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MotoGP-Le Mans
- Thread starter KUCIAR666
- Start date
KUCIAR666
Registered User
Tech3 duo ready for home GP at the legendary Le Mans circuit
Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro will fly the flag for the Tech3 Team at it's home race in the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France this weekend and will aim to storm to two top point scoring finishes. Round 5 of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship will occur on the famous 4.2 kilometre Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit which is built around the world-renowned 24-hour track. The tight and twisting circuit features a straight of 674 metres as well as 5 left and 9 right corners and can accommodate up to 100,000 enthusiastic fans for the 28-lap battle on Sunday.
Britain's Bradley Smith will intend to make it five strong results on the bounce as he looks to ride to glory at the team's home track and consolidate his position of 7th in the world championship standings. Having concluded a successful post Jerez GP test last week, the 23-year-old rider will use his knowledge to battle as close to the factory riders as possible. Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro will fully intend to follow up his impressive finish of 5th place at the Jerez Grand Prix with another top result in France aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1. The Spaniard produced a sterling effort last year to qualify in 2nd position in only his 5th Grand Prix aboard a MotoGP bike and will seek to repeat this performance and fight for the leading satellite position.
Bradley Smith Championship : 7th Points : 36
Bradley Smith - 2015"Next up for us is the awesome Le Mans race which is certainly one I look forward to, especially as it's the team's home race, plus Monster Energy sponsors this event. The track itself is quite narrow and features some tight first gear corners plus the stadium section at the end of the lap can be tricky, so we must ensure we get everything set up and ready as soon as possible for the race. The Jerez weekend was a bit of a challenging one, however I still managed to battle through to 8th and we then found the solution to our issue in the test on Monday. Therefore, I am confident of clinching a top result aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 in the 28-lap race on Sunday. Last year was quite a tough one for me at Le Mans, but I am determined to continue my strong form so far this season and as the crowd is always so ecstatic and passionate about our sport, I will do my best to give them something to cheer about!"
Pol Espargaro Championship : 9th Points : 26
Pol Espargaro - 2015"I can't wait to jump on the Yamaha and get out on the track this weekend at Le Mans! I had a good result last time in Jerez where I finished in 5th which was what the team and I needed after the tricky opening rounds that we experienced. Now I fully intend to follow this result up with another strong finish at the Tech3 team's home race. Last year, I scored my first ever MotoGP front row and finished in 4th but only 0.6 away from the podium, so I'm definitely keen to hit the ground running this weekend. Now, it's one year on and I know I can be pushing for this position, if not higher, after collecting more experience in the past twelve months. I am feeling confident for this race and although the weather can sometimes be tricky at this track, I will push hard for the team and the fans, who are always brilliant at Le Mans!"
Herv? Poncharal - Team manager :
"This weekend is the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team's home race at the fantastic Le Mans circuit and it goes without saying that we are excited and ready to put on a good show for our superb fans. The atmosphere is always incredible at the circuit and with the race being sponsored by our title backer Monster Energy, we have extra motivation to do a great job on Sunday. Both riders had a good race in Jerez, with Pol finishing 5th, which was a great result at the first European GP of the year and Bradley cleverly rode through a tough weekend and finished with a solid 8th position. Plus, he was able to improve his feeling during the post race test on Monday. Therefore, we can optimistically look towards round 5 of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship where we expect to have both guys in the top half of the field and also fighting to finish in the leading satellite position. Pol had a superb performance last year where he qualified in 2nd and finished in 4th and Brad has had some strong results so far this season, so we are sure they can do well this weekend. The only thing that we have to hope for is good weather and a huge, cheering crowd to support us!"
KUCIAR666
Registered User
First home race for Loris Baz in MotoGP
The second European leg of the season is just around the corner for the Athin? Forward Racing. The team will be busy at the historic track of Le Mans for the French Grand Prix.
The race in La Sarthe region will be the first home race in the premier class for Loris Baz who will race in front of his fans with the aim of being the fastest Open bike. The Sunday?s race will have a special taste for the Frenchman as he will race with a special livery.
Stefan Bradl will go for an all-in weekend. After the successful day of testing at Jerez he is eager to get on the track of Le Mans. The German is aiming the head of the Open pack and the point-zone.
The Moto2 Italian duo is also very motivated to get back on track. Simone Corsi and Lorenzo Baldassarri have successfully completed a two-day test at Aragon where they worked on the development of the shocks and forks. They are ready for the rumble with the leaders of their class.
Circuit Info
Length: 4.2 km
Left turns: 5
Right corners: 9
Longest straight: 674m
MotoGP race laps: 28
Moto2 race laps: 26
Stefan Bradl - 6
"We did a really good step forward with the setting and electronics in Jerez. We are eager to try these new settings in Le Mans to close the gap with the fastest Open. I cannot wait to get on track again".
Loris Baz - 76
"This will be my first home race in MotoGP. I look forward for Friday, it will be exciting to race in front of my fans and my friends. Moreover we have prepared a special livery along with a new helmet and a special suit for the race on Sunday. In Jerez we worked hard during the test trying to develop several new solutions and we can do well in Le Mans".
Simone Corsi - 3
"We get to Le Mans after two days of work in Aragon. I found a good set-up at the rear and surely this will improve our pace. Last year in this race I was on the podium: the goal is to try to get this result again".
Lorenzo Baldassarri - 7
"I am fully loaded for the race at Le Mans. I got more confidence with the bike in Aragon, concentrating on the front. Riding is now are more comfortable for me and definitely I can push harder. Getting points and the Top10 is our target".
KUCIAR666
Registered User
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP All Set for French GP
After an incredibly successful weekend in Jerez, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are ready for action for the fifth round of the championship in Le Mans.
With Jorge Lorenzo's spectacular victory in Jerez a fortnight ago still fresh in mind, the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team is ready to continue challenging at the top during the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France staged at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit this Sunday.
Having claimed his 200th career podium finish in Jerez, Valentino Rossi is excited to start the fifth round of the championship. He has topped the standing since the opening round in Qatar and is hoping to further extend his 15 points lead by adding another good result to his already extensive list of podium finishes at the French circuit. The Doctor has claimed three premier class victories at Le Mans in 2002, 2005 and 2008, four second places in 2003, 2010, 2012 and 2014 and three third places in 2000, 2001 and 2011.
Teammate Lorenzo has also had numerous successes at the Bugatti Grand Prix track and is eager to repeat his marvelous victory at the previous round this weekend. Having topped the time sheets of the Jerez test a little more than a week ago, he looks forward to being even more competitive aboard his beloved YZR-M1. He is confident he can add another top score to his impressive resume of three premier class wins in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and a second place in 2008. The Spaniard currently holds third place in the championship, just 20 points behind his teammate.
Built in 1965, the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit forms part of the famous 24-Hour track, just 5km south of the city of Le Mans. The venue has hosted Grand Prix since the late sixties, but was taken off the MotoGP calendar from 1996 until 2000 after a serious accident in 1995 involving Spanish rider Alberto Puig. The safety of the tight track has since been improved and can now comfortably accommodate 100,000 spectators.
Dominated by first gear corners, the circuit places the emphasis on late braking, hard acceleration and rear end traction and has been the scene of a lot of racing drama in the past.
Valentino Rossi
Championship: 1st
"I'm happy to go to Le Mans, it is a nice track, but every year it's different. Usually it's a good race for us, Yamaha and me, but last year our competitors were very strong. I imagine that Marc will also be strong this year, but I like this circuit, I like to ride here and our bike seems to go very well, especially on Sunday afternoon! This is a good thing, because we have to fight for the Championship. In Jerez we didn't have a perfect weekend. Third place was positive, but we can do better. Jorge did a great race, so the YZR-M1 is doing really well. At Le Mans we have to work well and fix the bike better. I'm confident. See you in Le Mans!"
Jorge Lorenzo
Championship: 3rd
"I feel happy after my win in Jerez. Now I look forward to racing at Le Mans, a different track compared to Jerez. Usually we are affected by the weather, but it's a circuit I like and where Yamaha got some good results in the past, so I'm very confident of doing a good job there. The bike is good right now and after my first podium and win I feel good. I?m not thinking about the championship, I just take it day by day, corner by corner and try to ride the best I can and enjoy every session. If we can find a good set up I think we will be fighting for the podium again. Hopefully the weather is good but in France you never know what is going to happen! Anyway I'll do my best whatever the weather will be!"
Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"Le Mans has always been a good track for Yamaha and we are really looking forward to going there. After this great start of the season we have good motivation and are optimistic for this weekend. We found some good solutions at the test in Jerez, so we continue to book progress. Both riders are in good form and we are excited to start, I'm confident we will be protagonists"
KUCIAR666
Registered User
Friday's free practices at Le Mans: Yonny smiles for his Top 10, Petrux ends 16th
At the end of the first day of free practice at Le Mans circuit, where on Sunday will take place the Grand Prix de France, fifth step of the 2015 MotoGP season, Yonny Hernandez can smile for the Top 10 won while Danilo Petrucci had to to settle for 16th place.
The Colombian was very consistent ending up the FP1 with the eighth fastest laptime, half a second behind Andrea Dovizioso, the fastest after the morning activity. Yonny managed to lap fast even in the afternoon setting the tenth fastest time (1'33.953) despite running with the race tire. Tomorrow morning the target for the rider of Medellin is to exploit the soft tyre" in the time attack of the FP3 to gain direct qualification to Q2.
Danilo worked hard on the set up trying new solutions in terms of geometry but he failed to find the right feeling with his Ducati Desmosedici GP14 ending the morning with the sixteenth laptime. In the afternoon the rider from Terni managed to lower by more than a second his crono but his quickest time of 1'34.568 was not enough to win positions in the timesheet.
Friday's free practices at Le Mans: Yonny smiles for his Top 10, Petrux ends 16th
10? - Yonny Hernandez - Pramac Racing #68 - 1'33.953
I am happy because we got the tenth place which is the main goal of every day. We still have to improve something, especially in corner exit where I do not feel too comfortable. But I think we can make a step forward tomorrow to try to get directly into Q2. I have a good feeling here at Le Mans but I know that tomorrow will be a big battle to stay into the Top 10 and you will need to do even better than today.
16? - Danilo Petrucci - Pramac Racing #9 - 1'34.568
We struggled a lot. Perhaps this is the worst friday since the start of the season. We wanted to try a different set up. But I have not found so much confidence on the rear, especially in corner entry. And it is not a good feeling. We have tried the same setting in Jerez and the results were positive. But here in Le Mans, probably due to the different characteristics of the circuit and the lower temperature, we did not get what we wanted. We'll look at the data and probably tomorrow morning we will go out on the track with a lower bike, as I prefer. We are not far away but the laptime is not good. Anyway we have clear ideas: we know what to do tomorrow and it gives me confidence for the qualifying.
KUCIAR666
Registered User
Flying start sees Smith top of the field at Tech3s Home GP
Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Bradley Smith delivered a sensational FP2 performance to top the standings at the close of the first day of action at the French Grand Prix. The young Briton kicked off proceedings under bright and sunny weather conditions at the Tech3 team?s home race by finishing the opening session in 10th place with a lap time of 1?34.729. He then burst into action in the overcast afternoon practice before blazing to a superb time of 1?33.179 aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1 on his 18th lap out of 19. This time put him at the head of the field and 0.190 of a second ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. Despite the 23 year old unfortunately falling at turn 13 in the dying moments of the session, his performance today leaves him fully motivated for the race on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro completed the opening day of practice in 8th position after producing a solid display at the legendary 4.2 kilometre Le Mans circuit. The young Spaniard started the day with a finish of 5th in the FP1 session, having ran in 1st position until the closing stages of the practice. His final time was a 1?34.331 that left him only 0.051 behind second place as he intended to continue his efforts in the afternoon. Here, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion rode relentlessly and produced a top time of 1?33.903 on his final lap. Yet, he was unlucky to fall towards the end of the practice whilst trying to improve his time further, although he did not suffer any injuries. However, his positive start to the weekend sees him charged with confidence for the qualifying tomorrow where he will aim to repeat his result of 2nd place on the grid at last year?s event in Le Mans.
Bradley Smith
Position : 1st Time : 1'33.179 Laps : 38
Bradley Smith - 2015"Today was a great start to the weekend and I?m delighted to finish in first on the opening day in Le Mans at the Tech3 team?s home Grand Prix, which is also sponsored by Monster Energy. The team and I did a top job in the Jerez test where we made considerable steps forward with the front forks and the electronic settings. Moreover, we made consistent progress from the word go today and I must say that I feel much more comfortable here when compared to last year which was a tough weekend for me. I unfortunately fell in the final moments of the session but I don?t consider it to be my fault. Aleix went down in front of me so I got distracted and ran wide and then went onto the dirt and rode over a rock which caused the crash. This is annoying, but nevertheless it?s certainly super to finish the opening day at the top of the field and I?m fired up for the rest of the weekend."
Pol Espargaro
Position : 8th Time : 1'33.903 Laps : 38
Pol Espargaro - 2015"Overall today was quite a good start to the weekend. This morning my feelings on the bike were positive straight away and our pace was really promising. When the second session started, I went out on a new rear tyre but I had a few difficulties to face as the behaviour of the bike had changed from this morning. Yet, when we swapped the tyre at the end of the session, the issues that we had, just disappeared. We do not know why this sometimes happens, but it's not the first time this season that some new rear tyres have not had the same level of performance as the others. Beside that, I unfortunately made a mistake and crashed at the end of the back straight in the closing stages of the session without being able to set a fast lap. Therefore the gap to Bradley, who was 1st in the practice, does not worry me and I'm confident that I will be up there with him tomorrow afternoon."
KUCIAR666
Registered User
POSITIVE 1ST DAY FOR TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR AT LE MANS
A relatively cold Le Mans welcomed the Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders for the first day of the French GP weekend and the first two sessions of practice today saw Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vi?ales work intensively to get the best feeling with the track ahead of Sunday?s race.
Both riders are starting from very different attitudes as they approach the weekend?s racing around this tight and technical circuit: Espargaro isn?t a big fan of the circuit while Vi?ales is looking forward to the race.
The morning session went pretty smooth for both riders, constantly improving their lap-times while testing the improvements introduced following the test in Jerez. The electronics and general set-up modifications delivered effective and good-performing machines in terms of handling and braking, thus giving positive feelings to Espargaro and Vi?ales.
The conditions of the track, due to the cold weather, eventually resulted in one crash for each rider in FP2, fortunately without major damage. This prevented them making a proper attack on the timesheets with a fast, single lap. This eventually resulted in Espargaro in ninth place with time of 1?33.944 and Vi?ales 12th with a 1?34.110s lap.
Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:
?The day got a little complicated because of the two crashes, because then we couldn?t finish the job we were supposed to do. However we got a positive result after a hard day, given the cold conditions of the Tarmac. Aleix couldn?t exploit the soft tyre for the fast-lap attack but he has a good pace and we are probably close to a good base for the set-up for the race. Maverick was trying something different as well therefore the crash interrupted him. The positive thing is that we have collected important information during the day and now we will fix the bikes and also try to introduce some improvements for tomorrow. Our objective is of course entering Q2 with both riders.?
Aleix Espargaro:
?I?m happy for the first day since this isn?t a track I like so much; last year I struggled as well so I?m happy for the feeling I had today with the bike. I feel confident with my GSX-RR, it has a very good handling and you can push the bike under hard braking, which is good for this track. Unfortunately I couldn?t exploit the soft tyre for getting a better position: This morning it was too cold and we decided to go for it in the afternoon. Meanwhile in second session I had a crash just on the second lap with the soft tyre. On this track it?s hard to warm-up the tyres so the grip was not optimal and finally I had a crash. However, with the hard tyre, I have a good pace so tomorrow I?ll try a better attack in the qualifying.?
Maverick Vi?ales:
?It was a positive first day, the only mistake was the crash. In these conditions you try to push harder and harder and sometimes it happens that you lose the front. Unfortunately this probably stopped us a little bit on the last few minutes for going for the quick lap for the 10th position. I feel very confident in sectors one and two, while I need to find better lines in the second half of the track; also the feeling on the brakes is something we can improve. Despite this I think we can be pretty happy, we have a good bike here ? also with the medium tyre ? so I feel good. Tomorrow we have to finalise the set-up and to work better with the front tyre.?
GP of France ? Combined classification after FP2:
1. Bradley SMITH, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1'33.179
2. Jorge LORENZO, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'33.369 +0.190
3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Ducati Team - 1'33.553 +0.374
4. Cal CRUTCHLOW, CWM LCR Honda - 1'33.652 +0.473
5. Marc MARQUEZ, Repsol Honda Team - 1'33.670 +0.491
6. Valentino ROSSI, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'33.686 +0.507
7. Dani PEDROSA, Repsol Honda Team - 1'33.725 +0.546
8. Pol ESPARGARO, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1'33.903 +0.724
9. Aleix ESPARGARO, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'33.944 +0.765
10. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Pramac Racing - 1'33.953 +0.774
11. Andrea IANNONE, Ducati Team - 1'34.092 +0.913
12. Maverick VI?ALES, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'34.110 +0.931
KUCIAR666
Registered User
Positive first day for Marquez and Pedrosa in Le Mans
Repsol Honda?s Marc Marquez and teammate Dani Pedrosa (returning to the team after a three race absence) have had a productive first day at the French GP, with twelve riders within a second of each other.
After heavy rain fall yesterday, the weather stayed dry for the first day of practice, enabling Dani to find his feet again after his time off after surgery to his right arm. In this morning?s FP1 session, Marc lost time after an electrical issue on one of his bikes early in the session, which was fixed soon after. However, the reigning World Champion didn?t let this disrupt his day and continued work as usual. Marc ? using a new swing arm tested in Jerez ? finished the day in 5th place with his time of 1?33.670 on lap 16 of 21.
Dani, having not ridden his Honda RC213V for six weeks, took it easy this morning to find his feeling again. He improved considerably by the afternoon and finished this first day in 7th with a time of 1?33.725 (lap 18/18) and just half a second from the top spot.
Marc Marquez
5TH 1'33.670 [LAP 16/21]
"Today went quite well. I'm happy because we have done a good job in preparation for the race, and we have also done some interesting tests that will allow us to keep working in a good way this weekend. The final position for the day might only be fifth, but the feeling is good and that is important. Tomorrow we will try to improve and continue on the same track with our work, which is the right way for us to go."
Dani Pedrosa
7TH 1'33.725 [LAP 18/18]
"The first day after a long time without riding has been a little difficult, as was finding a good feel for the track and getting used to the speed and the tyres. In addition, this track is not easy to tackle when it?s a little cold. However, gradually we have made progress and by the afternoon things were going better, even if I still lacked a bit of pace. Tonight I will try to relax as much as I can, in order to regain energy for tomorrow."
Results Session
Pos. - Rider - Num - Nation - Team - Time/Gap
1 - SMITH Bradley - 38 - GBR - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1?33.179
2 - LORENZO Jorge - 99 - SPA - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1?33.369
3 - DOVIZIOSO Andrea - 4 - ITA - Ducati Team - 1?33.553
4 - CRUTCHLOW Cal - 35 - GBR - CWM LCR Honda - 1?33.652
5 - MARQUEZ Marc - 93 - SPA - Repsol Honda Team - 1?33.670
6 - ROSSI Valentino - 46 - ITA - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1?33.686
7 - PEDROSA Dani - 26 - SPA - Repsol Honda Team - 1?33.725
8 - ESPARGARO Pol - 44 - SPA - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1?33.903
9 - ESPARGARO Aleix - 41 - SPA - Team Suzuki Ecstar - 1?33.944
10 - HERNANDEZ Yonny - 68 - COL - Pramac Racing - 1?33.953
11 - IANNONE Andrea - 29 - ITA - Ducati Team - 1?34.092
12 - VINALES Maverick - 25 - SPA - Team Suzuki Ecstar - 1?34.110
13 - MILLER Jack - 43 - AUS - CWM LCR Honda - 1?34.253
14 - REDDING Scott - 45 - GBR - Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS - 1?34.371
15 - BRADL Stefan - 6 - GER - Athina Forward Racing - 1?34.543
16 - PETRUCCI Danilo - 9 - ITA - Pramac Racing - 1?34.568
17 - HAYDEN Nicky - 69 - USA - Aspar MotoGP Team - 1?34.663
18 - BARBERA Hector - 8 - SPA - Avintia Racing - 1?34.745
19 - BAZ Loris - 76 - FRA - Athina Forward Racing - 1?35.002
20 - DI MEGLIO Mike - 63 - FRA - Avintia Racing - 1?35.067
21 - ABRAHAM Karel - 17 - CZE - AB Motoracing - 1?35.090
22 - BAUTISTA Alvaro - 19 - SPA - Aprilia Racing Team Gresini - 1?35.137
23 - LAVERTY Eugene - 50 - IRE - Aspar MotoGP Team - 1?35.182
24 - DE ANGELIS Alex - 15 - RSM - Athina Forward Racing - 1?35.802
25 - MELANDRI Marco - 33 - ITA - Aprilia Racing Team Gresini - 1?36.056
KUCIAR666
Registered User
Lorenzo Holds Second in First Day of French Free Practice
Keeping the momentum going at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP?s Jorge Lorenzo rode his YZR-M1 to second place in the combined session times. Teammate Rossi worked hard on his setting and finished the day in sixth place.
After wrapping up the weekend in Jerez with a successful day of testing two weeks ago, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP?s Jorge Lorenzo was again on the pace today, leading most of the second free practice session to ultimately finish in second place. Teammate Valentino Rossi had a less fortunate first day, but persisted to work hard on his setting for Sunday?s Monster Energy Grand Prix de France and ended the day in sixth position.
Lorenzo gradually improved his lap times in the cooler morning session as he focused on his set-up, clocking the third fastest time, a 1'34.301, on his final lap. The setting he found for his YZR-M1 proved to be a good basis to build on in the afternoon session. The Spaniard only took a couple of minutes to top the timesheets with a hot lap of 1?33.369 and led most of the session, only to get pushed to second place in the final stages.
Rossi also made strides today. He booked progress throughout FP1 and finished in seventh place with a 1'34.570 lap. Despite the wind having picked up in the afternoon, keeping the temperatures cool, the nine-time World Champion was still able to further improve his pace in FP2. Having found his rhythm at the end of the session, he was riding laps under the 1?34 mark and climbed to sixth place in the order.
Today?s results see Lorenzo take second place in the combined times, 0.190s off the fastest time, and Rossi in sixth, 0.507s from the front.
Jorge Lorenzo
2nd / 1'33.369 / 39 laps
"The first day was good because we finished third in the morning and second in the afternoon, these are good positions. I think we don?t have the best set-up yet for this track, but we?ve still been competitive. I believe we have some margin for tomorrow, especially to improve the pace. We are still trying different settings to see which one is better. It will be very important to put the bike together correctly and not drop the pace too much during the race."
Valentino Rossi
6th / 1'33.686 / 43 laps
"We worked with the tyres and got some good information. The morning session was more difficult but in the afternoon we improved. At the end, I rode a good lap time and also my pace is quite good. We have to work on section one and three, I?m not fast enough, but the feeling with the bike is not so bad and it looks like we can improve, if we work in a good way. I tried both tyres and I also liked the harder one. I think it can be a good option for the race, but it will depend on the temperature and conditions."
Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"It was a good start for Jorge today, he has been fast and consistent since the first session. Vale found a good feeling with his bike at the end of the second session and was able to improve his lap time and his rhythm. We still have a lot of work to do, and we?re confident we can make another step for qualifying. We have to spend some more time on deciding on a race tyre, but we?re heading in the right direction for Sunday?s race."
Flying start sees Smith top of the field at Tech3s Home GP
Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Bradley Smith delivered a sensational FP2 performance to top the standings at the close of the first day of action at the French Grand Prix. The young Briton kicked off proceedings under bright and sunny weather conditions at the Tech3 team?s home race by finishing the opening session in 10th place with a lap time of 1?34.729. He then burst into action in the overcast afternoon practice before blazing to a superb time of 1?33.179 aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1 on his 18th lap out of 19. This time put him at the head of the field and 0.190 of a second ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. Despite the 23 year old unfortunately falling at turn 13 in the dying moments of the session, his performance today leaves him fully motivated for the race on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro completed the opening day of practice in 8th position after producing a solid display at the legendary 4.2 kilometre Le Mans circuit. The young Spaniard started the day with a finish of 5th in the FP1 session, having ran in 1st position until the closing stages of the practice. His final time was a 1?34.331 that left him only 0.051 behind second place as he intended to continue his efforts in the afternoon. Here, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion rode relentlessly and produced a top time of 1?33.903 on his final lap. Yet, he was unlucky to fall towards the end of the practice whilst trying to improve his time further, although he did not suffer any injuries. However, his positive start to the weekend sees him charged with confidence for the qualifying tomorrow where he will aim to repeat his result of 2nd place on the grid at last year?s event in Le Mans.
Bradley Smith
1st / 1?33.179 / 40 laps
"Today was a great start to the weekend and I?m delighted to finish in first on the opening day in Le Mans at the Tech3 team?s home Grand Prix, which is also sponsored by Monster Energy. The team and I did a top job in the Jerez test where we made considerable steps forward with the front forks and the electronic settings. Moreover, we made consistent progress from the word go today and I must say that I feel much more comfortable here when compared to last year which was a tough weekend for me. I unfortunately fell in the final moments of the session but I don?t consider it to be my fault. Aleix went down in front of me so I got distracted and ran wide and then went onto the dirt and rode over a rock which caused the crash. This is annoying, but nevertheless it?s certainly super to finish the opening day at the top of the field and I?m fired up for the rest of the weekend."
Pol Espargaro
8th / 1?33.903 / 38 laps
"Overall today was quite a good start to the weekend. This morning my feelings on the bike were positive straight away and our pace was really promising. When the second session started, I went out on a new rear tyre but I had a few difficulties to face as the behaviour of the bike had changed from this morning. Yet, when we swapped the tyre at the end of the session, the issues that we had, just disappeared. We do not know why this sometimes happens, but it's not the first time this season that some new rear tyres have not had the same level of performance as the others. Beside that, I unfortunately made a mistake and crashed at the end of the back straight in the closing stages of the session without being able to set a fast lap. Therefore the gap to Bradley, who was 1st in the practice, does not worry me and I'm confident that I will be up there with him tomorrow afternoon."
Loris Baz debutting at home track
It has been a day of work for the Athin? Forward Racing team on the track of Le Mans this weekend hosting the Grand Prix of France. After the test in Jerez last week, Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz returned to the track aiming to catch up with the Open class leaders. The first day of practice ended with the riders in 15th and 19th place respectively.
It was a good start for the German rider, who finished as the second open behind Miller, despite some minor problems with the electronics. He posted a personal best of 1'34.543 right on the limit of the point-zone and just three-tenths off the Australian's time.
This race has a special feel for Loris Baz, who is racing his first home race in the premier class of motorcycle racing at Le Mans. The Frenchman lapped with both his bikes to fine tune the set-ups with the aim of improving the pace for the race. Baz went close to going under the 1.35 mark and finished in 19th place in the combined standings with a time of 1'35.002.
Stefan Bradl
15th / 1'34.543 / 34 laps
"It was a day of work. We closed as the second open and I'm happy. I had some problems with the electronics: the bike was very aggressive and I struggled but I think we can improve tomorrow for qualifying. The pace is good we just have to soften the bike a bit to be very competitive."
Loris Baz
19th / 1'35.002 / 39 laps
"It was a pretty positive day. I?ve returned to Le Mans after so many years and it was a special emotion. This morning we started right away with both bikes to fine-tune the set-up after the test in Jerez. The feeling was good but I have to improve our race pace. Tomorrow I am convinced we can make a good step forward for qualifying."
2015 MotoGP France
Le Mans 15/05/2015
1 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'33.179
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'33.369
3 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'33.553
4 Cal Crutchlow Honda GBR 1'33.652
5 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'33.670
6 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'33.686
7 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'33.725
8 Pol Espargaro Yamaha ESP 1'33.903
9 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki ESP 1'33.944
10 Yonny Hernandez Ducati COL 1'33.953
11 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'34.092
12 Maverick Vi?ales Suzuki ESP 1'34.110
13 Jack Miller Honda AUS 1'34.253
14 Scott Redding Honda GBR 1'34.371
15 Stefan Bradl Yamaha DE 1'34.543
19 Loris Baz Yamaha FRA 1'35.002
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TOUGH BUT POSITIVE DAY FOR TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR
The second day in Le Mans was a hard one for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR and its riders as they prepare for tomorrow?s French Grand Prix.
In the morning?s session Aleix Espargaro suffered a heavy crash while he was testing his extra-soft tyre, resulting in a high-side that required an immediate medical check. Luckily he hadn?t suffered any major injuries, but the crash did give him a lot of pain in his lower back and his right hand. His will to race still saw him take to the track for FP4 and qualifying, finally entering Q2 and gaining 10th place on the grid for tomorrow thanks to his 1?33.665s lap.
Maverick Vi?ales did a good job during the whole day, getting closer and closer to the top-10. After FP3 he missed direct access to Q2 by only 0.027s. In Q1 he pushed hard to enter the fight for the top 12 positions, but he finally finished Q1 in third place which gave him 13th place on tomorrow?s grid, with the time of 1?34.245.
Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:
?The day has been hard for several reasons, in part for the cold and difficult weather conditions, but mainly because Aleix had a bad crash in the morning. I would say that in the afternoon he has been really incredible to do the job he?s done, because he suffered a lot of pain and it was very hard to get back riding again just a few hours after such a big impact. Not only did he get back in the saddle but he has also done such an amazing job for us by entering the top-10 for tomorrow?s race. I want to thank him and we must recognise he did a very courageous thing. Aleix?s crash is a pity also because he was feeling good, he had a good pace and I hope that tomorrow he will be able to find this feeling again, while dealing with the pain as best he can. Maverick has been very close to Q2: we are always very close, this is a pity from one side because we still miss something I think, but it is also positive from another side because I strongly believe we will soon make a little step forward that will let us be in the better positions. Tomorrow he will start from 13th place therefore the important thing will be to finalise a good set-up for the race that can make him comfortable enough to recover some positions.?
Aleix Espargaro:
?I think we?ve been very lucky today. The crash was very hard and I was lucky I didn?t have any major injuries. I still feel painful and I probably have some issues with a ligament in my hand, but I?m eager to race because ? strange to say ? I feel very good with the bike. Although this is not one of my best tracks I must say that our set-up is very effective, probably one of the best we?ve ever had so far. Of course the crash prevented me to fight for a better position, but in my opinion we can make a good race. In the middle of Q2 I decided to stop because we had to preserve the hard tyres, which are the ones with which I felt better and we will use in the race and also to let the hand recover faster: to gain one or two places in qualifying wasn?t as important as to concentrate on the race ahead of us tomorrow.?
Maverick Vi?ales:
?The weather was strange, with difficult conditions, and for us I?m not totally satisfied. I know we can do much, much better, but we are still a young team ? I?m a rookie ? and we still have room for improvement in better understanding how to exploit the practice: maybe by making the fast lap attack earlier. But for tomorrow I feel confident because I have a good pace. I like the track and I know I can perform better, especially in fighting for positions during the race.?
Qualifying classification of the Grand Rix de France:
1. Marc MARQUEZ, Repsol Honda Team - 1'32.246
2. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Ducati Team - 1'32.749 +0.503
3. Jorge LORENZO, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'32.846 +0.600
4. Cal CRUTCHLOW, CWM LCR Honda - 1'32.897 +0.651
5. Andrea IANNONE, Ducati Team - 1'33.001 +0.755
6. Bradley SMITH, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1'33.299 +1.053
7. Valentino ROSSI, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'33.352 +1.106
8. Dani PEDROSA, Repsol Honda Team - 1'33.419 +1.173
9. Danilo PETRUCCI, Pramac Racing - 1'33.556 +1.310
10. Aleix ESPARGARO, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'33.665 +1.419
11. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Pramac Racing - 1'33.714 +1.468
12. Pol ESPARGARO, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1'33.724 +1.478
13. Maverick VI?ALES, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'34.245 +0.322
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Petrux is the king of Q1 and will start from the 3rd row. Yonny very close to the Top 10
Pramac Racing ends with satisfaction the Saturday activity in Le Mans.
Yonny Hernandez ended up 11th after having obtained the direct qualification in Q2 once again. Danilo Petrucci confirmed to be undefeatable in Q1 and later lapped strongly in Q2 managing to set the ninth time which means the third row in the Gran Prix de France which will take place tomorrow on the Le Mans circuit.
Petrux's day started off with the 13th time recorder in the FP3 (1'34.057) that obliged the rider from Terni (Italy) to go throug Q1. During FP4, influenced by the rain that stopped only a few minutes before the beginning, positive signals regarding the race pace had come and they also increased the rider's self confidence since he was able to win easily the Q1 for the third time this season. In the last run of the Q2 the fastest lap of 1'33.556 will allow him to start from the third row tomorrow.
Yonny Hernandez started off the day very well by going straight to Q2 obtained at the end of FP3 where the rider from Medellin did a great job and ended up in the 8th spot (the time set - 1'33.646 - would have placed him in the Top10 of the starting grid ). In Q2, however, Yonny was not able to maintain that kind of performance and his quickest time of 1'33.714 (50 hundredths of a second away from the 10th position) will make him start from the 11th spot.
Petrux is the king of Q1 and will start from the 3rd row. Yonny very close to the Top 10
9? - Danilo Petrucci - Pramac Racing #9 - 1'33.556
The Q1 is a rock very difficult to overcome because there are so many riders who struggle trying to stay in the slipstream. I always lapped alone and this helped me a lot. I am very happy for the Q2 with a third row that gives me great satisfaction. The whole day went very well, including the FP4. I kept a good pace and so I really hope to finish in the top 10 tomorrow. Meanwhile I thank the team who did a great job. My Crew Chief Daniele Romagnoli has worked a year with the Desmosedici GP14 and managed to find the right solutions. It was not easy after yesterday's free practices (16th place) to get back in the top 10. But the result that counts is tomorrow.
11? - Yonny Hernandez - Pramac Racing #68 - 1'33.714
In FP3 I had a good feeling and I won direct qualification with a good time. But in Q2, partly due to the rain that fell late in the morning, I could not find the ideal conditions to stay in the Top 10. I'm disappointed about the laptime, very close to the tenth position, but I think that tomorrow I can do a good race . In these two days I managed to keep a good pace and I hope to do the same in the race to fight again for the Top 10.
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Marquez conquers 25th premier class pole
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) will start tomorrow?s French Grand Prix from pole position ? for the third time this season, and for the 25th time in his short and triumphant MotoGP career.
Already a double MotoGP World Champion, the 22-year-old maestro?s latest pole means he is poised to regain the initiative following a sometimes tricky start to his new title defence, with one win from the first four races.
Marquez won at Le Mans last year, and team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) was victorious the previous year. Pedrosa is back at this race after missing the last three rounds following surgery and has qualified eighth, on the third row of the grid.
Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda RC213V) is one of two satellite-team riders also campaigning the powerful Factory Option 1000cc V4 RC213V machines, and in only his fifth race on the bike he again challenged strongly for a front-row start. He ended up fourth, missing out by just five hundredths of a second. The British former World 600 Supersport Champion has made an impressive Honda debut, with a podium third in Argentina, and a strong fourth in Spain two weeks ago.
The second British satellite rider is Scott Redding (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V), and the former Moto2 runner-up has had a more difficult start to his first Factory season, after finishing top Open Honda rider last year. Today Redding made a spirited effort to make it through to the top-dozen Q2 final qualifying, but ended up 15th after a crash late in the Q1 session.
Four more Honda riders campaign on the Open category, where riders must use control electronics in exchange for extra fuel and softer tyres. The vastly experienced 2006 Honda World Champion Nicky Hayden (Aspar Team Honda RC213V-RS), in his 203rd grand prix, was the best of them, also making a strong bid to get into Q2, finishing up 14th, his best of the season so far.
Jack Miller (CWM LCR Honda RC213V-RS) was 18th as he continues to impress in his debut MotoGP season. The 20-year-old Australian, Moto3 runner up last year, has bypassed Moto2 to move straight into the premier class.
Czech law graduate Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing Honda RC213V-RS) and ex-World Superbike star Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team Honda RC213V-RS) were 20th and 21st, the latter spoiling his chances with a late-session tumble.
Honda MotoGP rider quotes
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team: 1st, 1m 32.246s
?Every time that we have gone out on track this weekend we have made big changes, in order to decide which direction to take things with the setup. In qualifying we used the best setup that we had found. We were lucky that the track was in good condition which allowed me to ride normally. I am happy with pole position and tomorrow a tough race awaits us, because Jorge especially has a very good pace. We will try to be as close to him as we can!?
Cal Crutchlow, CWM LCR: 4th, 1m 32.897s
?I seem to keep missing the front row by nothing. In the past I have had quite a good record for front-row starts but this year it isn?t happening so I have told the team that next time I?ll bypass second and third place and go straight to pole! Joking aside we have worked hard today. This morning we tried something to improve rear grip and while it was better in some aspects it was worse in others. Really we needed FP4 to try some things but it rained so that was disappointing. We need to evaluate some things tonight and hopefully in the warm-up tomorrow morning before we make a final decision on the setting for the race.?
Nicky Hayden, Aspar Team: 14th, 1m 34.267s
?For sure the best qualifying of the year. Also the bike felt quite good so I?m excited for the race. Obviously we need to turn this into a result. Starting near the front is always nice and we?ll see what happens. I?m thankful to the team. They?ve always worked extremely hard and it hasn?t always been an easy situation. It?s about time I did a good result in some form. The start is one of the most difficult because in turns two and three there?s not enough room for 25 bikes to go through smooth. We need to try and get through there clean. We need to get focused and have some fun tomorrow.?
Scott Redding, Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS: 15th, 1m 34.551s
?We just don?t seem to be going forward. We?re not going round in circles but we?re not making any steps forward either. It seems that we can do one lap time and then we stay at that lap time. I?m disappointed but at the moment there isn?t anything that we can do. I need to try and work the bike out in my head, to try and find something myself that we can do, but at the moment we have to go into the race and just try and improve every lap. Qualifying today started okay, but then I had a highside at turn two when the rear just went came round on me. Maybe it was a bit of a cold tyre but at the moment I?m not sure.?
Jack Miller, CWM LCR: 18th, 1m 34.858s
?Qualifying wasn't a total disaster, we had some tricky conditions that didn't make life easy but I felt really good in the wet weather so we have a good base if it rains tomorrow. For the qualifying lap we should have gone for a harder option on the front ? I just don't feel as comfortable with the softer option. I'm still not happy with this qualifying position but it is our best so far, which means we are making steps forward. Our pace is pretty good for the race so we'll see tomorrow what happens!?
Karel Abraham, Cardion AB Motoracing: 20th, 1m 34.940s
?Today was a tough day. The track was completely wet at one moment. Then it started drying, and it?s very difficult to do something with those conditions. I was quite happy with my lap time: I thought it would suffice for better position, but it didn?t. We?ll see what the weather will be like tomorrow, it shouldn?t rain. Tomorrow we must make good decision about the tyres for the race. I used an extra soft front tyre in qualifying, but I guess it isn?t a good choice. After few fast laps the bike started to slide a lot.?
Eugene Laverty, Aspar Team: 21st, 1m 34.947s
?I crashed this morning as well as this afternoon. It happened when we put a new rear tyre, with too much grip for a used front. We need to learn the next time to put a new front tyre in. It was unfortunate because the bike was a lot better today than yesterday so we didn?t get to show our potential. We made a big change to the bike that really did work here. We?ll have to wait until tomorrow.?
Qualifying position
1 Marc Marquez 1'32.246 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
2 Andrea Dovizioso 1'32.749 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
3 Jorge Lorenzo 1'32.846 ESP YAMAHA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
4 Cal Crutchlow 1'32.897 GBR HONDA CWM LCR Honda
5 Andrea Iannone 1'33.001 ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
6 Bradley Smith 1'33.299 GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
7 Valentino Rossi 1'33.352 ITA YAMAHA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
8 Dani Pedrosa 1'33.419 ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
9 Danilo Petrucci 1'33.556 ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing
10 Aleix Espargaro 1'33.665 ESP SUZUKI Team Suzuki MotoGP
11 Yonny Hernandez 1'33.714 COL DUCATI Pramac Racing
12 Pol Espargaro 1'33.724 ESP YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
13 Maverick Vinales 1'34.245 ESP SUZUKI Team Suzuki MotoGP
14 Nicky Hayden 1'34.267 USA HONDA Drive M7 Aspar
15 Scott Redding 1'34.551 GBR HONDA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS
16 Stefan Bradl 1'34.575 GER FORWARD YAMAHA Forward Racing
17 Mike De Meglio 1'34.833 FRA AVINTIA Avintia Racing
18 Jack Miller 1'34.858 AUS HONDA CWM LCR Honda
19 Hector Barbera 1'34.870 ESP AVINTIA Avintia Racing
20 Karel Abraham 1'34.940 CZE HONDA AB Motoracing
21 Eugene Laverty 1'34.947 HONDA Drive M7 Aspar
22 Loris Baz 1'35.456 FORWARD YAMAHA Forward Racing
23 Alvaro Bautista 1'35.458 ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
24 Alex de Angelis 1'35.680 ART Octo IodaRacing Team
25 Marco Melandri 1'37.522 APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Championship standings
1 Valentino Rossi 82 pts ITA YAMAHA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
2 Andrea Dovizioso 67 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
3 Jorge Lorenzo 62 pts ESP YAMAHA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
4 Marc Marquez 56 pts ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
5 Andrea Iannone 50 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Team
6 Cal Crutchlow 47 pts GBR HONDA CWM LCR Honda
7 Bradley Smith 36 pts GBR YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
8 Aleix Espargaro 31 pts ESP SUZUKI Team Suzuki MotoGP
9 Pol Espargaro 26 pts ESP YAMAHA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
10 Maverick Vinales 20 pts ESP SUZUKI Team Suzuki MotoGP
11 Danilo Petrucci 19 pts ITA DUCATI Pramac Racing
12 Scott Redding 13 pts GBR HONDA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS
13 Yonny Hernandez 12 pts COL DUCATI Pramac Racing
14 Dani Pedrosa 10 pts ESP HONDA Repsol Honda Team
15 Hector Barbera 10 pts ESP AVINTIA Avintia Racing
16 Jack Miller 6 pts AUS HONDA CWM LCR Honda
17 Hiroshi Aoyama 5 pts JPN HONDA Repsol Honda Team
18 Nicky Hayden 3 pts USA HONDA Drive M7 Aspar
19 Alvaro Bautista 2 pts ESP APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
20 Loris Baz 2 pts FORWARD YAMAHA Forward Racing
21 Stefan Bradl 1 pts GER FORWARD YAMAHA Forward Racing
22 Alex de Angelis 0 pts ART Octo IodaRacing Team
23 Mike De Meglio 0 pts FRA AVINTIA Avintia Racing
24 Marco Melandri 0 pts APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
25 Karel Abraham 0 pts CZE HONDA AB Motoracing
26 Eugene Laverty 0 pts HONDA Drive M7 Aspar
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Lorenzo Demonstrates Pace at Damp Le Mans
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi will start tomorrow's Monster Energy Grand Prix de France from the first and third row of the grid after taking third and seventh place respectively in today?s qualifying session.
Today Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo faced cold and cloudy conditions during an intense 15-minute qualifying session at Le Mans, that saw Lorenzo and Rossi qualify on first and third row for tomorrow's Monster Energy Grand Prix de France.
After dropping under the 1'33 mark with a 1'32.647 lap in FP3 and being right on the pace during FP4, Lorenzo had a slightly cautious start to the qualifying session. As the first man to leave pit lane he enjoyed some free track and slowly built up the pace. He took the top spot with his third flying lap, a 1'33.369, before being pushed back to third place when the pace quickened. With a little less than seven minutes to go he came into the pits for a fresh set of rubber. One and half minutes later Lorenzo was back on track and had just enough time left for two more hot laps. He waited until the last moment to show his pace on the extra soft front tyre, posting a 1'32.846 on his final lap moving him up from fifth to third.
It was an eventful day for teammate Valentino Rossi. The nine-time World Champion was quick to follow his teammate to be guaranteed some free track space. He consistently improved his fastest time of the session on his first three flying laps, but was unable to join the top tier and held twelfth place as he came in for new tyres. With five minutes remaining he started his second stint, and set another personal best lap, moving him up to ninth. He gave his all to clock a 1'33.352, shooting him up to the top six, before being demoted to seventh in the final stages of the session. The Doctor still had some time left for a final push, but he was unable to improve and remained seventh.
Jorge Lorenzo
3rd / 1'32.846 / 8 laps
"The conditions were difficult on the track, you have to be careful with slicks and stay confident. We were lucky on the last lap to have 99% of the track dry and I pushed quite a bit. It was a pity that I didn't ride any good laps and was slower than I was in FP3. I made a mistake in sector three and lost probably half a second, but I was lucky not to go outside of the track and ride a very good sector four, which put me on the first row. I was hoping to stay at least in third place, because it's always important to be on the front row. There were a lot of riders who hadn't finished yet so I stayed in front of the big screen to watch them. I made a very good lap time in Jerez, but this time I couldn't do it. It was my own fault, but at least we managed to stay in the top three. I prefer a dry race for tomorrow, I think almost everybody does, because it's more fun and safer."
Valentino Rossi
7th / 1'33.352 / 9 laps
"I had hoped to stay a bit more at the front, on the second row, but we were unlucky. It was a very important free practice because we had a new tyre and had to try a new setting, because I wasn't fast enough and it was difficult this morning. Unfortunately it rained and I wasn't doing so bad, but I couldn't try my bike on the dry, so I had to start on a different bike during the qualifying and that's always difficult. At the end I arrived in seventh place and I think with some more kilometers I could have done better. We can improve the pace, because this new setting is better, but for tomorrow it will be hard because the first three guys on the front row have a very good pace. We have to try the maximum to stay with them. This morning we suffered because we were always on a used tyre. We understood that the modifications we had done were not right and for this afternoon we changed a lot. I'm still not fast enough but I think with more laps in, I can go faster and we hope for good weather. I'm ready for tomorrow morning, I'll try to have a good warm up and be ready for the race."
Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"The qualifying session doesn't reflect our real capabilities. Jorge couldn't do a perfect lap but still qualified on the first row, which is a good place to start the race. This third position and the pace he had in FP3 show how strong he and his setting are and these are really good signs for tomorrow's race. It will be a bit more difficult for Vale, who will be starting from the third row. His final results have been compromised due to the weather during FP4, but we know his capabilities and his racing attitude, so we are confident. We hope to have good conditions for the warm up tomorrow morning, so we can check some last details, and a dry race in the afternoon. We look forward to another great battle."
Best qualifying of the year for Smith at the Tech3 Teams home Grand Prix
Bradley Smith continued his strong form at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in qualifying today and will launch from the rear of the second row in tomorrow?s 28 lap sprint around the Le Mans circuit. The British rider began the day by undertaking some additional setup work in FP3 this morning where the track conditions were much colder when compared with day 1. Nevertheless, his brilliant time from yesterday?s free practice 2, where he clinched 1st position, was strong enough for him to graduate straight through to QP2. When rain started to fall at lunchtime before FP4, it looked like it would interfere with the Q2 session, yet the track had dried when the 15 minute shootout began. Here, Smith leapt into action straight away and powered onwards to ride a 1?33.299 lap time, confirming his sixth place on the grid which is his highest qualifying position this season. Tomorrow he will aim to undertake a flying start and then challenge for the leading satellite rider position at the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team?s home Grand Prix.
On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team garage, Pol Espargaro will begin from 12th place on the grid after a challenging qualifying 2 session at the 4.2 kilometre Le Mans circuit. The Spaniard produced a lap time of 1?33.694 in FP3 which saw him progress through to the second 15 minute shootout. As Q2 got underway, Espargaro took off at speed as he looked to seize a strong starting position for the race and ultimately he produced a personal best time of 1?33.724 on his final lap out of 9. Tomorrow he will intend to ride relentlessly through the field to end round 5 of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship on a high.
Bradley Smith
6th / 1'33.299 / 9 laps
"I?m really happy to be on the second row as I said at the beginning of the event that this was my target in the qualifying. However, on my flying lap, I made a mistake which probably prevented me from doing a high 1?32 lap time, so I could have been even higher, but I?m still delighted with what we achieved today. The team did a great job, especially considering the tricky conditions and we certainly made the right decision with the front tyre choice today and I felt confident. At the moment it?s a bit uncertain for everyone with regards to the race pace, however our race setting is strong so therefore I feel comfortable. This is especially important at this track because of the hard braking points and also the length of the Grand Prix. Everything went to plan today, but tomorrow is the most important day and I aim to start well and then follow the front guys for as long as possible, like I did in Austin, in order to score a great result here in France."
Pol Espargaro
12th / 1'33.724 / 8 laps
"For sure, today was not my best day and I hoped that we could have qualified in a higher position, like we did last year. However, suddenly in the Q2 session we found that we had an issue with the turning of the bike and there wasn?t enough time to fix this so it was impossible to improve the lap time even though the time that I set wasn?t super fast. I can?t hide my disappointment especially after the performance that we showed here last year, so I arrived with high expectations. Yet, the race hasn?t happened already and the points are still there to be taken, so the team and I will work to improve my feeling with my bike for tomorrow where I will fight for a strong result at the Tech3 team?s home race."
Bradl second Open bike in Le Mans qualifying
Stefan Bradl closed qualifying just over three tenths off the Open class pole for the team Athin? Forward Racing on the track of Le Mans.
After a cloudy morning, a light shower was the real protagonist of the qualifying session this afternoon. In the free practice session before it, the rain started to fall on the track. In these treacherous conditions, while the track was drying, Loris Baz timed changing tyres perfectly and ended the free practice session on top of the standings with a time of 1'41.913. After he returned to the pits, the Frenchman was back on the track for Q1 on semi-dry asphalt and failed to repeat himself. He will start tomorrow in 22nd position with the aim of hitting the points.
His teammate Stefan Bradl will start instead from the sixth row, 16th just behind Hayden in the Open category. The German tried several new solutions on electronics and is confident for tomorrow's race.
Stefan Bradl
16th / 1'34.575 / 9 laps
"I started FP4 with the idea of trying different solutions but it began to drizzle and the track got damp. However, in Q1, the track was dry again but I could not take full advantage of the soft tyre because I was losing the rear a bit. For the race tomorrow I will go for the hard tyres: I am confident we are not far from the points."
Loris Baz
22nd / 1'35.456 / 7 laps
"We did a good job in the morning and afternoon practice sessions. I tried several new solutions for the race. In FP4 the track conditions were difficult, we went on the track in the wet and gradually the track dried up. I was in the Top10 most of the time and at the right time I put the slicks on. I went back out and I posted the fastest lap: a great way to honour my home GP. In qualifying unfortunately, I made a small mistake and I could not repeat the exploit. I found a good feeling and tomorrow I believe we can recover many positions and chase points."
2015 MotoGP France
Le Mans 16/05/2015
1 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'32.246
2 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'32.749
3 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 1'32.846
4 Cal Crutchlow Honda GBR 1'32.897
5 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'33.001
6 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 1'33.299
7 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 1'33.352
8 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'33.419
9 Danilo Petrucci Ducati ITA 1'33.556
10 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki ESP 1'33.665
11 Yonny Hernandez Ducati COL 1'33.714
12 Pol Espargaro Yamaha ESP 1'33.724
13 Maverick Vi?ales Suzuki ESP 1'34.245
14 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 1'34.267
15 Scott Redding Honda GBR 1'34.551
16 Stefan Bradl Yamaha DE 1'34.575
22 Loris Baz Yamaha FRA 1'35.456
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A fantastic double Top 10 for Pramac Racing at Le Mans. Yonny finishes 8th, Danilo 10th
Pramac Racing celebrates a weekend full of satisfaction with the first exciting double Top10 of the 2015 MotoGP season.
The Grand Prix de France - held in a beautiful sunny Sunday on the circuit of Le Mans to the presence of more than 90,000 spectators - saw Yonny Hernandez and Danilo Petrucci finish respectively 8th and 10th place and taking home 14 points representing the best result of the year for Pramac Racing.
A not particularly brilliant start was perhaps the only discordant note of a race that saw both Yonny and Danilo immediately take position in the group of the top 10 to keep it until the end. The rider of Medellin has tripped better and managed to defend the 8th position as he pushed hard maintaining a good pace during the whole race.
Petrux struggled a little bit in the first half of the race due to the full tank. But it was able to maintain ninth place until three laps from the end when he failed to reply to the attack of Vinales.
With 6 points scored today, Petrucci (11th in the general standing) rises to 25 point, just two points off the Top 10. For Hernandez 8 points which allow him to make a great leap in ranking going up in twelfth place with 20 points. Pramac Racing consolidates seventh place in the ranking for teams with 45 points.
A fantastic double Top 10 for Pramac Racing at Le Mans. Yonny finishes 8th, Danilo 10th
8? - Yonny Hernandez - Pramac Racing #9
I had a good feeling throughout the whole weekend. Unfortunately I had some difficulties with the weather condition during the Q2 but the confidence has always been high. That allowed me to do a great race and to get the best result so far in the season. I have to thank the team and my crew chief Giacomo Guidotti: they gave me a very good bike which let me to stay in the Top 10 without problems. I'd like to be able to find the same feeling at Mugello. I am learning a lot. I have to keep pushing hard and that's what I want to do.
10? - Danilo Petrucci - Pramac Racing #9
It was a weekend full of satisfaction. I have achieved all the goals I set myself from the qualifying to the race. I wish it could stay even closer to Yonny but in the first half of the race, with a full tank, I always meet some difficulties. I regret not being able to maintain the position in the duel with Vinales but the rear tyre was really finished. But this does not affect the evaluation of a very positive weekend. I just have to make that small step that I am still missing. I have to thank the whole team that is working in this direction. Next stop Mugello, a race that I want to enjoy. I will be in front of my home fans and I hope I can do a good race.
KUCIAR666
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BITTER-SWEET LE MANS FOR ESPARGARO AND VI?ALES
The difficult weekend at Le Mans resulted in a hard race overall as Team SUZUKI ECSTAR experienced the polar opposite feelings of motorcycle racing today.
After the hard crash he suffered yesterday, Aleix Espargaro struggled in the morning to find a good feeling with his machine, due to the pain he suffered in the crash which injured his right hand and lower back. Unfortunately this prevented him from approaching the race in a confident mood, but his will to race meant he was eager to compete. His start was good, as was the first lap, but unfortunately he had to retire on the second lap due to clutch issues, which are now under further investigation.
Maverick Vi?ales exploited the warmer weather and the sunshine this morning in Le Mans to perform a very positive warm-up session, with the Spaniard being consistently near the top of the timesheets. In the race he had a positive start, but unfortunately dropped several positions at turn two, so he needed to make progress through the field. He had a consistent ? and yet fast ? pace for the whole race, gaining positions lap-after-lap, finally ending his race with an excellent ninth place.
Satoru Terada ? Project Leader:
?This has been a hard weekend as both riders crashed on Friday and then a major crash for Aleix on Saturday, which of course affected his whole weekend?s performance. Unfortunately we had a technical issue at the very beginning of the race with Aleix?s bike, which resulted in a retirement. It is a pity because Aleix was fighting against the pain and he deserved a positive race. We are now investigating the possible cause and we?ll see from the data how to improve.
?For Maverick the weekend has been more positive. He was consistent in practice as well as with race-pace and this finally gave him a good position at the end. His pace was very similar to his competitors who finished in sixth and seventh place so I believe that if we learn how to better perform in qualifying he can fight for a better position in the race itself. We still have to work to do on his GSX-RR to find a better set-up, and I think that if we can fix these two aspects we will gain a better position at the end of the race.?
Aleix Espargaro:
?Of course I?m really disappointed for the weekend, when something has a bad start it usually ends up bad as well! I had a minor crash on Friday and then the huge crash on Saturday; nothing broken but I didn?t really feel well and finally I had the technical issue on my machine on Sunday. I had a good start, but I immediately felt the bike was not performing as well as it usually does and finally I had to retire at the very beginning of the race because it was impossible to go beyond the second lap. Apparently we had an issue with the clutch, so now the engineers are checking everything. It?s a pity because I felt good on my GSX-RR: it was maybe the best set-up we?ve had since the beginning of the season but it finally turned out to be a bad weekend. Tomorrow in Barcelona I will make some further investigations on my hand because it hurts a lot during hard braking, but we need to look ahead to Mugello and be positive.?
Maverick Vi?ales:
?At the end of the race I?m happy on how it went and ninth place is a good performance; the same I did in Austin and the one we deserve at the moment. For sure our potential says that we should be in better positions, but we need to improve how we work through the practice sessions and we still have some lack-of power. As we see from the race I always struggle in the middle of the pack but my lap-times are better than my competitors, therefore it is a matter of starting further towards the front, so the riders ahead are not slowing my progress. I?m not complaining for being in the position I am, as I am also a rookie, but when you see a potential it is hard to accept a result for yourself which is not the best.?
GP of France ? Final classification:
1. Jorge LORENZO, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 43'44.143
2. Valentino ROSSI, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - +3.820
3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Ducati Team - +12.380
4. Marc MARQUEZ, Repsol Honda Team - +19.890
5. Andrea IANNONE, Ducati Team - +20.237
6. Bradley SMITH, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - +21.145
7. Pol ESPARGARO, Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - +35.493
8. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Pramac Racing - +39.601
9. Maverick VI?ALES, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - +41.571
nc. Aleix ESPARGARO, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR
Riders World Championship after GP of France:
1. Valentino ROSSI - 102
2. Jorge LORENZO - 87
3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO - 83
4. Marc MARQUEZ - 69
5. Andrea IANNONE - 61
6. Cal CRUTCHLOW - 47
7. Bradley SMITH - 46
8. Pol ESPARGARO - 35
9. Aleix ESPARGARO - 31
10. Maverick VI?ALES - 27
KUCIAR666
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Flawless French Finale for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Jorge Lorenzo repeated his stunning performance from Jerez at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, taking his second consecutive victory. Teammate Valentino Rossi also rode a brilliant race at Le Mans and took second place, his fifth consecutive podium finish of the 2015 MotoGP season.
After an amazing victory in Jerez, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo dominated the MotoGP field for a second time in a row, taking a sensational victory at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France. Valentino Rossi also showed a blistering pace in the French sunshine at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit. He claimed a strong second place and his fifth podium finish of the season.
Lorenzo was strong right from the beginning of the 28 lap sprint. Starting from third on the grid, he shot off the line to take second into the first turn and move into the lead going into the second corner. Followed by Andrea Dovizioso, he completed the first lap with already nearly half a second advantage over his rivals.
With clear track in front of him, the double premier class World Champion put the hammer down and rode consistently fast lap times in the 1'33s to manage a gap of half a second. Completely in control, Lorenzo remained unchallenged for the rest of the race. Leading from the first lap until the chequered flag, the Spaniard claimed his second consecutive victory by 3.820s, with only his teammate besting his fastest lap of 1'33.004.
Teammate Rossi thoroughly enjoyed today's racing action, fighting his way up the order from his seventh place grid position. The Doctor had a good start and quickly moved into fifth position to hunt down Marc Marquez, passing him with a brilliant move on his third lap.
The nine-time World Champion then set his sights on Andrea Iannone and increased his pace, posting a 1'32.879, the fastest lap of the race. With 18 laps to go Rossi made the audience cheer as he took third place and immediately put his next target, Andrea Dovizioso, under pressure. Displaying some very clever racing, he lined his rival up and made his move at end of the fourteenth lap. Unable to close in on his teammate, who had a gap of more than 1.8s, Rossi focused on managing his advantage over Dovizioso and took a well-deserved second.
Lorenzo's first place earns him 25 points, while Rossi's fifth podium of the year adds 20 points to his score. These results put The Doctor on 102 points, keeping him in the lead for the championship, with teammate Lorenzo moving up to second in the championship with a 87 points total.
Jorge Lorenzo
1st / 43'44.143 / 28 laps
"Before the race I was a little bit worried about the front tyre on the right side, because it was close in some corners. Sometimes that's worse in the race on Sunday, because it's hotter at two o'clock and you have more fuel in the tank and push more on braking. On the third or fourth lap it started closing, and I started worrying that I had an ever worsening tyre in the next laps, but luckily for us the tyre stayed more or less the same. It was close in the whole race, but not becoming worse. I was pushing the whole time and when the fuel tank ran low I pushed a little bit less. So this time we have been lucky. I know that other riders also struggled with the front. I could improve in some areas because I lose out in some corners. It was important to be second and overtake Marc at the start and Dovizioso in the first corner. This is the way I prefer to ride, because with nobody in front I can brake perfectly, keep the corner speed and try to increase the gap, so that is what happened. It was difficult because Andrea kept a gap of under a second for a long time, but finally I could stay ahead by 1,2 or 1,4s. Then, when I saw Valentino in second place and in some place close in a little, I had to try to push so much, especially on braking, I could brake later and later and rode a 1'33,004, which gave me the advantage I needed to win this race. Winning two races in a row after finishing outside of the podium in three Grand Prix is a big contrast. These are much better results, but you have to keep your feet on the ground and not hesitate, because things can change very quickly and I can have bad results in the future. Mugello is a good track for Yamaha and especially for me, because it's my favourite track, but Valentino is also very fast there, so who knows what's going to happen."
Valentino Rossi
2nd / +3.820s / 28 laps
"I'm happy but we struggled too much to find the right setting in the practice, so we decided to risk and modify the bike before the race. I have to say thank you to my team because they worked very well, my bike today in the race was fantastic and I was able to push, recover and overtake and I was especially able to enjoy riding a lot. I started from the third row and Jorge is always very fast at the start. I had a small gap but I enjoyed the race a lot, because I could overtake and ride at the maximum. Around half way through the race I arrived in second place behind Jorge. He had around two seconds so I wasn't so far behind him and I tried the maximum, because I felt good, but he was in a perfect situation. He was in front and concentrated and he was in his 'hammer time'. When he?s like that it's very difficult to come close to him. This weekend he was stronger than us and was better prepared for the race, so he deserved to win, but I'm happy, also for Yamaha because this year our bike is very strong. These twenty points are very important for the championship. We arrived late at the front, but we arrived and it was another great race. We struggled in the practice, I think that's also due to our bike a little bit, because Jorge also struggled, while he's always great at putting out one fast lap. That's our weak point, but on the other side, in the race our bike is fantastic, it's very balanced and you can push every lap and this is important. I arrive in Mugello with this great condition I'm in and that makes me very happy. The problem is that it's also Jorge?s favourite track! Today was a great result for our team, a Yamaha 1-2, and we hope that in Mugello we can reverse the order!"
Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Manager
"We couldn't ask for a better finish today, a Yamaha one-two finish is always the ultimate goal. Following Saturday's qualifying we were quite confident of our performance, but honestly after this morning's warm up we still had some question marks. The end result of the race is down to the commitment and hard work of both the team and the riders who never gave up and retained 100% focus all weekend. Jorge rode an incredible race, in control from the beginning and never letting up to take his second consecutive well deserved victory. Vale also rose to the occasion, despite not qualifying in the best position he showed again his skills as a fighter to be reckoned with, cutting through the competition to finish behind his teammate in second. I have to say a big thank you to the whole team for their hard work, we leave Le Mans in the best possible way, with a one-two victory and leading the championship in the same way."
Smith shines on Tech3 home turf to finish as leading satellite rider
Bradley Smith completed a notable weekend at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in 6th position aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1. As the 28 lap battle commenced under glorious sunshine at the legendary Le Mans circuit, Smith undertook a strong start and fought his way through an intense first lap to hold on to his qualifying position of 6th. The young British rider tailed the leading riders before successfully catching and overtaking Marquez on lap five and then opening a gap on him. Smith's formidable race rhythm and consistent lap times kept him in a fast pace and with half race distance reached, the 23 year old was running in 5th position. With 8 laps remaining, Smith had impressively closed the deficit to Andrea Iannone and was involved in a memorable and fierce fight for 4th position. Smith stayed right in the hunt and eventually finished the race in 6th but just a hair's breadth back from Marquez and Iannone. This result puts him as the leading satellite rider at the round five battle and sees him now only one point behind 6th place in the riders championship standings.
Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro rode a strong race to overhaul five riders and finish in 7th position after a challenging qualifying which saw him start the 28 lap race from 12th on the grid. The young Spaniard undertook a solid start to clinch 9th at the close of the first lap at the Le Mans circuit. He pushed onwards and continued to clock fast and continuous lap times and was running in 8th with five laps completed. The 2014 MotoGP rookie of the year remained focused and at half race distance was in 7th place having scored some competitive lap times to gap the chasing riders. He met the chequered flag in this position, marking a positive close to a tricky weekend. Espargaro now looks positively on to Mugello for round six of the MotoGP World Championship where he will intend to battle for the leading satellite position.
Bradley Smith
6th / + 21.145 / 28 laps
"I am happy and it was a great way to end the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team's home race! The track conditions really warmed up today, which meant that we all went a bit into the unknown as it was much cooler on the other days. Therefore our setting was slightly limited at the beginning of the race because it resulted in me tucking the front a few times in the opening laps. However, to end up fighting with the reigning MotoGP World Champion and with another factory rider is where we want to be so I have to be happy with finishing as the leading satellite bike. We've also gained some championship points on Cal, so we have accomplished what we set out to achieve. Of course, it would have been even better to reach 4th but at one point I thought that Marc and Andrea may collide, so I gave myself enough space in case they did! Anyway, it was useful for me to watch this battle as I learnt a lot and I can use this knowledge in future races."
Pol Espargaro
7th / + 35.493 / 28 laps
"After the race that we had here last year, I came to Le Mans with high expectations, so today can just be considered as damage limitation. We had a tough weekend from the word go and my feelings with the bike were never at their best. Yet, this morning in warm up we modified the setting of my M1 completely and to be honest things improved considerably for the race. My start was ok and I was able to follow the riders at the front during the opening laps, but then I had to sustain the gap to the riders behind me, due to another, non bike related issue. So to leave France with nine additional points in the championship is not too bad, although it's definitely not what we aim for. We now have to think about the next steps to take in order to improve our performance in Mugello in two week?s time."
Second place in the Open class for Baz in home race
The French Grand Prix ends up with a smile on the face of Loris Baz and the Athin? Forward Racing team. The Frenchman, racing at home in the premier class of motorcycle racing for the first time, made the most of this Sunday, crossing the line in 12th position as the second Open Bike just behind Hayden.
Baz, racing with a special livery, was very consistent in the race and was able to stay close to the group in front of him to chase points.
His teammate Stefan Bradl withdrawn prematurely due to a fall on the second lap. The German, who started from 16th place, lost the front at turn six and ended up on the ground.
Loris Baz
12th / + 1'00.617 / 28 laps
"I'm really happy with this result. I did not think I could be so fast in the race and so consistent. I made a good start, I immediately went hunting for the other Open and managed to maintain a good pace until the end. We did a great job with the guys, we're going in the right direction and I am happy with this second place. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the home race other than this."
Stefan Bradl
DNF / -27 laps
"It was not an easy weekend for me. I had a good start, the pace was really good and I could regain several positions. Unfortunately, the race ended earlier than expected: on the second lap I lost the front while braking at turn 6. Too bad, we have worked to be ready for the race and I can say that we managed to make a good step forward. We ara analyze the data and get our motivation back for Mugello."
2015 MotoGP France
Le Mans 17/05/2015
race I
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 43'44.143
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'03.820
3 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 0'12.380
4 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 0'19.890
5 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 0'20.237
6 Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 0'21.145
7 Pol Espargaro Yamaha ESP 0'35.493
8 Yonny Hernandez Ducati COL 0'39.601
9 Maverick Vi?ales Suzuki ESP 0'41.571
10 Danilo Petrucci Ducati ITA 0'42.789
11 Nicky Hayden Honda USA 0'53.636
12 Loris Baz Yamaha FRA 1'00.617
13 Hector Barbera Ducati ESP 1'04.272
14 Eugene Laverty Honda GBR 1'05.259
15 Alvaro Bautista Aprilia ESP 1'05.515
MotoGP World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 5 of 18
1. Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 102
2. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha ESP 87
3. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 83
4. Marc Marquez Honda ESP 69
5. Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 61
6. Cal Crutchlow Honda GBR 47
7. Bradley Smith Yamaha GBR 46
8. Pol Espargaro Yamaha ESP 35
9. Aleix Espargaro Suzuki ESP 31
10. Maverick Vi?ales Suzuki ESP 27
11. Danilo Petrucci Ducati ITA 25
12. Yonny Hernandez Ducati COL 20
13. Scott Redding Honda GBR 13
14. Hector Barbera Ducati ESP 13
15. Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 10
16. Nicky Hayden Honda USA 8
17. Loris Baz Yamaha FRA 6
22. Stefan Bradl Yamaha DE 1
KUCIAR666
Registered User
Fighting fourth keeps Marquez's challenge on track
Defending double World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) fought back tooth and nail from front-end issues issues at today?s French Grand Prix, using all his resources for a valuable fourth-place finish in a difficult race.
The 22-year-old former 125 and Moto2 champion, still recovering from a fractured finger, started from pole position at the iconic motorsport venue, where the 4.185-km Bugatti Grand Prix circuit shares the pits and start-finish section with the 24-hour car track.
But Marquez was pushed off in the jostle into the second corner. He recovered his position immediately, but from that point was stricken with front-end difficulties that he blamed on an unexpected rise in track temperature compared with previous days.
Nursing the bike through the circuit?s many slower corners, Marquez dropped to sixth as eventual winner Jorge Lorenzo rode away to a secure lead over Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) third.
In the closing laps the Spaniard dug deep to close on two riders ahead of him. The three-way fight for fourth with Andrea Iannone (Ducati) and Bradley Smith (Yamaha) raged to the flag. A determined Marquez won it by three tenths of a second. The 13 points are a valuable addition; after one win and one second place in the first four races.
His HRC factory team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC213V) had a difficult and yet rewarding race, in his comeback ride after missing three races following surgery to fix an arm-pump problem. Pedrosa qualified eighth and started well, but slipped off unhurt on only the second of 28 laps.
Although hopes of a good top-ten finish were gone, the former 125 and double 250 champion scrambled back on board, anxious to test the strength of his recovery over full-race distance. That test was successful, even though he finished just out of the points 16th.
With sundry setbacks for other riders, it was left to Open category campaigners Nicky Hayden (Aspar Team Honda RC213V-RS) and team-mate Eugene Laverty (Aspar Team Honda RC213V-RS) to mop up the points. Honda?s 2006 MotoGP champion Hayden was a best-so-far 11th and top Open finisher. Former Superbike star Laverty claimed his first MotoGP points in 14th.
Both satellite-team riders on Factory Option Hondas crashed out. Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda RC213V) had qualified fourth, and was running well up in the top ten when he slid off with 21 laps remaining. Scott Redding (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V) had by then already tumbled out.
Misfortune also stalked the other two Open riders. Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing Honda RC213V-RS) retired with technical issues. Class rookie Jack Miller (CWM LCR Honda RC213V-RS) ? who joined the premier class direct from Moto3 ? also crashed out, from a stirring four-bike fight for 11th.
Marquez now lies fourth overall in the championship, with Rossi in the lead.
The next race is the Italian GP at Mugello on May 31.
Honda MotoGP rider quotes
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team: 4th
?Today the temperature rose sharply; we had not ridden in such conditions at any time this weekend. On the fourth lap I started to notice that I had a lot of problems with the front end. I think all the Hondas had the same trouble; in fact a lot crashed after losing front grip because we were really suffering. We knew that with a rise in temperature, conditions change, but we expected it to be for the better and this time it was for the worse. We must learn from this race and especially from the data we have gathered.?
Nicky Hayden, Aspar Team: 11th
?Of course it?s nice to win the ?Open? class but actually I?m more happy to be fighting with the ?Factory? guys. Today I was in front of Vi?ales for a while and I was fighting with Petrucci. The team did a really good job this week, especially before qualifying. I?m just happier because I felt good on the bike ? more feedback. It?s nice to be happy on Sunday after the race! We need to enjoy it and try to keep building on it. I had a little problem the lap that Vi?ales passed me - maybe it was a sensor, and in second gear the bike started to react strangely in a couple of places. I just thought about finishing at that point, and I got my best result.?
Eugene Laverty, Aspar Team: 14th
?It?s a monkey off my back! I?ve been so close to getting points. This has been my toughest weekend and I?ve come away with some points and that?s a positive. Unfortunately the first lap cost me. I made a good start but in the first chicane I was pushed wide and it lost me seven or eight positions. I was last. That cost me a fight with Baz for 12th. Anyway the most important thing is the points.?
Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team: 16th
?It was a shame to crash so early in the race; I don?t understand much about the crash, because I just lost the front end. I tried to restart the engine and get back in the race, even though the handlebars were bent, because I wanted to try and complete an entire race. It was a positive test for me, although there is still room for improvement, but fitness-wise things are a little better. Hopefully we can improve even more over the coming weeks.?
Cal Crutchlow, CWM LCR: DNF
?Obviously I?m very disappointed with today. It seems all the Hondas struggled for front grip, but this wasn?t actually the reason for my crash. My foot slipped off the rear brake pedal and as that happened I grabbed the front brake, which caused a big spike in the front braking and caused me to crash. I?m really sorry to the team for that because I felt that in the latter part of the race we were due to come stronger and fight in the group immediately in front of me. That was the limit of what we were capable of today. I was close to Marc [Marquez] when it happened but we were both a long way from the front guys because it seems they had a lot more front grip than us. We need to regroup now and go to Mugello, where hopefully we can have a better race.?
Scott Redding, Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS: DNF
?The start of the race was difficult because it was hard to find front grip. I thought it was getting better, so decided to try and pick up my pace. But then I closed the front at turn six. It was an early end to the race and I am very disappointed. We keep trying to find a solution to some of my problems but we haven?t quite got there just yet. I am looking forward to Mugello. It is a track I really like and I am sure we can bounce back strongly.?
Jack Miller, CWM LCR: DNF
?We had a great start and I was going really good, I was happy with the way the race was going. After about six laps I was right behind Hayden and Petrucci but I was having a few too many moments, I kept losing the front and so I decided to drop the pace a little bit. It was still a decent pace but it wasn?t what I needed, Maverick caught up and passed me so I tried to stay with him and see what we could do. About two laps later in the direction change at turn four I lost the front and couldn?t save it. It?s one of those things, the track temperature was almost twenty degrees hotter than we?ve had all weekend and we weren?t quite prepared for it. Apart from that we have had a strong and consistent weekend.?
Karel Abraham, Cardion AB Motoracing: DNF
?Hard to believe ? another race with no finish and no points. I felt good after qualifying and was looking forward to the race, but it only lasted 14 laps and I had to pull into the pits. We?ll examine the data to try to learn from this problem. Things must change soon.?