Recapping all the Red Bull Rookies action from Le Mans

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2024
Round Two – Le Mans

Qualifying

Packed crowds at Le Mans witnessed the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies go for it in qualifying on a hot afternoon, as the second round of the Rookies Cup got into the real action. It was Finland’s Rico Salmela who spent the most time on top of the timing screens but Màximo Quiles stole the show by 0.028 seconds to take pole for Spain.

Cup points leader and Jerez Race 2 winner Álvaro Carpe was third quickest but the 16-year-old Spaniard will start Saturday’s race from P9 on the grid thanks to a penalty for exiting the pit lane past a red light.

That promotes Malaysian 16-year-old Hakim Danish to the front row with Jerez Race 1 winner Marco Morelli heading up Row 2 as the Argentine 16-year-old looks to better his second place in the points chase.

Màximo Quiles – P1

“That was good, I changed the bike between FP2 and Quali. In FP2 I had a lot of chatter in the chicane, corners 9 and 10 when I went in on the brakes. So I talked with the suspension guy and they fixed it, it was better. I knew I needed to improve it for the Quali because you have the new tyre and with much more grip that puts more pressure on the suspension and it will be the same in the race. Then I felt really good on the bike. At the beginning of Quali, I was on my own because I didn’t want to get stuck in the group. I preferred to find the rhythm that I want to run in the race. Then luckily I caught the group at the right time, had some good laps, the slipstream and a reference and I did a 44.2. Still not perfect because in the last corner, I had to brake, I lost like .2 of a second there. But I am really happy, we know I have pace for tomorrow and I will really push. I will try to break away, I will find my rhythm and be strong, we’ll see.”

Australia’s Carter Thompson qualified in P9, 0.769s off pole, with less than a tenth of a second separating sixth through ninth.

Qualifying Results

Race One

Màximo Quiles was congratulated by Marc Márquez in Parc firmé after a brilliantly executed last-lap pass on Rico Salmela stole victory in 15 thrilling laps of Le Mans.

The third Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup podium of the season was completed by Álvaro Carpe and the 16-year-old Spaniards share the points lead going into Sunday’s race.

Finland’s Salmela is tied for third on points with Argentina’s Valentin Perrone who took fourth in only his third Rookies Cup race, backing up the second he grabbed in the season opener in Spain.

Fellow countryman Marco Morelli, winner of that first race, did his Cup chances no favours by falling on lap 1.

Maximo Quiles – P1

“It was a great race, we could see a big crowd watching us and that also made me happy. I tried to push from the beginning, to open a gap and I was able to stretch the group a bit but then one guy overtook me and slowed us a bit and the group closed up again. Then Rico tried to push again, I kept behind him because he had good rhythm and was fast. Then on the last lap, I prepared to overtake him in corner 8, I managed it and it worked well. Then in the last sector, I just pushed hard to make sure no one could overtake me. Then I crossed the line first and it was a great feeling, I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It wasn’t an easy win at all. Rico was really fast, very late braking in corner 7 and some others. His riding style is really different to mine. I am carrying more mid-corner speed and a bit softer in braking so I can’t pass him everywhere but I made it work. The bike was not totally comfortable because I had to save the front quite a few times and I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted and I felt the bike was better in FP2 and Quali but perhaps it was because the track was so hot I don’t know. Tomorrow in the morning will be cooler so maybe I won’t change anything.”

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Rico Salmela – P2

“It’s my first podium of the year so I am happy with that. The race was good, I felt more or less good on the bike. I was struggling a bit on the front but I have a good feeling for tomorrow and I will take a look at the race and try to make another plan for Race 2. I was not the best in the last sector and it was not possible for me to overtake Max at the end of the last lap. It was already difficult for me to stay with them in the last sector so I knew I did not have anything extra for the last lap there. I just decided to take the P2. P1 was not possible but I tried, I came close to Maximo in the back straight on the last lap and he hit the limiter but was right on the white line and there was no way past. Now I will focus on tomorrow. I do have a different style to Max, I am braking late and the only thing I am missing now is the mid-corner turning, I still need to practice this a bit but it is coming better all the time. I’m not planning to change the bike, I lost the front just a few times but more from my mistake I think than anything else.”

Alvaro Carpe – P3

“I enjoyed that race so much,” enthused the 16-year-old. “It was a race with not too many overtakes but still a lot of fun, a great way to start the weekend. Max and Rico had a great pace, they were pushing very hard. I was at the back but still in the first group. I think it was a really fast race, I did a really good job, thinking a little about the championship, making sure to get some good points. Finally, I got third and I can be very happy with that. Tomorrow I plan to do the same, my KTM is working well, no thought to change anything, a little bit of chatter on the brakes, but nothing to worry about and I plan to run the same sort of race again.”

Carter Thompson had a challenging day, after hitting neutral and losing positions early on, only to have to fight his way back to 13th.

Carter Thompson – P13

“Saturday all done here in Le Mans, not the best day today I made a few silly mistakes on my side. On the first lap in turn 3 I hit neutral and lost a lot of positions and made a lot more work for myself for the rest of the race, ended up P13 we still have race 2 tomorrow morning so another chance to fight up the front.”

Race One Results

Race Two

The perfect, dramatic, braking lunge into Le Mans’ final first-gear double right gave victory to Brian Uriarte. Fellow Spaniard and Rookies Cup Race 1 victor Màximo Quiles survived the shock and a nasty front wheel slide to hold second ahead of Malaysian Hakim Danish.

Argentina’s Valentin Perrone, one of the race’s many leaders, and Spain’s Álvaro Carpe were right on their tail with 0.617 seconds covering the top five KTMs.

Brian Uriarte – P1

“I’m super happy with this. I had a good ride yesterday and I was certainly going out to win today but you never know, there are many many things that should happen in the correct way if you are going to take the victory. I didn’t sleep that well last night and I could feel it today that I was a bit tired. The sleep wasn’t that good but when I woke up I did everything as usual and was completely focused. I was a bit angry with myself for yesterday’s mistake. The track was a bit cooler today, in the second sighting lap I felt a couple of slippery patches but even in the opening laps it was completely perfect and the bike was great all through the race. I worked a lot this weekend, the track is new for me, I tried so hard yesterday and I learnt, I used that today. You have to take a risk to win, I risked a lot into the last corner and I won.”

Maximo Quiles – P2

“It was a great race, a bit difficult at the beginning to overtake,” explained the 16-year-old. “Then I got into the lead and everyone seemed a bit nervous because they knew I would have a good rhythm. I opened the group a bit it was not so close. The bike did feel a bit different today, there was good grip but when I really pushed the front was sliding and a little bit uncomfortable for me. Then in the last lap, I didn’t know what to do, I was in front and that’s not easy. They have the reference to brake and they used that, Brian braked later than me into the last corner and won. Still second place is great, points for the championship and I am happy for that, looking forward to Mugello.”

Hakim Danish – P3

“I made a good start and I managed to run at the front. Better than yesterday as in Race 1 I struggled to match the pace of the front guys. This time I changed my riding, I had my body further forward and pushed my elbow down, I was scraping it through the corners and tried to open the throttle earlier in the corners and it worked very well. In the last lap I tried to lead but two people overtook me, That’s OK I tried to overtake again. Into the last corner, I almost wanted to try a pass on Maximo and Brian but I was just too far away. I already overtook another rider the turn before and that cost me a little bit, I couldn’t go for the win at the last corner. Anyway, I finished P3 and I look forward to the next race in Mugello, I thank everyone who supports me here and at home.”

It was a step in the right direction for Thompson, who improved to 11th in race two and now looks forward to Mugello.

Carter Thompson – P11

“Le Mans Grand Prix all done and dusted. Race 2 today was another positive step in the right direction getting closer to the front. Finished the race in P11. I was able to stay with the front group and felt much more comfortable. I can’t thank all the Rookies staff enough for all there help throughout the weekend. Now I will go back to training and get ready for the next round in Mugello.”

Heading to round three, Quiles leads the standings on 74-points, Carpe the current runner-up on 65 and Uriarte third on 62-points. Carter Thompson sits 14th, with 10-points.

Race Two Results

Red Bull Rookies Cup Standings

2024 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Calendar

1. April 27-28 Jerez – Spain
2. May 11-12 Le Mans – France
3. June 1-2 Mugello – Italy
4. June 29-30 Assen – Netherlands
5. August 17-18 Spielberg – Austria
6. Aug 31-Sep 1 Aragon – Spain
7. September 7-8 Misano – Italy