MotoGP Le Mans

[KUCIAR666]

Yamaha Head to France for Le Mans

Yamaha Factory Racing heads to France this week for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France at the historic Le Mans circuit on Sunday, 19th May. The classic French track has a history littered with the victories of both Yamaha riders, Jorge Lorenzo can claim three premier class wins and one 250cc GP victory whilst Valentino Rossi also claims three premier class victories and one 125cc GP win.

The Yamaha pair arrive in France hoping for track conditions that are kinder to the tyres than in Jerez where extremely short tyre life made for a complicated race day.

The YZR-M1 motorcycles of both Lorenzo and Rossi will have a special logo in tribute to Yamaha legend Jean Claude Olivier who passed away tragically earlier this year in a road traffic accident. Known to all as ?JCO?, Olivier was a Yamaha icon and loyal employee for 45 years until his retirement in 2010. JCO competed in the Dakar Rally for Yamaha from 1979 to 1989, finishing second in 1985. A former President of Yamaha Motor France, he was a guiding light in numerous classes of motorcycle racing for Yamaha Motor France. There will also be a display of images inside Yamaha?s Hospitality depicting highlights of Yamaha Motor France?s story in road racing.

This year will be the 56th time the Grand Prix has run at the Le Mans circuit and should as always guarantee a bumper crowd of racing fans. The major challenges of the team will be to set up the YZR-M1 to provide Lorenzo and Rossi with optimum balance and control under hard braking whilst retaining the bike?s class leading balance to tackle the tight chicanes and hairpins and short straights.


Jorge Lorenzo
?Now we travel to France, to Le Mans, a special circuit which is a very different track to Jerez. I am looking forward to racing there. I arrive with a lot of motivation after the Jerez results. Perhaps we expected better there but we struggled much more than we expected because of the extreme heat on the track. Fortunately we worked a lot on the test day afterwards to solve little problems. That session helped us to understand what the main problems had been on the Sunday. I've always had very good results at Le Mans and it brings me good memories. Last year in fact, I got a victory in the wet by a great distance over the rest. I rode a perfect race, without making a single mistake and in terrible track conditions. I have won many times in France and think it's a good track for both me and the Yamaha M1.?


Valentino Rossi
"Le Mans is a good track for me, also because in the last two years I was able to arrive on the podium in the dry and also in wet conditions. We hope to do the same and also better with Yamaha because this is a good track for the M1. In Le Mans the weather will be very important, because usually the weather is quite bad. It can be cold and wet so we will see. We will have to work well like always and try to understand the weather and the conditions of the track. We will try to do the maximum as always.?


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
"Le Mans is also one of the tracks that the Yamaha suits really well. I think it will be interesting to see what the level is on that circuit and if we are able to fight for the victory. That?s what we were missing for the last two races and we will try hard to seek this in France.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
"In Jerez, during the test we collected a lot of good data so we will face this weekend confident that we can do well. Le Mans has always been a good track for Yamaha and for this reason we will aim this weekend to achieve maximum results, there is every reason to do so. We definitely want to do better than our weekend in Jerez. In the past both riders have achieved good results in France and this is an important thing. Hopefully the weather is good for us to make it easier to setup the bike for Sunday!?


Lin Jarvis - Yamaha Motor Racing, Managing Director
"This weekend we head to Le Mans for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, one of the most important European GP events and traditionally strongly supported by Yamaha Motor France. This time we will sadly be without the presence of the former President of YMF, Jean Claude Olivier, who sadly passed away following an automobile accident earlier this year. Jean Claude was a legend in our industry and the man behind decades of top-level Yamaha Motor France participation in all forms of motorcycle racing. This weekend we will pay our respects to Jean Claude, both on-track with the ?JCO? logo on the cowlings of our Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1s and off-track with our display of ?JCO images? featuring YMF?s engagement with Road Racing over the years in the Team Hospitality. Yamaha Factory Racing and Yamaha Motor France remain committed to continuing the JCO legacy into the future."

 

[KUCIAR666]

NGM Mobile Forward Racing riders await the fourth round at Le Mans

The fourth round of the season will take place on French soil at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans this next weekend.

Colin Edwards is no stranger to the podium at Le Mans; both in 2005 and 2008 he finished in third place. The American rider enjoys riding at Le Mans and looks forward to riding on his FTR-Kawasaki bike this weekend. Teammate Claudio Corti also knows what it feels like to be on the podium here. The Italian rider had a podium finish last year while riding in the Moto2 category and would like to take his first MotoGP points at the this very same track.

In Moto2, our NGM riders Simone Corsi, Alex De Angelis and Mattia Pasini have previously been on the podium at Le Mans, all of them managing a third place in 2010, 2007 and 2008 respectively. All three Italians are eager to repeat their results at Le Mans. Their Spanish teammate Ricky Card?s was unable to finish the race in his previous visits to Le Mans but hopes that this year will be the turning point for him at the French track.

Colin Edwards

?Looking forward to Le Mans, I can?t say Jerez was perfect but we at least got on the score board and looking to build on that momentum. We have a few new things that we want to try with FTR. Le Mans is a track that for some reason I have always gone good at so lets get rolling!?

Claudio Corti


?During the two-day test we found a few things that work well, allowing us to have a faster pace and allowing me to ride the bike a little better. Le Mans is a track at which I was able to come in second last year in rain conditions so I have good memories there. Its probably not one of my favorite tracks but I enjoy riding there and the warmth of the French fans. Look forward to being out on track there.?



Simone Corsi


?After this last race I expect to do better at Le Mans. We have definitely struggled at Jerez but knowing that Le Mans is a completely different track we hope to do better. We had a two-day test at Estoril after Jerez that has allowed us to come up with new solutions for our bike. I have high expectations for this race.?


Alex De Angelis

?The Grand Prix of Le Mans has always been on the most difficult ones giving its weather conditions. The cold and the rain are recurring visitors at this track. We will start the weekend with a different setting that we tested last week on at Estoril and that we hope will be convenient for the French circuit.?


Mattia Pasini


?We are ready for the Le Mans race. Since last week?s test at Estoril we can?t wait to get out on track again. With the team and SpeedUp we have done important improvements that allow us to believe in the possibility of making a big step. We are focused and feel ready for the race on Sunday and we hope to improve our results from Jerez, which were under our expectations.?



Ricard Cardus

?I am very concentrated for the Le Mans race. After the results I had in Jerez I just want to go out on track and get started on work. I believe that Le Mans can be a good track for our bike.?


"

 

[KUCIAR666]

Karel Abraham will race in Le Mans, one month after shoulder injury

Czech rider Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) is still rehabilitating after collar bone fracture sustained in Austin, Texas. That said, Karel Abraham will race in this weekend?s MotoGP event in Le Mans.

Karel Abraham:
?I am looking forward to getting back to racing. Hopefully we?ll all be able to do our best for good results. My shoulder has not quite healed yet, but it is much better compared to Jerez. I don?t think it is going to affect my performance very much. I am hoping for a dry race because the Le Mans circuit is notoriously known for having several types of asphalt, each with different adhesion qualities.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Honda men ahead as MotoGP moves to legendary Le Mans

Honda stars Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda RC213V) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC213V) go into this weekend?s French Grand Prix holding first and second places in the 2013 MotoGP World Championship after dominating the second and third rounds of the series.

Marquez won last month?s inaugural Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas, which Pedrosa finished in second place; then Pedrosa won in Spain two weeks ago, ahead of Marquez. It has been a superb start to 2013 but the riders and the rest of the factory Honda squad know full well that MotoGP is all about going the distance ? with three rounds done there are still 15 to go.

Marquez has been making the headlines ever since his MotoGP debut at last month?s season-opening Qatar GP. He finished on the podium there, took victory at the next round in Texas and then moved into the World Championship points lead at his home GP. So far his has been a phenomenal and historic apprenticeship ? in Texas he became the youngest rider to score a premier-class pole position and race win ? but the 20-year-old will start from zero at Le Mans, where he has never ridden a MotoGP bike.

Pedrosa?s brilliantly gauged victory in challenging conditions at Jerez ignited his push for the 2013 MotoGP crown. The Spaniard?s 23rd premier-class victory moved him past reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) and into second place overall. A productive post-race test at Jerez brings him to Le Mans in confident mood and determined to keep the momentum going.

Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V) also made significant progress during the post-Jerez tests. The Spaniard is the only rider on the MotoGP grid using Showa suspension, so he?s been working very closely with the Japanese company to solve a few issues that have been holding him back. Satisfied with recent progress, he is optimistic of scoring his first top-five finish of the season at Le Mans.
Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V) has had a disappointing start to his second MotoGP season, with two crashes at the first three races, leaving him some way down the points ladder. The post-Jerez tests therefore couldn?t have come at a better time for the young German who was able to spend the day honing his set-up in an effort to cure a front-end issue that has been causing him concern.
MotoGP rookie Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) travels to Le Mans hopeful of scoring his first MotoGP points. At Jerez two weeks ago the Australian ? who rides a CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike ? was less than a second away from his first points haul, coming home in 16th spot, just a few tenths behind veteran Colin Edwards (FTR Kawasaki). That result boosted his confidence, so this weekend he will be aiming for the top 15.
Le Mans may be best known for its 24 hour motorsport events ? on both two wheels and four ? but it has also been an on-and-off home for the French Grand Prix since 1969. Honda has scored many victories in the circuit?s 24 hour motorcycle race and took its first premier-class Grand Prix win at the venue in 1983, with Freddie Spencer aboard the NS500 two-stroke triple. Since then Eddie Lawson (1989), Mick Doohan (1994 and 1995), Alex Criville (2000), Valentino Rossi (2002), Sete Gibernau (2003 and 2004), Marco Melandri (2006) and Casey Stoner (2011) have also taken Honda machines to premier-class success at the track.

The Le Mans Bugatti circuit, very different from the much longer 24-hour car track, returned to the GP calendar in 2000 after an absence of four years, during which time the French GP was run at Circuit Paul Ricard in Provence. Since 2000 the event has built a huge following in bike-mad France, with tens of thousands of bikers making the two-hour trip to the Sarthe region from Paris.
Le Mans underwent safety modifications before the 1999 GP, partly as a result of Alberto Puig?s injurious turn-one crash during practice for the 1995 French GP. The daunting right hander was tightened and the Mus?e left-hander was also modified to lower speeds. Further modifications have been carried out during subsequent years in an ongoing program of improvements.

The track?s character is very stop-and-go, with plenty of slow turns where braking and acceleration performance are primordial. Riders and their engineers therefore concentrate on honing their machines? stability during braking, as well as improving rear-end traction for the numerous hairpin exits.



After Le Mans the MotoGP circus heads south to one of the season?s most popular events, the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello on June 2.



Honda MotoGP rider quotes



Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez says:

?We go to Le Mans and again we arrive there starting from zero, as I haven?t done any tests there. I?ll do my best and I?ll try to make the most of the situation. I hope it doesn?t rain so we can prepare the bike on a dry track, this is very important to find the right set-up. I?m very happy at the moment but we have to keep our feet on the ground as the coming circuits are new for me in MotoGP. A huge part of our success in this first part of the season is down to the help that Honda and the team have given me and it has helped my riding a lot.?



Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa says:

?After a fantastic weekend in Jerez and a productive test on the Monday, I?m looking forward to going to Le Mans. I?ve had good results there in the past and I enjoy the circuit, so I?m hoping that the bike works well there. Practice management in Le Mans can sometimes be difficult and complicated due to the weather but I?m finding my comfort again on the bike and I?m working well with the team. I will go to France and aim to use all of my experience and remain focused for the whole weekend.?



Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista says:

?After the weekend at Jerez and the post-race test I feel very motivated. We have worked very hard to find more rear grip from the bike after suffering over the course of the weekend. In the test we found some solutions that make me confident that we are on the right path. We worked closely with HRC and Showa and we improved our pace from the race so we can go to Le Mans with renewed enthusiasm. I have not enjoyed particularly good results at this track in the past and the weather usually plays a role here so we have to be prepared for everything. Last year didn?t go badly for us in the dry but the race was wet and we struggled because my visor steamed up. With the progress we are making I am convinced that we have the potential to be battling in the top five again and this is our objective. This is a ?stop-and-go? circuit with a lot of direction changes. It is quite slow and technical, so it suits a bike that handles well. There are no long straights and that makes it physically demanding because you don?t get any chance for a rest!?



LCR Honda rider Stefan Bradl says:

?We arrive at Le Mans with two DNFs from three rounds and some issues with the front-end that we partially solved in the Jerez test session. Le Mans is another good circuit which I like and in my debut year in the premier class I finished 5th. This increases my motivation and my will to be back at the front with the other guys. However, we are conscious of our set-up problems which affect my corner entries and my riding style. We collected further data in Jerez to begin the Le Mans weekend with a good base set-up and, session after session, we will try to adjust the package.?



GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider Bryan Staring says:

?I am still really happy with the result from Jerez because it has given us a nice boost to try and do even better in the races coming up. Lap by lap I am adapting my riding more and more to MotoGP and I am pushing the bike with more conviction. I can?t wait to get out on track at Le Mans, which is a place that fascinates me even though I have never been before. In fact out of the next seven tracks I only know one of them so I have to concentrate hard on learning them and adapting quickly so that we can start working on set-up. We have been making progress lately so we need to keep going like this and I am sure we will soon achieve our first objective of scoring points. ?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Back on the track after injury:
Abraham 18th before Saturday?s final practices and qualifying

Czech MotoGP rider got fully back on the track after collarbone fracture sustained in Austin. Abraham finished 18th in combined practice lap times. Czech reached 1:36,759 loosing 2,724 seconds to the fastest Dani Pedrosa and 0,116 to previous Claudio Corti.

Karel Abraham:
?The shoulder seems quite OK, but I expected to feel better. Unfortunately injured arm is little bit weaker after four weeks of recovery. But the most important is that I can ride with it and I should be able to do whole race with it. The bike seems good to me, we solved lot of problems in the afternoon, but we are still very slow on top speed. We are practically about 4 kilometers per hour slower than we should be.?

Marco Grana, chief-mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?We were worried if Karel could ride in the morning without pain and the result is good ? he feels much better, so we could focus on improving our lap times. We suffered some problems in front and Karel wasn?t confidential to bike. We work a lot before afternoon session and it helps. We were able to reach good time facing the fact that Karel is back on the track for the first time after injury. We have serious problem in sector 3. We are loosing 1,2 second there. In the other sectors we can do similar times as De Puniet. This is our quest for tomorrow: find a good line and be fast in it. I?m happy, that Karel is in good physical condition. We made lot of consecutive laps and he didn?t suffered any pain from shoulder. We will try harder tyres tomorrow and hope to improve our lap time.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Positive first day in dry conditions at Le Mans

Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez, set the bar today on the first day of free practice for the GP of France, taking the top two places on the time sheet.

The weather in Le Mans has been kind to the team on the first day, with rain threatening but fortunately both sessions remained dry. In this morning's FP1, the air temperature was just 12?C with the track only 14?C, and Dani and Marc took no chances - both opting for the soft compound front and rear Bridgestone tyres. Then in the afternoon's FP2 session, temperatures rose to 19?C and 35?C on the track, which gave them the opportunity to test the hard front tyre and a new soft rear.

Dani continued to improve his lap time throughout the session and in the end he recorded his fastest time on his final lap of 21 with a 1'34.035. Team mate Marc also saved the best until last with a 1'34.169 on his final lap of 18.



Dani Pedrosa - 1st - 1'34.035
"In today's practice sessions it was important to test the tyres and make the most of the dry track time, because here you usually don't have that opportunity. So I tried to stay out on track for as long as possible and gather the best information, because maybe tomorrow it will rain - and you don't have that chance again. Luckily the weather held up and we were able to make some positive steps, which we hope to capitalise on for the race on Sunday"

Marc Marquez - 2nd - 1'34.169
"Le Mans has always been a good track for me in the other classes. I was fast today right out of the box and felt comfortable. In the first session I got a bit overwhelmed, because I could tell that the track was not allowing much space for me between the corners with this bigger bike and faster pace. I didn't have much time to think. I was calmer in the afternoon and things went much better. This track is all about accelerating and then braking, although the final sector is more twisty and has some longer corners. It is only Friday, and we still have work to do. Tomorrow, if the track is dry, we will improve our times - but the forecast predicts rain. With a little luck, on Sunday we will have a dry track and be able to have a good race"



Practice Results

1 - Dani Pedrosa - 1?34.035 - SPA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

2 - Marc Marquez - 1?34.169 - SPA - HONDA - Repsol Honda Team

3 - Valentino Rossi - 1?34.173 - ITA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing

4 - Jorge Lorenzo - 1?34.201 - SPA - YAMAHA - Yamaha Factory Racing

5 - Stefan Bradl - 1?34.299 - GER - HONDA - LCR Honda MotoGP

6 - Cal Crutchlow - 1?34.512 - GBR - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

7 - Andrea Dovizioso - 1?34.578 - ITA - DUCATI - Ducati Team

8 - Nicky Hayden - 1?34.590 - USA - DUCATI - Ducati Team

9 - Alvaro Bautista - 1?34.590 - SPA - HONDA - Go & Fun Honda Gresini

10 - Aleix Espargaro - 1?35.045 - SPA - ART - Power Electronics Aspar

11 - Bradley Smith - 1?35.362 - GBR - YAMAHA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3

12 - Andrea Iannone - 1?35.433 - ITA - DUCATI - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team

13 - Randy De Puniet - 1?35.447 - FRA - ART - Power Electronics Aspar

14 - Michele Pirro - 1?35.864 - ITA - DUCATI - Ignite Pramac Racing Team

15 - Hector Barbera - 1?35.940 - SPA - FTR - Avintia Blusens

16 - Colin Edwards - 1?36.449 - USA - FTR-KAWASAKI - NGM Mobile Forward Racing

17 - Claudio Corti - 1?36.643 - ITA - FTR-KAWASAKI - NGM Mobile Forward Racing

18 - Karel Abraham - 1?36.759 - CZE - ART - Cardion AB Motoracing

19 - Danilo Petrucci - 1?36.764 - ITA - IODA-SUTER - Came IodaRacing Project

20 - Hiroshi Aoyama - 1?36.821 - JAP - FTR - Avintia Blusens

21 - Yonny Hernandez - 1?37.104 - COL - PBM - Paul Bird Motorsport

22 - Bryan Staring - 1?37.878 - AUS - FTR - Go & Fun Honda Gresini

23 - Michael Laverty - 1?38.023 - GBR - PBM - Paul Bird Motorsport

24 - Lukas Pesek - 1?38.818 - CZE - IODA-SUTER - Came IodaRacing Project

 

[KUCIAR666]

Michele Pirro and the Ignite Pramac Racing Team together for day one at Le Mans

At 9:55 this morning, the Ignite Pramac Racing Team garage was ready for the first free-practice session of the French Grand Prix at the Sarthe circuit that also hosts the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Michele Pirro finished his first day as a substitute rider for the Ignite Pramac Racing Team with a best time of 1:35.864. The Ducati Test Team rider had already taken part in the 2013 championship via a wildcard appearance at the Spanish Grand Prix, and he?ll do so again during the next round, at Mugello on June 2, as well as Misano on September 15.

It was a challenging day for the Italian, who has switched from the development version of the Desmosedici GP13 to Ben Spies? race machine. The goal for tomorrow is to improve the setup in order to lower his best lap time.

Michele Pirro - Ignite Pramac Racing Team
?The day was a bit difficult, as I had some small problems in both sessions. I had to change bikes in the afternoon, but I actually felt more comfortable on the second one. I think that the situation slowed me down a bit. I?m still satisfied because although it?s my first time with the Ducati on this track, and I?m still getting used to this version of the bike, I began gaining confidence. I hope that we?ll also be able to ride in the dry tomorrow so that I can continue to get better. There?s room for improvement, and we must try to get everything set. I?m sure we can do it.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Ross Leads The Yamahas as Le Mans Begins

Valentino Rossi wrapped up the first day of action at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France as the fastest Yamaha rider and third overall behind rival Dani Pedrosa. The Italian spent the day?s two free practice sessions working to set up his YZR-M1 for the Le Mans circuit, focusing on a soft front and hard rear tyre combination. Rossi opted for the 2012 M1 chassis for the Le Mans weekend whilst the team continues to evaluate the difference between the old and new. The final session saw the nine-time World Champion improve to climb from seventh to second, dropping to third at the end just 0.138 seconds from first. Rossi was also the fastest rider through the second sector of the Le Mans circuit.

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo was as usual quick from the start of the first session, contesting with the fastest riders and wrapping up the morning in second place. The afternoon saw more of the same fast consistency from the reigning World Champion, taking the session lead with a 1?34.2 second lap with 17mins remaining. A flurry of fast laps in the final minutes dropped him to fourth however he was just 0.166 from first. Lorenzo remained fourth in the combined times. The Spaniard also focused on a hard front, soft rear tyre option but opted for the 2013 chassis to evaluate the Le Mans circuit.
Valentino Rossi - 3rd, Time - 1'34.173

?Today we were good in braking because we modified the settings and we tried two different settings to understand which way to follow to improve the braking, that was the main problem. This morning was not too bad and this afternoon especially I made the comparison one more time. I took the setting I preferred with some small modifications and the last run was very good. I could brake hard, which was the main problem in Austin and also in Jerez so it's a good day. We try to modify also the rear for to not stress the rear tyre so much; that helped me a lot; I did my best laps with a used tyre that had more than 30 laps on. The practice this afternoon was good so I?m happy. We are already quite good with the setting of the bike so now we wait for the weather tomorrow. In case of rain we are more or less ready and if dry we can try something else, some small details to modify. We are very close to those in front so its not so bad.?
Jorge Lorenzo - 4th, Time -1'34.201

?We are changing the bike to improve the feeling because at the moment we have a lot of margin for improvement. I think we can make a big step to improve the constant pace for the race. I think if it rains tomorrow things will change completely and it will be a different story. We will have to be as always more careful and have more concentration in the wet.?
Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

?The first day at Le Mans and a dry day too! Overall everything is very close and tight. After FP2 we are in fourth but just two tenths away and our lap times are very close to Dani. We are not satisfied as we have some small details to solve. We are not ready for race day yet but hopefully tomorrow we will have another dry session so we can make the next step.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?A promising first day. I think the Monday test in Jerez gave us a good result because we were satisfied with it and also its effects here. The pace is good; the tyre life issue seems to be solved as well, maybe due to the temperature but also due to our testing in Jerez. Lets see what the weather brings tomorrow as it may be wet. Anyway I think we are ready for all circumstances.?
Positive start for Crutchlow and Smith in France

he biggest race of the MotoGP World Championship campaign for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team started in positive fashion for British duo Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith at the historic Le Mans track today. This weekend?s race is not only the all-important home encounter for the French-based Tech 3 squad, but the popular Le Mans event is sponsored once again by Monster Energy, the high profile American energy drinks company that is the title backer of Crutchlow and Smith?s MotoGP effort. In extremely cool conditions this morning, Crutchlow was sixth fastest in a closely fought FP1 that saw the top nine covered by less than a second. In higher temperatures this afternoon, Crutchlow remained in sixth position, despite improving his pace by well over 0.5s. A best lap of 1.34.512 was only 0.477s off the best time, the second session proving to be another close affair with the top nine split by just over 0.7s.

Smith was 15th this morning, the British rider getting to grips with the world renowned Bugatti track while also working on the set-up of an updated YZR-M1 chassis which he tested with such positive results in Jerez recently. He was able to improve by almost 1.5s in FP2 and he rocketed up into 11th place on the rankings with a best time of 1.35.362 that gave the 22-year-old a huge confidence boost ahead of Sunday?s 28-lap race. Smith?s vast improvement was reflected in the gap to Jerez winner Dani Pedrosa, who led the way in FP1 and FP2. Smith was over two seconds behind Pedrosa this morning but he ended the second session just 1.327s off the quickest pace.
Cal Crutchlow, 6th, Time - 1'34.512

?We did not have our best day today and I?m not really happy with how things started this weekend. We experimented quite a lot with the bike and made it shorter and longer but we did not find an ideal setting yet. We have a lot of chatter and not too much grip, so clearly we are struggling quite a bit at the moment because the other guys seem to improve while I feel the same as on the first lap out there this morning. So we still have a lot of work to do tonight and we have to improve in several areas. I?m having an issue with the brakes but we are still confident for tomorrow and I am sure we can improve to put on a good show in such a big race for Tech 3 and Monster Energy.?
Bradley Smith 11th, Time - 1'35.362

?Today was a good first day in Le Mans. I started to feel a lot more confident this afternoon compared to this morning because there was extra grip on track thanks to the higher track temperature. We found almost 1.5s and that?s really positive. I like this circuit a lot, especially with a MotoGP bike and the differences compared to a smaller bike seem to be not that big compared to the other tracks I have experienced so far. I just have to understand the different braking points like in the first corner where I?ve already made three mistakes so far. But now I think I understood where the limit is. But it was a good day and we are closer than usual to the top after day one and I really feel confident with the new chassis, especially on new tyres, so we will work hard tonight and hopefully go straight into the second qualifying session tomorrow.?

2013 MotoGP France
Le Mans 17/05/2013
1 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'34.035
2 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'34.169
3 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'34.173
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'34.201
5 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'34.299
6 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'34.512
7 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'34.578
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'34.590
9 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'34.739
10 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'35.045
11 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'35.362
12 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'35.433
13 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 1'35.447
14 Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 1'35.864
15 Hector Barbera FTR ESP 1'35.940

 

[KUCIAR666]

Encouraging start for Ducati Team at Le Mans

Although rain had threatened for part of the day, conditions were quite good for the first two free-practice sessions of the French Grand Prix, in which Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden put their Desmosedici GP13 machines into the seventh and eighth positions, respectively, in the combined times.

The two Ducati Team riders had finished the morning session in the top five, although it took them until the latter stages of the afternoon outing to lower their times. The gaps between the riders were quite small, with just over a second separating the top ten; Dovizioso and Hayden were .54 and .56 seconds from the leader Dani Pedrosa.

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 7th (1:34.578)
?I?m pleased because we?re closer than we have been at the other tracks with our fastest lap, but especially our pace. I managed to do my best time on the final lap of my long run, which is nice. We?re pretty good with the setup, and although we still have to work on the details, I?m happy to be so close.?

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 8th (1:34.590)
?The start to the weekend has been a little more positive than at some of the other races. In the morning we were making good steps in each exit, although not as much in the afternoon. Our lap time was pretty good, but it didn?t come easily, so we need to make the bike calmer in order to be more consistent. We do have some good sections, especially the second sector, but we have to improve on change of direction in the tighter areas. We?ll see what the weather does tomorrow; today could well be some of the only dry track time we get before the race.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Unsatisfying day for Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team

Although Andrea Iannone has steadily improved during the French GP race weekend, last night?s changes to his Desmosedici GP13 weren?t enough for him to make it into the Q2 session today at Le Mans, and the Italian will start tomorrow?s race from the fifth row of the starting grid.

Iannone is still riding in some pain, which made the situation even more challenging.

There are nonetheless some positive aspects to this weekend, especially when one considers that the team?s very participation at this round was in some doubt. In fact, the initial goal following Iannone?s recent operation was to use the three days in France to prepare for the next round.

Andrea Iannone ? Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team
?I?m doing better than I thought. The muscle has enough strength and doesn?t bother me, which is certainly good. At the moment, it?s the knee that?s more painful, because it?s compressed in my leathers, but I know that?s just temporary. Obviously, I?d feel more at ease without the physical problems, and I could focus better on my riding, but it?s not such a big deal. I want to understand where to improve, how to be faster, and work to try to gain some positions. Now I?m having a hard time on the brakes, so I can?t slow down as I should, nor can I get on the throttle as I?d like. I want to solve that problem for tomorrow, or at least limit it. Right now, I?m having a hard time finding the right setting, as the changes we?ve made this weekend haven?t worked so well. Comparing myself with the Ducati Team riders, I realized that we?re not making the same decisions; at Jerez, for example, my way had worked better, but not at this track. At the moment, I don?t know if I should try to change, perhaps following their path, or continue on my own way. I?m very happy for Andrea?s third place today, which really gives me hope.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

NGM Mobile Forward Racing riders struggle at Le Mans

The qualifying session at the Grand Prix de France comes to an end for the NGM Mobile Forward Racing riders and their SpeedUp bike.
A difficult qualifying session, unstable rain conditions ending with Mattia Pasini in the Top10 in ninth place. Far behind him, due to setting problems during the qualifying session we have Alex De Angelis in nineteenth place and Spanish rider Ricky Card?s in twentieth and Simone Corsi in thirtieth.


Simone Corsi

?A very difficult qualifying session for a weekend in which I have not been able to find the right setup. When the time came to qualify the temperature dropped and it started raining preventing me from improving my lap times and that means we will start tomorrow?s race from the back of the grid. I hope that weather will not be under unstable weather conditions but rather full on rain or dry race.?

Alex De Angelis

?I had hoped for a better qualifying today, we had made many modifications to the bike this morning but the rain prevented us from using them during qualifying. I liked the new modifications done to the bike but unfortunately during qualifying I got stuck in traffic making it impossible for me to make the lat time that I knew I could have done. By this I don?t mean that I could have be on pole position but I could have surely placed about ten positions ahead. When it started raining I decided to do a few laps to make sure the setting worked in the rain. I was fast in these conditions and this means that this could be the right setting to try to improve the feeling with the bike.?
Mattia Pasini
?I am satisfied with my qualifying results. We have definitely placed better for tomorrow?s race than we have in the past few races and this makes us hopeful for tomorrow even if it rains. We could have done better since the feeling with the bike has improved a lot after the test we did last week at Estoril, I feel more comfortable riding the bike. I hope tomorrow we have a dry race since we have never had a race in rain conditions and I wouldn?t want to go into a race blindfolded. I have to take into consideration the fact if it rains it will rain for all of us not just for me.?

Ricard Cardus
?The rain made the qualifying session strange, we were only able to be on track fifteen minutes. It rained off and on and that made it very difficult to give a hundred percent. I went out and in the first three laps I didn?t have a lot of confidence with the bike but towards the end it improved. Tomorrow we expect a race in wet conditions, it will be a long race.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Marquez takes pole in Le Mans but crash impedes Pedrosa

In today's qualifying for the GP of France, Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez took his second ever MotoGP career pole position, at the very circuit he achieved his first ever pole in GP racing in the 125cc class in 2009. His teammate, Dani Pedrosa, could only manage 6th after a crash in turn two early in the session restricted his number of flying laps.

In this afternoon's FP4 session, Marc also had a small crash in turn two which affected his confidence slightly. However, in Q2 he returned to the set up he had in the morning FP3 session and was able to set a fastest time of 1'33.187. Dani, who was only able to complete one flying lap in his first run of Q2 had a crash on lap 4 but fortunately returned to the pits in time to get out on his second bike. He managed two flying laps and on his final lap he was able to achieve a second row grid spot with a lap time of 1'33.639.

Marc Marquez - 1st - 1'33.187

"Qualifying went very well. After FP3, in which we had a small front end crash and I lost my confidence a little, I was back on it immediately. It was hard to heat up the tyres, but that was the same for everyone. I think that's the reason why there were so many crashes. I am very happy, because I think that we had a good session and have a good pace. Tomorrow we will try to give 100% and see if we are fortunate enough to have a dry race. If it is a wet one, then we just have to do as well as we can"

Dani Pedrosa - 6th - 1'33.639

"The afternoon practice sessions were difficult. I crashed in qualifying then had to go back to the garage and only had a little time left on the clock when I got back out on track. I wasn't able to make the best use of the session, but at least I was able to clock a fairly decent time and place sixth. It is a pity, because we could have been much higher up the grid. For tomorrow we will have to try to get a good start, come back up through the field and have a good race"

Qualifying position
1 Marc Marquez 1'33.187 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Jorge Lorenzo 1'33.217 SPA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
3 Andrea Dovizioso 1'33.603 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
4 Cal Crutchlow 1'33.609 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
5 Stefan Bradl 1'33.634 GER HONDA LCR Honda MotoGP
6 Dani Pedrosa 1'33.639 SPA HONDA Repsol Honda Team
7 Alvaro Bautista 1'33.984 SPA HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
8 Valentino Rossi 1'34.009 ITA YAMAHA Yamaha Factory Racing
9 Bradley Smith 1'34.222 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
10 Nicky Hayden 1'34.242 USA DUCATI Ducati Team
11 Aleix Espargaro 1'34.754 ESP ART Power Electronics Aspar
12 Randy De Puniet 1'35.086 FRA ART Power Electronics Aspar
13 Andrea Iannone 1'35.062 ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
14 Michele Pirro 1'35.228 ITA DUCATI Ignite Pramac Racing
15 Hector Barbera 1'35.714 SPA FTR Avintia Blusens
16 Danilo Petrucci 1'35.770 ITA IODA Came IodaRacing Project
17 Colin Edwards 1'36.221 USA FTR NGM Forward Racing
18 Karel Abraham 1'36.271 CZE ART Cardion AB Motoracing
19 Claudio Corti 1'36.330 ITA FTR NGM Forward Racing
20 Michael Laverty 1'36.596 WAL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
21 Bryan Staring 1'36.714 AUS HONDA Go & Fun Honda Gresini
22 Lukas Pesek 1'36.768 CZE IODA Came IodaRacing Project
23 Yonny Hernandez 1'36.961 COL ART Paul Bird Motorsport
24 Hiroshi Aoyama 1'37.523 JPN FTR Avintia Blusens

 

[KUCIAR666]

Abraham?s mixed feelings after 18th position in QP

Czech MotoGP rider Karel Abraham will start from the 6th row to the Grand Prix of the France in Le Mans. Abraham finished 8th in Qualifying session with 1:36,271 and lost 1,556 second to the fastest QP1 rider Randy de Puniet.

Karel Abraham
?I?m not completely unsatisfied, but I hope to get more to the front. I hoped to beat 1:36, but it didn?t succeed. We tried softer tyre on the front to the QP1, but it didn?t work and I had to get back to the garage to change it. We lost few minutes and even If I tried to catch Andrea Iannone in the end of qualifying session, I didn?t make it. It?s not bad result however. The shoulder still hurts, but I hope I can make the race. If it hurts tomorrow, I will consider to get some local anesthetics though I really don?t like to use it.?

Marco Grana, chief-mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing
?18th position isn?t what we hope for, but still not bad considering our Karel?s physical condition after a month of recovery. We made 1:36,2 which is our best time of the weekend. We were able to improve our lap times practice to practice and I?m sure that we are ready for tomorrow. We haven?t any serious problem with the bike and I hope Karel will be able to make whole race without limitation. We must make good start, than we can grab some points.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Front row for Dovizioso at Le Mans with third-quickest time, Hayden tenth

Andrea Dovizioso saved the best for last today in qualifying at Le Mans, setting a time of 1:33.603 on his final lap that vaulted him onto the front row of the starting grid for tomorrow?s French Grand Prix. The Italian consistently posted decent lap times during the day and was particularly fast in the two tight corners of the second sector, but it was at the end of the session that he really shined, posting his best times in all but the final split to secure the third-best time as the chequered flag flew.

Dovizioso?s teammate, Nicky Hayden, wasn?t as fortunate, as he struggled to put together a solid lap in the latter part of the session. The American will start the race from the fourth row.

Andrea Dovizioso - Ducati Team, 3rd (1:33.603)
?I?m pleased with the work we?ve done over the weekend because we?ve been consistently fast and we have the pace to do a good race?maybe not to finish on the podium but we?re much closer to the competition than we have been at other tracks. I was surprised to do a 1:33.6, as I didn?t think I?d be able to do that, but it was a beautiful feeling. Although I know it will be a difficult race, I still hope that it?ll be dry tomorrow; those are the conditions that we?ve practiced in and we?re pretty fast. Still, it shouldn?t be a big problem even if it rains, as it seems that our GP13 works well in the wet.?

Nicky Hayden - Ducati Team, 10th (1:34.242)
?We made a little step this morning and were able to improve my lap time and position, and although I didn?t improve in FP4, I was on used tyres the whole time and did my best lap time at the end. I thought we were on a good way, but in qualifying I didn?t really put a good lap together. I did a decent lap in my first exit, but in the second one I couldn?t get heat in the tyre. One second to the front isn?t bad at other tracks, but our potential here was better. It?s certainly frustrating to end up tenth on a day when things seemed to be going well, but we?ll see what the weather does tomorrow. Hopefully we can recover in the race. Congratulations to Dovi and his guys, as they did a great job.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Lorenzo Secures Front Row in Le Mans for Grand Prix de France

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo will start tomorrow?s Monster Energy Grand Prix de France from the front row of the grid in second position. The reigning World Champion was denied pole by just 0.030 seconds in the afternoon 15minute quick fire qualification heat. Lorenzo led from the start of the session before relinquishing the top spot to rival Marc Marquez with eight minutes remaining. A flurry of activity followed with most riders pitting at the same time for fresh rubber before the hectic final minutes began. Despite twice dropping under the pole time through the second sector in the final laps Lorenzo final time puts him in second for race day.

After a strong first day yesterday Valentino Rossi experienced a less than perfect qualifying session this afternoon, struggling to make his YZR-M1 work to the best of its ability on the cooler Le Mans circuit. With a best qualifying time of 1?34.009 The Italian will start tomorrow?s Grand Prix from the third row of the grid in eighth place, 0.822 seconds from pole.
Jorge Lorenzo 2nd, Time - 1'33.217

?Our pace is very good, much better than Jerez where I did two laps and then in the third or fourth lap it was impossible to keep the same pace. Here in this track with the improvement we made with the bike it?s much more easy to keep a constant pace so I?m much more satisfied. I tried to make a perfect lap, it was ok, but Marc was just slightly faster than me. I don't know what will happen if it rains tomorrow because we haven?t tried it in the wet. Last year it was ok, but every year it?s different so I don't know what to expect. I would prefer a dry race. If it rains though it can be a possibility to recover some points if we don?t make a mistake.?
Valentino Rossi - 8th, Time - 1'34.009

?Unfortunately today was a worse day compared to yesterday. We started quite badly this morning because we had some problems with the rear tyre so we struggled very much in the practice. We had a lot of question marks so we wanted to try the same setting this afternoon. In fact the tyre had a problem because this afternoon it was not so bad. My rhythm and pace for the race is quite good, unfortunately especially Lorenzo, Marquez and Pedrosa are a bit faster. Like the other races, in the qualifying I am unable to do what I want, when I try to push more I create some problems with the bike. The other riders are better than me to use the extra grip from the new tyre, so I have to start from the third row. My rhythm is not so bad so we have to try to fix something so we will see tomorrow.?
Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

?It was an exciting qualification. This afternoon in free practice the rhythm was very good. In qualifying the temperature dropped a bit because rain was supposed to be coming so it was not as easy as we thought it would be and also for the safety aspect. Anyway, the lap time is very good with the 33.2, Marc just beat him with a 33.1 but tomorrow is the race and he?s on the front row with no crashes so let?s see what will happen.?
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

?It's a pity to lose the pole for just 0.030 seconds but anyway I think the pace was very good. Also in the free practice Jorge did a good long run so I think we are ready to fight. For Vale unfortunately we couldn?t improve the set up as he wanted. We are still checking the data and hopefully tomorrow morning the warm up will be dry and we will find the right set up. He is a good fighter, to start from the third row is going to be difficult but not impossible for him.?
The Blink of an Eye Separates Crutchlow from the Front Row in Le Mans

Monster Energy Yamaha Tech3?s Cal Crutchlow stole the show yet again today, delivering a drama filled performance and a heroic qualifying effort to take fourth on the grid for tomorrow?s Monster Energy Grand Prix de France. The 26yr old took a huge tumble in the fourth free practice, bringing out the red flags whilst medical staff attended on track. The British rider?s amazing determination and bravery was once again on show as having paid a flying visit to the circuit medical centre he was immediately back out on track, fighting for another front row start in qualifying practice two.

Crutchlow rode through obvious pain and looked certain to have secured a brilliant third place when former teammate Andrea Dovizioso improved his lap time to just six thousands of a second faster, relegating him to the second row of the grid in fourth for tomorrow?s race.

Teammate and fellow British rider Bradley Smith continued to show his calm concentration and steady improvements as he lapped the Le Mans circuit today on his YZR-M1. Having performed well enough to join the second qualifying session the young British rookie stayed out on track during the 15 minute heat whilst the majority of rider spitted for fresh rubber and enjoyed an empty track. In the hunt for the best possible grid position Smith was able to lay down a best time of 1?34.222 seconds for ninth on the grid, just over a second from pole and just 0.213 seconds from nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi in eighth.
Cal Crutchlow 4th, Time - 1'33.609

?I can't be disappointed to have qualified in fourth position after how the day went. Unfortunately it was another difficult one for us and for sure the crash in free practice four didn?t make things easier. We?ve struggling the whole weekend in a few areas and I still don?t feel completely confident with the setup of the bike, so we have some work to go through tonight. I?m also feeling very sore after the crash and the medical staff diagnosed that I?ve got a small fracture of the right shin but that will not prevent me from giving 100% in tomorrow?s all-important home race for my Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team!?
Bradley Smith 9th, Time - 1'34.222

?I?m definitely happy to qualify on the third row today. We made some great improvements throughout the whole weekend getting consistently faster during each session. Nevertheless I?m embittered about the gap to the fastest because it?s just over a second and my aim was to be a little bit closer, but probably I would need to worry if I?m completely satisfied after finishing ninth. Anyway, I want to say a big thanks to my team because they prepared a fantastic bike for me that gave me more and more confidence with every single lap. I?m really looking forward to putting on a good show in front of the French fans during tomorrow?s 28 lap race.?

2013 MotoGP France
Le Mans 18/05/2013
1 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'33.187
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'33.217
3 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'33.603
4 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'33.609
5 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'33.634
6 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'33.639
7 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 1'33.984
8 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'34.009
9 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'34.222
10 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 1'34.242
11 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'34.754
12 Randy De Puniet ART FRA 1'35.086
13 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'35.062
14 Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 1'35.228
15 Hector Barbera FTR ESP 1'35.714

 

[KUCIAR666]

Lorenzo and Rossi Endure A Race of Attrition in Le Mans

Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi endured a nightmare race today in the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France. Having enjoyed a dry track for both practice and qualifying the riders had to contend with full wet conditions to start today?s race. Lorenzo started from second on the grid and was able to hold behind race leader Andrea Dovizioso initially until passed by Dani Pedrosa with 26 laps to go. As the laps wound down the reigning World Champion gradually dropped position, fighting a wet but slowly drying track with a less than optimum set up. Lorenzo eventually crossed the line in seventh place to claim nine Championship points that keep him in third position in the overall standings.

Rossi made a strong start form eighth on the grid and had moved up to fourth position by the second lap after some swift passes. The Italian was able to find a good race pace and was able to hold on in fourth with the potential to fight for the podium until a strange low side crash with 11 laps remaining of the race. Ross remounted and re-joined, nursing his damaged M1 home in 12th position to take four Championship points and sit in fifth in the overall standings.


Jorge Lorenzo, 7th
?In the beginning of the race the bike was not the same as warm up but not so bad and I could follow Andrea and Dani. I was losing a lot in some areas of the track but recovering in others. Then after three or four laps the bike got worse and I got problems everywhere. In the braking because in the middle of the corner I didn't trust the rear tyre and in acceleration because the rear was spinning so much I lost nearly half a second compared to the others. Races are like this sometimes; last year I won by 20 seconds with a very good bike and this year was completely the opposite. I couldn't do much more without crashing.?


Valentino Rossi, 12th
?Unfortunately we lost a good chance to get a good result today, I think we had the potential to arrive with the first three and arrive on the podium. I had a good pace and I was fast and I could fight with the other guys. In that corner, I didn't arrive too fast and didn't feel any mistake but I felt a bump and lost the front, so it's a pity because we lose points and especially the chance to try to make a good podium here. Anyway, it can happen and the important thing is that today we were fast so we will see next week.?


Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
?A very difficult race. Finally Jorge was missing a lot of feeling on corner entry and little feeling with the tyres so no confidence to lean the bike. If you don't feel safe and the bike slides then it?s difficult to finish races like this. We will concentrate on what the problem is because we can?t give an answer now. The most important thing today was not to crash. To lose a lot of points is of course a drama, so we need to focus now and catch up for the rest of the season.?


Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
?Unfortunately it has been a race under our estimation. We have been very competitive up to the race in every condition, dry and wet; unfortunately we missed the most important part of the weekend. We lost a potential podium with Valentino after a great start to the race with some good overtakes. We are still checking Jorge?s data to really understand what didn?t work. It is almost impossible to judge what it is at this point but we will know more soon. This weekend is now done so we will now focus to prepare for our ?home? race in the best way possible.?


Crutchlow claims heroic career best result in Le Mans
Cal Crutchlow produced the ride of his MotoGP career in Le Mans today to claim a heroic podium in the home race of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. Just 24 hours after a heavy practice crash left him with a fracture in his right leg, the British rider showed amazing skill, concentration and courage to finish second in a 28-lap race run in the toughest conditions imaginable. Crutchlow was the lead Yamaha rider home at the end of a race that started on a perilously slippery and wet surface after heavy rain fell in the build-up. Visibility and calculating grip levels were major early challenges but Crutchlow quickly gained his confidence and he sliced through the field with some outstanding overtakes. The 27-year-old stormed through from seventh to second with measured moves on reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso, an impressive feat considering how tough it was to master constantly changing conditions and grip levels on a rapidly drying track. Crutchlow?s career best MotoGP result and first rostrum of 2013 was secured on lap 24 when he attacked former Tech 3 teammate Dovizioso and today?s outstanding performance moved the former World Supersport Champion into fourth place in the World Championship standings with four of 18 rounds completed.

A career best MotoGP result to date was also being hailed on the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team garage after Bradley Smith raced his YZR-M1 to a determined ninth position. The slippery track surface had an immediate impact on Smith?s race. He suffered a big rear tyre slide while accelerating off the line and it was only the lightning reflexes of the 22-year-old that saved him from a fall. He dropped right to the back of the field but despite only having very limited experience of the YZR-M1 in wet conditions, Smith?s recent attempts to smoothen his riding style proved vital this afternoon. Smith quickly established a fast rhythm and as his confidence grew he was able to deliver a fantastic fight back into the top 10. His rousing recovery to ninth moves him to the brink of the top 10 in the World Championship classification on 17 points.


Cal Crutchlow, 2nd
?I?m really happy to get my best ever result in MotoGP and the whole team did an incredible job and deserves this result. We showed our fast pace in the dry, we showed our pace in the wet and I think everybody is aware we are not here through luck. It?s even better and more important because this is the home race for Tech 3 and Monster Energy sponsors the event. So to be the best and only Yamaha on the podium feels really good. My start was not the best and it took me a bit of time to get temperature into the tyres. But once I managed that I felt really comfortable. When I saw Andrea and Dani opening a small gap to Valentino I had to make a move because I was afraid they would be too far ahead to try and catch later in the race. And when I saw Marquez recovering time on my pit board I had to pass Andrea otherwise he might have caught both of us during the last laps. I?m really happy with how things went, especially after the crash yesterday. The wet track obviously put less stress on my body but it was tough riding injured in such tough conditions. From now on I just hope we can be injury free and go to Mugello to put on the same show as we did here today.?


Bradley Smith 9th
?Today was a really good learning experience. I?d hardly ridden the YZR-M1 in the rain before, so to get 28 laps under my belt in really tricky conditions was obviously an experience that taught me a lot. During the race I was able to ride a lot smoother and I hope I can carry over something from this experience to the dry in the future. I?m a little bit disappointed with the start of the race. I had a problem with the clutch in the warm up but we were sure it was just because this was my first start in the wet but apparently it was not. But after the first 10 laps to the end of the race I had a very good pace and I?m happy with the improvement made during the whole weekend with ninth position in qualifying and also ninth in the race. That?s my best MotoGP result and gives my confidence another lift, so now I?m really looking forward to going to Mugello, which is a track I can?t wait to ride a MotoGP bike on. Congratulations also to Cal. He rode an awesome race and in an important race for Tech 3 and Monster Energy it was great to see both of us having such a positive result.?



2013 MotoGP France
Le Mans 19/05/2013
race I
1 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 49'17.707
2 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'04.863
3 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 0'06.949
4 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 0'10.087
5 Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 0'18.471
6 Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 0'23.561
7 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 0'27.961
8 Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 0'40.775
9 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 0'41.407
10 Stefan Bradl Honda GER 1'00.995
11 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'05.110
12 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'16.368
13 Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 1'24.200
14 Danilo Petrucci Ioda-Suter ITA 1'25.726
15 Karel Abraham ART CZE 1'32.111

MotoGP World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 4 of 17
1. Marc Marquez Honda ESP 61
2. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 58
3. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 57
4. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 43
5. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 35
6. Alvaro Bautista Honda ESP 28
7. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 26
8. Nicky Hayden Ducati USA 24
9. Aleix Espargaro ART ESP 17
10. Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 13
11. Stefan Bradl Honda GER 11
12. Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 10
13. Ben Spies Ducati USA 9
14. Hector Barbera FTR ESP 7
15. Randy De Puniet ART FRA 6
16. Michele Pirro Ducati ITA 5

 

[KUCIAR666]

8th place for Ignite Pramac Racing Team

The French Grand Prix ended with a well-deserved eighth-place finish for substitute racer Michele Pirro. The Italian, who normally serves as the Ducati Test Team rider, gave the Ignite Pramac Racing Team its best result of the season so far. The race took place in challenging meteoric conditions, though that didn?t dissuade the enthusiastic crowd.

Rain had threatened the Le Mans circuit all morning, and it finally started falling about an hour before the MotoGP riders began lining up on the starting grid, prompting Race Direction to declare the race wet. The precipitation then stopped approximately twenty minutes after the start, and drying track surface caused the rain tyres to wear.

Although American Ben Spies missed the race, the team and Pirro was able to continue the setup work with his Desmosedici GP13 over the weekend. The team extends a warm thank-you to the Italian for his collaboration.

Michele Pirro ? Ignite Pramac Racing Team
?I?m pleased with how the first half of the race went, as there wasn?t a big difference from the leaders, althogh we have to understand how to continue improving. I was riding well with the wet track, and after a while I began making up ground pretty well. I was starting to think about passing the group ahead of me, but then the track began drying and I started to lose traction. I tried to figure out how to improve, but in the end, given that the gap was growing, I just tried to manage my advantage over the riders behind me. We had some difficulties this morning, but in the afternoon we definitely went much better. I worked hard these few days to find a feeling with the bike, and I can say that I?m more comfortable with the one that I?m used to. We were able to collect data and taken an eighth-place finish, so I?m pretty satisfied. Thanks very much to the whole team for their hard work over these days, as this result is obviously down to them.?

Francesco Guidotti ? Pramac Racing Team Manager
?Michele really had a nice race, taking a very good eighth place despite the difficult conditions. At about two-thirds race distance, the track began to dry, and then we started to suffer more from tyre wear than the others were. My compliments to Michele for giving us our best result so far. Now we look forward to Ben?s return for our home race.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

15th placed Abraham brings home this year?s first point from a rainy Le Mans

After the fourth race of the season, Karel Abraham was classified for the first time in the MotoGP Championship. On a wet track at Le Mans, the rider for Cardion AB Motoracing was fifteenth across the line and duly took his first point of the year. Compared to his result in qualifying, Karel?s final result saw him climb three places. The French Grand Prix was won by last year?s MotoGP champion Dani Pedrosa, who now tops the current championship standings.

Karel Abraham:
?It?s just one point, but I?m happy to get it. I got a really good start, and I was behind De Puniet and Espargaro on the first lap. I was a bit disappointed when I was finally overtaken by Petrucci, and I know I should have stayed in front. But that would have been very risky ? and in my situation I couldn?t really afford it. The important thing is that we now go to Mugello in a better frame of mind.?

Marco Grana, Chief Mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing:
?Getting a point on the board was really important for us. After a poor start to the season, Karel and the whole team needed a bit of a lift ? and with that point our enthusiasm has returned. In the race, we were only seven seconds off Espargaro, who is extremely quick in CRT terms. This is a really great result ? especially when we take into account that we?ve achieved it at a track that is not one of Karel?s favourites and when conditions were so bad. The bike worked well; only towards the end of the race on a drying track did Karel have any problems - with the front tyre, which was already completely shot. We?re now heading to Mugello feeling more confident. Karel really likes this event, and I think we can improve our results in Italy.?