Results MotoGP Le Mans France 2014

 

Marc Marquez The Winner Le Mans France 2014

Marc Marquez produced a fantastic fightback after an early mistake to lead by a second on lap 16 having been 10th on lap one. Rossi demonstrated his competitiveness again to lead for several laps in the first half of the race but ultimately could not hold off the rampant Marquez.

Whilst Rossi achieved his tenth premier class podium at LeMans and his 150th in the top category, Marquez became the first rider to win five successive premier class races from pole since Mick Doohan in 1997.

Meanwhile, it was Bautista’s first podium since 2012 and a great reward for the determination he has shown since his three DNFs at the start of the season.

An excellent ride from rookie Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) saw him hold off Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) for fourth. Pedrosa appeared to be riding in significant discomfort after recent arm pump surgery.

Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) finished three seconds behind Pedrosa in the unfamiliar territory of sixth for the 2010 and 2012 MotoGP World Champion.

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) recovered from his recent arm operation for seventh, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) and Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) also in the top ten.

Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar) crashed on the first lap after contact with Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing), only for the Italian to go down shortly afterwards. Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing) was also an early crasher, though none of those three were seriously affected by the incidents.

 

1. Marc Marquez Honda 44m03.925s

2. Valentino Rossi Yamaha +1.486s

3. Alvaro Bautista Gresini Honda +3.144s

4. Pol Espargaro Tech 3 Yamaha +3.717s

5. Dani Pedrosa Honda +4.077s

6. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha +7.088s

7. Stefan Bradl LCR Honda +11.527s

8. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati +22.103s

9. Aleix Espargaro Forward Yamaha +22.626s

10. Bradley Smith Tech 3 Yamaha +23.108s

11. Cal Crutchlow Ducati +25.780s

12. Scott Redding Gresini Honda +39.523s

13. Yonny Hernandez Pramac Ducati +42.544s

14. Hiroshi Aoyama Aspar Honda +42.736s

15. Karel Abraham Cardion Honda +56.644s

16. Michael Laverty PBM Aprilia +1m14.123s

17. Colin Edwards Forward Yamaha +1m19.723s

18. Broc Parkes PBM Aprilia +1m30.934s

19. Mike di Meglio Avintia FTR-Kawasaki +1m34.521s

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Marc Marquez Takes Pole Position At Le Mans 2014

 

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez Recorded His Fifth Pole 

Marc Marquez extended his unbeaten qualifying streak by taking a dominant pole position for the French Grand Prix at Le Mans 2014. The world champion was almost seven tenths clear of the field with Pol Espargaro springing a major surprise to qualify second at Tech 3’s home grand prix.

Although Jorge Lorenzo finished the three practice sessions on top, the identity of the polesitter was never in any real doubt with Marquez setting a 1:32.567 on his first lap of Q2. Little did he know it, but Marc had already done enough to take pole with no-one matching his initial flyer but the championship leader caused even more pain for his rivals by going half a second quicker on his second set of tyres.

The rest of the front row looked set to be dominated by Ducati with Andrea Iannone holding second, only to be beaten by Andrea Dovizioso, but a flurry of late improvements saw the younger Espargaro brother snatch second, comfortably his best qualifying result in MotoGP so far. Stefan Bradl was among those to go quicker in the dying seconds to finish fourth with the two Movistar Yamahas of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo demoted to fifth and sixth.

Alvaro Bautista starts seventh tomorrow ahead of Aleix Espargaro while Dani Pedrosa will line up a disappointing ninth after lapping a full second slower than his pacesetting teammate in Q2. Bradley Smith rose as high as fourth at one stage but the frantic finish relegated him to tenth with Andrea Iannone eleventh after an unintended shortcut on his last lap caused it to be deleted.

Cal Crutchlow was the last rider to make it into the second session after narrowly pipping Nicky Hayden in Q1 and the Briton will start twelfth as a result, four places ahead of Scott Redding.

1. Marc Marquez Honda 1m32.042s

 2. Pol Espargaro Tech 3 Yamaha 1m32.734s +0.692s

 3. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati 1m32.755s +0.713s

 4. Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 1m32.846s +0.804s

 5. Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1m32.873s +0.831s

 6. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1m32.899s +0.857s

 7. Alvaro Bautista Gresini Honda 1m33.006s +0.964s

 8. Aleix Espargaro Forward Yamaha 1m33.015s +0.973s

 9. Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m33.023s +0.981s

10. Bradley Smith Tech 3 Yamaha 1m33.058s +1.016s

11. Andrea Iannone Pramac Ducati 1m33.102s +1.060s

12. Cal Crutchlow Ducati 1m33.315s +1.273s

13. Nicky Hayden Aspar Honda 1m33.859s Q1

14. Yonny Hernandez Pramac Ducati 1m33.999s Q1

15. Colin Edwards Forward Yamaha 1m34.203s Q1

16. Scott Redding Gresini Honda 1m34.233s Q1

17. Hiroshi Aoyama Aspar Honda 1m34.457s Q1

18. Karel Abraham Cardion Honda 1m34.880s Q1

19. Hector Barbera Avintia FTR-Kawasaki 1m35.499s Q1

20. Broc Parkes PBM Aprilia 1m35.795s Q1

21. Michael Laverty PBM Aprilia 1m35.932s Q1

22. Mike di Meglio Avintia FTR-Kawasaki 1m36.163s Q1

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2014 MotoGP Qualifying At The Americas

 

The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas

Marquez is quick wherever he rides but he appears to specifically enjoy the state-of-the-art Austin track where round two of the season is taking place and he secured his 11th premier class pole position by 0.289s from Repsol Honda teammate Pedrosa – having dominated all weekend so far. 

A solid effort from LCR Honda’s German rider Bradl put him at the back of row one as he got to within 0.423s of the rampant Marquez – making it an all Honda front three.

It will be an all-Yamaha second row for Sunday’s race, with Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) placing his ‘Open’ Yamaha fourth, 0.467s off pole. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP pair Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi were fifth and sixth, Lorenzo registering a time just 0.003s off Espargaro’s, with Rossi 0.001s behind his teammate.

Heading the third row is Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow (+1.007s), in front of compatriot Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Italian Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing). Smith and Iannone were both also just over a second behind Marquez.

On row four, meanwhile are Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Alvaro Baustista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini).

The fastest ‘Open’ Honda rider Scott Redding will start just behind his GO&FUN Honda Gresini teammate Bautista at the head of row five, having missed Q2 by just 0.074s.

Pos.	Num.	Rider	Nation	Team	Bike	Km/h	Time	Gap 1st/Prev.
1	93	Marc MARQUEZ	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	332.4	2'02.773
2	26	Dani PEDROSA	SPA	Repsol Honda Team	Honda	335.7	2'03.062	0.289 / 0.289
3	6	Stefan BRADL	GER	LCR Honda MotoGP	Honda	336.8	2'03.196	0.423 / 0.134
4	41	Aleix ESPARGARO	SPA	NGM Forward Racing	Forward Yamaha	325.7	2'03.240	0.467 / 0.044
5	99	Jorge LORENZO	SPA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	331.5	2'03.243	0.470 / 0.003
6	46	Valentino ROSSI	ITA	Movistar Yamaha MotoGP	Yamaha	331.5	2'03.244	0.471 / 0.001
7	35	Cal CRUTCHLOW	GBR	Ducati Team	Ducati	330.6	2'03.780	1.007 / 0.536
8	38	Bradley SMITH	GBR	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	330.1	2'03.800	1.027 / 0.020
9	29	Andrea IANNONE	ITA	Pramac Racing	Ducati	336.0	2'03.842	1.069 / 0.042
10	4	Andrea DOVIZIOSO	ITA	Ducati Team	Ducati	333.3	2'03.846	1.073 / 0.004
11	44	Pol ESPARGARO	SPA	Monster Yamaha Tech 3	Yamaha	334.4	2'03.913	1.140 / 0.067
12	19	Alvaro BAUTISTA	SPA	GO&FUN Honda Gresini	Honda	336.4	2'03.923	1.150 / 0.010

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