Redding tops opening day at Le Mans

Scott Redding went even quicker on Friday afternoon to cement his position atop the Moto2™ practice timesheets. The Marc VDS Racing Team rider saw off Interwetten Paddock Moto2’s Tom Luthi by just under four tenths of a second as Tuenti HP 40’s championship-leading Esteve Rabat suffered a fall in the Chemin aux Boeufs s-bends.

Already quickest as the morning session drew to a close on a stereotypically changeable day for weather (when even hail fell at Le Mans), Redding reduced the leading time to 1’38.283 in the completely dry afternoon period. Behind Luthi and Simon, Qatar podium finisher Takaaki Nakagami and Dominique Aegerter were fourth and fifth for Italtrans and Technomag carXpert, correspondingly.

Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2’s Nico Terol was sixth as the top ten was rounded out by Pol Espargaro (Tuenti HP 40), Mattia Pasini (NGM Mobile Racing), Xavier Simeon (Desguaces La Torre Maptaq) and Simone Corsi (NGM Mobile Racing). Britain’s Gino Rea was 20^th while debuting the FTR bike of his privately-entered Gino Rea Race Team, while last year’s Moto3™ race winner Louis Rossi (Tech 3) was one of several riders to suffer a fall in the morning session. During the afternoon, series leader Rabat crashed at Turn 9 which swiftly ended proceedings in 14^th place.

Third and final practice for the Moto2™ bikes will begin at 10:55am local time (GMT +2) on Saturday, allowing for a final 45 minutes of running before Qualifying.