Spanish rider Pedro Acosta, aboard a Kalex, carved out the strongest training performance with a category record, vaulting to pole for the French Moto2 Grand Prix at the Le Mans circuit. His best time of 1:35.803 put him ahead of rivals and signaled a standout session for the young racer known as Tiburón.
Acosta’s best lap, a 1:35.803, secured first among Kalex riders and left British rider Jake Dixon and teammate Augusto Fernández just over a tenth of a second behind. The session highlighted a tight field where margins were razor-thin and every sector counted as the bikes sliced through the Le Mans corners with precision.
The Italian contender Celestino Vietti, who had been climbing through the ranks, found himself navigating an unexpectedly tricky session. Slipping to fourth behind Spaniards Jorge Navarro and Acosta, Vietti faced a stern challenge to convert his speed into a favorable grid slot. His morning pace suggested potential, but the closing moments of the session reshuffled the order, pushing Vietti to a position that will require a strong start from nineteenth on the grid or seventh in some listings depending on final classifications. The surprise factor added more intrigue to the day as strategies take shape for Sunday’s race.
In a dramatic shift, a group of riders closed the gap in seconds. Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Fermín Aldeguer, Bo Bendsneyder and Jorge Navarro battled within a few tenths, each pushing for a better result as the clock counted down. The race weekend’s early sessions underscored how quickly fortunes can change and how small margins separate the front-runners from the chasing pack at Le Mans.
Ducati double at Le Mans: Bagnaia and Miller to start in first place
EFE
In the opening laps, English rider Sam Lowes set the pace with two rapid laps, clocking a best of 1:36.071. His early blistering pace showed promise, but the dynamics of the session shifted as the track evolved and time ran short. A subsequent moment of misfortune saw Lowes move erratically through the eighth sector and crash, bringing his participation in the session to a premature end and removing him from the fight for a top grid slot.
Lowes remained on the ground for several moments before getting back upright, but the incident effectively ended his chances for a strong qualifying. Meanwhile, Japanese rider Ai Ogura also faced trouble, suffering a crash at turn six that knocked him out of the running for a high grid position, compounding the day’s challenges for the midfield and front-runners alike.
As the session unfolded, British rider Lowes dropped from first to fourth, while Spanish rider Pedro Acosta delivered a standout late push. Acosta finished with the fastest time of 1:35.803, leaving Dixon and Fernández in close pursuit. The rapid sequence of events crystallized a fresh order, with Lowes moving down the standings just as quickly as he had initially climbed it.
Dennis Foggia takes first Moto3 pole at Le Mans
EFE
In Moto3, Pedro Acosta, already a rising star in the middleweight class, claimed pole position in a race that showcased depth across the field. He led ahead of Jake Dixon and Augusto Fernández, with Lowes, Arenas and Alonso López locking in second place groupings. Arón Canet, riding a Kalex, started seventh, with Ai Ogura and Bo Bendsneyder close behind in the chase for a strong start from the second row.
Jorge Navarro finished twelfth as Marcos Ramírez edged into fourteenth and Fermín Aldeguer found himself eighteenth in the second classification group. The action at Le Mans kept fans on edge as practice tallies became critical indicators of performance and potential in Moto2 and Moto3 alike, signaling a weekend full of competitive battles across all classes.