Moto2 Le Mans France Course: Rookie Raúl Fernández as a real boss!

It is with a championship bringing together the first three in the general classification in 6 points that Moto2 began its fifth round at Le Mans. Remy gardner (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo), Sam Lowes (Kalex, ELF Marc VDS Racing) and Raul Fernandez (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo) are the protagonists but are not the only ones who can have healthy ambitions. 17 points behind the leader, Fabio DiGiannantonio (Kalex, Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) is thus the latest winner while Marco Bezzecchi (Kalex, Sky Racing Team VR46), his runner-up in Jerez, is only 13 points behind and is not giving up...

Among these names, we note that of the rookie Raul Fernandez who already has a victory in the category this season, unlike his teammate and provisional leader in the general classification Remy gardner. Between the two Ajo pilots, we find Sam Lowes, on the podium in Spain, and winner at Le Mans last year. It was also the Briton's first victory in four years.
Behind, the break is made with Joe Roberts (Kalex, Italtrans Racing Team), currently sixth with 38 points. However, what followed showed that we must not forget it…

Indeed, at the end of three free practice sessions contested with the vagaries of the weather at Le Mans, the Californian was able to deal with the elements and break away from qualifying #1 to position himself on the front row, behind the rookie Raul Fernandez  et Marco Bezzecchi.

Aron Canet, the first “non-Kalex” driver, is in 4th position on his ex-Speed ​​Up Boscoscuro from the Inde Aspar team, alongside Augusto Fernandez (Kalex, ELF Marc VDS Racing) who also has no family ties with the pole sitter, and Will Bendsneyder (Kalex, Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team).

To find the strong men of the championships, you have to look at 7th place for Remy gardner, at the 10th for Sam Lowes, or even in 15th regarding the latest winner Fabio DiGiannantonio !

But all that is already ancient history: Make way for live with a sky still uncertain and a track now generally dry with patches of moisture and temperatures of 16° in the air and 21° on the ground.

The well-known painting...

Moto2™ Le Mans	2020	2021
FP1	1'51.279 Kasma Daniel	Arón Canet 1'37.535
FP2	1'37.400 Jorge Martin	Sam Lowes 1'36.307s
FP3	1'36.490 Joe Roberts	1'38.239sArón Canet
Q1	1'36.731 Enea Bastianini	1'36.671 Joe Roberts
Q2	1'36.256 Joe Roberts	1'50.135 Raúl Fernández
Warm Up	1'36.859 Sam Lowes	1'55.338 Arón Canet
Course	Lowes, Gardner, Bezzecchi	Raúl Fernández, Gardner, Bezzecchi
All time lap record	1'36.188 Francesco Bagnaia (2018)

When the red lights go out... Everyone is on slick tires and it's Marco Bezzecchi who makes the best start and arrives in the lead at the Dunlop chicane.

The drivers ride on eggshells on this drying track during the first lap and there are no falls during the first few hundred meters, at least until Arón Canet takes off at the Chemin auxoxes.

At the end of the first round, Marco Bezzecchi precede Raúl Fernández, Joe Roberts, Héctor Garzó (Kalex, Flexbox HP 40, #40), Bo Bendsneyder, Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta, MV Agusta Forward Racing, #7), Xavier Virginie (Kalex, Petronas Sprinta Racing, #97), Sam Lowes et Remy Gardner while Augusto Fernández (Kalex, Elf Marc VDS, #37) makes a mistake.

Quickly, Sam Lowes hangs Xavier Virgo while Joe Roberts takes second position…just before losing control of his Kalex at turn #9.

In the lead, Raúl Fernández and Marco Bezzecchi have more than a second lead after five laps over a group of five drivers made up of Bo Bendsneyder, Remy Gardner, Tony Arbolino (Kalex, Liqui Moly Intact GP, #14), Héctor Garzó and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

The latter quickly becomes the subject of Héctor Garzó's wrath, who finds himself in the gravel trap, waving his finger...

After this eventful start to the race, to say the least, we see that the rookie Raúl Fernández began to pull away, with Red Bull KTM rider Ajo almost a second and a half ahead after nine laps.

10 seconds behind the leader, the peloton is now led by Marcel Schrötter (Kalex, Liqui Moly Intact GP, #23) in front Cameron Beaubier (Kalex, American Racing, #6).

At the halfway mark, Tony Arbolino begins to put pressure on the championship leader Remy Gardner.

Tom Luthi (Kalex, Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team, #12) made a mistake when Remy Gardner takes third position, 10 laps from the finish.

6 laps from the checkered flag, Marco Bezzecchi makes a mistake at the green garage, which benefits Remy Gardner to move into second position.

Cameron Beaubier, then 6th, fell at Dunlop a lap later.

Pole position and first victory in Moto2 for rookie Raúl Fernández who takes second place in the championship, just 1 point behind his teammate Remy Gardner: Splendid!

Standings for the French Moto2 Grand Prix at Le Mans:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com