After the constant threat of rain the whole weekend it finally fell on race day and so the changeable weather typical at Le Mans left a wet track for the riders. Just after the warm up for MotoGP – up to then the track was dry – grey clouds that had been hiding the sun at Le Mans started to discharge their loads, not very heavily, but enough to leave the surface covered in puddles. So, once again this season the race became a lottery and all the work done in practice had been in vain. Marc Márquez who became the youngest Spanish rider to win the pole yesterday, and the second youngest ever, faced a complicated race, just like his rivals.
And that is how the race can be described. The first race on this grey morning in France was a succession of falls and changing rider positions. Only Julián Simón did not suffer as much as his rivals, he had started second but moved into first place on the fourth lap after his compatriot Terol fell, and he rode alone at the front to the end of the race. Behind him, the rider on pole the Repsol rider Marc Márquez, started out cautiously and ended the first lap in 4th position. Gaps quickly opened up at the front of the field; Simón was a long way in front and Olivé, together with Márquez, had got away from the rest and were in second and third places.
All seemed to be going well for the Repsol rider, that was until Olivé fell on the sixth lap on the corner before the home straight, his rear wheel had suddenly skidded and Márquez was not able to avoid him and so fell at the same time. In spite of rejoining the race in 16th position, another fall on the corner at the end of the home straight on lap 8 brought an early end to the young rider´s race. Fortunately he was uninjured after his two falls.
His teammate, Cameron Beaubier, had worse luck. He was thrown off his bike through the air after a rear-wheel skid on the corner before the home straight, he had a bad fall. The American, according to the first medical report carried out at the circuit, is suffering from a fracture on his left arm.
As for Scott Redding and Esteve Rabat, the two had different luck in the French GP. Redding, who started in second position on the grid, was very comptetive on the first few laps, moving up to 4th position. But a fall on lap 14, on corner 9 after losing adherence on the front end when braking, dashed the British rider´s hopes. Rabat, who was in the fight for sixth position, also fell – corner 5 –with just two laps left, but he was able to rejoin the race to finish in a hard-earned 11th position.
Marc Márquez, fell >> Audio
“I was unlucky because I was very close to Olivé and when he fell I could not avoid him. I rode very comfortably on this track and I can take something very positive out of this race, the pole we got yesterday. I had a good pace for the wet, but I was not able to avoid Olivé. I tried to continue but the bike had a few problems after the fall – the left handlebar had closed a little – and a lap later I fell again. Now we just have to forget what happened today and think about the race at Mugello.”
Esteve Rabat, 11th at 1’59.326 secs. >> Audio
“I wanted to take the race very calmly because I knew a lot of riders were going to fall, and this is what happened. And with the wet track I was aware that I did not have the pace to be up with the leaders. After the start a lot of riders overtook me, but they soon fell, at the same time I was gaining in confidence. As my sensations improved I began to overtake the riders in front of me, climbing in the classification and getting faster and faster until I was 6th, and when I got close to the fifth place I accelerated a little earlier than I had been doing previously and without realising it I was on the ground. It was one of those races, but well, fortunately I was able to continue and finish 11th, which I did not expect. I feel sorry for the team because they have done some great work this weekend, but on the positive side we have scored points in the last four races. I hope things go better at Mugello.”
Scott Redding, fell >> Audio
“I did not have a bad start but the new tyres did not work too well at the beginning but they gradually got better. On the straight I lost a lot of time, and my rivals overtook me easily, so I had to take a few more risks on the corners to make up the lost ground. On my final lap, when I took corner 9, riding as I had been on the laps beforehand, I lost the front wheel and I fell. It was a pity because we were having a good weekend. Now we have to think about Mugello, and get back among the leaders.”
Cameron Beaubier, fell
“My left arm hurts a bit and the doctors here have told me that I have a fracture at the end of the ulna and radius. We will go back to Barcelona now and the arm will be thoroughly checked. I am a little disappointed because we had a great chance to have a good race. Looking on the positive side I have to be pleased with the step forward we have taken in this race, and that is a boost for the next few races.”
