Scorching Moto3 at Le Mans: amid crashes and spectacular saves, Bertelle is in but Pini isn’t

The Intact GP duo tops Moto3 Practice at Le Mans, only one Italian goes straight to Q2. Report and standings.

Spaniards in charge, a circus trick and plenty of crashes, including one for Guido Pini. The Tuscan seems set to save it at the last moment, but instead gets pushed out of the top 14 needed for direct access to Q2. There we’ll find Matteo Bertelle, the only Italian to make it, even if in 12th place. That’s how the Moto3 weekend begins at Le Mans, currently under sunshine despite rain in the forecast: here’s how day one went at the Bugatti Circuit.

Moto3 riders, as well as the intermediate class, will have the same compounds brought last year, namely soft SC1 and medium SC2 at the front, while at the rear soft SC1 and medium SC2. According to Pirelli, the youngsters in the entry class of the World Championship will almost certainly opt for the rear soft SC1, already used successfully last season, mostly pairing it with the front soft SC1. This forecast is due to the low wear levels recorded at the Bugatti Circuit in the 2025 season.

There are concerns about the weather, but FP1 starts under the sun, albeit with temperatures of 15°C, 11° on the asphalt. Alvaro Carpe (KTM Ajo) ends on top with a 1:41.252, leading a Spanish quartet completed by David Almansa (Intact GP), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and David Munoz (Intact GP), with 5th place for Matteo Bertelle (LevelUp MTA), the only Italian in the top 10.

There’s no shortage of crashes in the first ten minutes of Practice, the most important Friday session: Quiles slips off, O’Gorman suffers a nasty highside (rider OK), Yamanaka, Pini, Carpe, Moodley, Cruces, Almansa also go down. On the books, however, is a super save by Salmela, who avoids a crash with a great piece of riding! In the end the Intact GP duo leads, with David Munoz ahead of his teammate, and there’s only one Italian in Q2, Matteo Bertelle, while Guido Pini gives it a go at the end but misses out by 0.021 seconds.

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