Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Quartararo can eye back-to-back pole positions for the first time in 1,434 days at the French Grand Prix after the Yamaha rider advanced straight to Q2 at Le Mans.
A mere 0.177 seconds even denied Quartararo the chance to head into Saturday’s qualifying session as the pace-setter after ending Friday’s crucial practice session in second place. He set a personal-best lap time of a 1:30.032 to trail Ducati star Marc Marquez with a 1:29.855.
Marquez posted a new Le Mans lap record as the 32-year-old looks to regain the lead of the riders’ standings from his brother Alex Marquez of Gresini at the French GP. The Spaniard is even looking to get back to securing pole after Quartararo ended Marquez’s streak at Jerez.
Sylvain Guintoli thinks the hard front Michelin tyre is Ducati’s ‘Achilles heel’ at the French GP
Quartararo denied Marquez pole for the Spanish Grand Prix by 0.033s last time out to hand Yamaha their first in 1,134 days. The 26-year-old’s pace carrying on in France could now see him seal back-to-back poles for the first time since the 2021 Italian and Catalan Grands Prix.
A first win since the 2022 German Grand Prix could even be on the cards at Le Mans. Sylvain Guintoli feels Quartararo may have an advantage going into Sunday’s French GP as he could fire the hard front Michelin tyre up much easier than any of the Ducati riders, like Marquez.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
Guintoli even feels the hard front tyre could prove to be Ducati’s ‘Achilles heel’ on Sunday as rain and also thunder are forecast for race day, so the track conditions might not suit them. The French GP is due to start at 14:00 local time, when the chance of rain is as high as 70%.
“The one thing I would say is that all Ducati riders struggled a little bit to activate that hard front,” Guintoli said on TNT Sports 2 (09/05, 15:09). “So, this could be their Achilles heel, especially if the sun doesn’t come out as much on Sunday as it might not.”
“[Quartararo was] straight on it. He was much quicker to deliver the lap times at the start of the season. It could be a really interesting race if Fabio qualifies well, and he looks like he’s got that one-lap pace.”
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo found more performance earlier in race simulations at Le Mans
Marquez’s first lap time around Le Mans with a new hard front tyre on his Ducati during this Friday’s afternoon practice session was a 1:33.872. But his average clean lap time during the six-time MotoGP champion’s first run was a 1:31.731, which he lowered utilising a used tyre.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats
The Ducati star’s average lap time amid his second run with a hard front tyre with seven laps of usage was a 1:31.121 and his third run with 13 laps on the tyre was a 1:31.488. Francesco Bagnaia also averaged 1:31.880, 1:31.356 and 1:31.081 on the Ducati rider’s first three runs.
Quartararo, meanwhile, started practice by completing two six-lap runs using a new and the same hard front tyre on his Yamaha. His average lap times around Le Mans were a 1:31.287 and a 1:31.304, proving Guintoli’s point that Quartararo found more performance earlier on.
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