MotoGP Race Results From the French Grand Prix at Le Mans

Maverick Vinales was so deeply engaged in his intense battle with Valentino Rossi on Sunday at Le Mans that he didn't realize his teammate had crashed attempting to retake the lead on the 28th and final lap of the French Grand Prix. About his record lap, the new series points leader and now four-time MotoGP race winner admitted, "I risked a lot."

Rossi’s miscue ultimately cost the nine-time world champion 20 points and dropped him after five of 18 rounds to third overall in the standings, 23 behind the 22-year-old Vinales. Realizing his folly, Rossi could be seen trackside leaning on the fuel tank of his damaged Yamaha M1, chest heaving, trying to catch his breath.

Home-country hero Johann Zarco led the opening six laps, taking advantage of his first front-row start and the grip offered by the softest Michelin slicks. "I was thinking, 'Okay, his rear tire is going to drop,' but it never dropped," Vinales said. "He was difficult to overtake. Finally, I got the chance in the first corner. I tried to pull, but for 10 laps my pit board said, 'Zarco, 0.3.'"

In fact, Zarco was glued to Vinales’ rear tire for 16 consecutive laps, never more than 0.624 seconds behind. “When I was leading, I had a flashback from Qatar,” Zarco said, recalling his crash in the season opener. “I said, ‘Don’t make a mistake.’ When Vinales overtook me, I was able to follow him. This was a key for me to be on the podium.”

Running the same medium-front, medium-rear tire combination as Vinales and nearly half the field, Rossi chased down and passed first Zarco and then Vinales. “For me, this could have been the best result of the season,” said the 38-year-old Italian. “It was very difficult because the pace was always high but, at the end, I had a good feeling, so I tried to attack.

“Unfortunately, on the last lap, I made a mistake in Turn 6 and fell back a little so Maverick was able to overtake me. I knew I had another chance—we were very close—because I was good in Sector 4. We don’t understand what happened in the crash. Usually you have to pay attention to the front, but I lost the rear.”

Zarco was content with third. “Valentino was so strong at the end,” he said. “But when he started to fight with Maverick, I was thinking maybe something can happen. And something happened. We went with soft tires to keep our confidence. I was lucky that today was sunny. Race time was not as hot as we expected and that was another key to keeping this pace today.”

Dani Pedrosa charged from the fifth row of the grid, picking up five places in two corners to eventually earn his third consecutive podium. “It was hard situation before the start,” he said. “All night long, I was thinking, ‘How can I make it through the first chicane because it is so tight. When you are back in the pack, it’s so easy to make a mistake.

“After that chicane, the field stretches so much that it’s difficult to make ground. I knew I had a good pace, so this kept me confident. But, at the same time, I knew I had to get through. It was a little tough when I was behind [Andrea] Dovizioso because he was riding well. Also, his braking and performance out of the corner was good.”

Pedrosa also explained his on-track contact with Cal Crutchlow. “The pass with Cal was on the limit,” he admitted. “I saw the opening when he made a little mistake. Leaning on the right side [of the bike], I couldn’t really see him anymore. In that moment, he closed the door, recovering his line, and we hit. Fortunately, nobody crashed.” Crutchlow lost two places.

After running fourth for more than half of the race, Pedrosa’s Repsol Honda teammate, Marc Marquez, crashed, putting a dent in his title defense. “Since yesterday, I haven’t felt totally comfortable with the front,” he said. “I knew the Yamaha riders were stronger today, so my target was fourth or fifth place. I lost the front very quickly. I didn’t expect this mistake.”

Round 6 of the series is scheduled for June 2-4 at Mugello in Italy, where Michelin will begin supplying a stiffer-construction front tire. Riders first tested the harder casing last November at Valencia and again during the recent IRTA test after the race in Jerez. The majority preferred the harder construction, said Michelin’s Nicolas Goubert.

“A lot of riders have been complaining from the beginning of the season about movement they could feel at the entry to the corner—when they go from a straight line to the apex. They could feel some movement, which was kind of imprecise. They feel happier with something stiffer, which gives them more feedback.”

Vinales admitted he is looking forward to Mugello. “It is going to be really difficult because my teammate is very strong there,” he said. “But the track fits my riding style well, and it looks like it fits the Yamaha; our bike is so stable and keeps really good rear grip. I was also feeling good in Jerez, so I don’t want to create any expectations.” Too late, Maverick.