More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Bastianini flies, Bagnaia falls as Miller and Aleix Espargaro beat Quartararo to the podium

Beast mode is ON at Le Mans as the Gresini rider takes a stunning third win of the season, with an all-Italian bike lock out on the rostrum

Sunday, 15 May 2022

For the third time this season, Enea Bastianini has engaged Beast Mode. Another 25-point haul at the SHARK Grand Prix de France sees the Gresini Racing rider move to within eight points of the top of the Championship, take another Independent Team win and make quite a statement. After he and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) had escaped to make it a duel for supremacy at Le Mans, the Beast struck for the lead and it wasn’t long after that that Pecco slid out of contention.. rider ok, but points haul taking a dent.

Meanwhile, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) maintained it as a Borgo Panigale 1-2, with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro making it three premier class rostrums on the spin for the Noale factory for the first time ever – just denying home hero and reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™).

The atmosphere in the circuit hit fever pitch as riders revved up for the start of Round 7, and it was Miller who got the perfect launch from the line to take the holeshot ahead of Bastianini, who pushed his way through from the second row. Bagnaia was in third with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins and Joan Mir split by Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in P5. A poor start from Aleix Espargaro saw him drop to seventh, while Quartararo also went backwards, the Frenchman initially swallowed up by a number of riders before  starting to make progress forward.

A wild first lap came to a close with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) aggressively lunging up the inside of both Quartararo and Nakagami to move into P7, and it was all go everywhere. Not least for home hero Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), who was having an equally difficult start to the GP just behind, locked in a battle mid-pack with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the two making contact at Turn 6. The RC16 lost a front wing as a result.

The manic start continued back at the front, with Bagania and Rins both picking off Bastianini to drop him out of the podium places. Rins’ ambitions would come crashing to a halt at the beginning of the third lap though, with the Suzuki off track at Turn 2, through the gravel and back on at Turn 4. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep his machine upright as it returned to the tarmac, temporarily rejoining but retiring soon after.

As a result, it was a Ducati one-two-three with the factory riders building up a gap out front, Miller ahead. Bagnaia was through on Lap 4 though, and the race began to settle slightly as riders found their groove. Just back of that fight, Mir led Aleix Espargaro, Quartararo and Marc Marquez.

By Lap 12, Bastinain was past Miller, the Gresini rider going through on the Aussie at Garage Vert. Soon after, there was some change just behind them too, with Mir hitting the deck and tumbling through the gravel at Turn 14. That allowed Aleix Espargaro and Quartararo to gain a position each, but they were still 1.1s away from Miller in third. There was also disappointment for Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) as he recorded a fourth DNF of the year after a Turn 9 fall.

On Lap 17, the fight for victory sparked into life as Bastianini began to swarm all over the back of Bagnaia out front, the GP21 locked on for a few laps to heap on some pressure. The Beast then made his first move at the Dunlop Chicane and the two went wheel-to-wheel up until Turn 6, with Bagnaia posting a classy riposte. The fight wasn’t over though, with Bastianini forcing an error from his Ducati counterpart at Garage Vert as Pecco ran it wide and dropped to P2. That left a second between them and in an effort to reel Bastianini back in, Bagnaia pushed it too hard around the final corner and slid into the gravel, and out of the race. Rider ok, but on a long, lonely walk back down pitlane.

From there, Bastianini just had to keep it steady to bring home his third victory of the year, while Miller was comfortable in second. Attentions switched the remaining podium place, with home fans willing on World Champion Quartararo in the closing laps. He closed and closed and closed but he could never quite get close enough to the Aprilia ahead, with Aleix Espargaro denying the fairytale French ending but continued the Noale dream.

Zarco made moves to get back towards the front, coming home fifth despite that tougher start. Marquez rounded out the top six, while Nakagami put in a very solid seventh place finish. Despite missing a wing from the early stages, Binder claimed P8, while his factory teammate Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) recorded a DNF.

Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Maverick Viñales both claimed top 10 results in encouraging performances.

That’s a wrap on the French GP and it was certainly a race to remember, with the crowd an incredible protagonist too. Next up for MotoGP™ is the Tuscan beauty of Mugello, where we’re sure to see even more twists and turns in this fascinating World Championship… join us then in two weeks!

Enea Bastianini: “I’m really happy about this race, because it was also unexpected because the weekend started really complicated for me, with three crashes, a lot for me. Every time I’m consistent, but here it was really difficult. But in the race, I saw that my pace was really nice, like the group that was in front of me. At the end, when I saw Pecco very close, I understand, ‘Okay, now you have to stay behind.’ At the end, I tried to overtake him in the second corner to make Pecco a little bit nervous. In the end, he went long and I won this race. It’s all for my team because they work a lot at this Grand Prix to give me the best bike and it’s incredible, the job they did.”

Fernandez flies to first win since 2019 in France

The Spaniard gets back on top as teammate Acosta crashes out and Canet beats Chantra and Beaubier to second

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez has broken a drought of almost three years with victory at the SHARK Grand Prix de France, with he and teammate Pedro Acosta pulling clear in the early laps before the rookie crashed out the lead on Lap 11. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) finished second for another impressive podium, fending off Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) limited the damage to his title hopes, finishing eighth despite starting 18th on the grid.

Acosta converted his first Moto2™ pole position into the early race lead while Fernandez slotted into second, one up on where he had qualified. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) was third initially before being passed by Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors Speed Up) on Lap 2, then Canet was into the podium places when he got by Lopez on Lap 5 at Turn 3.

By then, the top two had a margin over the rest of three seconds and growing. Still, Fernandez was keeping in touch with Acosta, thanks in part to a big wobble for the latter exiting Raccordement on Lap 5. A lap later, Lopez and Arenas were down in the gravel together, however, as the Aspar rider tried to go through a diminishing gap at Musee.

Meanwhile at the front, the pole-sitter had just started to put the hammer down when he lost the front through La Chapelle, rider ok but his hopes of a breakthrough Moto2™ victory dashed. That elevated Fernandez to the lead and Canet to second, but the man with the bowtie was coming under pressure from Beaubier and Chantra.

When Beaubier ran just a little wide at Musee on Lap 14, Chantra pinched third, then put a move on Canet a lap later. In doing so, he made room for the American to also go past Canet and reclaim third, but Canet turned the tables on Lap 18, passing Beaubier from a long way back at the Turn 3/Turn 4 chicane and making it stick.

As Fernandez continued to enjoy a margin of six to seven seconds over the rest, second-placed then Chantra outbraked himself at Garage Vert on Lap 18 and had to let his bike run wide. Not only did he cede position to Canet and Beaubier, the Thai rider had cost himself a full second of time, handing a free kick to his rivals in the battle for the podium.

Next it was Beaubier who invited some pressure when he ran wide at La Chapelle on the third-last lap, and Chantra made the pass a lap later as they ran through Turn 13. Meanwhile, Vietti was finally into the top 10, despite running through the gravel at Garage Vert earlier in the race.

Up ahead, Fernandez eased off in the closing laps and cruised to victory by an official margin of 3.746 seconds. The win is his first since the 2019 San Marino Grand Prix, and his first altogether for Red Bull KTM Ajo. A further 0.882 seconds behind Canet, who gained a little breathing space in second, was Chantra in third, with Beaubier a career-best fourth despite losing out on that first podium.

Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) prevailed in a late battle with Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as they finished fifth and sixth respectively, ahead of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Vietti, Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40), and stand in Stefano Manzi (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team).

Arenas managed to remount after his incident with Lopez but could only get back to 19th, missing out on the points. His Inde GASGAS Aspar team-mate Jake Dixon, who did not get away well from the middle of the front row, also pressed on after an early crash from eighth position, but finished even further back in 21st spot. Among those who did not make the chequered flag at all were Lopez and title contender Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team).

Arbolino and Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) went down in synchronised fashion at La Chapelle on Lap 2, although without contact, and that capped off a difficult day for the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team. Before the race had started, it was down to one bike due as Sam Lowes was declared unfit after reporting neck pain and the onset of dizziness after Warm Up. He’d had a nasty highside in Q2.

In the World Championship, Vietti has moved to 108 points, second-placed Ogura is a slightly closer 16 points behind, and Fernandez has climbed to fifth. That’s it for another intriguing weekend of Moto2™. Join us next time when Round 8, the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, unfolds at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello in two weeks!

Augusto Fernandez: “It feels very good to be back here. It’s been a long two-and-a-half years, waiting for this moment again. Already at the beginning of the season, I was feeling good, so we just had to let the moment come. In the end, this weekend I felt very good from Friday, so we kept the momentum all weekend and we finally did it. The pace at the beginning was so, so, so high. Pedro did an awesome first part of the race, he was pushing a lot, but his moment will come. So, congrats to him for the first half of the race, it was amazing. Then, it was a hard race to manage the distance. When you are alone there, to manage the lap times and the distances, it’s even harder than fighting in a group, so I’m very happy. I want to thank all my family, my dad, my mum, and my brother, and, well, all my friends, everyone… my team… everyone!”

Masia brings the last corner magic at Le Mans 

The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider takes a fourth podium in a row and another victory, fending off Sasaki on the last lap

In typical barnstorming Moto3™ fashion, fans were out of their seats for a grandstand finish as a restarted race went down to the wire at the SHARK Grand Prix de France. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jaume Masia earned victory after a thrilling final corner move past Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) while Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) stole the final podium place with another dramatic final corner past poleman Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). It’s the first time Masia has taken four podiums in a row and it moves him up to second in the standings, 17 off leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team).

The threat of rain loomed large over Le Mans on Sunday but initially, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) got a brilliant launch from the line to take the holeshot going into the Dunlop Curve, but the Red Flag soon came out as rain hit the final sector. There had been seven different fallers, including GASGAS Aspar duo Garcia and Guevara, Sasaki, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Riccardo Rossi (SI58 Squadra Corse), but riders all ok and all able to make the restart.

With a new race distance of 14 laps set, it was always going to be a tight affair with the sun shining again, and so it proved. In a carbon copy of the first race start, Moreira managed to push himself into the lead from the second row while a superb effort from Championship leader Garcia saw him move up into the podium places behind then-closest challenger Foggia. Behind them, there was lots of chopping and changing as Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) battled with Migno and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) throughout the first lap.

The race began to settle somewhat by the time the third lap rolled around, while Masia was finding his groove, picking off Suzuki at Garage Vert before getting the better of Foggia on the next lap at the Turn 3 chicane. The Italian tried to return the favour one lap later, but the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider fended him off. The race had lost Scott Ogden by this stage, with the VisionTrack rookie crashing out at La Chappelle, rider ok.

Behind Masia, Garcia had moved up to second after getting past the Leopard Hondas, while Öncü in P4 had entered the podium conversation. All the chopping and changing brought the leader of the second group, Sasaki, into contention too.

Back at the front, Foggia pushed himself back into second at the expense of Garcia. The GASGAS man tried to respond into the chicane, but it went awry and he was forced wide, costing him his drive out of the corner and dropping him to sixth overall. That gave Masia a couple tenths of breathing space out front, but it didn’t last long as he was soon reeled in by Foggia and Sasaki at S Bleu with just over three laps to go.

Coming into the endgame, Foggia led Sasaki ahead of Masia with Suzuki, Garcia and Guevara just behind. However, a move at Garage Vert returned Masia to P2. Coming over the line for the penultimate time, it was anybody’s race. The Dunlop Chicane is always a popular overtaking spot, and Masia lined up a successful attempt for the lead.

La Musee is another hot spot for overtaking, and that’s where Sasaki picked off Foggia, relegating the poleman to third. Having bided his time all race, the Japanese rider looked like he would steal the win with just two corners to go, taking the lead on the flick back left at S Bleu. The drama was still far from over, with Masia producing a sensational last corner lunge up the inside to take the win, while Guevara had done something similar to Foggia to deny the pre-season Championship favourite a podium.

Behind that podium shuffle, Suzuki finished fifth ahead of Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing Pruestel GP), with Garcia recording a P7 finish. Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) ended the day eighth, ahead of Öncü with Migno rounding out the top 10.

Holgado, John McPhee (Sterilgarda Max Racing), Rossi, Moreira after a Long Lap and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) are the other points scorers in France.

That’s a wrap at Le Mans, now the field heads for Mugello and a very different challenge. Join us again in two weeks for more!

Jaume Masia: “It’s amazing, no? It’s incredible, I don’t know what is happening, honestly. I’m enjoying it a lot. It was not easy to manage the situation after the rain, but it’s always amazing to be here. I just want to say thanks. We are really, really strong, I feel really, really good. Maybe we are not the fastest, but we can manage really well. Today, Le Mans repaid me for what happened last year, when I broke my wrist here. So, victory and the first row in qualifying is amazing. I really want to come back stronger, I want to go to Mugello because I like the track a lot. I just want to say thanks to all the people, all my team. We’re going to keep pushing really hard and just really thanks to everybody.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Casadei fends off Zannoni for maiden MotoE™ win

It went down to the wire in an all-Italian duel, with Aegerter and Okubo ultimately completing the podium

Saturday, 14 May 2022

Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) is now an FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup race winner! The Italian veteran saw off a serious challenge from compatriot Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) in Race 1 at the SHARK Grand Prix de France to take his maiden win in the Cup. Zannoni threw everything into his bid for victory, but hit the deck on the final lap when he asked too much of his front tyre at Turn 13. Nevertheless, the speed was a warning shot for Sunday…

After that drama ahead, Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) took second place and a valuable 20 points, with Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) completing the podium in a first rostrum finish for the Japanese rider.

There was drama as soon as the race started when Casadei’s team-mate and reigning Cup winner Jordi Torres fell in the pack as the they exited the Turn 3/Turn 4 chicane. Neither Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) nor Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE™) were able to fully avoid the stricken Spaniard, but after a check up at the medical centre Torres was confirmed with a broken fibula; unfit but otherwise ok.

The net result of that opening lap was that Casadei led Zannoni, Okubo and Aegerter, with Casadei looking like he might break away. However, he was reeled in by Zannoni as the eight-lap contest reached its halfway mark.

After biding his time for a handful of laps, the SIC58 rider then had a big look at race leader as they sped through Turn 1/Turn 2 for the final time. Casadei fended off that attack but Zannoni did not give up, pusing to the limit and then sadly just over it as his challenge came to an end at the penultimate corner when he folded the front. Rider ok, and surely eager to recharge for a Race 2 charge.

Up ahead, Casadei won unflustered by 0.8 seconds, while Aegerter had hustled past Okubo at Turn 3 on the second-last lap. Okubo was a maiden podium finisher in third though, just ahead of Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™), Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Racing), Miquel Pons, and Eric Granado. The latter two, team-mates at the LCR E-Team, had managed to stay upright despite contact exiting Turn 14 in the closing stages of the race, and both will want more on Sunday.

Canepa made the chequered flag in eighth, Andrea Mantovani (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) took ninth as he sits in for Bradley Smith, and Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) was 10th all-told. Escrig had run as high as fourth in the early stages but lost three spots when he ran long at Chemin aux Boeufs (Turn 9/Turn 10) on Lap 2, then had to serve a long lap penalty for the shortcut. Fores ended up 12th and Zannoni was classified a finisher, but in 16th.

Granado won both races in Round 1 of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix, but his lead in the MotoE™ World Cup standings has now been cut to six points, with Aegerter second and Casadei 12 points further back in third. Will they make up more ground, or can the Brazilian fight back? Tune in for Race 2 on Sunday at 15:30 (GMT +2).

Mattia Casadei: “It’s amazing, I’ve been waiting for this victory since the first year of MotoE, finally it’s happened and it’s fantastic. I had a very good race, I pushed a lot from the first lap and this is good, I felt comfortable. I’m happy for me and for my family who believe in me a lot, also my friends, my girlfriend, and my team because they’re working very well. It’s a great emotion..”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Bagnaia throws down the gauntlet with lap record pole at Le Mans

Ducati head the grid, Quartararo starts fourth and Aprilia continue their roll in France

Saturday, 14 May 2022

A magnificent performance from Francesco Bagnaia at the SHARK Grand Prix de France saw him secure consecutive MotoGP™ pole positions for the first time this season, and with a new All Time Lap Record to boot. His 1:30.450 is the fastest two-wheeled lap seen around Le Mans and it also gives Ducati their first pole at the venue.

It’s double delight for the Ducati Lenovo Team too, with Jack Miller joining his teammate on the front row and Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro’s remarkable run of form continuing as the number 41 takes a third consecutive front row.

French favourites Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) had slightly tougher Saturdays. Quartararo will start fourth after getting pipped to the front row, and Zarco qualified sixth but has a 3-place grid penalty for disturbing another rider in Q2.

Q1

Having missed the top 10 cut in Free Practice, Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) navigated through Q1 to take their places in the battle for pole, with Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) denied by just 0.007. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing had a tough day at the office too, with Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira both missing the cut.

Q2

The first runs gave us our first Bagnaia and Quartararo showdown of the weekend. Both riders were keen to get a banker lap in early, and it was the Italian who struck first with an impressive 1:30.6 to sit on top. However, it didn’t take long for Quartararo to get the French fans on their feet as he responded by going 0.011s quicker on his next attempt. As the riders returned to their boxes, Round 1 had fallen the way of the reigning World Champion.

As riders returned to the tarmac, they began to close the gap to the top. Zarco was the first to improve and put himself on the front row provisionally, while Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had gone under Bagnaia’s pace-setting time in the first three sectors. Unfortunately for the two-time premier class race winner, his effort fell just short as he replaced Zarco in P3.

As the session ticked down, Bagnaia upped his game once more, posting a rapid lap to break the All Time Lap Record in Le Mans as well as towing teammate Miller into the top two. Moments later, Aleix Espargaro joined them on the front row after a blistering effort from the RS-GP, and all eyes were now on Quartararo.

The pressure was on the Yamaha rider, and despite a clean two first sectors on his final time attack, he lost time in the third before losing even more completely in the fourth, leaving him with a P4 start come lights out. He’ll be joined on the second row by Bastianini in P5, and after Zarco’s penalty the Frenchman drops to P9, with Mir moving up to take sixth on the grid.

The Grid

The two Ducatis head the Aprilia, with Quartararo keen to push on from fourth. Bastianini was top Independent too, ahead of Mir now gaining a row as well as a place.

Teammate Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) now heads the third row ahead of Martin, and it’s completed by Zarco.

It was frustration for the Repsol Hondas as Marc Marquez rolled out of his time attack, while Pol Espargaro was the rider affected by Zarco being slow on the racing line. They will line up in P10 and P11 respectively, with Independent Team counterpart Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completing the top 12.

The stage is set for a true spectacle on Sunday and the gauntlet is thrown down. Can Quartararo take that home glory or will he be denied? We’ll find out at 14:00 (GMT +2) as the lights go out for the SHARK Grand Prix de France. Don’t miss it!

Francesco Bagnaia: “I’m very happy. In FP4, I was struggling a lot to stop the bike and I was a bit scared about qualifying. But then, thanks to my team, we made a little change to the setting and it helped me to be faster and more competitive. It’s my first MotoGP pole in Le Mans, so I’m very happy.”

Acosta takes maiden Moto2™ pole at Le Mans

The rookie slams in a new lap record to start the French GP from the front, ahead of Dixon and Fernandez

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Pedro Acosta has first pole position in the Moto2™ class after breaking his own, hours-old All Time Lap Record at the SHARK Grand Prix de France. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) qualified second and will be in a Red Bull KTM Ajo sandwich on the front row, with Augusto Fernandez was third in Q2. World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), on the other hand, could not escape Q1… and he’ll start 19th.

Q1

The story of Q1 was Vietti’s bid to rescue a starting position. The Italian improved on each of his last three laps in the session, but every time, it was only good enough for fifth . The last of those efforts was a 1:36.310 which was just six thousandths of a second slower than Jorge Navarro’s (Flexbox HP 40) best lap, meaning Vietti will launch from 19th on Sunday. Navarro moved through in fourth, with Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) next up and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team) top to move through.

Q2

Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was the early pace-setter in the second stanza of qualifying, but then came a highside at Garage Vert (Turn 8). The Briton appeared winded, taking some time to get to his feet before riding a scooter back to the paddock, as the 1:36.071 which he set on his second flyer looked vulnerable. He’ll be reviewed on Sunday morning to check he is fit to race.

Ultimately, the front row lap times would all come in the 11th minute of the session. Fernandez was first to better Lowes’ marker when he set a 1:35.963, only for FP3 fast man Acosta to pip his team-mate with a 1:35.803 as he followed him across the line. Then, moments later, Dixon split the KTM Ajo duo with a 1:35.92. No one else beat Lowes’ time, however, meaning the Briton is set to start from fourth position when lights go out on Sunday afternoon.

The Grid

Behind Acosta, Dixon, Fernandez and Lowes, Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar) qualified fifth on a 1:36.088. He will be joined on Row 2 by Alonso Lopez, who is in full-time at MB Conveyors Speed Up and has so far had the upper hand on deservedly hyped teammate Aldeguer in France.

Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) took seventh, and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was eighth with the only flying lap which he could get in before crashing at La Chapelle. Rounding out the top 10 were Bendsneyder and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who’ll be looking for more on Sunday – as well FP1 fast man Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) in 11th after he took a tumble at Chemin aux Boeufs.

The heat is on at Le Mans for Vietti, can the points leader fight back in France? We’ll find out at 12:20 (GMT +2) so tune in!

Pedro Acosta: “In recent races, we have had the speed, but we haven’t finished the weekend so well. Anyway, finally here, we are a little bit stronger than in Jerez. We only have to take the vision in the front and just finish the race the best we can.

“It’s not easy when you are World Champion, and then you are P7 or P10. But, Aki and Remy helped me to understand that I had to take my time and the results are finally going to plan. If it’s not this race, it’s going to be the next one. They understood me when I said, ‘But this is not my position, P7,’ but they helped me to change my mind a little bit.”

Foggia flies to first career pole in France

The fight back begins as the number 7 heads the grid in a Leopard 1-2, Garcia secures seventh

It’s been domination from Dennis Foggia all weekend at the SHARK Grand Prix de France so far, and now the Leopard Racing rider and title contender has earned a career-first pole position. The Italian’s 1:41.621 puts him 0.151 clear of teammate Tatsuki Suzuki, with Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the front row. Points leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) was seventh in Q2, with teammate and Jerez winner Izan Guevara alongside.

Q1

Under the continued sunshine, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) topped Q1 to seal his place in the battle for pole, bouncing back from a FP3 crash.

Home hero Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse), rookie Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) and Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) joined the Turk in moving through.

Q2

As the initial quick runs came to an end, it was little surprise to see everyone playing catch up with Foggia as the Italian continued his impressive French GP form, leading teammate Suzuki in a provisional Leopard 1-2.

As the clock ticked towards the three-minute mark, the lightweight class had time for a couple more flying laps. Masia posted an effort that was good enough to get him into the top three on his first attempt, with Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) also moving up the timesheets.

Meanwhile, neither of the top two had improved on their opening efforts. The timing screens then saw a number of riders light up the first sector in red, but of all of them, rookie Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) was best placed to take a late pole. However, he couldn’t quite keep up the push and will have to settle for P4, dropping Tatay to fifth.

There was still one rider out there who could dislodge Foggia, and that was Championship leader Garcia. After an encouraging first couple sectors, the Spaniard then lost time in the and in the end will have to launch his bid for victory from seventh on the grid, one place ahead of his starting position last year.. when he won. For good measure though, Foggia also put in one more fastest lap of the session, confirming pole.

The Grid

Behind Foggia, Suzuki and Masia, Moreira heads Tatay in fourth and fifth. Rivacold Snipers’ Andrea Migno starts P6, completing the second row.

Garcia and Guevara are next up, with Rossi taking P9 on the grid via Q1. Öncü completes the top ten, ahead of Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max).

That’s the grid decided, and now it’s eyes to the skies ahead of the SHARK Grand Prix de France. Will the sun remain on side in Sarthe? Find out when Moto3™ head out at 11:00 (GMT +2) for another spectacular showdown.

Dennis Foggia: “I’m really happy about my first pole position. I’m happy cause I feel so good on the bike. It’s an incredible Grand Prix, well, for the moment! Every session at the top, this is good for us. Happy, happy, because I think we did a good job in the Barcelona Test and now we are ready for tomorrow. On Sunday we will see!”