Sunday race day wrap from crazy French GP – MotoGP/2/3

MotoGP 2023

Round Five – Le Mans

Sunday MotoGP Race

Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) takes a special place in history as the race winner at the 1000th FIM Grand Prix after a stunning break for glory in front of a record crowd at Le Mans, and there was drama, drama, drama throughout the field.

First, Bezzecchi is now just one point behind Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) after the Italian crashed out of the race in a dramatic clash with Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales… gravel trap shouting match included.

Then, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) vs Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) lit up the fight for second in a tough but fair tussle, but that then ended in late race heartbreak for the number 93 as he slid out. However, for the French fans it did mean Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was then promoted to a glorious home podium after some impressive Sunday pace, giving the record weekend crowd of 278,805 even more to cheer about.

Race Report

The grid formed in front of the biggest crowd MotoGP has ever seen and it was Marc Marquez who shot into the lead as Bagnaia dropped down the order to P5. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) slotted himself into P2 with Bezzecchi putting his VR46 Ducati into P3. Bagnaia then quickly snapped back at Martin as the Ducati riders duked it out on lap 1.

It was Marquez, Miller, Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Bagnaia, and then Martin as they came across the line for the first time and it was on like Donkey Kong. Miller wasn’t intimidated by the eight-time World Champion by any means as the Aussie tried to force his way through on Marquez, but the Spaniard wouldn’t give in and hit straight back in true Marquez fashion.

Miller then hit the front at the Dunlop chicane, meanwhile, the reigning World Champion was on the move as Bagnaia had now climbed his way back up into a podium position with 25 laps remaining.

The laps ticked away as a seven-bike battle for victory formed with Viñales carving his way into the 3rd place and looking like he had race winning pace. But then came the drama: the Spaniard collided with Bagnaia as both riders competed for the same piece of tarmac, both careening off into the gravel before absuing each other in handbag at 20 paces fashion.

Half a lap later, there was more drama in the Le Mans gravel traps as Marini suffered a big crash coming out of the Dunlop chicane, just cutting the kerb. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) then got caught in the Italian’s crash as the field behind avoided the incident, riders again ok but another huge moment of adrenaline shaking the race up.

As the chaos subsided a little a four-rider battle for victory had formed as Miller now found himself with Marquez, Bezzecchi, and Martin for company, before Bezzecchi pushed his way through on Marc Marquez – and dropped the Spaniard from 2nd to 4th. Marquez was sent so wide by Bezzecchi he was into another postcode before both regrouping and Bezzecchi then told to drop a position for the move: a penalty he expected, and a penalty he also served wisely as he chose his moment to let Martin back through. And then took it back, with Marquez following suit too.

Bezzecchi now had an open goal to make huge gains in the title fight as Bagnaia sat in the garage, and the VR46 rider took the lead from Miller as they barrelled into the Dunlop chicane once again. Marquez quickly followed him through half a lap later too, with Bezzecchi already stretching out half a second at the front.

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With 15 laps to go, Bezzecchi had 1.2s in his pocket to Marquez behind, who was 0.5s up the road from Martin, who had found his way through on Miller. The Aussie was starting to fall into the clutches of Zarco and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3). It didn’t take long for Zarco to push his way through either as the Frenchman moved up into P4 and Fernandez followed, leaving Miller in sixth.

With six to go, Martin thought it was time to pounce on Marc Marquez. The Spaniard tried to push his way through on the eight-time World Champion, but the Repsol Honda man was not giving in easy and bit back at the Prima Pramac Racing rider at every opportunity. That allowed Zarco to edge closer and closer… and the crowd had definitely noticed.

Martin finally pushed his way through with one and a half laps remaining, and this time the drama was for the Marc Marquez. Trying to hang in there, the returning Repsol Honda rider tucked the front and ended his French Grand Prix in the gravel trap, but after quite a return to the upper echelons of the time-sheets.

That meant one thing to a partisan crown: Zarco was on the podium. The grandstands erupted around the French circuit as Bezzecchi crossed the line for a first dry weather win, Martin ensured he’s the top scorer at Le Mans this year, and then the home hero reached the flag. The noise made for an impressive welcome.

Fourth place was also something to shout about as Tech3’s Augusto Fernandez took a truly impressive result from what had been a great weekend for the rookie.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) rounded out the top five as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) recovered from being battered down the order on the first lap to fight his way back through the pack, take a long penalty for a shortcut, and still manage to take sixth.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had a tougher home Grand Prix but took a chunk of points on Sunday as the 2021 World Champion ended his weekend in Le Mans seventh.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia), and Franco Morbidelli taking 8th, 9th, and 10th – just ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Lenovo Team) on his MotoGP return deputising for the injured Enea Bastianini.

Early race leader Miller crashed out with three laps remaining after the Aussie had been dropping down the order on his KTM machine, making it a weekend to forget in terms of results but one to remember for speed. Can he bounce back at Mugello? Many will be looking to join him in doing so…

With the championship plot ever-changing in MotoGP, there’s no telling what the chapter holds as the paddock moves to the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley on the 9th to 11th of June.

Marco Bezzecchi

“I expected the penalty. I didn’t want to pass but I braked a bit too late and when I realized I was getting closer and closer, I tried to go to the inside to not hit him. Unfortunately I pushed him wide so I thought for sure they give me a drop position. I was ready for it and I agree, also. It was a bit too much. It’s difficult to pass but I didn’t really want to pass, but it’s ok. Fortunately I kept myself calm about the penalty I knew was coming, tried to find the right place to give up the position and then fight back.”

How was that winning feeling?

“It was fantastic. I saw I was fast, at the beginning I didn’t want to use the front tyre too much or put too much temperature in it. When I was behind someone, I was trying to pass quite quick and when I found myself at the front I thought, ‘now I have fresh air’. I tried to push and see how it is. On Friday I had good pace so I tried to make the same but it was even better! I was able to ride 31.9, 31.8 and it was fantastic. I saw I was escaping so I tried to stay calm and concentrate, at one with my bike, and it was an incredible emotion crossing the line in the dry. In the wet was good but in the dry even better!”

And on that bet to not shave their moustaches until he won again…

“This is the thing I’m most happy about. I made this bet first in December before Christmas with my team, we were having dinner together and to break their balls a little bit I said ‘ok, you all have a long beard but if I win, you have to make it moustache and we won’t shave it until I win again. But then when I did win I said, ‘No! Now I have to really have a moustache!’ I was so nervous because it wasn’t coming anymore, so fortunately today when I saw the feeling was good, I said ‘today’s the day!”

MotoGP Race Results

MotoGP Championship Points

Moto2 Race

Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) took an important victory for his Championship campaign as he commanded the race from the front, putting the pressure on Championship rival Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who crashed out of second trying to reel in the number 14.

Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini) put some pressure on Arbolino as the chequered flag drew closer, but the Italian held strong forcing the Czech rider to settle for second. Alonso Lopez (Lightech SpeedUp) hung onto the leading duo too, taking third and yet another podium.

Arbolino got the holeshot before Lopez dived up the inside to take over, but there was drama one lap later as Arbolino took the lead into Turn 1, with his team-mate Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) crashing out of 3rd place at Turn 2. However, the red flags came out for a incident involving multiple riders at turn 5. All riders ok: Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) and Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp).

With the countdown to the restart underway, it was all hands on deck as the polesitter rushed his way back to the box with under a minute left until the green light went on to open pit lane, and the team worked on his bike. The crowd watched on with baited breath and Lowes missed the deadline for the the pit-lane closing time by just a second, forcing the Brit to start from the back of the grid…

So riders lined up for the restart but this time without the pole-sitter in position. The red lights went out once again and it was Arbolino who took the holeshot, fending off Lopez through the Dunlop chicane, with Acosta latched onto to the leading duo.

Arbolino, Lopez, Acosta, and Salač was the order as the came across the line for the first time with the top 3 stretching out a little bit of breathing space to the Czech rider. Lopez and Acosta were swapping paintwork as the two Spaniards battled it out though, letting Arbolino sail away at the front and allowing Salač to join the P2 party.

Arbolino began to stretch a lead at the front as he set a new race lap record on his very first flying lap. This also stretched out the riders behind as Acosta began to pull away from Lopez, who now had Salač and Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) for company in the battle for 3rd.

Acosta responded one lap later setting the new fastest lap but still with 0.6s to find to catch the Italian. Incredible Championship drama came soon after though, as the former Championship leader crashed out of the race with 10 laps to go… as key title rival Arbolino sat in comfortable victory contention.

That promoted the battle for 3rd to the battle for 2nd as Salač led Lopez in P2. Arbolino had 1.8s in his pocket until he began to lose ground at an alarming rate though, with Salač getting within under half a second of the Italian with seven laps to go. But Arbolino controlled the gap at 0.5s at the front, taking the race victory as Acosta watched the #14 stretch out a 25-point lead in the Championship.

Salač still takes an impressive second place to reward his speed this season, with Lopez once again tasting that Prosecco in third.

Vietti looked strong in the opening stages of the race but wasn’t able to keep up with the incredible pace of the top 3 as the Italian finished 0.6s back from the podium fight in P4. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar M2) rounded the top 5 after carving through an incredible scrap involving Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Barry Baltus (Fieten Olie Racing GP) and Fermin Aldeguer (Ligthtech SpeedUp) who finished 6th, 7th, and 8th respectively. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) took ninth, just fending off an impressive ride from rookie Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40).

The Lowes watch was a dramatic one as the Brit carved his way through from the back of the grid, picking off rider after rider in hopes of finishing in a point-scoring position. Although it’s not the result the Brit would have wanted, he recovered to P15 as he walked away from Le Mans with a Championship point.

Senna Agius, showed a strong race in which he fought for the points with the likes of Jeremy Alcoba, Dennis Foggia and pole setter Sam Lowes. The 17-year-old then lost ground towards the final sprint and eventually slipped back to 19th position. Nevertheless, he returns to the Junior GP with valuable experience, where he will be looking to defend his lead in Valencia next week.

Senna Agius – P19

“It was a tough race, especially in the last five laps as I didn’t have much left to give. I was struggling at the end but my lap times in the race weren’t bad and I would like to improve my consistency in the future in general. The weekend has been full of learning and I take many things with me to Valencia and maybe be better when opportunities come up in the future. Many thanks to the team for letting me be here this weekend.”

Moto2 Race Results

Moto2 Championship Points

Moto3 Race

Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) technically got the holeshot but got attacked into the first chicane by Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), the Japanese rider trying to fight back later in the lap but denied.

As ever in the close competition of the lightweight class though, it soon became a group fight with a leading freight train of ten riders – with rookies David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) leading the chase, Alonso up from 25th on the grid.

A top eight was able to pull away though, with Holgado, Sasaki, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI, Masia, Xavier Artigas (CFMoto PrüstelGP) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) line astern.

Heading into the final corners with 10 to go though, drama hit as Moreira suddenly slid out, crashing alone and rider ok, but his place in the standings left up for grabs – and Championship leader Holgado still holding firm at the front.

On the last couple of laps, the top four made their break: Holgado, Sasaki, Masia and Ortola. Over the line onto the last lap, Holgado still had a few tenths in hand too, but that didn’t last long as Sasaki homed in. The duo gained some reprieve as a moment for Masia dropped him back slightly too, and it became two duels.

At the front though, Holgado just had too much for the Japanese rider on the chase. The number 96 crossed the line for a stunning second win and increases his advantage in the title fight, with Sasaki second but back on the box for the first time this season. Masia recovered from his moment to hold off Ortola, taking the last step on the podium and making his own gains in the Championship too.

Yamanaka got the better of Öncü to complete the top five, with Artigas a little further back in seventh. Alonso, Rueda and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) completed the top ten in that second group which also consisted of Joel Kelso in 11th who was closely followed home by Kaito Toba and Tatsuki Suzuki.

Joel Kelso – P11

“Our starting position definitely didn’t make the race any easier. After a less than ideal first lap, I managed to find my rhythm by lap 3 and had the same pace as the leading group. The gap was a bit too big by then and It was too late to catch them, but we did finish with a few more points. See you in Mugello where I’m hoping to be back to 100 per cent.”

Moto3 Race Results

Moto3 Championship Points

2023 MotoGP Calendar