MotoGP Le Mans France: Modify the first corner to improve safety? Pilots speak out on this subject

The question of safety is making a comeback in relation to what happened last weekend in the MotoGP and MotoE categories, with the rescues of Johann Zarco and Marco Bezzecchi, the spectacular fall of Alex Rins in the race and the by Jordi Torres, then hit by Niccolo Canepa and Xavi Fores.

The subject of security comes back to the forefront after the dangerous fall of Alex Rins during the French Grand Prix. There is no doubt that the first part of the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans is dangerous for MotoGP riders, particularly the outside of the first two turns, as evidenced by the miraculous rescue of Johann Zarco in FP2 on Friday and the near miracle of Marco Bezzecchi on Saturday in Q1.

The Dunlop chicane can also be a source of potentially dangerous accidents, as shown by the fall of Jordi Torres in MotoE or that of Miguel Oliveira in MotoGP. Falling in the middle of the chicane, the bike and the rider remain in the middle of the track with the serious risk of being hit by those behind, and this is what happened in MotoE with Jordi Torres who fell, and was hit by Niccolo Canepa and Xavi Fores, resulting in a broken leg.

But what could be the solution to secure the track in this area? This is a question with no simple answer. Adding an escape route, as exists at Chemins aux Bœufs, would be double-edged: in one sense, it would help drivers not to go straight into the gravel at high speed, but on the other hand it would be harmful because the asphalt would not slow down. motorcycles correctly in the event of a fall.

For Franco Morbidelli, who also had to cut in this area, he indicated that “Luckily no one was passing by otherwise it would have been a big problem. It would take a bit of asphalt to slow down going straight, without reaching chicane 3-4 still at 190 km/h. We would also need gravel in addition to the asphalt because when we skid then the motorcycle comes… we should discuss it in the safety commission. »

For Pecco Bagnaia, his opinion seems more mixed: “Bezzecchi's save was the 'best' but this point is one of the most dangerous in the Championship. Maybe the asphalt can help but the problem is that if you fall in turn 1, the asphalt does not stop the bike which would arrive faster in turn 3-4 than with gravel. The problem is that it's a mixture of things, if the bike also crashes in turn 2 it immediately arrives in turn 3. Honestly I don't know what we can do to fix the problem. »

As for his teammate at Ducati, Jack Miller, he is also aware of the problem but offers no solution: “During the weekend, I happened to cut several times. I wasn't as fast as Zarco and I managed to straighten the bike earlier. To put asphalt, the wall beyond curves 3-4 must be 200 meters in front because the motorcycle does not stop if you slide. In any case, it's a MotoGP track which has dangerous points like the others. »

Finally, Aleix Espargarò, who finished on the podium, would be one of those who want an escape in this area: “It’s difficult to say, we have to find a compromise. I would say not all asphalt otherwise the bike wouldn't stop, but a little bit of asphalt just to allow you to brake if you go off the line a little to help reduce your speed. This is a difficult point to resolve because if you put too much asphalt you also have to move the barriers otherwise you will come too hard. »

To date, no changes to the Bugatti route are on the agenda, and an agreement between Dorna Sports, PHA and Claude Michy confirms that the French Grand Prix will take place at least until 2026.