Le Mans, France: MotoGP Round 5 Post-Race Report
Jorge Lorenzo has won back-to-back races and is proving to be a real Championship contender! Lorenzo was flawless in his race pace, entry and exit of the corners and definitely found the rhythm he was looking for. The methodical approach by Lorenzo was incredible especially when the fuel tank ran low and he had to push a little less, though remained focused to bring the bike home in first place. The Spanish Champion is at his best when he is out in front as this allows him to brake perfectly, ensure his corner speed is consistent and to increase the gap where possible. With Mugello coming up, Lorenzo is excited, as it is his favourite track and Rossi will be looking for victory at home in Italy! The 1-2 result in France is the boost that Yamaha needed to take it to Honda.
The Le Mans GP was a disaster for Marc Marquez who finished 4th after unexpected temperatures caused his Repsol Honda MotoGP bike to lose control from the front end. Marc did not feel confident with the set up of the bike and this is something Honda will have to work on after multiple crashes on board that particular manufacturer. Dani Pedrosa did well considering his return to MotoGP after a six-week hiatus. Pedrosa did crash early into the race as a result of the front end and re joined the race with bent handlebars. He pushed on in order to determine his fitness level and believes he has improved over the weekend. The Yamaha teams definitely flourished at the Le Mans circuit with their lead in the constructors title increasing.
It was French frustration for Scott Redding, Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller who all crashed out during the race. All three riders are looking forward to Mugello. Cal in particular is very disappointed and sorry to his team. Cal did not have front end troubles, in fact, his foot slipped off the rear brake pedal and as that took place he grabbed the front brake, which caused a spike in the braking that led to his crash. It was an unfortunate end to a great weekend for the CWM-LCR Honda rider. In contrast, the Moto2 class had less crashes and the battle at the front chopped and changed. It was Tom Luthi who took the win ahead of Tito Rabat and Johann Zarco. This was Luthi’s fourth win at the French circuit and his excitement was on display for everyone to see. Rookie Alex Rins had a terrible start to the race and ended up out of the points even though he started on pole! Alex will take away a lot of from the event and look to reset for Mugello.
The Moto3 race was exciting from start to finish and it was Romano Fenati that took the win followed by an all star Italian podium of Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia. It was a KTM, Honda and Mahindra on the podium for the first time this season! The battle for first place was stellar between nine riders. Those who lost out on the win were Fabio Quartararo, Niccolo Antonelli, Danny Kent and Jakub Kornfeil. Kent was a stand out performer coming from 31st position to finish a solid 4th.
