SHARK Grand Prix de France: Mixed Weather Conditions to Challenge The Grid!
Author: Myanna Wedes
The 2021 SHARK Grand Prix de France is here and the mixed conditions have some riders eager to go and others concerned about their bikes performance levels. The two riders who have scores to settle with the French circuit is Johann Zarco and Jack Miller. Zarco has been haunted by memories of the past where he was leading the race and crashed out leading to a tormenting number of years thinking about his mistake. In contrast, Miller had a mechanical issue which caused him to lose the victory. Both riders want the honours of winning on French soil. In addition to this, Zarco is watching Pecco Bagnaia and Miller closely to understand his chances of success and their results are certainly motivating him to achieve greatness. The Ducati bike suits the French circuit layout so it will be a chance for the Ducati riders to capitalise on their chances of winning plus with mixed conditions, it will favour Miller and Zarco. The spirits amongst the Ducati rider is high and Zarco would love to stand on the podium with them dominating the weekend, although Marc Marquez is back and who knows what he is capable of as his strength levels are improving week upon week.
When you look at Marquez, you can see a happier and fitter version as the weeks unfold. We must remember the gravity of his injury and understand the transition time to enable him to race at 100% fitness. We are very excited for when MM93 is ready to charge, challenge and push others to their limits. Marquez also needs time to adapt to the Honda as he has been away from the bike for so long and others providing input to improve its overall pace, turning and reliability. With the results coming in for the younger riders like Miller, Bagnaia, Alex Rins and Joan Mir, the multi world champion is hungrier than ever to succeed.
Francesco Bagnaia:
"I'm really excited to be back in action this weekend. In the last two Grands Prix, we've been able to get some good results on tracks where we've suffered in the past. I hope we will continue to be as competitive also at the next two circuits, which are more favourable to the characteristics of our bike. Last year at Le Mans, I managed to qualify seventh, even though I struggled with the low temperatures in the early stages of the weekend. I felt strong, but the rain then disturbed my race. We'll see what the weather is like this weekend. My feeling with the Desmosedici continues to be very good, so I'm confident that I can do a good race also in the wet conditions".
Jack Miller:
"I am super happy to be back racing in France this weekend! Last year I had a strong French GP. I was second in qualifying and, after a good start, I stayed within the leading group. Unfortunately, with seven laps to go, I had to retire due to a technical problem. Winning the Spanish GP two weeks ago has definitely boosted my confidence. My feeling with the bike is good, I had no issues with the right forearm now that it has been operated on, so I am confident that I can do another good race this weekend".
Marc Marquez:
“It has been a good week between races, I have been able to rest and continue my training and recovery. The goal for this weekend is to have less complications and continue working to improve. Step by step we are getting stronger and our goal is to continue the progress we have been making. The weather in Le Mans can always make things a little bit tricky but we will handle whatever happens.”
The one rider who will need to assess his fitness is Fabio Quartararo. The French rider had arm pump surgery and is on schedule to race though his level of fitness to be determined as the healing process differs for everyone. Quartararo will be playing over in his head time and time again, the Spanish race where he handed over victory and the title lead as a result of his arm failing him. This is never easy for an athlete to accept and with a home race this weekend, the pressure is very real to perform regardless of the surgery. Le Mans is quite a demanding track from a physical perspective so it will be interesting to see how Quartararo copes with the Friday to Sunday schedule, although he is positive. In contrast, Vinales is pondering how to find his performance levels once again after an amazing start in Qatar. The more Vinales buys into the media, negative tweets, poor comments and his own self-doubt, the harder it will be for him to win and become a world champion. Vinales has been subject to some social media trolling of late which resulted in his Twitter account being deleted and made clear that he will not put up with the negative press. To recover from this will be hard as motorcycle racing is a mental game alone on and off track with rivals and fellow manufacturers pushing the barriers to improve. We do hope Vinales can find himself again and start to chase down the front runners for a battle.
Fabio Quartararo:
“For sure, the way that we ended the Spanish GP was a shame, but the positive thing we take away from it is that we are fast enough to battle for podiums and wins. I’ve had surgery for the compartment syndrome, and it was successful. I’ve been training since then, and I’m feeling positive about this weekend. Anyway, it's always nice to go to Le Mans, because it’s my home race. I will try my best to be up there at the top again as soon as possible.”
Maverick Vinales:
“This will be an interesting weekend for us. The positive test in Jerez has given us extra motivation. I’m really curious to see if what we found there works here too, and what we can do this weekend. Le Mans is a track I like. I’ve had some nice battles there, and usually we are competitive because the circuit lay-out suits our bike. But we also know that the weather can be tricky at the French GP. It tends to change quite often, so we will have to pay close attention to the weather forecasts and make sure we’re competitive in every session.”
The weather being wet this weekend means riders are sure to slip, slide and go fast even when the conditions are hard to adapt to and both Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi need a good result. Clear visors, wet conditions, who knows what the weekend could hold for the PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team. All we know is that the team are finding it difficult to accept poor results and the fact they are so far away from their fellow factory Yamaha team is not easy to stomach. Plus, you have The Doctor on your team, who is having a very hard time and we constantly ask ourselves this question every week, when are we going to see Rossi competitive…? The gambling of tyre choice will be interesting especially with such mixed weather conditions.
Franco Morbidelli:
“Le Mans is a circuit that I like; it is where I won a Moto2 race, so I have good results from there. In the Monday test in Jerez we focused on the braking and this is a circuit where you have to be really strong on the brakes. Also the opening corners are quite tricky and it’s important to get the first corner right, to make the following ones easier. It’s difficult but really nice. I hope we can confirm the positive feedback and feeling from the test and it can be useful for the weekend. It also felt wonderful to be back on the podium in Jerez, and I hope we can continue that in our next race this weekend.”
Valentino Rossi:
“Undoubtedly this weekend I want to be stronger, recover positions and be faster compared to the last round in Jerez. Last year I was strong in the dry conditions in Le Mans, I was fast and had a good race pace, but it started to rain just before the race and I crashed on the first corner. It’s a great track, with a lot of changes in direction due to the chicanes and I like it a lot. With good grip and strong acceleration, it is a really nice track to ride. We hope that we can have good weather from FP1 until the end of the race. We had a good test last week in Jerez, where we were able to improve different aspects and I hope that we see this also at Le Mans.”
We definitely except to see the Suzuki riders up at the top of the timesheets this weekend. They are smooth and enjoy the Le Mans circuit together as a racing unit. Both Mir and Rins need to improve especially if they are to have a shot at the world championship. In particular, Rins although his crash and impact on his shoulder is not an ideal situation considering the fact that it has bothered him since the last round. The Spanish rider is aware of his body being subject to some major accidents so staying on board and fit will be crucial to him staying in tow with teammate Mir. At present with the changing timelines and races, every race weekend is an essential ingredient to staying in contention for the top step. With the announcement of the Finland Grand Prix being cancelled and another double Red Bull Ring on the calendar as a result of travel restrictions and more. It is a major effort to have the teams in Le Mans this weekend considering COVID still evident in daily life and cases still high. Dorna, crews, teams, riders and various personnel deserve a big clap to keep this world championship running and races on for the fans across the globe.
Joan Mir:
“I enjoyed the test in Jerez, and I’m ready to take another step here in Le Mans. We may struggle a bit on this layout as on paper our bike struggles at ‘stop & go’ circuits, and also because the weather can make everything tougher. But obviously we want to get a strong finish and as many points as possible, so I’m looking forward to getting back on my bike and giving my best.”
Alex Rins:
“After the crash in Jerez I felt that my shoulder was a bit sore, it’s the same one that I injured last year so naturally I was a little bit concerned. I rode in the morning at the Jerez Test but I finished early so that I could go home and get my shoulder checked. There’s been no further damage found, so I have just been undergoing some treatments to ease it ahead of Le Mans. This is a circuit that can be unpredictable, but I’m looking forward to riding again and I want to bring my team a nice finish.”
Overall, the French Grand Prix is sure to be a thrilling event with such changing conditions and we do look forward to seeing how Takaaki Nakagami feels and rides this weekend. The Japanese rider is improving within the Honda team and so close to a podium finish. He needs a strong start in qualifying and to stay focused throughout the race because as Marquez becomes stronger, Nakagami will need to pull his socks up and stay with the Spanish world champion.
Takaaki Nakagami:
“I hope that I can build on the step we made in Jerez. In fact, in Portimao before that we made a good top ten from the back of the grid, but in Spain we have found a solution to be able to fight for the top five once again. I was pretty happy with Jerez, finishing really close to the podium and I’m looking forward to this weekend in France too. I’m excited about racing at Le Mans, and the key point will be consistency - because it looks like there is tricky weather forecast. Either way we will try to prepare and be ready for any conditions, and as always we will do our very best whatever the weather.”
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