Le Mans, France: MotoGP Pre-Race Report
Welcome to the French Grand Prix. This weekend the MotoGP riders will be arriving in Le Mans to prepare for the event where the weather has a way of working its magic with either rain, sun or wind. Coming off a win is the greatest feeling when starting a race weekend and Jorge Lorenzo will be looking to repeat his success from Jerez at the French circuit. Lorenzo is very confident of getting the job done and will take it day by day. Whereas, Valentino Rossi, believes that Marc Marquez will be fierce competition at what he calls a very nice track. The YZR-M1 is working well and both team members are confident of their chances.
Australian rider Jack Miller is looking forward to the French GP after a successful testing session at Jerez. Jack is keeping a close eye on the weather and will look to overcome any obstacles that arrive for the CWM-LCR Honda MotoGP Team. The MotoGP teams will use the Bugatti configuration for this weekend, which provides an intense feeling of stopping and starting for both the Open and Factory class bikes. The Honda family is happy to welcome Dani Pedrosa back. The Spanish rider has recovered from his surgery on his arm and is very focused on providing his Honda team with a top result. Pedrosa has gained immeasurable respect from fans and the teams within the sport for coming back from injuries to push on regardless of his championship results.
Formula Magazine has enormous respect for Dani considering the surgery he had for his severe arm pump syndrome that was risky, rare and aggressive. Many people thought that the surgery would not go ahead and that Dani would be out for the season. His recovery is incredible! Questions about what will happen for the rest of the season will be answered after the first few sessions at the track.
In contrast, the Moto2 class will have every spectator in Le Mans cheering for French rider Johann Zarco who is aiming to win at home and extend his Championship lead. The feeling of riding at home will not be stressful for Zarco who is a quiet and calm personality. He has trained very hard and is in the best shape of his career heading into the race. His positive outlook is rewarding him with top results and the showering of praise that he deserves after working so hard in the previous years of Moto2. The track itself is challenging and you have to be careful not to make mistakes. Zarco likes the fast first corner and the flowing chicanes and with his Kalex machinery definitely could obtain a nice advantage when it comes to the race pace.
Moto3 will see 16 year old Fabio Quartararo race in front of his home fans for the first time since entering the category. Fabio does live in Spain but France is like a second home. The young rider will be aiming to utilise his specialist skills in the braking areas to maximise his result. Whereas, Juanfran Guevara, a Mahindra Mapfre Aspar rider is going to ride through the pain after having collarbone surgery. His passion to get back on the horse is commendable. The excitement for the race weekend begins!
