FIM MotoGP World Championship
Le Mans, France
May 15, 2015
Free Practice Two Results (all using Bridgestone tires):
1. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), 1:33.179
2. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:33.369
3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:33.553
4. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:33.652
5. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:33.670
6. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:33.686
7. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:33.725
8. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:33.903
9. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:33.944
10. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), 1:33.953
11. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), 1:34.092
12. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:34.110
13. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:34.253
14. Scott REDDING, UK (HONDA), 1:34.371
15. Stefan BRADL, Germany (FORWARD YAMAHA), 1:34.543
16. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:34.568
17. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (HONDA), 1:34.663
18. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:34.745
19. Loris BAZ, France (FORWARD YAMAHA), 1:35.002
20. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (DUCATI), 1:35.067
21. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (HONDA), 1:35.090
22. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), 1:35.137
23. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (HONDA), 1:35.182
24. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (ART-APRILIA), 1:35.938
25. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (APRILIA), 1:36.056
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Flying start sees Smith top of the field at Tech3s Home GP
Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Bradley Smith delivered a sensational FP2 performance to top the standings at the close of the first day of action at the French Grand Prix. The young Briton kicked off proceedings under bright and sunny weather conditions at the Tech3 team’s home race by finishing the opening session in 10th place with a lap time of 1’34.729. He then burst into action in the overcast afternoon practice before blazing to a superb time of 1’33.179 aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1 on his 18th lap out of 19. This time put him at the head of the field and 0.190 of a second ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. Despite the 23 year old unfortunately falling at turn 13 in the dying moments of the session, his performance today leaves him fully motivated for the race on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro completed the opening day of practice in 8th position after producing a solid display at the legendary 4.2 kilometre Le Mans circuit. The young Spaniard started the day with a finish of 5th in the FP1 session, having ran in 1st position until the closing stages of the practice. His final time was a 1’34.331 that left him only 0.051 behind second place as he intended to continue his efforts in the afternoon. Here, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion rode relentlessly and produced a top time of 1’33.903 on his final lap. Yet, he was unlucky to fall towards the end of the practice whilst trying to improve his time further, although he did not suffer any injuries. However, his positive start to the weekend sees him charged with confidence for the qualifying tomorrow where he will aim to repeat his result of 2nd place on the grid at last year’s event in Le Mans.
Bradley Smith
Position : 1stTime : 1’33.179 Laps : 38
“Today was a great start to the weekend and I’m delighted to finish in first on the opening day in Le Mans at the Tech3 team’s home Grand Prix, which is also sponsored by Monster Energy. The team and I did a top job in the Jerez test where we made considerable steps forward with the front forks and the electronic settings. Moreover, we made consistent progress from the word go today and I must say that I feel much more comfortable here when compared to last year which was a tough weekend for me. I unfortunately fell in the final moments of the session but I don’t consider it to be my fault. Aleix went down in front of me so I got distracted and ran wide and then went onto the dirt and rode over a rock which caused the crash. This is annoying, but nevertheless it’s certainly super to finish the opening day at the top of the field and I’m fired up for the rest of the weekend.”
Pol Espargaro
Position : 8thTime : 1’33.903 Laps : 38
“Overall today was quite a good start to the weekend. This morning my feelings on the bike were positive straight away and our pace was really promising. When the second session started, I went out on a new rear tyre but I had a few difficulties to face as the behaviour of the bike had changed from this morning. Yet, when we swapped the tyre at the end of the session, the issues that we had, just disappeared. We do not know why this sometimes happens, but it’s not the first time this season that some new rear tyres have not had the same level of performance as the others. Beside that, I unfortunately made a mistake and crashed at the end of the back straight in the closing stages of the session without being able to set a fast lap. Therefore the gap to Bradley, who was 1st in the practice, does not worry me and I’m confident that I will be up there with him tomorrow afternoon.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
Lorenzo Holds Second in First Day of French Free Practice
Keeping the momentum going at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo rode his YZR-M1 to second place in the combined session times. Teammate Rossi worked hard on his setting and finished the day in sixth place.
Le Mans (France), 15th May 2015
After wrapping up the weekend in Jerez with a successful day of testing two weeks ago, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo was again on the pace today, leading most of the second free practice session to ultimately finish in second place. Teammate Valentino Rossi had a less fortunate first day, but persisted to work hard on his setting for Sunday‘s Monster Energy Grand Prix de France and ended the day in sixth position.
Lorenzo gradually improved his lap times in the cooler morning session as he focused on his set-up, clocking the third fastest time, a 1’34.301, on his final lap. The setting he found for his YZR-M1 proved to be a good basis to build on in the afternoon session. The Spaniard only took a couple of minutes to top the timesheets with a hot lap of 1‘33.369 and led most of the session, only to get pushed to second place in the final stages.
Rossi also made strides today. He booked progress throughout FP1 and finished in seventh place with a 1’34.570 lap. Despite the wind having picked up in the afternoon, keeping the temperatures cool, the nine-time World Champion was still able to further improve his pace in FP2. Having found his rhythm at the end of the session, he was riding laps under the 1‘34 mark and climbed to sixth place in the order.
Today‘s results see Lorenzo take second place in the combined times, 0.190s off the fastest time, and Rossi in sixth, 0.507s from the front.
JORGE LORENZO
The first day was good because we finished third in the morning and second in the afternoon, these are good positions. I think we don‘t have the best set-up yet for this track, but we‘ve still been competitive. I believe we have some margin for tomorrow, especially to improve the pace. We are still trying different settings to see which one is better. It will be very important to put the bike together correctly and not drop the pace too much during the race.
VALENTINO ROSSI
We worked with the tyres and got some good information. The morning session was more difficult but in the afternoon we improved. At the end, I rode a good lap time and also my pace is quite good. We have to work on section one and three, I‘m not fast enough, but the feeling with the bike is not so bad and it looks like we can improve, if we work in a good way. I tried both tyres and I also liked the harder one. I think it can be a good option for the race, but it will depend on the temperature and conditions.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
It was a good start for Jorge today, he has been fast and consistent since the first session. Vale found a good feeling with his bike at the end of the second session and was able to improve his lap time and his rhythm. We still have a lot of work to do, and we‘re confident we can make another step for qualifying. We have to spend some more time on deciding on a race tyre, but we‘re heading in the right direction for Sunday‘s race.
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia:
Redding rues lack of grip in Le Mans
Le Mans, France – 15 May 2015: Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Scott Redding finished the opening day at Le Mans 14th fastest with the Englishman struggling for front grip at the French Grand Prix.
Conditions were tricky at Le Mans today with damp patches in the morning session and a dry track in the afternoon that allowed riders to push harder. Redding finished the opening session of the weekend sixth fastest, but in the second session he was unable to improve his confidence in the front end and he ended the first day one second slower than the fastest time.
In the closing minutes of the afternoon session Redding used a new tyre but it offered little improvement at that time, with track conditions becoming difficult once again with numerous riders crashing in the closing stages.
Scott Redding: 14th – 1’34.371
“I was just struggling with front grip. This morning it was okay but the conditions were mixed. In the afternoon we had a similar problem to the morning, even when we put in the new tyre we didn’t improve too much compared to the used tyre, which is unusual, but it’s something that has happened a few times this year to us. We need to have a look at how we can get a little bit more front grip and feeling for tomorrow.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“It was a good start to the day in the morning and the results of the test at Jerez helped in that session, but in the afternoon we couldn’t improve the lap time and it looked like we were hitting the wall even with a new tyre. We need to find something for tomorrow to allow us to have the same performance as this morning.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
FIRST DAY OF MOTOGP PRACTICE AT LE MANS
Bautista e Melandri are hard at work with the entire team on a track that demands rethinking the setups on the RS-GP bikes
Le Mans (France), 15 May 2015 – The first day of free practice on the historic French circuit in preparation for the GP on Sunday had the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini technicians and riders looking for new setups on the RS-GP bikes ridden by Melandri and Bautista.
In fact, the grip conditions on the French track proved to be hard on the setups that the Italian team had been working on in the latest outings and which had brought consistent progress in the first four rounds of the season.
So Friday work was done in various directions and tomorrow will be the same for the two sessions prior to the qualifiers. The team is looking for different solutions so they can get back the good feelings they had at the end of the Jerez round and to be able to count on a setting for the RS-GP bikes tomorrow (when the starting order will be decided) that will let Bautista and Melandri push hard to put the best possible times on the sheets.
Today at the end of the two practice sessions Alvaro finished with the 22nd time in 1’35.137, while Marco put the 25th time on the sheets in 1’36.056.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
“After Jerez we thought we had a fairly strong performance in hand, but here we found decidedly different conditions which have now forced us to try and make up ground in terms of grip. We need to do a lot of work on the setups, changing the chassis parameters in order to look after the tyres better on a track that is characterised by hard deceleration and restarts”.
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“It was a day complicated by conditions, especially by low temperatures, which are taking more of a toll than we expected. But we know what our actual potential is and what we need to do is to work to get back to improving straight away, gritting our teeth so we’ll be in the best possible form tomorrow”.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“We started from a very similar to the one we used at Jerez, but evidently the low temperatures complicated things. In the morning we were already having problems with grip, so in the afternoon we tried a different setup solution but without any positive results. In short, it was not our best day, but sometimes that’s the way it goes: we’ll keep working to find a solution to the problems that this track poses for us”.
MARCO MELANDRI
“At Le Mans I am still having the same problems that I’ve had since the beginning of the season. Today the bike was moving around a lot and it was hard to get my lap times down, but tomorrow we’ll keep working hard while waiting for some radical changes that will meet my needs to be able to really push”.
More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone:
Record pace sees Smith top the timesheets in Friday practice at Le Mans
Friday, 15 May 2015
Le Mans, France
Bridgestone slick compounds: Front: Extra-soft, Soft & Medium; Rear: Extra-soft, Soft & Medium (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds: Soft (Main) & Hard (Alternative)
Weather: FP1 – Dry. Ambient 14-14°C; Track 21-27°C (Bridgestone measurement)
FP2 – Dry. Ambient 15-16°C; Track 23-28°C (Bridgestone measurement)
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith put a smile on the faces of his team at their home race, as the British rider topped the timesheets in Friday’s Free Practice sessions at Le Mans.
In the afternoon Free Practice 2 session, Smith set a time of 1’33.179 to end the day 0.190 seconds ahead of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo, the second quickest rider on combined times today. Third quickest overall on the opening day of the French Grand Prix was Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso, whose best time of 1’33.553 was a further two-tenths behind Smith’s benchmark time. The pace this weekend is proving to be extremely fast, with both Smith and Lorenzo’s best times being under the existing Circuit Record Lap of 1’33.548, set by Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez in last year’.
Track conditions this morning for FP1 were challenging for the riders with cool temperatures and some damp patches on track following overnight rain. In the search for maximum grip and warm-up performance in the tricky conditions, tyre choice for FP1 saw the majority of riders start with the extra-soft compound front slick – the softest option in Bridgestone’s line up – with either the extra-soft or soft compound rear slick. Although the tarmac was completely dry for FP2, persistent cloud cover and cool winds kept track temperatures low, with a peak reading of 28°C recorded at the end of FP2. Despite the cool temperatures, in addition to using the softer rear slick option, many riders evaluated their harder rear option – medium compound for the factory Honda and Yamaha riders, soft compound for the rest of the field – in FP2 with promising results. At this stage of the race weekend the soft compound front slick is emerging as the most popular option, but more evaluation of the different rear slick options tomorrow is needed before the riders decide which rear slick is their best race option.
Cool and cloudy conditions are forecast for tomorrow, with the next MotoGP session being FP3 at 0955 local time (GMT +2).
Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
“Today we had typical weather conditions for Le Mans with cool temperatures and a strong breeze. The tarmac at this circuit doesn’t offer a lot of grip and this combined with the particularly cool conditions this morning, meant all riders started FP1 with the extra-soft front slick to ensure they had the maximum amount of grip available. As the riders became more acquainted with the track conditions, there was a shift towards using the soft compound front slick as this still offers a high level of grip and warm-up performance, but with better braking stability. For the rear tyre, there was quite a bit of experimentation with both the softer and harder rear options, and more comparison work between the options is needed tomorrow before each rider can decide which rear slick specification will be their race tyre choice. At this point of the weekend we already have riders lapping under race record pace, so it will be interesting to see how close the riders can get to the outright lap record in qualifying tomorrow. ”
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Friday’s free practices at Le Mans: Yonny smiles for his Top 10, Petrux ends 16th
At the end of the first day of free practice at Le Mans circuit, where on Sunday will take place the Grand Prix de France, fifth step of the 2015 MotoGP season, Yonny Hernandez can smile for the Top 10 won while Danilo Petrucci had to to settle for 16th place.
The Colombian was very consistent ending up the FP1 with the eighth fastest laptime, half a second behind Andrea Dovizioso, the fastest after the morning activity. Yonny managed to lap fast even in the afternoon setting the tenth fastest time (1’33.953) despite running with the race tire. Tomorrow morning the target for the rider of Medellin is to exploit the soft tyre” in the time attack of the FP3 to gain direct qualification to Q2.
Danilo worked hard on the set up trying new solutions in terms of geometry but he failed to find the right feeling with his Ducati Desmosedici GP14 ending the morning with the sixteenth laptime. In the afternoon the rider from Terni managed to lower by more than a second his crono but his quickest time of 1’34.568 was not enough to win positions in the timesheet.
Friday’s free practices at Le Mans: Yonny smiles for his Top 10, Petrux ends 16th
10° – Yonny Hernandez – Pramac Racing #68 – 1’33.953
I am happy because we got the tenth place which is the main goal of every day. We still have to improve something, especially in corner exit where I do not feel too comfortable. But I think we can make a step forward tomorrow to try to get directly into Q2. I have a good feeling here at Le Mans but I know that tomorrow will be a big battle to stay into the Top 10 and you will need to do even better than today.
16° – Danilo Petrucci – Pramac Racing #9 – 1’34.568
We struggled a lot. Perhaps this is the worst friday since the start of the season. We wanted to try a different set up. But I have not found so much confidence on the rear, especially in corner entry. And it is not a good feeling. We have tried the same setting in Jerez and the results were positive. But here in Le Mans, probably due to the different characteristics of the circuit and the lower temperature, we did not get what we wanted. We’ll look at the data and probably tomorrow morning we will go out on the track with a lower bike, as I prefer. We are not far away but the laptime is not good. Anyway we have clear ideas: we know what to do tomorrow and it gives me confidence for the qualifying.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Good start for Andrea Dovizioso in French GP with third place in Friday free practice at Le Mans. Iannone eleventh despite shoulder pain
Andrea Dovizioso’s Le Mans weekend got off to a good start, with the Italian ending the first day of free practice for the French GP in third place. The Ducati Team rider was very quick in the morning session, when he topped the timesheets, and then in FP2 he set third quickest time while showing above all an excellent pace.
His team-mate Andrea Iannone went out on track today with a very painful left shoulder, the result of a crash three days ago during Ducati testing at Mugello. The rider from Vasto, who received assistance from the Clinica Mobile medical staff, determinedly took part in both of today’s free practice sessions and ended the day in a provisional eleventh place, around nine-tenths of a second off the pace of the leader.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’33.553 (3rd)
“I am very happy with the feeling I have established with my Desmosedici GP15 here at Le Mans. The test at Mugello proved to be really useful: now I can be quick with ease and this allows us to work well, to do the required testing and to be able to improve on the small details that are so important when it comes to the race. I am satisfied with today’s performance, but for sure we still have to work on improving the stability of the bike”.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 1’34.092 (11th)
“I am in a bit of a difficult situation, because my shoulder is still hurting. This morning I started without taking any type of painkiller, but in the afternoon the doctors of the Clinica Mobile gave me an injection. Unfortunately the situation did not improve: the pain remained virtually the same and my shoulder is still creating me problems, especially in the chicanes and in the changes of direction. For tomorrow we will try and find a solution that allows me to ride better, but I fear I will have to grit my teeth because it’s not going to be an easy weekend”.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Positive first day for Marquez and Pedrosa in Le Mans
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez and teammate Dani Pedrosa (returning to the team after a three race absence) have had a productive first day at the French GP, with twelve riders within a second of each other.
After heavy rain fall yesterday, the weather stayed dry for the first day of practice, enabling Dani to find his feet again after his time off after surgery to his right arm. In this morning’s FP1 session, Marc lost time after an electrical issue on one of his bikes early in the session, which was fixed soon after. However, the reigning World Champion didn’t let this disrupt his day and continued work as usual. Marc – using a new swing arm tested in Jerez – finished the day in 5th place with his time of 1’33.670 on lap 16 of 21.
Dani, having not ridden his Honda RC213V for six weeks, took it easy this morning to find his feeling again. He improved considerably by the afternoon and finished this first day in 7th with a time of 1’33.725 (lap 18/18) and just half a second from the top spot.
Marc Marquez
5TH 1’33.670 [LAP 16/21]
“Today went quite well. I’m happy because we have done a good job in preparation for the race, and we have also done some interesting tests that will allow us to keep working in a good way this weekend. The final position for the day might only be fifth, but the feeling is good and that is important. Tomorrow we will try to improve and continue on the same track with our work, which is the right way for us to go.”
Dani Pedrosa
7TH 1’33.725 [LAP 18/18]
“The first day after a long time without riding has been a little difficult, as was finding a good feel for the track and getting used to the speed and the tyres. In addition, this track is not easy to tackle when it’s a little cold. However, gradually we have made progress and by the afternoon things were going better, even if I still lacked a bit of pace. Tonight I will try to relax as much as I can, in order to regain energy for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Forward Racing:
Loris Baz debutting at home track
It has been a day of work for the Athinà Forward Racing team on the track of Le Mans this weekend hosting the Grand Prix of France. Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz, after the test in Jerez last week, returned to the track aiming to catch up with the Open class leaders. The first day of practice ended with the riders in 15th and 19th place respectively.
Good start for the German rider, second open behind Miller, despite some minor problems with the electronics. He posted a personal best of 1.34.543 right on the limit of the point-zone and just three-tenths off the Australian.
This race has a special taste instead for Loris Baz racing at Le Mans his first home race in the premier class of motorcycle racing. The Frenchman lapped with both his bikes to fine tune the set up with the aim of improving the pace for the race. Baz went close to breaking the wall of 1.35 and finished in 19th place in the combined standings with a time of 1.35.002.
Stefan Bradl
“It was a day of work. We closed as the second open and I’m happy. I had some problems with the electronics: the bike was very aggressive and I struggled but I think we can improve tomorrow for qualifying. The pace is good we just have to soften the bike a bit to be very competitive”.
Loris Baz
“It was a pretty positive day. I’ve returned to Le Mans after so many years and it was a special emotion. This morning we started right away with both bikes to fine-tune the set-up after the test in Jerez. The feeling was good but I have to improve our race pace. Tomorrow I am convinced we can make a good step forward for qualifying”.
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
First day in Le Mans for the Avintia Racing team
15/05/15 Avintia Racing MotoGP – Grand Prix of France – FP1 -FP2
First practice day for Avintia Racing at the French Grand Prix with no rain and dry conditions in both FP1 and FP2. Hector Barbera used the new GP14.1 chassis for the first time in a race weekend. The Spanish rider had really good feeling during Jerez test two weeks ago and continued his adaptation to the new chassis in Le Mans, but some electronic issues prevent him on finding the best set up. Hector was 21st fastest in the FP1 and 18th in this afternoon FP2 after posting a lap in 1’34.745.
Mike Di Meglio declared himself satisfied with the bike and the track in the opening day at his home Gran Prix. The Avintia Racing French rider is closer to the other Open Class bikes and he is very optimistic for this weekend. He was 18th in the FP1 and after making some changes in the set up of his bike ahead of this afternoon FP2 he suffered a small crash that stopped his improvement. Tomorrow both riders will give the maximum to get the best possible place on the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
HECTOR BARBERA #8 / 18th (3rd Open) 1’34.745 @HectorBarbera
Today was a difficult day because we came here with high expectations after testing the new chassis in Jerez. In the morning session everything went quite well, because the track was half wet half dry and for me is always difficult to go fast in this conditions, but the lap time was fine and I had good feeling. In the second practice we tried some new things with the electronics but I didn’t feel confident when I opened the gas going out of the corners. I think the chassis is working well, but the engine is so rude that I can’t ride the bike as I would like to. Tomorrow we’ll go back to the previous set up and I’m sure we’ll be back on top.
MIKE DI MEGLIO #63 / 20th (5th Open) 1’35.067 @Mikejpp63
It was a good first day. This morning the track was not perfect and I took it smoothly, but I was always in the same lap times of the other Open Class bikes. In the afternoon I felt immediately better, but then we made some modifies and they didn’t work. I crash after just two laps and then I went out with my second bike, but we have to look at the data because the feeling was not the same, so we need to understand why. Racing at home is always special but I don’t feel any pressure. We just need a little step to be closer.
More, from a press releases issued by Aspar Team:
Nicky Hayden seventeenth fastest on opening day of French GP
POWER ELECTRONICS makes progress in opening practice sessions but hopes for more grip and confidence under braking tomorrow
The MotoGP riders were back on track at the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans today as the GP de France got underway with Dani Pedrosa back in action after six weeks out. The Spaniard looked like he might still be struggling with arm-pump in the opening session but in free practice two this afternoon he was more competitive as he clocked the seventh fastest time. Dovizioso set the pace this morning before Jerez race winner Lorenzo dominated the afternoon, only for Smith to deny him the fastest lap of the day right at the end. The British rider sits atop the overnight timesheets at a circuit that has traditionally favoured Spaniards. It was here that the first al-Spanish podium happened back in 2003 (Gibernau, Elías and Pedrosa).
Nicky Hayden continues to fly the flag for the USA in POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Team colours and he worked hard on the opening day in France to find grip and improved braking on both of his Honda machines. Hayden made constant improvements to set his best lap of the day just three from the end, finishing in seventeenth position. On the other side of the garage Eugene Laverty struggled to get to grips with a circuit he feels like he is visiting for the first time. The Irishman has not been here since 2008 and after suffering front-end issues today he finished the day in 23rd place.
17th Nicky Hayden 1.34.663 (38 laps): “Some sections of the track were dirty this morning but we still managed to gather a lot of information over the course of the day. The team has done a great job once again and this has allowed us to move forward in a couple of areas. We worked with both bikes today to find some more grip and confidence under braking. This is a demanding circuit, you really need a well-balanced bike that allows you to brake hard. We could have started better but at least the feeling here on this first day is better than it was at Jerez. We will continue to work along the same lines tomorrow to see if we can make some improvements to the chassis and electronics.”
23rd Eugene Laverty 1.35.182 (42 laps): “It is a long time since I rode here so it was like the first time again today. It was a strange day for us, even though we had plenty of track time. We had some problems with the front end and I don’t remember finishing a session so far back. Our set-up has worked well at other tracks but this one is quite unique, there isn’t a lot of grip and we lost some confidence in the front. We pushed hard but the lap times didn’t come and I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike. We will have to adapt the bike better tomorrow because it is not turning in some sections of the track.”
More, from a press release issued by CWM LCR Honda:
CRUTCHLOW ON THE PACE AT LE MANS
Cal Crutchlow made an encouraging start to the fifth round of the MotoGP World Championship at Le Mans as he posted the fourth quickest time during Friday’s free practice sessions ahead of the French Grand Prix.
Although the British CWM LCR Honda rider acknowledged the circuit was not a venue he had previously enjoyed too much success at, he improved throughout the day and finished fourth in both the morning and afternoon sessions.
With the track having dried out following a damp morning, Crutchlow went over a half a second quicker in the afternoon and ended up 0.473 seconds behind compatriot Bradley Smith who topped the timesheets.
Cal Crutchlow #35 (4th – 1’33.652)
“Today was not a bad day. I was getting familiarised with the circuit as it’s not one of my better circuits. I quite enjoy the circuit, but I’ve just not particularly ridden too well here.
“We have to look to improve, we’ll go through the data tonight with the CWM LCR Honda guys and work out a plan to do better in tomorrow’s morning and afternoon sessions.
“It’s always tricky here with the tyre situation as we use a used rear tyre in the second free practice and I think we’re on a different plan to the other guys. But it worked quite well as we had race distance on the tyres and I’m quite happy.”
More, from another press release issued by CWM LCR Honda:
MILLER MAKES HIMSELF COMFORTABLE AT LE MANS
Jack Miller made a strong start to the fifth round of the MotoGP World Championship at Le Mans today, lapping as the fastest ‘Open’ category rider on the opening day of free practice for the French Grand Prix.
The CWM LCR Honda rookie instantly felt at ease with the legendary French circuit, where he took victory in the Moto3 race last season, and he made progress throughout the day’s two sessions.
After lapping 22nd fastest on a track that still had some damp patches this morning, Miller made use of the improved conditions in the afternoon to find just over 1.6 seconds and catapult himself up the order to 13th on the combined timesheets overnight.
Jack Miller #43 (13th – 1’34.253)
“Yeah I’m happy with today. We’ve made some improvements and I’m getting more and more comfortable with the bike. I also feel more comfortable with the track, definitely more so than Jerez, so it has been a good start to the weekend. We need to keep improving but so far I am really happy!”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
POSITIVE 1ST DAY FOR TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR AT LE MANS
A relatively cold Le Mans welcomed the Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders for the first day of the French GP weekend and the first two sessions of practice today saw Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales work intensively to get the best feeling with the track ahead of Sunday’s race.
Both riders are starting from very different attitudes as they approach the weekend’s racing around this tight and technical circuit: Espargaro isn’t a big fan of the circuit while Viñales is looking forward to the race.
The morning session went pretty smooth for both riders, constantly improving their lap-times while testing the improvements introduced following the test in Jerez. The electronics and general set-up modifications delivered effective and good-performing machines in terms of handling and braking, thus giving positive feelings to Espargaro and Viñales.
The conditions of the track, due to the cold weather, eventually resulted in one crash for each rider in FP2, fortunately without major damage. This prevented them making a proper attack on the timesheets with a fast, single lap. This eventually resulted in Espargaro in ninth place with time of 1’33.944 and Viñales 12th with a 1’34.110s lap.
Davide Brivio – Team Manager:
“The day got a little complicated because of the two crashes, because then we couldn’t finish the job we were supposed to do. However we got a positive result after a hard day, given the cold conditions of the Tarmac. Aleix couldn’t exploit the soft tyre for the fast-lap attack but he has a good pace and we are probably close to a good base for the set-up for the race. Maverick was trying something different as well therefore the crash interrupted him. The positive thing is that we have collected important information during the day and now we will fix the bikes and also try to introduce some improvements for tomorrow. Our objective is of course entering Q2 with both riders.”
Aleix Espargaro:
“I’m happy for the first day since this isn’t a track I like so much; last year I struggled as well so I’m happy for the feeling I had today with the bike. I feel confident with my GSX-RR, it has a very good handling and you can push the bike under hard braking, which is good for this track. Unfortunately I couldn’t exploit the soft tyre for getting a better position: This morning it was too cold and we decided to go for it in the afternoon. Meanwhile in second session I had a crash just on the second lap with the soft tyre. On this track it’s hard to warm-up the tyres so the grip was not optimal and finally I had a crash. However, with the hard tyre, I have a good pace so tomorrow I’ll try a better attack in the qualifying.”
Maverick Viñales:
“It was a positive first day, the only mistake was the crash. In these conditions you try to push harder and harder and sometimes it happens that you lose the front. Unfortunately this probably stopped us a little bit on the last few minutes for going for the quick lap for the 10th position. I feel very confident in sectors one and two, while I need to find better lines in the second half of the track; also the feeling on the brakes is something we can improve. Despite this I think we can be pretty happy, we have a good bike here – also with the medium tyre – so I feel good. Tomorrow we have to finalise the set-up and to work better with the front tyre.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bradley Smith sets surprising pace on the first day of #FrenchGP
The surprise of the day at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France came from Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), who in FP2 was the fastest of the day with a 1’34.179 lap on an incredibly sunny day at the Pays de la Loire track.
While all the riders improved on their morning times in FP2, Smith seemed to be inspired – either by the fact that it was the home race for his French team, or by the equally impressive performance of his compatriot Danny Kent in Moto3™.
British fans have dreamed of a day dominated by Brit riders and this was the closest they have come in a while, only missing Sam Lowes at the top of the time sheets in Moto2™.
After a great weekend in Jerez, Jorge Lorenzo achieved the second best time after a consistently fast session, with Andrea Dovizioso third. The Italian had been first in FP1, perhaps trying to set the stage for Ducati victory at Le Mans – something that has never happened before.
Cal Crutchlow (CWM-LCR Honda) was fourth in both sessions of the day, while in fifth position on the combined times list was MotoGP World Champion Marc Márquez, who spent the morning trying different solutions such as the swingarm which premiered at the recent test at Jerez. At the beginning of the session he suffered an electrical problem that forced him to walk back to the pits.
The current championship leader Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), ended in sixth place, only one place above the newly-returned Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who makes a comeback this weekend after his arm pump problems forced a temporary withdrawal since the first race of the year in Qatar.
Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and his brother Aleix (Team Suzuki Ecstar) ended the day together, in eighth and ninth positions respectively. Pol had a great weekend at Le Mans last year as a rookie, finishing the race in fourth. That combined with the fact that his team mate Smith was fastest today and that this is the local race for his team, means it would not be shocking to see Pol put on a good show on Sunday.
Pol’s brother Aleix was experimenting with different tyre compounds on his GSX-RR during Free Practice. He ended the day ninth and continues the difficult task of racing an all-new machine, testing and setting up his bike for the first time for almost every circuit in the 2015 season.
The second official Ducati Team rider, Andrea Iannone, finished in a creditable eleventh. The rider returned to action this week after dislocating his left shoulder on a scheduled test at Mugello.
Australian Jack Miller (CWM-LCR Honda) was the first Open class bike on the combined free practice times today, with a 13th position.
Rabat calls the shots in Le Mans
The defending champion of the Moto2 class dominates the first two sessions of Free Practice at Le Mans.
The first day of testing at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France at Le Mans was very positive for the Moto2™ World Champion. Tito Rabat (Marc VDS Estrella Galicia 0’0) led both sessions and set the pace in FP2 with a 1’37.625 lap.
After a difficult start to the season in his Spanish title defence, he wasted no time from the first session of the day, setting a consistent rhythm which – if it continues – could see him take his first victory of the year on Sunday.
Behind Rabat, Thomas Luthi (Derendinger Intewetten Racing) was second in both sessions. Luthi likes Le Mans – with two victories in 125cc victory and a third in Moto2. If there is a circuit in which Luthi can expect to try for victory, we are certainly there this weekend.
Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) arrives as championship leader to his home race in Le Mans. Finishing third in FP1 and fourth in FP2, the Frenchman is sticking to his plan of just going as fast as he can and taking his shot on race day.
Sam Lowes (Speed Up Racing) will be hoping to make up for his disappointing race two weeks ago at the Spanish GP, which he left without points. With a new title sponsor for the French round, the Brit will be gunning for redemption on Sunday and a result that keeps him in the title fight.
Rookie Alex Rins (Páginas Amarillas HP 40) came in 6th. After his result at Jerez, where he lost it in the final corner when trying desperately for second place, the Spaniard will want to do better and so far so good, especially since before today he had never ridden anything bigger than a single-cylinder 250 at Le Mans.
Behind Rins, veteran Julian Simon (QMMF Racing Team) finished in seventh place, ahead of Jonas Folger (Team AGR). Folger’s teammate Axel Pons (AGR Team) was the victim of a spectacular crash, but fortunately he seems to have emerged unscathed.
Danny Kent continues to lay down the law in Moto3™
The Leopard Racing rider again established himself as master of the Moto3 class during Free Practice in Le Mans.
The FP1 and FP2 sessions of the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France have seen British rider Danny Kent (Leopard Racing) at the top of the standings again, continuing his dominance of the 2015 season.
The Brit managed to lower his time in the FP2 session by nearly four seconds to make the best lap of the day at 1’42.731. In general the grid improved lap times over FP1, due to cold track conditions during the morning session.
Kent’s time is just one tenth off the pole position time from last year, which is not a bad way to start the weekend.
Second on the combined times sheet for the day was Livio Loi (RW Racing GP), who seemed as at home in Le Mans as he was in Argentina a few weeks ago. Third-placed Fabio Quartararo (Estrella Galicia 0,0), started the weekend positively on a track where he actually has little experience, despite the fact that he won last year’s FIM CEV Repsol race here.
Rounding out the top five were Efrén Vázquez (Leopard Racing) and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Team Moto3). With the exception of Loi, the top five represent the top riders in the Moto3™ standings. All are on Hondas.
After the fastest five Hondas came the KTMs: with Romano Fenati (SKY Racing Team VR46), Miguel Oliveira and Karel Hanika (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ranking from sixth to eighth respectively. After raising their game in the Jerez race and testing an evolution of the current frame in the test the next day, KTM has decided to continue with the current frame as its main riders found no clear benefits. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly, since rules state that the manufacturer has just one opportunity to introduce a new development over the season.
Closing the day’s top ten in Le Mans were Alexis Masbou (Saxoprint RTG) and Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0), who both suffered crashes during the sessions.
Juanfran Guevara (Mapfre Aspar Mahindra), who is still recovering from his recent broken collarbone, finished 25th. He was clearly suffering from the injury sustained in his clash with Hanika in Jerez.