Jacques Miller backed up Fabio Cartalaro’s form by creating two Yamahas in the top six during Friday practice at Le Mans’ France’s MotoGP.
The former French Grand Prix winner secured a direct spot for the first time since COTA and in Qualifying 2 for the first time since COTA, after benefiting from both a productive Gerres test and a latest M1 upgrade.
The Australians rapped 0.422 from pacesetter Mark Marquez, but only drifted 0.245 of Fabio Cartalaro, the second-fastest.
More importantly, Miller’s racepace was consistently strong in the mid-range of the 1M31S, which could potentially put him in the mix of Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s main event.
“It was a good day because whenever I was able to go straight to Q2, I was always positive,” Miller said. “I felt good from the very early lap this morning.
“The tests at Jerez were what I needed to shake down my bike and try out a few different things in a different layout than Malaysia or Thailand.
“The Jerez test wouldn’t have come at a better time.
“I’m happy with the bike. We’ve built a good feeling. Here in Le Mans, it can be tricky at times.”
Rather than reaching his limits, Miller pointed to some key corners where there was more time.
“I’m happy with my fast laps, but the pace has already not been bad since the end of FP1. But I still feel there is still area where I can improve.
“Yamaha is on a road that is upwards.”
After the Quartarraro pole and podium at Gerres, Pramac team director Gino Borsoi said day one of Le Mans provided further evidence of Yamaha’s “upward path.”
“Not only was Jack’s position, but also the pace he showed from the start was definitely Good Friday. Of course, there’s still a lot of work going ahead, but that’s the best way to get started on the weekend,” he said.
“Quartararo’s performance also shows that Yamaha is on the upward path, and the updates we tested with Jerez, including the new engine, are beginning to pay off.”
Miguel Oliveira, 2025 French Motogp
Miller and Quartaralo were featured in the Sharp End, but teammate Miguel Oliveira returned to MotoGP’s actions after a long absence of injuries.
The Portuguese rider finished 21st overall with a 1M32.325S time.
“I was relieved after the first run. This is just the right choice of words because I still don’t doubt how you feel and whether you’ll be able to ride a bike for a long time,” Oliveira said.
“I missed a lot of techniques and got tired quickly because I put in a lot of effort to try everything I have to do. But that’s a weekend zero for me and I’m just starting to get my feel back on my bike.”