Following s💝trong comments about Marquez’s riding in Jerez, Aleix Esp🌌argaro was again caught up behind the eight-time world champion to begin FP1. 

The Aprilia rider, who was sporting a new shoulder camera for FP1, event💛ually made his way through on Marquez. 

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Hoping to show Suzuki why they made the wrong decision to leave MotoGP at the en🐈d of this season, Alex Rins began the session in fine form as he led from Maverick Vin🐻ales. 

As Espargaro improved his pace - jumped up to sixth momenta♛rily - Marquez was following his fellow Spani⛎ard closely as he went second. 

One of ౠthe most difficult corners on the MotoGP calendar, turn three quickly caught out Brad Binder as the KTM rider suffered a front-end crash. 

In need o🍬f a big result, Maverick Vinales replaced Rins at the top of the leaderboard with just under a third of FP1 complete. The Aprilia rider could be in danger of losing his seat to the Suzuki rider, so finding form is paramount for the e♊x-Yamaha rider. 

A♌s has been the case for much of this season, Fabio Quartararo was the only Yamaha rider consistently lapping inside the top ten. The home favourite was third fastest during the opening stint, while team-mate Franco Morbidelli was only 16th - RNF Yamaha rider Andrea Dovizioso was 19th. 

After jumping to the top of the timingsheets by just 0.005s, Quartararo was then demoted to P2 by factory Ducati rider Jack Millꦑer, last year’s winner of the French Grand Prix. 

In what seems to be a continuous trend at the moment, FP1 was proving to be another toug🔥h session for KTM as thꦦey remained the only manufacturer without a bike inside the top ten. 

After going second quickest, Pol Espargaro nearly suffered a big highside at turn 11. Miguel Oliveira was not so lucky ⛄as he became the second factory KTM rider to crash. 

Marc Marquez is back!

Following Espargaro’s moment, Marquez went one better as he produced a sensatio🔯nal save.&🦋nbsp;

Tipping into turn 8 (second part of Garage Vert), Marquez lost the front 𓂃on the r🗹ight side, however, the Honda rider managed to regain traction as he saved the crash on his knee and elbow. 

Turn 11 did eventually catch riders out 💫as Morbidelli fell at the right-hand corner. Luckily for the Italian his M1 suffered 𝐆very little damage. 

Following Oliveira closely as FP1 was winding down, Francesco🐲 Bagnaia had to take avoiding action and run into the gravel as the K🌼TM rider crashed for a second time. 

After his ꦍfirst fall at turn 10, the Portuguese rider suffered a fast crash at turn 6. 

Rins went back to the top inside five minutes to go, hoꦯwever, Miller was in no mood to lose out as he put his Ducati backღ in front by -0.131s. 

Pol Espargaro responds to ‘fake news’ in fine style by topping Le Mans MotoGP FP1

With speculation suggesting Espargaro will lose his ride at Repsol Honda, rumours he has called ‘fake news’, the former❀ Moto2 world champion produced a great lap to finish fastest from Rins. 

A time of 1:31.771s was just over a tenth clear of the Suzuki rid💜er, while Bagn꧋aia was the top Ducati in third, one place ahead of Quartararo.