Moto3 Le Mans France Race: Celestino Vietti and his tire!

Albert Arenas (KTM, Aspar Team Gaviota), who had firmly dominated the start of the Moto3 championship, saw the tide turn since Misano, with two falls, in Italy and in Barcelona. And even if the latter is the entire responsibility of John McPhee (Honda, Petronas Sprinta Racing), winner in the Bugatti last year after passing through Q1, the facts are there: The Spanish driver had to concede the leadership of the category to the Japanese driver Ai Ogura (Honda, Honda Team Asia), for 3 small points.

But nothing is over yet, especially as the Spaniard arrives at Le Mans on the land of his first victory, acquired in 2018, the year from which all the track records date.

Behind, we find less than 5 points from this trio which is playing for the title Tony Arbolino (Honda, Rivacold Snipers Team) and Celestine Vietti (KTM, Sky Racing Team VR46) while Tatsuki suzuki (Honda, SIC58 Squadra Corse), already 47 points behind the leader, was unable to defend his chances in Catalonia because of his fractured left wrist.

Without any real chances of winning the title but in full rise, we will also follow the performance of Darryn Binder (KTM, CIP–Green Power) in Sarthe, the latest winner of the category, who will start from the 4th row, less far away than usual.

At the start of this French Grand Prix, Machiavellian will of the racing gods or not, we find the two protagonists of the fall of Barcelona, Albert Arenas and John McPhee on the first row, behind the pole sitter and new track record holder Jaume Masia (Honda, Leopard Racing): no question of missing the Dunlop chicane!

Conversely, Ai Ogura, the championship leader, will only start from the sixth row, enough to spice up this race a little more which will take place over 22 laps, under a timid sun with temperatures of 12° in the air and 14° on the Manceau asphalt.

Moto3™ Le Mans	2019	2020
FP1	1'42.954 Gabriel Rodrigo	1'55.217 John McPhee
FP2	1'42.147 Ai Ogura	1'44.820 Filip Salač
FP3	1'53.429 Tatsuki Suzuki	1'42.153 Raúl Fernández
Q1	1'43.994 John McPhee	1'42.317 Kaito Toba
Q2	1'42.277 John McPhee	1'41.399 Jaume Masia
Warm up	1'42.841 John McPhee	1'42.514 Andrea Migno
Course	McPhee, Dalla Porta, Canet	Vietti, Arbolino, Arenas
All time lap record	1'41.754 Jorge Martin (2018)	1'41.399 Jaume Masia

When the red lights go out... Albert Arenas made the holeshot and immediately took a few steps ahead.

Everything goes well at the Dunlop chicane and Arenas finally completes the first lap in front Jaume Masiá, Tony Arbolino, Gabriel Rodrigo (Honda, Kömmerling Gresini Moto3), Raúl Fernández (KTM, Red Bull KTM Ajo), Celestino Vietti (KTM, Sky Racing Team VR46), Ayumu Sasaki (KTM, Red Bull KTM Tech3), Sergio Garcia (Honda, Estrella Galicia 0,0), Andrea Migno (KTM, Sky Racing Team VR46) and Darryn Binder, while in the peloton, Ai Ogura fell to 24th place.

After two rounds, Masia takes command while Binder is already in 5th position.

John mcphee, who missed his start, is now being heckled around 13th place.

After five rounds, Darryn binder, who set the best lap in the race, took third position behind Masia and Arbolino.

On the next pass, the two Sterilgarda Max Racing Team drivers from Max Biaggi, Romano Fenati and Alonso Lopez, hang on in a spectacular way. They comfort each other, fortunately unharmed.

Tatsuki suzuki (Honda, SIC58 Squadra Corse) then made a minor mistake at turn 8.

A little before halfway, nine drivers managed to get some air: Arenas, Binder, Arbolino, Masiá, Vietti, Sasaki, Fernández, Rodrigo and Andrea Migno. A little further, we also find McPhee, Alcoba and Toba.

At the front, as usual, we overtake each other nicely but the point is more to not get too far away from the current leader than to try to take the advantage to escape. For this, we will wait for the last rounds…

The last rounds where Celestine Vietti (KTM, Sky Racing Team VR46) will perhaps benefit from its hard rear tire…

With seven laps to go, John mcphee made the junction with the leading group, at the moment when Darryn Binder sees all his chances disappear after his engine stops following a highside.

Ryusei Yamanaka (Honda, Estrella Galicia 0,0) is given a Long Lap penalty for exceeding the track limits too much.

In the next passage, Jeremy Alcove (Honda, Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) loses control of his Honda and causes John mcphee on the ground with him. This almost removes any chance of the championship for the Briton…

Kaito Toba (Honda, Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Niccolo Antonelli (Honda, SIC58 Squadra Corse) fell without seriousness.

Three laps from the checkered flag, it's still Masia who leads the operations, 2/10 ahead Arenas, Vietti and the rest of the group of nine pilots.

A little before the start of the last lap, like an old fox, Celestine Vietti seizes leadership at the “Green Garage”. Setting a more than fast pace, the Sky VR46 driver managed to maintain the advantage throughout the last loop to win his second victory, after that obtained in Styria!

In the championship, Albert Arenas now leads by 6 points Ai Ogura who saves the furniture, 16 of Celestine Vietti and 20 on Tony Arbolino.

Next clash next week in Aragón…

Ranking of the French Moto3 Grand Prix:

Photo credit and ranking: MotoGP.com