MICHELIN’S HOME RACE SERVES UP A LE MANS CLASSIC

Michelin was part of a MotoGP™ French frenzy at Le Mans today as Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) raced to victory at the HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France with home favourite Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3) joining him on the podium to the delight of the local spectators.

Pole-setter Viñales got the holeshot from the start and led from the line, but was immediately passed by Zarco, causing the home crowd to roar with approval. Using a soft compound MICHELIN Power Slick on the front and rear of his machine, Zarco pulled away at the front and made a small gap ahead of his rivals. Viñales never gave up the hunt though and stated to close down the Frenchman, before seizing the lead on lap-seven. By this time, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) had joined the battle at the front and he too passed Zarco to take second behind his team-mate.

It was now Rossi’s turn to hunt the leader and he closed in and passed Viñales on lap-26, but the Spaniard fought back and continued to push hard forcing Rossi into an uncharacteristic mistake which saw the Italian crash on the final-lap. Viñales took the honours with a victory that also signalled Yamaha’s 500th Grand Prix win in all classes and returned the Spaniard to the top of the riders’ classification. Zarco benefited from Rossi’s crash and inherited second place to give him his best MotoGP result and the title of First Independent Team Rider, a result that saw the first French rider on a MotoGP podium since 2009 and the first one in the top-three on home soil since 1988, making his achievement in-front of the home fans even greater significance. Third place went to Pedrosa, who raced from thirteenth on the grid to take the final podium position. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took fourth after a fascinating battle with Crutchlow and Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) finished in sixth. Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was next to cross the line in seventh, with Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) following him home for eighth. A second Frenchman in the top-ten saw Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) take ninth, with Andrea Iannone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) securing tenth position.

As the race wore on Viñales, Rossi, and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) all broke the existing lap record, again demonstrating that the different compounds of Michelin front and rear tyres could be used to great effect as Viñales, and Rossi equipped their bikes with medium front and rear slick, while Pedrosa favoured and medium front and soft rear, this added to Zarco’s choice, and Cal Crutchlow using a hard front and medium rear, meant again five of the six different choices of compounds were used.

Today’s race marked another record-breaking weekend for Michelin. From the 12th circulation onwards the lap-record started to tumble as Viñales became the first to set a new marker, followed by Rossi and Pedrosa as the three recorded new bests a total of eight times between them. Viñales took the final prize as he set a time of 1’32.309 on the very last-lap and completed the race in 43’29.793 to record a new race duration record, over 16-seconds better than the previous best time.

The 28-lap event was watched by over 104,000 fans at trackside and the pleasantly dry and sunny conditions were in stark contrast to the cold and wet weather the paddock had encountered on the previous two-days, which meant the whole field had very little dry set-up time in preparation for the race. This showed again the consistency of the Michelin slicks as they coped with new Le Mans asphalt and produced a fantastic encounter with battles throughout the field.

Sadly, all this weekend’s proceedings were overshadowed following the news that filtered through to the paddock on Thursday regarding former MotoGP and Michelin World Champion Nicky Hayden. The American was cycling near the Misano circuit in Italy when he was struck by a car and severely injured, resulting in serious trauma, he is currently in the Intensive Care unit at the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, where the prognosis remains guarded. All at Michelin would like to wish Nicky and his family and the best, and everyone hopes for a full recovery from his injuries.

Michelin and the MotoGP paddock now heads across Europe to the picturesque and demanding Mugello circuit in Italy for round six of the championship, due to be held on Sunday 4th June.

Maverick Viñales – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP:

“Today I felt really good, which was important after two races where I felt not so good. Today the bike felt great and we did a good job in the warm-up. We kept the tyres working well and over the weekend we’ve done some good work with Pascal and Michelin to get this result. We made the lap and race records which it really nice and so good, it is a great feeling today.”

Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme:

“Firstly, I want to send my wishes on behalf of Michelin and myself to Nicky Hayden and his family and hope that he makes a complete recovery from what appears to be a very serious accident. Nicky is an exemplary sportsman and a great person away from the track. He was the last Michelin World Champion before the single tyre rule and has a special place in the hearts of all at Michelin, so we all hope for some good news soon.

“This weekend was complicated by the wet and cold weather over the first two-days, so there was very little chance for the teams to set the bikes up or get tyre information and feedback. That said though it gave us valuable wet weather time and data and the tyres worked well in the wet and drying conditions and we saw some impressive lap-times. With the limited dry time the riders had before the race we never expected the excitement we got this afternoon. Again different riders chose different selections, highlighting the choice we are giving to all. The new asphalt showed good signs of grip when we tested here earlier this month and so it proved in the race. The tyres matched the grip and we saw the lap-record beaten many times, we also witnessed the durability of the tyres as the fastest lap of the race came at the very end. That individual lap time is impressive, but when it is added to the race duration record it becomes even more pleasing. The race was also exciting and up until the end you didn’t have an idea of where victory would go, so it was also a great show for the fans. Congratulations to Maverick on his victory and a special mention to Johann for making France proud!”

More, from a press release issued by SIC Racing Team:

DRAMATIC FRENCH GRAND PRIX FOR SIC RACING TEAM AT LE MANS

Le Mans, France – Sunday 21st May

Circuit: Circuit des “24 Heures du Mans

Circuit Length: 4.2 km

The French Grand Prix saw a disappointing end for SIC Racing Team rider Adam Norrodin, who dramatically crashed out of today’s Moto3 race, whilst teammate Ayumu Sasaki battled to 19th place in a sixteen lap dash to the chequered flag.

Only moments into the start of the twenty-four lap race, 18-year-old Norrodin was caught up in a four rider incident at turn four, before going on to crash out at turn six. Following a multi rider pile up shortly after, the red flag was brought out and a sixteen lap quick re-start race was declared.

With Norrodin unable to re-join, all eyes were on teammate Ayumu Sasaki. As the lights went out the Moto3 rookie immediately gained positions from 27th place, but unable to find his rhythm, struggled to match the pace of the leaders, concluding the day in 19thposition.

Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager

“It certainly wasn’t the race we were looking for here today. Adam had some real bad luck in the first race and was hit by two riders on the first lap in turn four. There was nothing he could do to avoid the crash; he was stuck in between both riders. The impact with them punctured his oil line. The bike never hit the ground so he wasn’t aware of the damage and so went to continue but the oil had leaked onto his tyres and he crashed out completely at the next turn. It’s a real shame because I think Adam could have done well in the race today.

In the restart Ayumu’s first few laps were not good; he was too slow. He improved towards the end but by then it was too late. He was in the group fighting for fourteenth position but he finished a few tenths off from the points. Today he was too weak; he should have been stronger in the beginning and pushing more to gain positions.

We now need to regroup and remain focused. We are not giving up; we just have to keep working and prepare for Mugello.”

#7 ADAM NORRODIN – DNF

“I’m so disappointed. We had a good pace in warm up this morning and I was feeling really motivated and confident for the race. I made a good start and was in a good position but then suddenly one rider crashed into me and then another from the other side. I had no place to go and was stuck in between them both. My bike was still running so as soon as I broke free from them I tried to carry on. I had no idea of the damage it had caused. As soon as I reached the next corner I was high-sided off; this is when I saw the oil. I feel really sad and so disappointed. I’m very sorry that I didn’t see it straight away and I want to apologise to my team and all the other riders that it affected.

It’s been a very unlucky day for us but we cannot let it defeat us. We will come back fighting in Mugello.”

#71 AYUMU SASAKI – P19

“It’s been a very tough weekend for me here at Le Mans. Up until today I have been struggling a lot, but in warm up this morning we found something with our set-up and the bike felt good. I improved my riding style too, so I was looking forward to the race but unfortunately I think our qualifying position made it too difficult. In Moto3 you have to make a strong qualifying because starting from the back makes it so hard to get anywhere near the front group in the race. This is something that I will be focussing on for Mugello. If I can start higher up on the grid I know we can fight harder and score points.”

More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Racing:

Vierge secures 9th in Le Mans – Gardner perseveres in tricky battle

Xavi Vierge recorded a solid top ten finish at the Tech3 Racing Team’s home Grand Prix after producing a determined display in the round 5 fight. The Spaniard began the race from 11th the grid and quickly set into a consistent pace as he ran with the top group in the opening stages. After fighting all the way to the chequered flag, he concluded the GP in 9th, to achieve his fourth top ten result of the year.

Meanwhile, the resolute Remy Gardner delivered a confidence boosting performance to finish the French Grand Prix in 20th as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. The young Australian fought tirelessly in the gruelling 26-lap sprint and he now confidently looks on to the next race at Mugello where he hopes to fight for his first points of the season.

Xavi Vierge

Position: 9th – Championship: 8th – Points: 32

“The result today was another positive close to a racing weekend. This event was a bit tricky because we didn’t have many completely dry sessions until today, but the team worked hard to give me the best possible bike. In the race, I felt really good on my Mistral, and I pushed hard to remain with the leading riders. However, on the sixth lap, Baldassarri crashed in front of me and as a result, I lost two or three seconds which is a lot. Then Corsi and Nakagami passed me, but I stayed close and I tried to overtake them on the last lap, yet it was not possible today. Another top ten is good so thanks to the Tech3 Racing Team for their hard work and I believe that we will improve in the next rounds.”

Remy Gardner

Position: 20th – Championship: Not Classified

“It was a tough day for me but I gave it everything that I had and I’m sure that the next round will be more positive. Today, I had a bit of an issue with the front because there was some chatter and vibration when I entered the corners. I struggled and eventually, I got really tired towards the end. However, to finish the race is confidence boosting and hopefully, I can come back stronger and a bit fitter at the next Moto2 race in Mugello.”

Hervé Poncharal – Team Manager

“Xavi Vierge had a strong race today and we are pleased with his result at our Home Grand Prix. He had another exceptional start and rode a really good pace as he fought with Corsi and Nakagami who are riders that we want to be close to every weekend because we know that they can win GP’s. It was a long race but Xavi never gave up and he set his fastest lap towards the end. He pushed non-stop and eventually, those three finished quite close together with our rider completed the sprint in 9th. In addition, this result meant that we reclaimed 8th in the championship standings after the big disappointment of Spain. We all know that we have to continue in this way, and collect as many points as we can. Tomorrow we have a test here in Le Mans and there’s quite a lot to do as we undertook some aerodynamic work last week and so we are going to test a few items tomorrow. We know that Moto2 is not easy and perhaps it is the toughest class in the MotoGP World Championship but we will keep pushing. I want to say thank you to Xavi, his crew chief Antonio and the whole team. On the other side of the garage, it was not so easy for Remy who is still limping and has quite a lot of pain with his injured ankle. We can see that he is coming back so let’s wait a few more weeks until Barcelona, where he should be almost 90% fit. For Remy, it must be a big motivation to see what his teammate is doing and Italy will be here soon where hopefully our rider will be a bit fitter.”

More, from a press release issued by Federal Oil Gresini Racing:

 NAVARRO: “IT WAS AN UNUSUAL CRASH”

It was not one racing weekend to remember for Jorge Navarro at Le Mans. The rider of team Federal Oil Gresini did show glimpses of good competitiveness in France, which were unfortunately overshadowed by some crashes that halted his progression and affected his consistency.

Starting from row seven, the 21-year-old Spaniard started experiencing some issues at the front-end of his Kalex Honda machine, which led to an early crash and subsequent withdrawal from the race.

Navarro does not want to waste any time and will return to action this Wednesday and Thursday, as Gresini Racing will perform a two-day private test at Misano before the next Grand Prix, which takes place at Mugello in a fortnight’s time.

DNF – JORGE NAVARRO #9

“I have learned some more from this category this weekend, after all. I wasn’t feeling comfortable on the bike on Friday already but yesterday, despite the crashes, we did find something interesting. Today, though, the feeling was not there especially at the front-end: I crashed while entering turn 13, but I think I have done nothing wrong. It might have been a tyre problem but we’re not sure. We will keep working on the front-end feeling at Misano this weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Morbidelli wins fourth race of the season in Le Mans

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli won his fourth race of the season with a superb, front-running performance in the French Grand at Le Mans.

It was a brilliant comeback after the disappointment of scoring zero points with a crash out of the previous race at Jerez and confirms that Morbidelli is the man to beat in the Moto2 World Championship.

Morbidelli held his nerve to hold off a strong late race challenge from fellow Italian Francesco Bagnaia to claim victory with a margin of 1.7 seconds.

Morbidelli set the fastest lap of the race and a new record for the 4.18km Bugatti Circuit of 1’38.836 on lap 21 as he held off Bagnaia’s surge.

Earlier Morbidelli had wrestled for the lead in the opening laps with Tom Lüthi but was in control of the lead from half distance of the 26-lap race run in sunny and warm conditions.

The French GP was a tribute to the tenacity of Álex Márquez who ignored the pain and discomfort of fracture in his left foot to finish a brave fourth.

Márquez only conceded the final podium position with five laps reaming after a long and tense battle with Lüthi.

Morbidelli leads the championship on 100 points after five rounds ahead of Tom Lüthi on 80 with Márquez moving into third place with 62 points.

Franco Morbidelli: 1st

“I am really happy because it was important to make a good race here after my bad Sunday in Jerez at the previous race. I wasn’t planning to win; I just wanted to stay with Lüthi, Bagnaia and Álex because they had a strong pace in practice. But from the start I had confidence and trust in my bike and decided to push and go for the win so thanks to my team for all the work to allow me to do this.”

Álex Márquez: 4th

“It has been a difficult weekend with the changeable weather and two crashes in practice and then with the pain in my foot for the race. But I think I did a good job and the podium was close but I just couldn’t make it today over the final laps. The main thing is I scored important points for the championship at a circuit where I normally struggle a little. I’m motivated to keep this mentality of scoring good points in every race.”

Michael Bartholemy – Team Principal

“It is a fantastic weekend with Franco winning and Álex just missing the podium in fourth position. Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS has now had one rider on the top step of the podium at all five races so far this season. The target before the race was for both riders to score points and we achieved that with Franco riding a great race out front and Álex fighting all the way despite his foot injury.”

More, from a press release issued by British Talent Team:

McPhee storms back into the points at Le Mans

BTT rider fights through for a solid comeback in France

After early drama with a multi-rider incident in the original race start at Le Mans, Moto3™ at the French GP was then restarted with a shortened distance of 16 laps. British Talent Team rider John McPhee was lining up outside the top twenty, but made a storming start and had an impressive first few laps to leap up the timesheets.

After initial leader Romano Fenati crashed out of contention, the race behind Joan Mir was characterised by a quintessentially Moto3™ freight train – with McPhee up in that group and fighting hard to move forward.

Battling with those around him, McPhee then settled into the lead of an emerging second group, finally crossing the line in P12 for more valuable World Championship points after gaining more than ten positions despite the shorter 16 lap race distance.

After a test for the Moto2™ and Moto3™ fields at Le Mans on Monday, next McPhee takes on Mugello – with gains made in the standings as a number of key rivals failed to score in France.

John McPhee, P12: “It was always going to be hard coming from 25th on the grid, and then with the race shortened it gave me less time to come through the pack. I decided to go with the hard rear tyre which maybe didn’t pay off with less laps on the restart, but overall I was happy with my pace and the step we made. I know if I’d qualified slightly closer to the front I would’ve been in the fight for the podium. I’m looking forward to our test tomorrow, it’s come right in time before a few back-to-back races.”

More, from a press release issued by Remy Gardner’s publicist:

Confidence Building Race For Remy At Le Mans

Remy Gardner finished 20th in today’s 26 lap French Moto2 race at Le Mans, continuing to rebuild his confidence after breaking his leg at the Argentine GP several weeks ago.

The 2.6 mile circuit had been resurfaced for 2017 and lap times were significantly faster than 12 months ago!

Starting the weekend steadily, Remy overcame the mixed conditions to eventually qualify 23rd in the sole dry qualifying session, despite a small spill in FP3.

Gaining in confidence with every lap since his return to the paddock, today’s French GP, the home event for his Tech3 squad was tough, but nevertheless the #87 Aussie gave his all, gaining several places with another impressive opening lap before battling hard to eventually claim 20th at the flag.

The next round of the Moto2 World Championship takes place at Mugello in Italy with Remy hopeful of scoring his first points of the season as his fitness and feeling continue to improve following the French GP.

Remy Gardner: “This weekend was all about gaining confidence and finding the feeling again with the bike which we did with every lap.Throughout the weekend the team did a great job and I actually did better in qualifying than I thought we could. The race itself was tough and I got quite tired towards the end but I gave it everything and I am sure that in Mugello it will be an even more positive result. I had a small issue with some front end chatter which gave me some vibration entering the corners during the race, however, to finish the race inside the top twenty is confidence boosting so I am already looking forward to the next race!”

More, from a press release issued by Forward Racing:

Forward Racing to leave France without deserved rewards

The race day for the fifth round of the 2017 Moto2 World Championship season began in positive fashion with Forward Racing Team’s Lorenzo Baldassarri finishing in third place during this morning’s warm up, while Luca Marini commenced the day with a similar pace, just 0.4 seconds from the top. Both Italian riders were set to attack in the 26 laps encounter under the French sun at midday.

Baldassarri, starting from eight on the grid, made up two positions in the course of the first lap and snatched another rider afterwards to take over fifth position in the opening stages of the race. The 20-year old fought hard to keep up with the leading group, but unluckily lost the front while fighting for a highly deserved Top 5 result. Yet, Baldassarri showed his strong determination and fighting spirit picking up his 2017 Kalex as he tried to continue racing, but was forced to stop because of a broken foot peg.

Meanwhile, Marini showed a superb pace during the whole weekend at the 4.185 kilometer Bugatti Circuit, as he kicked off proceedings the from fourth position, which was his best ever qualifying result. He got off a good start, but his race ended prematurely in turn nine as a contact with another rider interrupted his chances to fight for a first career podium.

Baldassarri and Marini are now concentrating on a two days’ private test, which takes place next week at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, before the entire Forward Racing Team sets their sights on the first Italian Grand Prix, which takes place in less than a fortnight in Mugello.

Lorenzo Baldassarri – DNF

“Overall, we had a fantastic weekend and a real chance to get our first podium in 2017. It’s a bit of a shame to finish this great Grand Prix in such a way, but that’s racing. At the beginning of the race I pushed hard, because I had the feeling that I could catch the leading group. However, I quickly realized, I was on the limit with the rear tyre, so I decided not to take any unnecessary risk at this point of the race. When Pasini passed me, I made a couple of mistakes while breaking, therefore Aegerter could close the gap. I was still in the hunt for the fifth position, but with Aegerter in front of me, I tried to change my line in order to pass him again. Unfortunately, there was a bump, which I hit and lost the front. Anyway, I wanted to finish the race, but my foot peg was broken after the crash, so it was impossible to carry on for the entire distance. It’s a very unlucky end to what has been a strong weekend so now we’re looking forward to our private test in Misano on Wednesday and our all-important home GP in Mugello.”

Luca Marini – DNF

“We have done very well during this weekend, so it’s a real pity to leave Le Mans without our deserved rewards. I was strong and fast in very single session, plus I enjoyed riding and I also know, that for the next years I’ll be even better, which is important. In addition, I gave my 100% and I’m happy about the work with my team, which I want to thank, because they did a great job. With regards to today, the race is always different from qualifying and practice, as everyone is very close to each other and especially at the beginning, it’s easy to make a mistake. My race today ended before it really began, as I had a collision with Pasini in turn nine during the first lap and as a result of which I went down. Now my shoulder hurts a bit and it will be important to recover well, because in the next days we have an important test in Misano and then the race in Mugello. But I will give it my all to be in the best possible shape.”

Giovanni Cuzari – Team Owner

“Of course, today we can’t hide our disappointment about the final race result, but we have to take away the positives from this weekend! Both our riders have been among the fastest during every single session and they have shown their great potential, which makes us feel confident for the upcoming challenges. This afternoon, we went into the race with high expectations after the excellent work during the last days, which sadly didn’t pay off in the end. I’m sorry for our boys in the garage as well as for our fantastic sponsors, who are always in our back and make this dream possible for all of us, so we will come back even stronger in Italy in two weeks’ time. In any case, there are definitely worse things in life, we just have to think about Nicky, his family and his friends in these days. So we continue to hope for the best and send a lot of strength to them! Stay strong and keep fighting, Nicky!”