Le Mans MotoGP Race Day Guide

Official Statistics compiled by Dr. Martin Raines

2015 Le Mans winner Jorge Lorenzo starts from pole for the 63rd time in his grand prix career. That is the most pole positions by any rider in the modern-era of grand prix racing. This is the first time that Lorenzo has started from pole at Le Mans in the MotoGP class and is the first Yamaha rider to start from pole at Le Mans since Valentino Rossi in 2010.

The last seven successive MotoGP races have been won by the rider starting from pole position.
The Le Mans winner two years ago, Marc Marquez, is in second place on the grid, his 16th successive front row start.
In third place on the grid is Andrea Iannone, which is his first front row start since the Australian Grand Prix last year.
Heading the second row of the grid is Pol Espargaro, which is his best qualifying result since he was 4th fastest qualifier at Aragon last year.

Andrea Dovizioso starts from fifth place on the grid – the first time since 2010 that he has failed to get on the front row at Le Mans.
Bradley Smith has taken the final place on the second row, which is his best qualifying result so far in 2016.
Valentino Rossi heads the third row of the grid – his worst qualifying result so far in 2016. After his win at Jerez, Rossi will be aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time since he won in Catalunya and at the Dutch TT in 2009.
The highest placed Suzuki rider on the grid is Maverick Viñales in eighth, which is his worst qualifying result so far this year.
Cal Crutchlow starts from ninth place on the grid and is the second highest Honda rider in qualifying.
Heading the fourth row of the grid is Danilo Petrucci, who is returning from injury and starting his first race of 2016.

Tom Luthi is on pole for the fourth time in the Moto2 class at a circuit where he has had four GP victories, including two in the 125cc class and two in Moto2.
In second place on the grid is Alex Rins, who crashed out in France last year after starting the race from pole position.
Lorenzo Baldassarri starts from third place on the grid – the first front row start of his grand prix career.
Simone Corsi heads the second row of the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was 4th fastest qualifier at Misano last year.
Johann Zarco, who starts from fifth place on the grid, will be aiming to become the first French rider to win an intermediate-class grand prix on home soil since Jean-Louis Tournadre won the 250cc race at Nogaro in 1982.
Xavier Simeon, who has qualified in 20th position on the grid, is making his 100th grand prix start. All have been in the Moto2 class.

Niccolo Antonelli starts from pole for the fourth time in his GP career and for the first time since Malaysia last year. Since winning the opening grand prix of the year, Antonelli has only had one point scoring finish with 10th in Argentina.
This is the first pole in Moto3 for Honda since John McPhee started from pole at the final race of last year in Valencia.
The last rider to win a Moto3 race from pole was Enea Bastianini at Misano last year. None of the Moto3 races this year have been won by a rider starting on the front row.
In second place on the grid is championship leader Brad Binder. This is just the third time in his GP career that he has started on the front row.
In third place on the grid and on the front row for the first time is Aron Canet in just his fifth grand prix start.
Jorge Navarro, who heads the second row of the grid, has finished on the podium six times in the last nine races, but is still looking to stand on the top step for the first time.
Romano Fenati has qualified in fifth place on the grid, the same starting position as last year at Le Mans when he went on to win the race.
Karel Hanika was the 26th fastest rider in qualifying with a time just 1.051 seconds behind the pole position rider Antonelli.