MotoGP: 2016 Grand Prix of Le Mans Race Results

2016 French GP Race Results
1. Jorge LORENZO (99) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA
2. Valentino ROSSI (46) Movistar Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA
3. Maverick VIÑALES (25) Team Suzuki Ecstar SUZUKI
4. Dani PEDROSA (26) Repsol Honda Team HONDA
5. Pol ESPARGARO (44) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA
6. Aleix ESPARGARO (41) Team Suzuki Ecstar SUZUKI
7. Danilo PETRUCCI (9) OCTO Pramac Yakhnich DUCATI
8. Hector BARBERA (8) Avintia Racing DUCATI
9. Alvaro BAUTISTA (19) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA
10. Stefan BRADL (6) Aprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA
11. Eugene LAVERTY (50) Aspar Team MotoGP DUCATI
12. Loris BAZ (76) Avintia Racing DUCATI
13. Marc MARQUEZ (93), Repsol Honda Team HONDA

DNF: Bradley SMITH (38) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA
DNF: Jack MILLER (43) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS HONDA
DNF: Andrea DOVIZIOSO (4) Ducati Team DUCATI
DNF: Andrea IANNONE (29) Ducati Team DUCATI
DNF: Tito RABAT (53) Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS HONDA
DNF: Cal CRUTCHLOW (35) LCR Honda HONDA
DNF: Yonny HERNANDEZ (68) Aspar Team MotoGP DUCATI
DNF: Scott REDDING (45) OCTO Pramac Yakhnich DUCATI

Tension hung in the air ahead of the 28-lap Monster Energy Grand Prix de France as riders in the MotoGP World Championship sat patiently on the grid. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) had pole ahead of championship leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and potential podium challenger Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team). Gusts of wind blew across the track as they departed for the warm-up lap.

Lorenzo made a perfect start as Marquez wheelied off the line, the Yamaha rider leading through the first chicane with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) behind him. Marquez was soon up to fourth as he charged past Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) attempted to follow him through but found himself swamped by the likes of Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3).

As they crossed the finish line for the first time Lorenzo's lead stood at half a second with Dovizioso and Iannone behind. It was not the start Rossi had wanted, able to make up just a single place from seventh on the grid as the second lap began. Dovizioso, who had seemingly banished his recent bad luck, remained strong in second.

Having started last on the grid, home rider Loris Baz (Avintia Racing) was up to 17th by the fourth lap of the race. Local fans cheered him on with each pass, urging the Frenchman forever forward.

Lap four saw Rossi improve his pace, going half a second quicker than his rival Marc Marquez who was just ahead. The pair weren’t the only ones closing up, Iannone also making significant progress on his teammate. His charge would be halted on lap seven when Iannone fell at Turn 8. Iannone’s fall was followed by Cal Crutchlow’s (LCR Honda), who suffered his fourth race crash of the year. One lap later, fellow satellite Honda rider Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) came off at Turn 6. Iannone would re-join the race but eventually retired.

Lap 13 saw Rossi slip past on Marc Marquez, making it a three-way battle for second as Lorenzo continued to run away at the head of the race. Just a few corners later Rossi was up into second place and matching Lorenzo’s times.

The battle for second was brewing until on lap 16 at Turn 7 both Andrea Dovizioso and Marc Marquez crashed at the same time. There was no contact between them, the pair both simultaneously losing the front. This put Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on course for his first MotoGP podium and Lorenzo on the cusp of taking the championship lead.

The falls continued and soon Marc Marquez was up in 13th place, despite missing a large section of his side fairing. With five laps to go, Lorenzo calmly ran his own race with a solid 7.8-second lead. With gaps of at least three seconds splitting the top three, each eased their pace to guarantee a finish in the clearly difficult conditions.

For the second time in 2016, Jorge Lorenzo crossed the line in first place after dominating the French GP. Over 10 seconds would separate him from second-place Rossi as the race came to an end. It was a day of celebration for Suzuki and Viñales, the Spaniard taking his first podium finish in the premier class. Viñales’ podium is the first for Suzuki since the 2008 Czech GP, making amends for his mistake in Argentina.

This win moves Lorenzo to the top of the championship with 90 points, Marquez forced to concede his advantage after the crash. Rossi stays third and is 12 points behind Lorenzo. Marquez, Lorenzo and Rossi now have a mistake each to their name and with only 12 points between them in the championship; the season is only just getting started. The MotoGP World Championship now heads to Mugello, Rossi’s home round but one where Lorenzo has been the man to beat in recent years.