Kawasaki's outgoing former WorldSBK champion Tom Sykes closed the gap on team-mate and fastest man Jonathan Rea in the second free practice session at Magny-Cours while the works Ducati team struggled to stay in the top ten.
Sykes upped his pace to a 1'37.403 to cut his deficit to two-tenths of a second behind world champion-elect Rea while Lorenzo Savadori - like Sykes, looking for a ride next season - took his Milwaukee Aprilia to third place and only a further tenth in arrears.
Hometown hero Loris Baz jumped into fourth place on the combined timesheets with a few minutes left to go, lapping in 1'37.856 while Michael van der Mark took fifth place, upping his game to a 1'37.863 to end six-tenths off the lead.
Eugene Laverty, on the second Milwaukee RSV4, found the business end of a second to finish in sixth with Alex Lowes ending less than a tenth further back in seventh place.
Marco Melandri went from no laps in session one to fastest Ducati in session two, putting his Panigale in eighth to lead Chaz Davies by three-tenths. Barni's Xavi Fores slipped back to tenth as he couldn't put together a decent lap and had to reply on his time from FP1 to keep him in an automatic Q2 spot should it rain this afternoon.
Topratz got ahead of Leon Camier for 11th place with Jordi Torres, Tati Mercado and Jake Gagne completing the top 15.
