As the MotoGP grid moves into Round 5 of the calendar, it’s time to munch on some croissants as we move to Le Mans, France. The MotoGP World Championship has blown wide open with one win each for Marquez, Rossi and Lorenzo, and an extra win for Marquez.
We are not yet halfway through the season and the jigsaw puzzles for 2017 are already falling into place. Last time around, it was confirmed that Jorge Lorenzo would be leaving Yamaha next season to don the red Ducati leathers.
The rumour mill cranked its wheel yet again and the new rumor is that this year will be Dani Pedrosa’s last with Honda; he is slated to fill in the void left by Lorenzo and partner Rossi next season, however, we don’t know how credible the information is although Rossi expressed his desire to be partnered by either Pedrosa or Maverick Vinales.
Also read: Valentino Rossi wins Spanish Grand Prix from pole
So the mystery behind Rossi’s teammate may have been solved, but that opens another question and still leaves one unanswered, who will take over Dani’s place, if the move does occur, and what of the two Andreas?
Moto3:
Brad Binder has finally got the monkey off his back and established himself as a real title contender. Honda and KTM have been consistently slugging it out and Mahindra in the mean time have been quietly improving and filling out the podium spots.
The contenders to watch out for besides Binder are Antonelli, Bastianini, Quartararo, Mir, Navarro, Fenati, Bulega, Loi, Locatelli, Bagnaia and Canet. Quartararo will be hoping for a home win but his work will be cut out for him. Navarro, Bulega and Fenati rounded out the top 3 in FP1, which sadly isn’t being broadcast in India.
French Connection: Quartararo is not the only rider flying the French flag; Jules Danilo, veteran Alexis Masbou and wildcard Enzo Boulom join him on the grid.
Moto2:
Sam Lowes currently leads the Moto2 World Championship, but on his tail are defending champion Zarco, Rins, Cortese, Luthi, Morbidelli, Corsi, Aegerter and others. Lowes was also another rider to break the dry spell that he had and that helped boost his championship chances.
Corsi topped FP1 followed by Rins and Folger. The new boys Oliveira and Kent on board the Leopard Moto2 team; have also gotten themselves into the mix.
French Connection: Local hero Johan “Backflip” Zarco will want to please his home crowd, being the sole Frenchman representing the nation.
Injury Update: Efren Vazquez will be forced to sit out for the fifth round, replacing him will be American rookie Danny Eslick.
Paddock Talk: Our fly on the wall reports that German rider Jonas Folger has found a seat at Monster Yamaha for 2017; Sam Lowes has also been confirmed to move up with the Gresini team;
MotoGP:
But the other 2 are simply entrees this is the main course. All the pressure will be off Lorenzo following his announcement of signing with Ducati. One rider who certainly has not let anything affect him is Dani Pedrosa, who incidentally snatched P1 in FP1 followed by Lorenzo and Marquez.
Rossi was P5 behind Dovizioso and ahead of Iannone. Vinales could only muster 8th fastest. This season is a big one because there are a number changes happening next season with hungry rookies and a very interesting game of musical chairs.
Lorenzo has secured his seat, as has Rossi. Marquez has yet to sign a contract with Honda but he is expected to stay put. Suzuki is desperate to hold on to Vinales because he is on Yamaha’s radar.
French Connection: Loris Baz is the sole French rider on the MotoGP grid, and he will be looking for a good finish in front of his home crowd.
Now that I’ve given you the lowdown on what to expect from the current crop of riders, let’s take a closer look at what awaits them.
Race: Monster Energy Grand Prix de France
Location: Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans
Inauguration: 1923
Seating Capacity: 100,000
Length: 4.2 km/2.6 miles
Width: 13m
Longest Straight: 674m
Turns: 14
Left Turns: 5
Right Turns: 9
Weekend Fix: 6th-8th May
Total Race Distance: 117.2km/72.8 miles
Lap Record: 1:32.879 (Valentino Rossi, Yamaha)
Schedule:
Friday 6 May
Moto3 FP1- 9:00-9:40 (Local Time)
MotoGP FP1- 9:55-10-40 (Local Time)
Moto2 FP1- 10:55-11:40 (Local Time)
Moto3 FP2- 13:10-13:50 (Local Time)
MotoGP FP2- 14:05-14-50 (Local Time)
Moto2 FP2- 15:05-15:50 (Local Time)
Saturday 7 May
Moto3 FP3- 9:00-9:40 (Local Time)
MotoGP FP3- 9:55-10-40 (Local Time)
Moto2 FP3- 10:55-11:40 (Local Time)
Moto3 QP- 12:35-13:15 (Local Time), 16:05-16:45 (Indian Time)
MotoGP FP4- 13:30-14:00 (Local Time), 17:00-17:30 (Indian Time)
MotoGP Q1- 14:10-14:25 (Local Time), 17:40-17:55 (Indian Time)
MotoGP Q2- 14:35-14:50 (Local Time), 18:05-18:20 (Indian Time)
Moto2 QP- 15:05-15:50 (Local Time), 18:35-19:20 (Indian Time)
Sunday 8 May
Moto3 Race- 11:00 (Local Time), 14:30 (Indian Time)
Moto2 Race- 12:20 (Local Time), 15:50 (Indian Time)
MotoGP Race- 14:00 (Local Time), 17:30 (Indian Time)
