MotoGP riders reflect on Sprint and Qualifying at Le Mans – Moto2 – Moto3 – MotoE

2024 MotoGP World Championship
Round Five – Michelin Grand Prix de France
Le Mans – Saturday
MotoGP rider’s reflect on Sprint Race

Jorge Martin – P1

“A pretty nice race, a pretty nice weekend so far. I did a really good start and then I tried to push a lot, I tried to pull all my rhythm and pace out of there on the track and even though Marco was quite strong, he was trying to keep that gap, so I had to push a bit too much and then finally he forced the grass so from that point I just tried to manage these times with Marco and make it to the end, that wasn’t easy making those lap times.

“I think the pace won’t be the same tomorrow, because today was a bit too much, I cannot make it for 27 laps in this pace but I think if we manage a bit of a first lap then we can do a really strong race and really fast race.

“Then also we have to understand the forecast so we cannot control for the moment but we have to be prepared for every situation, for whatever it comes and try to make it to the end and get some points.”

Marc Marquez – P2

“That was literally the perfect start; I did well and was also lucky as I found the right space to dive in and kept the right speed. I got almost sandwiched between Bagnaia and Bastianini, but I got out of it with good speed. The thing I’m happy the most for was the pace we found in the 10-11 laps since I moved out to fourth. Tomorrow it’s going to be very challenging, and you never know how it’s going to end should it rain. Still, I’ll sleep soundly tonight.”

Maverick Vinales – P3

“From the race start I struggled with the rear tyre overheating. We need to figure out why, but we can still be pleased with the result. Being on the podium, despite the less than optimum conditions with the bike, is an extremely positive result. We’ll try to be out front straight away again in the race.”

Enea Bastianini – P4

“My pace in this sprint race was very good, I was consistently quick up to the chequered flag. What really made the difference is that I was able to overtake in a much easier way than previous races and that surely give me something extra. This is a key thing for the future. It would have been nice to battle with Jorge (Martín) but never say never, let’s see how it goes tomorrow. We’re all very close in terms of performance so the race will be a hard-fought one, as is the championship after all.”

Aleix Espargaro – P5

“It’s a shame that I made a mistake at the start but I still am not entirely comfortable with this clutch. In spite of the penalty, I still managed to finish fifth and that is extremely important. It will undoubtedly not be as hot in the race and that will help us manage the tyres. The bike is working well and I have the pace to stay with the best.”

Pedro Acosta – P6

“We made a good start in the sprint today, we were able to disengage all the devices that are usually a bit tricky for us, which was a positive. However, I had not planned that the riders inside the first corners were going to give the opportunity to the others to pass on the outside, so we lost some positions at the beginning, but overall we are happy. The pace was good, we could have fought for the podium today, so I am looking positive for the main race.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – P7

“In qualifying I had an excellent feeling, I felt I had a margin that I wasn’t able to make the most of due to the yellow flags. In the race however, I immediately started to have a particular feeling. It’s a shame, I have struggled, we need to analyse the data and understand, our potential was certainly different. Overall I finished the Sprint in the points for the first time this season and I know I have the pace to be with the best tomorrow. We just understand what the weather will do.”

Jack Miller – P8

“I got a good start but I was a bit gentle into Turn 3 and got baulked. The bike was working decently but the rear tire temperature took some time to come up and didn’t really come back to me for five-six laps. The other guys could start the acceleration phase out of the corners a bit earlier so we’ll look at that for tomorrow but the front end of the bike worked really well. We’ve got some information to go over tonight. We’ll have to wait and see for the weather now.”

Raul Fernandez – P9

“The Sprint race went well. The team and Aprilia did a fantastic job again. I’m happy as step by step, we are getting really competitive. We were very close to getting in to Q2 – we did our maximum and in the end, we got 14th place on the grid, which is quite decent. Today in the Sprint, I felt really comfortable on the bike and felt it worked really well. We never had this kind of temperatures here in France and it was a bit difficult for me to manage the front tyre. From the second lap, I couldn’t overtake other riders, although I felt like my pace was a bit better than some of the riders in front but, in these temperatures, it wasn’t easy for us to manage. I also think we get faster day by day and as we have the bike from last year, in terms of pace, it’s amazing how we have managed to improve. I’m very delighted but tomorrow will be a completely different race. We need to study and understand what we have to do and which tyre is going to be the best choice for the front.”

Fabio Quartararo – P10

“Qualifying was more positive than the Sprint. We struggled with low-grip conditions for us during the Sprint race, so let’s see if tomorrow we can do a little bit more. When the grip is low in the dry, it’s even lower in the wet, so if it rains tomorrow, that won’t give us an advantage. The most important thing is that we give it our 100%. It’s been a crazy weekend so far: we had special helmets, caps, and t-shirts that were already sold out from the first day. That’s totally crazy! And of course it’s great to see all the fans here.”

Miguel Oliveira – P11

“It was a good performance in Q1, but then in Q2 I had three laps in a row with yellow flags, so I couldn’t really do much more. In the race, it was a bit disappointing because I had some kind of issue with the front tire, or with the front end of the bike. I basically suffered huge slides on the front, upright while braking and in the apex on throttle, so I was about to crash even going slow – that was really strange. I just tried to push and not to crash at the same time. I can’t really say what exactly it was at the moment, but something was really off and the team is still trying to understand what happened and ensure we avoid it for tomorrow. Anyway, tomorrow looks quite different from today, so we have to be ready for anything, then adapt very quickly to whatever happens on track.”

Johann Zarco – P13

“I was ready to fight, and I managed to make good overtakes, but the bike’s limitations were there, and I lost at some points of the track. We are trying to apply some changes to be at the level of the competitors. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

Alex Marquez – P14

“We haven’t performed at our best, but it’s not all negative. We found back a good feeling today aboard the bike and our pace was strong also in the sprint race. Obviously how qualifying went surely affected our race, but on the 27-lap distance we can surely aim at something positive.”

Brad Binder – P15

“I just couldn’t get going in the Sprint after a decent start. I made a few mistakes and had a lot of front ‘locking’. I went off the track at one point. It was a struggle. It was important to collect some data for tomorrow because I felt great on Friday…but kept crashing! It was crucial not to do that again today. We found something that gives us a good idea for the race. I’m looking for tiny things, and tiny differences will go a long way at the moment.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P16

“We’d done some modifications on the bike’s setup, and I felt better. During the Sprint, I did my best and kept a consistent pace. Let’s see if we can take a step further ahead of tomorrow’s race”.

Augusto Fernandez – P17

“Since the start of the sprint, I felt really bad with the rear tyre, and the feeling was not good at all. Looking back at the whole day, we were a bit more competitive in P2 and in qualifying this morning, even if I crashed in the end, and I feel like I am getting back to my riding style, and the feeling is coming back. It is positive, and let’s try to do a good race on Sunday.”

Luca Marini – P18

“There are always positives to take from every lap you make. We got more data and learned a few things to improve for Sunday. It’s clear what we are missing with the current package that we have, so we keep on working until something comes to change that. For tomorrow we will try to do another small change with the bike to improve the front feeling. I am confident Honda will bring the things that we need soon.”

Marco Bezzecchi – DNF

“I felt really good, everything was under control. I had a great pace, Jorge (Martin) was closer and I understood that Marc (Marquez) was coming from behind and I tried to push to open the gap a bit. I made a mistake at turn 9 and couldn’t recover. It wasn’t necessary, a real shame to have missed the podium. I can’t be happy, but it was important to confirm ourselves as competitive here too. Tomorrow I think the pace will be different, there will be the weather to understand, but we can do well.”

Alex Rins – DNF

“I’m all okay, but it was quite strange because I didn’t have a moment before the crash. I would like to say that these things happen when you’re pushing 100%. I had Alex Marquez in front of me, although at that moment it was Morbidelli, and I was riding in a good way. We had especially put in the hard compound tyre for the Sprint race because we didn’t have the opportunity to try it before, and it was not that bad. I was feeling not bad, but I just lost the front. It’s frustrating as a rider, but we stand up and keep looking forward.”

Joan Mir – DNF

“From the start we could feel that there wasn’t something right with the rear and we were lacking a lot of grip. We need to check everything well to understand the problem and improve it tomorrow. It’s a shame because it meant our race was over before it began and I fell because of this problem. A shame because I think we could have been fighting up with Zarco to be close him and even the top ten. This is the target for tomorrow because I am confident we can find a solution.”

Francesco Bagnaia – DNF

“Unfortunately, these things can happen, but it surely wasn’t easy. Already from the warmup lap I felt something was different and I felt like it was difficult to do anything. The team is at work to understand what happened, but we’ll surely be good tomorrow and ready to do well. We’ve already shown we can be competitive this weekend and our pace is top-three worthy. We’re aware of our potential and we know that with a good start and the right feeling, we can battle for the win.”

MotoGP Sprint Race Report

Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) bounced back from Jerez in style at the Michelin Grand Prix de France, getting an incredible launch from pole to take off and escape to his 12th Tissot Sprint win. Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) pulled off an awesome comeback to thread through to second from P13 on the grid, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) completing the Sprint podium. Where was reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team)? Read on…

It was a stunning start from Martin to take the holeshot, and the exact opposite for Bagnaia as he plummeted from second to mid-pack, seemingly with some sort of issue. Meanwhile some friendly-fire – within the limit – between the Aprilias added another shuffle, and with that it was Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) slotting into second on the chase behind Martin.

Meanwhile, as Bagnaia went backwards, Marc Marquez was storming forwards. The number 93 threaded the needle to perfection off the start and was into fifth within a few corners. Within a few laps, he was the rider on the chase behind the Martin-Bezzecchi duel at the front.

Aleix Espargaro was then the next to drop out of that front battle as his start proved too good to be true, given a double Long Lap for the jump start. The drama then amped up again for Bagnaia just behind that, as he ran wide from the back of the field. Something was definitely wrong for the #1 as he then headed into pitlane. The reigning Champion was out of the Sprint.

That left Martin leading Bezzecchi leading Marquez, with Viñales next up. A gaggle of Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had the gloves off too, and Espargaro then rejoined in their midst.

Suddenly, there was more drama at the front. Yellow flashed across the run off at Turn 9 as Bezzecchi slid out from that second place, leaving Marquez on the chase behind Martin. The gap between the two was now at over two seconds, however, and the clock was counting down. The Sprint King was on his way to another Saturday stunner, and he got the job done in style to capitalise on a tough Sprint for Bagnaia.

Behind Martin’s impressive charge at the front, Marquez took second after an awesome comeback ride from P13 on the grid, with Viñales holding onto third in the last laps as Bastianini put in a late charge for glory. The ‘Beast’ had to settle for fourth.

Espargaro recovered from his double Long Lap to finish fifth, with Acosta taking a solid sixth and putting in a final corner save. Di Giannantonio held off Miller for seventh, with Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) taking the final point on Saturday… just marginally ahead of home hero Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).

Another 27 laps await the grid on Sunday, with Bagnaia now the rider looking to hit back, Martin needing another showstopper to keep that ground gained, and Marquez looking down the barrel of the start from P13 once again.

Le Mans MotoGP Sprint Race Results

MotoGP Championship Standings

MotoGP Event Top Speeds

MotoGP Combined Qualifying Results

Moto2

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) came out the blocks swinging in France to secure a heroic pole position, fighting through from Q1 to pull off a spectacular 1:35.037. A late crash couldn’t dampen spirits as he looks to get back in the fight at the front, with the Spaniard passed fit after his ankle injury from Jerez and now set to start from pole.

Joining Canet on a competitive front row will be the World Championship leader, Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team), who was a mere 0.136s behind, with the rider Roberts’ stole the lead from last time out, Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI), set to line up third.

Albert Arenas (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2) heads Alonso Lopez (Folladore SpeedUp) on Row 2, with Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2) rounding off a strong second row to just deny Izan Guevara (CFMoto Inde Aspar Team).

Senna Agius reached new heights in qualifying at Le Mans. The 18-year-old was in a solid midfield position in the practice sessions on Friday and Saturday morning and therefore had to start first in Qualifying 1. The Moto2 rookie set a 1’35.726, which put him in third position just 0.289s behind the fastest rider and paved his way into the fiercely contested Q2. Agius only had a few minutes to catch his breath before the final 15 minutes of the day began in midsummer temperatures. After only a short time, he moved his Kalex up to a promising fifth place before a small crash ended his qualifying early. However, the strong preparatory work secured Agius a great eighth place on the grid for the fifth race of the season, into which he will start with a lot of confidence.

Senna Agius – P8

“To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t make it into Q2 after the second session this morning because we knew conditions would change in the afternoon. So, I decided to go out on the second run in Q1 and find a bit of space to put in a good lap, which I found. A harmless crash didn’t make any difference. In the end, I’m happy about my best qualifying position in the world championship. We worked a lot on the race rhythm, but we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to the best 22 laps I can do. If the weather changes, it will be the same for everyone. We haven’t had a wet race for a long time, but we will use the information from the sessions we had in the wet.”

Fermin Aldeguer (Folladore SpeedUp), meanwhile, starts from 12th as he aims to put in another comeback through the field.

Moto2 Combined Qualifying Results

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

Third time lucky? After taking his first pole three GPs ago, David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) hasn’t started from anywhere else since. His third consecutive pole position saw him destroy the lap record yet again with a 1:40.114 on his final flying lap in France as he looks to bounce back from a crash out the lead in Spain.

It was extremely close at the front, however, with Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) securing second, missing out on pole position by 0.011s, with Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) returning to the action and the front row at once.

Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) will start from fourth after the last lap for Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) cancelled due to yellow flags, putting the Jerez winner fifth. Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) will round out the second row and hopes to close the gap to Alonso and Holgado on Sunday.

Joel Kelso has once again shown strong pace throughout every session and will head the third row.

Jacob Roulstone was twenty-first at the end of the two practices. The Australian rookie managed to improve his lap time to 1’41.413, but that was a bit short, 0.239 seconds, to make the cut for the final qualifying stage, meaning that the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 had to go through the pre-qualifying at lunch time. After he brilliantly topped Q1, Jacob joined his teammate in the final stage of qualifying. The rookie found himself a bit far off the fastest riders and could not benefit from the best slipstream, but he did pretty well and clocked in a lap in 1’41.092. Jacob will start the Michelin Grand Prix de France from eleventh, as he looks to score more points for his team’s home race.

Jacob Roulstone – P11

“I was really frustrated to finish twenty-first after this morning’s Practice 2, but I am quite happy with how we handled the qualifying. In Q1, we focused on ourselves, tried to make some laps to learn and I was happy to make it through. In Q2, I was a bit far down from Daniel Holgado and the rest of the group, so I could not get a decent slipstream, but considering all of this, I am satisfied with our lap times. I have a pretty good feeling going into the race tomorrow, we will learn a lot!”

Moto3 Combined Qualifying Results

Moto3 Championship Standings

MotoE Race One

The FIM Enel MotoE World Championship treated the French fans to an incredible Race 1 with Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) pulling off an unbelievable performance at the Michelin Grand Prix de France. The Italian continues to add to his win tally, taking victory by over one second from Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) who stormed from 10th on the grid. Behind, Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) claimed third for his tenth consecutive podium and a new record run.

Once the lights went out Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) shot off into the race lead from pole position. It was a tense first lap with moves made at every opportunity. Garzo led from Spinelli in what would be the start of things to come.

The nail-biting action at the front kicked off on lap two as Spinelli launched up the inside. Garzo soon battled back until the key moment of the race unfolded on Lap 4. Garzo would surge to inside in a daring Turn 1 move before Spinelli then fought back into the Dunlop Chicane, only for Garzo to tuck the front at that very chicane and extinguish his victory hopes.

Once at the front, Spinelli began to put the hammer down as he began to create a gap between himself and podium contenders Casadei and Zannoni. The battle for second was truly on with Casadei and Zannoni going head-to-head and swapping position a total of five times, making contact along the way too. Their battling only then brought the riders behind into the mix for the closing laps.

The action wasn’t only at the front, but also behind. Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) and Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) went toe-to-toe with contact between the two ultimately ending with the latter crashing out at Turn 4 – no further action was taken.

At the front Spinelli demonstrated his superior pace and as he entered the final lap had managed to build up a gap of just over one second. Behind, Zannoni managed to hold on from Casadei as the pair crossed the line second and third.

Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) took fourth despite last lap contact with Casadei while attempting to pinch third. Andrea Mantovani (KLINT Forward Factory Team) rounded out the top five, with Granado, Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI), the Felo Gresini MotoE™ duo of Matteo Ferrari and Alessio Finello behind, as Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) completed the top 10.

MotoE Race One Results

MotoE Race Two

Race 2 at Round 2 of the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship gave us everything we could ask for with drama by the boat load and a last-lap battle for victory. Ultimately, Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) showed his cool head and class to double up on Saturday in Le Mans. Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) was forced to settle for second in a thrilling conclusion that Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) had the best seat in the house for as he crossed the line third.

Once again it was Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) that led into Turn 1 but his lead was short-lived with as Spinelli found a way through at Turn 3. Casadei, determined at the sight of one of his main title rivals in the lead, soon managed to make his way into second. Lap 2 then saw some thrilling action as Casadei surged past Spinelli at the head of the pack.

For polesitter Garzo though, disaster would strike. On just Lap 3 of 8, Garzo crashed out at Turn 12, resulting in a second DNF of the day. Another big name would hit the deck too as Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) would fall as a result of contact with Andrea Mantovani (KLINT Forward Factory Team) the following lap.

Back at the front the laps wound down and it was clear we were in for an epic three-rider conclusion. The final lap saw Spinelli charge into it leading the trio but through the long Turn 6 Casadei would incredibly find a way to turn under Spinelli to lead for a brief moment. The #29 came diving back at the very next corner and somehow kept it tight to the apex, making it impossible for Casadei to respond. Despite his best efforts in the final sector, Casadei’s efforts were thwarted by Spinelli as the Tech3 E-Racing rider completed the dream double at the team’s home round.

Rookie sensation Gutierrez took his second podium of the season 1.5 seconds clear of a lonely fourth place for Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing). Mantovani rounded out the top five after finishing ahead of Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) in sixth. Seventh after crashing out of Race 1 was Miquel Pons (Axxis-MSI), storming to the line ahead of Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE). Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) was unable to replicate a second podium of the day, crossing the line in ninth ahead of Alessio Finello (Felo Gresini MotoE™) despite a long lap penalty for a shortcut at Turn 4.

The next chapter of the MotoE season will take place at the legendary Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for another exciting two races.

MotoE Race Two Results

MotoE Championship Standings

Le Mans MotoGP Schedule AEST

2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar (Updated)

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