MotoGP 2022 – Round Seven
SHARK Grand Prix de France – Preview/Schedule
The French city and circuit of Le Mans are synonymous with motorsport – having hosted two and four wheel races and endurance events for many years. Le Mans first held a motorcycle Grand Prix event in 1969, when the great Giacomo Agostini won the 500cc race, lapping all the other riders on his MV Agusta.
The modern circuit has been a permanent fixture on the MotoGP calendar since 2000. Local French fans are knowledgeable and passionate about their racing, with a boisterous atmosphere at races. French riders of different eras and in different classes such as Johann Zarco, Christian Sarron, Olivier Jacque, Arnaud Vincent, Guy Bertin, Randy de Puniet and Mike Di Meglio have brought their country race wins and titles, adding to France’s significant racing heritage.
Built in 1965 around the existing 24-Hour track, the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit lies 5km south of the city of Le Mans and 200km south-west of Paris. The venue has hosted Grand Prix since the late sixties but a serious accident to Spanish rider Alberto Puig in 1995 saw it struck off the calendar until 2000 whilst stringent safety improvements were carried out.
Le Mans is a tight track dominated by first gear corners that place the emphasis on late braking and hard acceleration, whilst rear end traction is also a key area. With the capacity to comfortably accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, the Bugatti circuit also plays host to the 24 hour truck race, the FIA GP2 Championship, French Touring Car and GT races.
Ducati have won the last two editions of the French GP. In 2020, Danilo Petrucci took a spectacular victory in the wet, while last year Jack Miller scored his second consecutive victory with the Desmosedici GP in a race made difficult by rain and a “flag-to-flag”.
Miller currently sits eleventh in the overall standings with one podium finish this year – third place at Austin (USA) – and is looking to be the star of the race in France.
Jack Miller
“I’m happy to be back racing in France, where I definitely had some good memories after the win last year! I really love the Le Mans track, and I feel I can be competitive again this year with the Desmosedici GP 22. The weather forecast for this weekend is good, but the weather in this region always tends to be rather unpredictable. In any case, I’m ready to tackle the weekend in any conditions to get another good result on Sunday in the race!”
Francesco Bagnaia, winner of the last GP, held at Jerez in Spain. The Italian aims to continue with the momentum and shorten the distance from the top of the standings, which currently sees him fifth, 33 points behind leader Quartararo.
Francesco Bagnaia
“This week off has definitely helped me recover and let my shoulder rest after the two consecutive Grands Prix of Portimão and Jerez, which were very demanding. We are coming to France to a track that I generally like a lot and where I always enjoy riding, but it is definitely not an easy track either, where we struggled a bit in the dry last year. Compared to last year, the weather should be better this year: no rain is forecast, and the temperatures also seem higher. Our goal is to continue the excellent work done at Jerez and be competitive and fast here in France.”
Knowing that the Bugatti track suits the YZR-M1‘s nimble character, El Diablo is feeling positive about his prospects for this weekend. He would love nothing better than to make the French fans proud and improve on his third place from last year, secured in wet conditions.
Fabio Quartararo
“The second place in Jerez was a good result, but I would be lying if I said that I didn‘t want to win. I actually came really close, so I‘m now looking forward to a rematch in Le Mans. I‘m feeling positive about this weekend, but we will see what happens. It‘s been an unpredictable season so far. Anyway, it‘s my home GP, so for sure I will push to the limit and give it my all. Hopefully we’ll have nice weather.”
After six rounds, Franco Morbidelli holds 16th in the championship standings. Keen to move up the order, the number-21 rider‘s goal for this weekend is to pay a visit to the French rostrum again like he did in 2017 when he won the Moto2 race there. The Italian is eager to give the set-up improvement from the Spanish GP warm up session another try, in order to confirm its effectiveness. However, with the predictions for the weekend‘s weather uncertain, there’s a good chance that he will also be working on the wet weather set-ups.
Franco Morbidelli
“This will be an interesting weekend for us. We have tested quite a lot of things in Jerez, and I‘m curious to see if what we found at the test there will work here too. Actually, I had pretty good lap times towards the end of the race in Jerez, but the issue was that we started from too far back on the grid, so that‘s what we need to work on for this weekend. If we can correct this, I think we can do a good race here in Le Mans.”
Marc Marquez arrives in Le Mans still full of fire after a fighting fourth in the Spanish Grand Prix. Battling hard with Aleix Espargaro and Jack Miller, the eight-time World Champion amazed fans around the world as he made another of his trademark saves during the race.
More important than his performance in the race was the test on Monday where Marquez and his team were able to explore several setting and parameters for the new Repsol Honda Team RC213V. With this extra information, Marquez will be hoping to fight at the front of the race once again and potentially add to his three French GP wins and four total podiums in the premier class.
Marc Marquez
“Overall the Jerez weekend was good when we also include the test because we were able to learn a good amount. Now we arrive in France to see what’s possible. The important thing is to keep building, keep improving and keep closing the distance to the front. In Jerez we made progress and now we must keep on going, especially after the test it’s important to see how everything is. I have had some good races in Le Mans and some more challenging races there, it can depend a lot on the conditions but they’re looking good for this weekend.“
There was no one who put in more work than Pol Espargaro on the Monday Test in Jerez, the #44 completing the most laps of any rider. Espargaro is aiming to put this knowledge to work immediately at the French GP, a race where he has enjoyed success.
Pol Espargaro
“Last year I think Le Mans was one of the first weekends where we could really start to show our potential. I know how myself and the bike have improved since then so I am looking forward to going back and putting into action what we found during the test. I’ve had some good races in Le Mans, the cooler conditions and the high levels of grip suit my riding style a lot. MotoGP is very close at the moment so we can’t rely on the past, no matter what we need to work well from the start of the weekend – qualify well and fight hard during the race.”
Aprilia will be tackling the French weekend fortified by the extraordinary form that Aleix Espargaró has been demonstrating, perfectly interpreting the 2022 RS-GP and fresh from two consecutive podium finishes in Portimão and Jerez. Last year, only a problem in the rain-soaked race deprived him of a good result, a statistic that the Spanish rider is intent on rectifying.
Aleix Espargaro
“We are coming from some good tests in Jerez where we found a few interesting solutions for improving our performance on the starting grid. It’s important for us to continue improving. The RS-GP is definitely at an outstanding level but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t margin for growth. Especially in the early stages of the race which are then conditioning the end result more and more. We’re headed to France calm and aware. We’re working well.“
Maverick Viñales is continuing his quest to adapt to the Aprilia, whereas his good race performance and pace are beyond dispute. Squeezing the most out of the technical package on his flying lap in qualifying is still complicated for him, which is the aspect Maverick and his team are focusing their efforts on.
Maverick Vinales
“Our quest to adapt continues. We’ll probably be able to draw some advantages from some solutions we tested in Jerez on Monday but it will be especially important to move forward step by step. I’m able to be fast in the race – extremely fast in some situations – but clearly my feeling with the RS-GP is still keeping me from expressing my best performance. This becomes particularly clear on Saturday in qualifying when everything has to be perfect. It’s a process we’re working on. Both the bike and I have strong points, we just have to find the best way to exploit them.“
Remy Gardner was on the podium last season in Le Mans as he finished second of the Moto2 race, behind team-mate Raul Fernandez who was the 2021 Moto2 winner. This year, Remy will have high hopes to do a good weekend, after a tough Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, followed by a test day which had to be stopped due to a crash, without any major consequences fortunately. The rookie has already finished in the points two times this year, and will aim to do it for a third time on a layout that should fit the KTM RC16 well.
Remy Gardner
“We are heading to Le Mans for the French Grand Prix with a few points to improve following the test day in Jerez. I am hoping that the layout will suit the bike better, so if we manage to take some steps, there is room for a good result. I am really looking forward to getting back to the action on Friday in France, my team’s home Grand Prix.”
Out for both the Portuguese and Spanish Grand Prix, Raul Fernandez is expected to be back on track this week, having followed an intense recovery process on his right hand over the last couple of days. The Spaniard will be motivated to do well and give his best for his team’s home race.
Raul Fernandez
“Before everything, I would like to say a big thank you to all the team at Clinica Luis Banos who helped me with my hand. They did a great job to allow me to be ready at 100% for the French Grand Prix. I feel so much better, I am optimistic and ready to get back to racing after two weekends out. In addition, Le Mans is the home Grand Prix for my team, so I really want to race there. I have good memories from the past season, so let’s see what we can do!”
Home hero Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) will be pushing to the maximum, having been on pole and the podium at the venue but never the top step. That’s true of more than just Le Mans as he searches for that elusive first premier class win, but on home turf he’s come close and this year the Frenchman will be one to watch again. An inconsistent start to the year could mean his mentality goes either way: there’s a little less to lose so it’s full gas, or there’s an even bigger incentive to settle for a safer points haul. We’re about to find out which he’ll choose…
Pramac Ducati Team-mate Jorge Martin, meanwhile, needs some points. When the number 89 has put it together he’s been fighting at the front, but he’ll want a finish this weekend as he fights to recover in the standings from some DNFs. Bagnaia and Martin started the season with some similar hurdles – not least that incident in Qatar – but the number 63 is already into the top five overall on his recovery mission. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP), in the battle of the sophomores, will also want to bounce back, although the Italian remains third in the Championship as it stands. Can he pull something out the locker in Sarthe?
Enea Bastianini
“Le Mans is quite an unusual track, but a very good one nonetheless. Usually the track, and therefore track conditions, are a key variable, but let’s hope it will be different this time. I would like to find back that feeling with the bike that we kind of lost a bit at Jerez: let’s say being back to the one we had in Portimao, where only the result was unkind to us.”
Since that test in Jerez, Suzuki have been in the headlines off track, but on track the Hamamatsu factory team will retain that singular focus of taking to the podium and top step. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) had a dip in form in Jerez and a run off put paid to the kind of recovery we saw at COTA, but the number 42 remains fourth in the Championship and equal on points with Bastianini just ahead of him.
We’ve seen some fearsome wet weather speed from Rins at Le Mans, can he bring that come rain or shine, and all the way to the finish line? For teammate Joan Mir, meanwhile, that bad luck in Portugal became a solid but not podium-threatening ride in Jerez, and the 2020 Champion will want more. Qualifying also remains a more difficult task for both Rins and Mir, so Saturday will once again be a key focus.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) arrives a little off fully fit after hurting his knee ligaments in testing, and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) – who’s had some serious form at Le Mans including that wet-weather rookie podium – will want more Portugal form than Jerez.
Finally, Jerez was a tougher one for KTM. After the Algarve was a solid ride and result for Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) but a first crash out in nearly a year for teamm-ate Brad Binder, the South African turned the tables again in Spain but neither were in the postcode they’ll want. After having won multiple races in the wet and dry, with both riders, KTM won’t settle for being denied the podium fight. A new, eyebrow-raising exhaust was spotted at the Jerez test as the most outward sign of their push to regain ground, although the factory also reported they’d be trying something that would be a little harder to see. Can they make another step forward in getting that consistent form in France?
MotoGP Championship Standings
Pos | Rider | Nat | Points |
1 | QUARTARARO Fabio | FRA | 89 |
2 | ESPARGARO Aleix | SPA | 82 |
3 | BASTIANINI Enea | ITA | 69 |
4 | RINS Alex | SPA | 69 |
5 | BAGNAIA Francesco | ITA | 56 |
6 | MIR Joan | SPA | 56 |
7 | ZARCO Johann | FRA | 51 |
8 | BINDER Brad | RSA | 48 |
9 | MARQUEZ Marc | SPA | 44 |
10 | OLIVEIRA Miguel | POR | 43 |
11 | MILLER Jack | AUS | 42 |
12 | ESPARGARO Pol | SPA | 35 |
13 | MARTIN Jorge | SPA | 28 |
14 | VIÑALES Maverick | SPA | 27 |
15 | NAKAGAMI Takaaki | JPN | 21 |
16 | MORBIDELLI Franco | ITA | 18 |
17 | MARQUEZ Alex | SPA | 16 |
18 | BEZZECCHI Marco | ITA | 15 |
19 | MARINI Luca | ITA | 14 |
20 | DOVIZIOSO Andrea | ITA | 8 |
21 | BINDER Darryn | RSA | 6 |
Moto2
The drama in Portugal seemed to send a shockwave through the Moto2 World Championship, but Jerez saw the situation change again and not in favour of points leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). The Italian came home sixth and didn’t get in the podium fight, with that instead proving a three-way battle between Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – aka the three riders closest behind Vietti in the title fight. Will they make up more ground at Le Mans?
Ogura will arrive confident from his first Moto2 win, and his first win in any class. It’s been a consistent and impressive journey for the Japanese rider in the World Championship, having fought for the title in Moto3 and taken a podium as a rookie already in Moto2, but that tick in the box was missing, presumed soon. Now it’s a done deal, and his pace was also a warning shot as he moves into second overall and now just 19 points off Vietti. Arbolino was also an impressive sophomore performer in third, hammering home his 2022 form and still only a point behind Ogura, so can they keep that rolling at Le Mans? Past form seems to matter little to both, with 2022 a whole new ball game, but Arbolino was nearly on the podium there last year.
Canet, meanwhile, was a headline unto himself. After that radius and finger fracture suffered in Portugal, the Pons rider didn’t know if he’d be able to take part in the weekend, but in the end came home second and gained a good chunk of ground on Vietti. The pain barrier was real but the Spaniard rode through it, and now there’s a little more time to have recovered ahead of Le Mans. Consistent speed is what he lacked before in Moto2, now he has it in spades… so surely the Spaniard sees France as just another chance to fight for that podium and cut that gap – and another chance to push for that maiden Moto2 win.
There are plenty more fast faces suffering a mix of bad luck and trouble in 2022 who may be able to get in the mix though: Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Jake Dixon (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team), Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) names but a few. Can they home back in on that podium?
Moto2 Championship Standings
Pos | Rider | Nat | Points |
1 | VIETTI Celestino | ITA | 100 |
2 | OGURA Ai | JPN | 81 |
3 | ARBOLINO Tony | ITA | 70 |
4 | CANET Aron | SPA | 69 |
5 | ROBERTS Joe | USA | 57 |
6 | SCHROTTER Marcel | GER | 47 |
7 | CHANTRA Somkiat | THA | 45 |
8 | NAVARRO Jorge | SPA | 45 |
9 | FERNANDEZ Augusto | SPA | 44 |
10 | LOWES Sam | GBR | 35 |
11 | BENDSNEYDER Bo | NED | 34 |
12 | DIXON Jake | GBR | 32 |
13 | ARENAS Albert | SPA | 29 |
14 | ALCOBA Jeremy | SPA | 28 |
15 | ACOSTA Pedro | SPA | 20 |
16 | ALDEGUER Fermín | SPA | 18 |
17 | GONZALEZ Manuel | SPA | 16 |
18 | BEAUBIER Cameron | USA | 16 |
19 | BALTUS Barry | BEL | 15 |
20 | FENATI Romano | ITA | 7 |
21 | RODRIGO Gabriel | ARG | 6 |
22 | ZACCONE Alessandro | ITA | 6 |
Moto3
Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) pulled a genius rabbit out the hat to take his first win of the year in Jerez, heading round the outside of the final corner to outfox the rest. In doing so he underlined his impressive form in the World Championship – and in 2022 so far – and brought himself a few points closer to the top. But the top remains in the hands of more veteran teammate Sergio Garcia, with the Spaniard playing arguably the right cards in Jerez but coming up just short – nevertheless extending his lead over closest rival Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). Next up it’s Le Mans, and the final corner at the French venue offers another opportunity for those whose ambition is matched by their talent. So does anyone have an answer for the duo this time out?
Last season the weather put paid to a more usual Moto3 showdown, and that will once again be a key consideration as Le Mans can be one more prone to rain. Even then though, Garcia won it and by more than a couple of seconds, so there’s no salvation coming from the weather for those looking to cut the gap. Foggia, with a more difficult record in the wet, will be one hoping it’s dry, and the Italian’s record at the venue doesn’t pencil it in as a key target for a place to make up ground either – so it could be damage limitation.
Guevara’s track record, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to have mattered much so far this season as he’s been fast everywhere, although Jerez is a track where the number 28 has more experience. Tracks like Le Mans are a good place to prove the step forward. For Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who’s now on quite a podium run, it’s another chance to prove his consistency too, with the veteran having taken a rostrum at Jerez for the first time to secure another top finish. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), meanwhile, will likely be tired of taking fourth and fifth – and the Turk can usually be relied on to try that move. Now he needs to make it stick, and on the team’s home turf.
Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) is another to watch after the Japanese rider turned a back of the grid penalty into a sixth place finish, with super speed once again. His teammate – and former Le Mans winner – John McPhee is hoping to be back on track too, and the Scotsman was already feeling ready to give it a shot in Portugal. He’s the only rider in the field to have won at the track from pole.
Rookies Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) will be aiming high too after two more solid finishes, and home hero Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse) is hoping to be back. He missed the Spanish GP after a shoulder dislocation on Friday.
It’s now 21 points of advantage for Garcia at the top, and that’s only to Foggia. The Italian, and Honda, will be hoping to find something more for the French GP to stop that growing – especially after rookie Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) was the lead Japanese machine home last time out.
Aussie youngster Joel Kelso is eager to add to tally of 14 championship points at this seventh round of his first full season in the category.
Moto3 Championship Standings
Pos | Rider | Nat | Points |
1 | GARCIA Sergio | SPA | 103 |
2 | FOGGIA Dennis | ITA | 82 |
3 | GUEVARA Izan | SPA | 73 |
4 | MASIA Jaume | SPA | 70 |
5 | ÖNCÜ Deniz | TUR | 63 |
6 | SASAKI Ayumu | JPN | 55 |
7 | MIGNO Andrea | ITA | 52 |
8 | TATAY Carlos | SPA | 42 |
9 | ARTIGAS Xavier | SPA | 37 |
10 | TOBA Kaito | JPN | 36 |
11 | MOREIRA Diogo | BRA | 32 |
12 | ROSSI Riccardo | ITA | 29 |
13 | SUZUKI Tatsuki | JPN | 27 |
14 | YAMANAKA Ryusei | JPN | 24 |
15 | HOLGADO Daniel | SPA | 23 |
16 | KELSO Joel | AUS | 14 |
17 | ORTOLÁ Ivan | SPA | 14 |
18 | OGDEN Scott | GBR | 14 |
19 | BARTOLINI Elia | ITA | 13 |
20 | MCPHEE John | GBR | 11 |
21 | NEPA Stefano | ITA | 8 |
22 | FERNANDEZ Adrian | SPA | 7 |
MotoE
After two races there is only one winner so far in the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup: Eric Granado (LCR E-Team). The Brazilian has more victories than anyone in the Cup and added two more to his count, now 17 points clear on the way into Round 2 as he was also the only rider to get on the podium on both Saturday and Sunday in Jerez. Now it’s time for the field to take on Le Mans, so can the number 51 keep the roll going in Round 2?
The bad news for his rivals is that he’s already won there – and is, in fact, the most recent winner at the track. It was a stunning final corner battle against then-rival Alessandro Zaccone too, with Granado getting his elbows out with the best to prove he’s got more in his arsenal than simply a disappearing act at the front. A 17-point lead does pose a conundrum in 2022, however: there’s a cushion to push for glory, but going over that limit is what’s seen his points total dented in MotoE before. So which will it be?
Either way, Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) will be ready to fight it out as the Swiss rider is second overall with a P2 and a P4 from the Spanish GP, and with some good track knowledge at Le Mans as well as some previous bad luck in MotoE affecting his record there. Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) is the next rider up in the standings and had the pace in both races at Jerez so could be a threat again, although he had a tougher time of it as a rookie at Le Mans.
Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) has also been quick out the blocks in 2022 – and he was in that fight for victory in the French round last season, ultimately taking second after the final corner shenanigans. He’s keen to push for wins this season as he settles in at his new team, and his pace in Jerez was certainly enough to back up those aspirations.
Reigning Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40), meanwhile, is the other returning rider apart from Granado to have won in France. Can he use that to take a step forward? He wasn’t quite in that fight at the front in Spain and will want more in Round 2, as too will Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE). The Italian was on the podium in Race 1 after some solid pace and the Casadei/Pons drama shuffling the timesheets and the group on track, but Sunday saw the 2019 Cup winner not quite make that step to go with Granado, Pons and Casadei. Can he home in in France?
Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) needs a bigger bounce back from an unlucky Jerez after getting caught out through no fault of his own in Race 1 and then sliding out in Race 2. He’s on home turf for the Tech3 team too, so will be pushing to make amends and take some serious points – with his pace in MotoE already more than proven. And Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE) remains a question mark after he was sidelined from the season opener through injury… will the Brit be back on track? He’s certainly heading to France to try and make his return.
MotoE Championship Standings
Pos | Rider | Nat | Points |
1 | GRANADO Eric | BRA | 50 |
2 | AEGERTER Dominique | SWI | 33 |
3 | PONS Miquel | SPA | 28 |
4 | FERRARI Matteo | ITA | 26 |
5 | OKUBO Hikari | JPN | 21 |
6 | TORRES Jordi | SPA | 20 |
7 | ESCRIG Alex | SPA | 17 |
8 | CASADEI Mattia | ITA | 16 |
9 | GARZO Hector | SPA | 13 |
10 | CANEPA Niccolo | ITA | 12 |
11 | TULOVIC Lukas | GER | 10 |
12 | MANFREDI Kevin | ITA | 9 |
13 | ALCOBA Marc | SPA | 7 |
14 | FORES Xavi | SPA | 7 |
15 | ZANNONI Kevin | ITA | 7 |
16 | HERRERA Maria | SPA | 3 |
17 | FINELLO Alessio | ITA | 1 |
18 | RUIZ Yeray | SPA | 0 |
SHARK Grand Prix de France Schedule (AEST)
Friday | ||
Time | Class | Event |
1625 | MotoE | FP1 |
1700 | Moto3 | FP1 |
1755 | MotGP | FP1 |
1855 | Moto2 | FP1 |
2035 | MotoE | FP2 |
2115 | Moto3 | FP2 |
2210 | MotoGP | FP2 |
2310 | Moto2 | FP2 |
0050 (Sat) | MotoE | Q1 |
0110 (Sat) | MotoE | Q2 |
Saturday | ||
Time | Class | Event |
1700 | Moto3 | FP3 |
1755 | MotoGP | FP3 |
1855 | Moto2 | FP3 |
2035 | Moto3 | Q1 |
2100 | Moto3 | Q2 |
2130 | MotoGP | FP4 |
2210 | MotoGP | Q1 |
2235 | MotoGP | Q2 |
2310 | Moto2 | Q1 |
2335 | Moto2 | Q2 |
0025(Sun) | MotoE | Race 1 |
Sunday | ||
Time | Class | Event |
1700 | Moto3 | WU |
1720 | Moto2 | WU |
1740 | MotoGP | WU |
1900 | Moto3 | Race |
2020 | Moto2 | Race |
2200 | MotoGP | Race |
2330 | MotoE | Race 2 |