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Category: Moto GP
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ALEIX ESPARGARÓ IS FAST ONCE AGAIN IN LE MANS AND FINISHES THE FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE IN SECOND PLACE
MAVERICK VIÑALES IS CONSISTENTLY AMONG THE LEADERS BUT NOT QUITE IN THE PROVISIONAL TOP TEN AT THE END OF THE SECOND SESSION
Aleix Espargaró is once again among the season protagonists and on the French Le Mans track, traditionally not very friendly to the RS-GP, he finished the day with an outstanding second place that also confirms the solid progress of the Aprilia MotoGP project. Concrete and confident, Aleix was in the top spots from the first session, which he finished in fifth place before doing a brilliant flying lap at the end of FP2. His time of 1’31.350 provisionally puts him straight through to Q2, depending on what happens in tomorrow’s sessions.
Maverick Maverick missed the top ten after being with the leaders in the morning session, eighth when the chequered flag came out, and consistently staying in the top spots of the standings. He finished twelfth just 137 thousandths from tenth place and a provisional spot in Q2, since he didn’t take advantage of the last run to try and improve his time. If the weather permits, always an unpredictable factor in Northeast France, he’ll have FP3 on Saturday morning to make up positions.
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
"First of all, I have to say that riding here in Le Mans with this perfect weather and the grandstands full of fans is fantastic. I’m pleased with the day today. I knew I had a much-improved Aprilia but this is historically not a friendly track for me. But things went well and in the time attack on the soft tyre the feeling was maybe even better than in Jerez".
MAVERICK VIÑALES
"Today I managed to be fast straight away, but when I tried to take the next step, I couldn’t find the right confidence to push. We’re working on that and it’s important because if we can find the benefits in the time attack on the soft tyre, our pace will also benefit. It will be important tomorrow to do well in FP3 to go through and compete with the top ten. I’ll have to stay focused and give it my all."
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#FrenchGP free practice. The start to the third European event of the season has been an excellent one with Enea Bastianini the fastest rider in today’s combined Free Practice time. IT was far from an easy Friday for the rider #23, who crashed twice (once per session), but was still able to put together the quickest-ever lap for a MotoGP bike at the Bugatti circuit.
The Italian star was indeed able to find a positive feeling with his Ducati machine, as especially in the first sector he proved to be extremely competitive. His 1’31.148secs lap-time was two and three tenths of a second faster than the ones set by Quartararo and Rins, respectively.
It was a good opening day for Fabio Di Giannantonio as well: the series rookie started with the base set-up found with the team during the Jerez test – and built on it. His 1’32.275secs tresulted in a provisional 15thplace.
1st - ENEA BASTIANINI #23 (1’31.148s)
“Too bad for the two crashes, especially the second one. I would have loved to finish the day a few seconds earlier. It’s been a very positive day nonetheless: we were very quick and comfortable in T1 from the get-go and it’s honestly the area where we have to work the least on. Things have changed compared to yesterday, where maybe we did not fully understand what happened… It happens sometimes. We are quick again and we have the right feeling.”
15th - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’32.275s)
“This is maybe the first real positive day of the year. We surely made an important step forward feeling-wise on the bike and I was kind of expecting it after the test we had in Jerez. We’re starting to break hard, and we only need to find a bit more grip: there’s plenty on the track, to be honest, but we still have a bit too much spin and it’ll be important to fix this issue also with regards to qualifying.”
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- The Ducati Grandstands are back to cheer on the champions riding the Borgo Panigale bikes
- The MotoGP championship rounds at Mugello and Misano are the venues for the two grandstands in Italy
- Tickets are already available in the dedicated section of the Ducati website
Borgo Panigale, Bologna, 11 May 2022 – With the MotoGP World Championship well underway, the Ducati Grandstands are back at the Mugello International Circuit and the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli". A front row seat to follow the two Italian rounds and experience the thrill of MotoGP.
The Ducati Grandstands are an extraordinary setting for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer’s colours, created to cheer on the Ducati Lenovo Team champions Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller, together with all the other riders who race on Ducati bikes, Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco for the Pramac Racing Team, Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio with the Gresini Racing Team, Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi of the VR46 Racing Team.
Tickets for the Ducati Grandstands are already available in the dedicated section of the website. For all Ducatisti who purchase tickets, a series of services and benefits are provided to help them make the most of the days spent in the circuit. From free access to the grandstand at any time, to the convenience of the reserved motorcycle parking*, to the gear check service for technical clothing. In addition, fans will receive a "Fan's Kit", consisting of a t-shirt, cap and gadget.
The first Italian round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship is scheduled for the Mugello International Circuit on the weekend of 28 and 29 May. Ducati will welcome its fans in a grandstand with a dedicated sector with numbered seats in the Tribuna Materassi. The position offers a wide view of several curves of the track and the fun is guaranteed by the possibility of seeing exciting overtaking action right under the grandstand, which also has a big screen so not to miss a single moment of the Grand Prix.
The second and final Italian round of the MotoGP Championship - the San Marino and Riviera di Rimini GP - takes place at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” from 2 to 4 September. Here the Ducati Grandstand is situated at Tribuna C, located in the MWC Square, a key area of ​​the circuit that guarantees an exciting view of the race. The grandstand is covered, with numbered seats and equipped with a big screen active from Saturday qualifying to Sunday's race. Car parking* will also be available at Misano.
Racing is an essential part of the Ducati DNA and the Italian company has always offered its fans a privileged place to enjoy the spectacle of MotoGP at many international circuits. The Ducati Grandstands in fact are not limited to the Italian rounds of the championship, the Circuit of the Americas in Texas and the Circuit of Jerez-Ángel Nieto in Spain have already hosted many Ducatisti. In the coming months Ducati Grandstands will be present at Le Mans in France, Sachsenring in Germany, Silverstone in the UK, Phillip Island in Australia and at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo of Valencia in Spain.
More information on the Ducati Grandstands is available in the dedicated section on the Ducati website, where it is already possible to buy tickets for Mugello and Misano.
#ForzaDucati
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Suzuki is set to welcome owners and enthusiasts to Cadwell Park on Friday 10 June for Suzuki Live, where the Japanese firm will celebrate both new and old models alike.
The day will bring together track sessions for bikes of all ages, test rides, special guests, classic bike displays, and a special parade lap for five of Barry Sheene’s iconic race bikes, recently restored by Suzuki’s Vintage Parts Programme.
Among others, celebrity special guests will include three-time British Superbike champion John Reynolds and World Superbike and EWC champion and MotoGP test rider-extraordinaire Sylvain Guintoli, and Danny Webb, who will be out on the RG500 he campaigned at the Classic TT for Team Classic Suzuki.
Key models from Suzuki’s on-road product range – including the new GSX-S1000GT sports tourer, GSX-S1000 naked, and third generation Hayabusa – will be available to test ride on the day on the stunning roads surrounding Cadwell Park. Those wishing to take a test ride must present a valid licence and produce a DVLA check code or National Insurance number.
A classic bike display will comprise a 1985 GSX-R750F, the TL1000s built brand new by the Vintage Parts Programme in 2014, a 1991 GSX-R1100L, and the Team Classic Suzuki Katana endurance racer.
Split into three groups, there are 111 track day spaces available on the day, costing £135 per person. However, access is free to those wishing to watch the action and the parades, or take a test ride.
Suzuki GB head of motorcycle marketing, Ian Bland, said, “It’s going to be a great celebration of Suzukis of all ages and at a circuit that is a firm favourite with many riders. Suzuki track days have been a regular feature of our events calendars in the past, however, for obvious reasons, they’ve been more difficult over the last couple of years. But this is shaping up to be a great event, with some great bikes and special guests too. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone and enjoying the action.”
Riders will be split into three groups on the day, based on their level of experience and the bike they are riding: Classic Novice for those new to track days or riding older classic machines, Classic Intermediate for those more familiar with track days or riding a classic model, and Open Advanced for the experienced riders on the latest Suzuki machinery.
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Le Mans preview. MotoGP make its return to French soil, for what has become through the years a classic in the series. Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio will be racing at the home track of current championship leader Quartararo with very different goals, albeit both with ambitious goals.
The rider #23 wants to return to the time of form shown in the extra-European races earlier this year, even though the main goal is to find back that feeling with his Ducati machine that he was never able to get at Jerez a fortnight ago. The post-race Spanish test gave him some fresh confidence, with the Italian star eager to fly again – hopefully with some favourable weather.
For Di Giannantonio it is time to raise the bar and score his first MotoGP points. The base set-up he found with the team at Jerez may be a good starting point to well-perform in France already.
Historical recurrences: Le Mans is among the most challenging tracks on the MotoGP calendar, but Gresini Racing was able to secure several podium finishes at this track throughout the years. Two wins and a second for Sete Gibernau (in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively) and a win and a second place for Marco Melandri in 2006 and 2007, but not only.
Both Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio have had their ‘podium taste’ with the Faenza-based team before: ‘Bestia’ managed to do so in 2015 as he finished second in the Moto3 class, while Diggia did the same two years later. This is their best career result in France, at least so far. ðŸ˜
ENEA BASTIANINI #23 (3º in the championship standings with 69 points)
“Le Mans is quite an unusual track, but a very good one nonetheless. Usually the track, and therefore track conditions, are a key variable, but let’s hope it will be different this time. I would like to find back that feeling with the bike that we kind of lost a bit at Jerez: let’s say being back to the one we had in Portimao, where only the result was unkind to us.”
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49
“Le Mans is a tough track, temperature and weather wise. We always had very unique conditions, but we’re coming from a positive test in which we found a good direction to follow in terms of set-up, so I’m curious to see if it’ll work at this track.”
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