-300x200.jpg)](https://www.the-race.com/motogp/espargaros-honda-motogp-exit-outlook-amid-fake-news-rant/) Espargaro’s Honda MotoGP exit outlook amid ‘fake news’ rant [Read more](https://www.the-race.com/motogp/espargaros-honda-motogp-exit-outlook-amid-fake-news-rant/) The Honda man’s position at Honda beyond 2022 has been made precarious by none other than Suzuki, with FP1 marking the first MotoGP session since news came out that the Hamamatsu manufacturer was looking to leave MotoGP – effectively making its two riders Rins and Joan Mir (sixth in FP1) free agents and contenders to replace Espargaro. Spanish Grand Prix winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) completed the top three ahead of his biggest rival for that triumph, reigning champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha). Aleix Espargaro moved up at the chequered flag to finish as the lead Aprilia, ahead of Mir, Ducati’s Jack Miller – who had led the vast majority of the session – and the second Aprilia of Maverick Vinales. As many as 19 riders slotted in within a second of the younger Espargaro’s session-topping time. There was a considerable amount of crashes during the session, and most of them came from riders on KTM RC16s. > An early fall for [@BradBinder\_41](https://twitter.com/BradBinder%5F41?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com)! 💥 > > The South African is the first to fall victim to Turn 3 this weekend 👀[#FrenchGP](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FrenchGP?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) 🇫🇷 [pic.twitter.com/TgXjCjyUES](https://t.co/TgXjCjyUES?ref=the-race.com) > > — MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) [May 13, 2022](https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1525025498266587136?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) Tech3 KTM rookie Raul Fernandez – returning after two races on the sidelines – and factory man Brad Binder had a fall each, while Binder’s team-mate Miguel Oliveira was on the ground twice – first at Chemin aux Boeufs and then in a bigger crash at La Chapelle. > Fantastic avoiding action taken by [@PeccoBagnaia](https://twitter.com/PeccoBagnaia?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) to avoid [@\_moliveira88](https://twitter.com/%5Fmoliveira88?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com)! 👏 > > Miguel was up and OK after the crash! 👍[#FrenchGP](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FrenchGP?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) 🇫🇷 [pic.twitter.com/d6Hfsm8Rfw](https://t.co/d6Hfsm8Rfw?ref=the-race.com) > > — MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) [May 13, 2022](https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1525031911843840000?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) There was also an early Garage Vert crash for Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini and a Garage Bleu tumble for Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli. Finally, Marc Marquez came very close to dropping off his Honda when hopping off the outside kerb at Garage Vert, but, remarkably, held on. > Déjà vu! 👏[@marcmarquez93](https://twitter.com/marcmarquez93?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) just replicated his incredible 2019 Garage Vert save! 🤯[#FrenchGP](https://twitter.com/hashtag/FrenchGP?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) 🇫🇷 [pic.twitter.com/7nUvW7pb9e](https://t.co/7nUvW7pb9e?ref=the-race.com) > > — MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) [May 13, 2022](https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1525029939656941568?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) ## Practice 1 Results | Pos | Name | Team | Bike | Gap Next | Gap Leader | Best Time | | --- | --------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------- | -------- | ---------- | --------- | | 1 | Pol Espargaró | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | | | 1m31.771s | | 2 | Alex Rins | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | +0.109s | +0.109s | 1m31.88s | | 3 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | +0.013s | +0.122s | 1m31.893s | | 4 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | +0.019s | +0.141s | 1m31.912s | | 5 | Aleix Espargaró | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | +0.021s | +0.162s | 1m31.933s | | 6 | Joan Mir | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | +0.009s | +0.171s | 1m31.942s | | 7 | Jack Miller | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati | +0.019s | +0.19s | 1m31.961s | | 8 | Maverick Viñales | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia | +0.117s | +0.307s | 1m32.078s | | 9 | Johann Zarco | Pramac Racing | Ducati | +0.034s | +0.341s | 1m32.112s | | 10 | Luca Marini | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | +0.016s | +0.357s | 1m32.128s | | 11 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | +0.037s | +0.394s | 1m32.165s | | 12 | Enea Bastianini | Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | +0.09s | +0.484s | 1m32.255s | | 13 | Marc Marquez | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +0.011s | +0.495s | 1m32.266s | | 14 | Jorge Martin | Pramac Racing | Ducati | +0.225s | +0.72s | 1m32.491s | | 15 | Marco Bezzecchi | Mooney VR46 Racing Team | Ducati | +0.183s | +0.903s | 1m32.674s | | 16 | Andrea Dovizioso | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | +0.062s | +0.965s | 1m32.736s | | 17 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Gresini Racing MotoGP | Ducati | +0.019s | +0.984s | 1m32.755s | | 18 | Brad Binder | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.001s | +0.985s | 1m32.756s | | 19 | Alex Marquez | LCR Honda Castrol | Honda | +0.006s | +0.991s | 1m32.762s | | 20 | Franco Morbidelli | Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | +0.175s | +1.166s | 1m32.937s | | 21 | Miguel Oliveira | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.084s | +1.25s | 1m33.021s | | 22 | Remy Gardner | Tech3 KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.281s | +1.531s | 1m33.302s | | 23 | Raul Fernandez | Tech3 KTM Factory Racing | KTM | +0.849s | +2.38s | 1m34.151s | | 24 | Darryn Binder | WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team | Yamaha | +0.473s | +2.853s | 1m34.624s |