This weekend, history is guaranteed with a capital H. 999 events later, the motorcycle Grands Prix celebrate a milestone at Le Mans, as the first motorsport world championship reaches the milestone of 1000 Grands Prix. There are well over 1000 reasons to watch the Grands Prix... But we're going to name a few!
The championship is close at the finish, because the Tissot Sprint continues to shake up habits – at least for some – and make the stands vibrate on Saturday. The reigning champion Francis Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is back in business, leading the points after a difficult weekend for Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). KTM is on fire, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is now tied with Bagnaia for Sprint wins, and almost matched him on Sunday. His teammate Jack Miller is also in the mix. Aprilia is close to the top but has not yet converted its pace. Honda has already won this season, but in Jerez it fell back to earth. Yamaha? Yamaha wants more, and fabio quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) too, as well as a bit of luck.
So let's go ! Welcome to Sarthe and one of the most sacred places in motorsport. Like we said, history is guaranteed!
DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
The question has already arisen several times for Francesco Bagnaia : Can he bounce back? The response has, so far, never been negative. A year ago, it was after he slipped at Le Mans while chasing his future teammate
Enea Bastianini, then after the German GP. And it still is. Until COTA 2023, the question has always been asked. But the answer in Jerez was once again “yes”, and with a certain style. It was a breathtaking weekend where the Red Bull KTMs were pushed to their limits, and a weekend that reminded people how Pecco got that number 1 plaque. Last year's pole winner at Le Mans, he enters this year's weekend as a favorite.
To Enea Bastianini, this is a new test on the sidelines. And in his place? A former Le Mans winner: Danilo Petrucci. Petrucci arrives from WorldSBK in Barcelona and will probably need a little time to hit his stride, but he will certainly be an interesting addition. It wasn't that long ago that the Italian was at the forefront in the premier category, after all...
MOONEY VR46 RACING TEAM
After the highs of the early races, Jerez was a return to earth moment for the Mooney VR46 Racing Team, but Le Mans is another mouthful to enjoy. Marco Bezzecchi
will aim to get back on the podium once again – and take the lead in the championship – and his teammate
Luca marini will want to get back into the lead pack after both were somewhat absent in Spain. Le Mans suits the Ducati – as if any place doesn't, to be fair – so it wouldn't be surprising if the VR46 team returned to big performances this weekend.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
Good, good, good. To use the words of the inimitable
Jack Miller, who are " Ha! Where is the KTM now ? ". On the podium both days in Jerez and fighting for both victories! The Austrian factory rose to the occasion at the Spanish Grand Prix, and with both drivers performing quite magically in mixed or wet conditions, there's little to worry about in France. Will they be able to repeat their pace from Jerez? The answer to this question could be found on Friday and Saturday, with an excellent qualification which gave them a perfect base in Jerez. A platform that they used to perfection when making the holeshot. We can be sure that
Brad Binder, double winner of the Tissot Sprint, and
Jack Miller, newly arrived, will not fail to embark on the adventure.
APRILIA RACING
If you had said after pre-season testing that
Maverick Vinales et Aleix Espargaro would be where they are today, few people would have believed it. After such a promising start, the situation has deteriorated somewhat, but there is still a lot of promise. The riders have proven their quality, as has the machine, but it doesn't take much in the tightest competition on two wheels to suddenly find yourself with a mountain to climb – and a handful of small mistakes, a few technical glitches and a bit of pure bad luck was all it took. Can the Noale factory bounce back? They were on the podium last season at Le Mans with Espargaró, also coming from pole at Jerez, and Viñales has been on the podium here with his previous two machines, including for a victory. And the motorcycle? Aside from these few problems, it is a serious competitor.
PRIMA PRAMAC RACING
For Jorge Martin, Jerez will probably have had a bitter taste. In a weekend without bad luck or drama, the Spaniard was unable to visit the parc ferme on Saturday or Sunday. He had a say in some moves, but with Miller vs Binder vs Pecco in full action, the number 89 found itself locked in and lacked inspiration. Will it be able to do more at Le Mans?
On the other side of the garage, it's a whole different story for
Johann Zarco, the local hero. There will be pressure, that's for sure, but also an electric atmosphere for the double Moto2™ world champion. He's already been on the podium here too, but he's had a bit more ups and downs so far in 2023. Will he be able to fight for the podium again, come rain or shine? it's windy ?
LCR HONDA CASTROL/IDEMITSU
After the incredible weekend he had at COTA, it was likely that Álex Rins would leave Jerez with a little less success, but in fact it was particularly difficult. The GP of the Americas was no mirage, however, and number 42 has exactly the same quality. So it's time to see if he, his new bike and his new team can put the pieces of the puzzle back together at Le Mans. He already had pace here at Le Mans, but he crashed, so a finish is already one goal, and bigger points are another.
For Takaaki Nakagami, Jerez was a little light in the tunnel and the Japanese driver will want to take inspiration from it. He's picked up some solid P7s here in recent years, which is no mean feat in the field as it is.
GRESINI RACING MotoGP™
For Álex Márquez, the Spanish Grand Prix with a P8 was not quite what the number 73 is aiming for this year, but it is at least another haul of points after a difficult race. Le Mans, on the other hand, was the scene of his first podium in the premier class in 2020, where he excelled in the rain, which leaves good memories. Will he be able to return to the leadership position he held at Termas and COTA?
On the other side of the box, Fabio Di Giannantonio is still looking for a step forward. He showed good speed in the lower categories in France, and he will hope this weekend will be one of fruition, especially before Mugello, which was one of the highlights of his rookie campaign.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MotoGP™
COTA seemed to be an improvement, at least on Sunday, for Fabio Quartararo. But Jerez was adventurous for the Frenchman. A highly controversial long lap penalty, then a rise and fall... But he also struggled to find speed on a timed lap, missing Q2 and suffering one of his worst qualifiers on one of his best Site (s. But this is their home ground and another weekend to reset, with packed stands sure to give the local hero a boost. What's in the handle?
For Franco Morbidelli, the difficulties continue. The Argentine is starting to fade into memory, but he got close at times to his teammate Quartararo at Jerez. What will happen at Le Mans?
CRYPTODATA RNF MotoGP™ TEAM
The bad luck continues for RNF, with the team already confirming that Miguel Oliveira will be sidelined in France. Aprilia test driver Lorenzo Savadori will replace him. Meanwhile, Raúl Fernández has also undergone surgery on his arm, and therefore arrives with his own disability. After a more difficult start to the season than expected for the former Moto2™ record holder, he now hopes to be able to start to rebuild and really fight at the front in the next races. First step: Get in condition to compete in France.
GASGAS FACTORY RACING Tech3
The mission remains the same for Augusto Fernández and Jonas Folger: Continue to progress. For Folger, of course, it's also about gathering information and a useful adventure to accompany his role as a test pilot. Fernández's goal is to get more points and be in the top 10 again.
REPSOL HONDA TEAM
It has been a difficult season for Repsol Honda, but each team is just one Grand Prix away from a turnaround. Joan Mir continues to seek to progress in her adaptation, and the starting grid continues to look for Marc Márquez on the entry list. Will his name appear there this time?
As is often the case, the number 93 leads the Le Mans statistics, with victories, podiums and poles. Not to mention the eight world titles and the sheer magic he can pull out of his hat. But he said it himself: He will come back when he is healed. We'll no doubt find out soon if that means the French GP, but in the meantime we can hope that the 1000th Grand Prix in history will feature one of the most successful drivers in the 999 events that preceded it .
SHOWTIME
Friday practice sessions decide automatic Q2 entries, before the MotoGP™ starting grid qualifies on Saturday morning. This weekend, the Tissot Sprint is scheduled for lights out at 15:00 p.m. on Saturday, as always, and the Grand Prix race returns to “normal” time. That is to say 14:00 p.m. CET!
Tissot Sprint: Saturday 15:00 p.m.
Grand Prix race: Sunday 14:00 p.m.
