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I missed a couple of races, sorry guys! To make up for it, here is the Grand Prix of France a little early. I can't believe we are about to be 5 rounds in to the season already! I feel like if I blink we'll find ourselves setting DVR times for the Valencia race.

Top 10 after 4 rounds:
1 Valentino Rossi 82
2 Andrea Dovizioso 67
3 Jorge Lorenzo 62
4 Marc Marquez 56
5 Andrea Iannone 50
6 Cal Crutchlow 47
7 Bradley Smith 36
8 Aleix Espargaro 31
9 Pol Espargaro 26
10 Maverick Vinales 20

Anyway, here's all the details and more to come as they are available.

Monster Energy Grand Prix de France
15 May - 17 May

Thursday May 14
Press Conference: 11-1130

Friday May 15
Moto3 FP1 03:00 - 03:40
MotoGP FP1 03:55 - 04:40
Moto2 FP1 04:55 - 05:40
Moto3 FP2 07:10 - 07:50
MotoGP FP2 08:05 - 08:50
Moto2 FP2 09:05 - 09:50

Saturday May 16
Moto3 FP3 03:00 - 03:40
MotoGP FP3 03:55 - 04:40
Moto2 FP3 04:55 - 05:40
Moto3 QP 06:35 - 07:15
MotoGP FP4 07:30 - 08:00
MotoGP Q1 08:10 - 08:25
MotoGP Q2 08:35 - 08:50
Moto2 QP 09:05 - 09:50
Press Conference PRESS 11:00 - 11:30

Sunday May 17
Moto3 WUP 02:40 - 03:00
Moto2 WUP 03:10 - 03:30
MotoGP WUP 03:40 - 04:00
Moto3 RAC 05:00
Moto2 RAC 06:20
MotoGP RAC 08:00





Circuit Le Mans Location: Le Mans - France
Length: 4.180 Kilometers / 2.6 miles
Width: 13 mt.
Longest straight: 674 mt. / 0.419 miles
Left corners: 5
Right corners: 9
Pole position: Left
Constructed: 1966
Modified: 2008


About the circuit
Built in 1965 around the existing 24-Hour track, the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit lies 5km south of the city of Le Mans and 200km south-west of Paris. The venue has hosted Grand Prix since the late sixties but a serious accident to Spanish rider Alberto Puig in 1995 saw it struck off the calendar until 2000 whilst stringent safety improvements were carried out.

Le Mans is a tight track dominated by first gear corners that place the emphasis on late braking and hard acceleration, whilst rear end traction is also a key area. With the capacity to comfortably accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, the Bugatti circuit also plays host to the 24 hour truck race, the FIA GP2 Championship, French Touring Car and GT races.

Circuit Records
Fastest Lap in 2014 by Marc MARQUEZ
Time: 1'32.042 @ 163.6

Circuit Record in 2014 by Marc MARQUEZ
Time: 1'33.548 @ 161.0

Best Pole in 2014 by Marc MARQUEZ
Time: 1'32.042 @ 163.6

Top Speed in 2014 by Dani PEDROSA
Time - @ Speed 313.8

2014 Race Winner: Marc Marquez (HRC)


FRENCH REVOLUTION
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2015/0...olution/175421

French riders have enjoyed a record-breaking start to the 2015 World Championship season; can it get better in Le Mans?
French riders have had a great start to the 2015 campaign, and a number of records and milestones have already been achieved in the opening four races of the year:

Rossi not thinking about points situation

Valentino Rossi insists he is not yet thinking about the championship standings despite extending his advantage over Andrea Dovizioso to 15 points at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Rossi maintained his 100% podium record in 2015 - the 200th of his career - after finishing behind team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and reigning champion Marc Márquez, while nearest rival Dovizioso managed only ninth after an off-track excursion.

But despite his advantage, Rossi says his focus is on improving his Yamaha after struggling at Jerez.

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Exhilarating MotoGP™ Championship battle moves on to Le Mans



The MotoGP™ paddock heads to the legendary Le Mans circuit for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France as the Championship fight heats up.
Le Mans first hosted a motorcycle grand prix back in 1969, and since then it has born witness to 27 races, but few with the potential to be as exciting as this one.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2015/0...le-mans/175413

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Extra-soft compound slicks make their 2015 debut at Le Mans -

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.... more quotes to come - I know someone out there likes to read them ....
Tech3 Duo Ready For Home GP At The Legendary Le Mans Circuit

Bradley Smith Championship: 7th Points: 36
"Next up for us is the awesome Le Mans race which is certainly one I look forward to, especially as it's the team's home race, plus Monster Energy sponsors this event. The track itself is quite narrow and features some tight first gear corners plus the stadium section at the end of the lap can be tricky, so we must ensure we get everything set up and ready as soon as possible for the race. The Jerez weekend was a bit of a challenging one, however I still managed to battle through to 8th and we then found the solution to our issue in the test on Monday. Therefore, I am confident of clinching a top result aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 in the 28-lap race on Sunday. Last year was quite a tough one for me at Le Mans, but I am determined to continue my strong form so far this season and as the crowd is always so ecstatic and passionate about our sport, I will do my best to give them something to cheer about!"

Pol Espargaro Championship: 9th Points: 26
"I can't wait to jump on the Yamaha and get out on the track this weekend at Le Mans! I had a good result last time in Jerez where I finished in 5th which was what the team and I needed after the tricky opening rounds that we experienced. Now I fully intend to follow this result up with another strong finish at the Tech3 team's home race. Last year, I scored my first ever MotoGP front row and finished in 4th but only 0.6 away from the podium, so I'm definitely keen to hit the ground running this weekend. Now, it's one year on and I know I can be pushing for this position, if not higher, after collecting more experience in the past twelve months. I am feeling confident for this race and although the weather can sometimes be tricky at this track, I will push hard for the team and the fans, who are always brilliant at Le Mans!"



Bridgestone MotoGP™ Preview - Round 5: France, Le Mans

Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Le Mans, France

Bridgestone slick compounds: Front: Extra-soft, Soft & Medium; Rear: Extra-soft, Soft & Medium (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds: Soft (Main) & Hard (Alternative)

The fabled Le Mans circuit hosts round five of the 2015 MotoGP™ season, the venue now established as the regular venue of the French Grand Prix since the start of the millennium.

Measuring 4.2 kilometres in length, the Le Mans circuit features a ‘stop-and-go’ configuration with low-speed corners punctuated by a series of short straights. The layout places an emphasis on strong acceleration and braking performance, rather than outright corner speed. With cool temperatures likely and the tarmac being relatively low in grip, the circuit demands a good bike setup to ensure the tyres stay in their optimum operating range. The low temperatures and forces imposed on tyres means that the slick tyre allocation for this round uses Bridgestone’s softest rubber compounds to ensure quick warm-up, high grip and excellent temperature retention.

For Le Mans, Bridgestone’s rear slick tyre allocation for the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders will be the soft and medium asymmetric options, while the rest of the field will have access to the extra-soft and soft rear slicks. The front slick allocation for Le Mans will be the extra-soft, soft & medium compound options.

To ensure optimal performance in wet conditions, the main wet tyre for French Grand Prix is the soft compound although limited numbers of the alternative, hard compound wet tyre will also be available.

Hiroshi Yamada - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“It is always a pleasure coming to Le Mans as Bridgestone has shared in many memorable victories here, both in the competition and sole tyre supply eras, including some challenging races caused by unstable weather. The layout of this circuit features many acceleration and braking zones and overall is not so severe on tyres, so this is the first round when we are able to offer our extra-soft compound front and rear slicks. In recent years this circuit hasn’t favoured any particular manufacturer, so I hope to see many riders challenging for the podium this weekend. Although it is often cool and wet at Le Mans, our tyre allocation is designed to work over a wide range of temperatures and conditions, but of course I hope we can see another exciting race take place in dry conditions! This year we have two French riders in Mike and Loris participating in the MotoGP class so there is even more incentive for the local fans to come to Le Mans this weekend to enjoy the action.”

Shinji Aoki - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
Le Mans has a stop-and-go layout and overall, the lateral loads placed on the tyres at Le Mans are low compared to other circuits. Additionally, the tarmac is smooth and low in grip; therefore the French Grand Prix is the first occasion this year where we will offer the extra-soft front and rear slick options. The layout of the circuit means riders want tyres with good rear grip for acceleration out of the corners, and optimal stability from the front tyre for the many braking zones. Although the circuit is generally quite easy on tyres, the right shoulders of the rear tyre are placed under more stress than the left, particularly on the exit of turn nine. As a result, all of our asymmetric rear slicks for Le Mans feature harder rubber on the right shoulder.”

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Circuito MotoGP Francia Le Mans - CARTA D'IDENTITÀ DEL CIRCUITO

Difficulty for the braking system
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Circuito MotoGP Francia Le Mans - CARTA D'IDENTITÀ DEL CIRCUITO



A circuit with average demanding braking, where due to the sudden changes in weather, steel discs often have to be used in case of rain. If the track is wet, steel discs are often used instead of carbon discs. Carbon, in fact, besides requiring minimum operating temperatures which are hard to achieve in case of rain, is also characterized by a rather marked braking action which is not very suited to slippery conditions typical of a wet track. Besides, steel discs, with their greater weight compared to carbon ones, contribute to providing greater stability to the front suspension of the motorcycle when there are poor gripping conditions such as on a wet track.

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Marquez and Pedrosa reunited for GP of France
By HRC May 12 2015

fter a three race absence, this weekend Dani Pedrosa will return to race alongside Marc Marquez for the Repsol Honda Team in Le Mans.

Dani received surgery to his right arm to alleviate discomfort from arm pump and as a result missed the races in the Americas, Argentina and Spain, but returns in Le Mans for round five of the 2015 World Championship. Marc, who was also injured in a training accident after the GP of Argentina, managed to fight for a courageous 2nd place in Spain, and now arrives in Le Mans this weekend almost back to 100%.

The Le Mans Bugatti circuit is very stop-and-go, with plenty of slow turns where braking and acceleration performance are crucial. Riders and their engineers concentrate on honing their machines’ stability during braking, as well as improving rear-end traction for the numerous hairpin exits. The 4.18km circuit features the same start-finish straight as the Le Mans 24hr event and a blindingly fast right-hander leading to the famous Dunlop chicane. Following this quick start to the lap, the stop-start character becomes evident, with a slow right-hander leading on to the main straight. It is one of nine right hand turns, and four lefts.

Marc has had mixed results at this circuit, but took his first MotoGP victory here last year, he’s also enjoyed a victory in 2011 (Moto2) and podiums in 2013 (MotoGP) and 2010 (125cc). Dani has finished on the podium 7 times including an emphatic win in atrocious conditions during the MotoGP race in 2013 and three victories in the lower classes (2003 in 125cc, 2004 and 2005 in 250cc).

Marc Marquez # 93
"Since Jerez we’ve been able to rest and now I’m feeling much stronger for this weekend. I visited Dr. Mir for a check up and my finger is definitely improving and healing well. I haven’t trained much this past week in order to give my finger a chance to restore back to 100%, which was our main goal. I like the Le Mans track, the weather is always changeable but last year it was really good and I took my first win in the MotoGP class, so let’s hope it’s the nice for us again this year!"

Dani Pedrosa # 26
"I’ve been doing a lot of therapy in the past few weeks since the operation and I am improving step by step. I’m beginning to feel stronger and looking forward to getting back on the bike - after all, this is the best way to check the feeling after all the rehabilitation work. It will be good to get back to my team and catch up with them all after this time and of course to see all the fans in Le Mans, so let’s hope the weather is kind to us again like in 2014!"

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Bradley Smith Championship: 7th Points: 36

Bradley Smith - 2015"Next up for us is the awesome Le Mans race which is certainly one I look forward to, especially as it's the team's home race, plus Monster Energy sponsors this event. The track itself is quite narrow and features some tight first gear corners plus the stadium section at the end of the lap can be tricky, so we must ensure we get everything set up and ready as soon as possible for the race. The Jerez weekend was a bit of a challenging one, however I still managed to battle through to 8th and we then found the solution to our issue in the test on Monday. Therefore, I am confident of clinching a top result aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 in the 28-lap race on Sunday. Last year was quite a tough one for me at Le Mans, but I am determined to continue my strong form so far this season and as the crowd is always so ecstatic and passionate about our sport, I will do my best to give them something to cheer about!"

Pol Espargaro Championship: 9th Points: 26

Pol Espargaro - 2015"I can't wait to jump on the Yamaha and get out on the track this weekend at Le Mans! I had a good result last time in Jerez where I finished in 5th which was what the team and I needed after the tricky opening rounds that we experienced. Now I fully intend to follow this result up with another strong finish at the Tech3 team's home race. Last year, I scored my first ever MotoGP front row and finished in 4th but only 0.6 away from the podium, so I'm definitely keen to hit the ground running this weekend. Now, it's one year on and I know I can be pushing for this position, if not higher, after collecting more experience in the past twelve months. I am feeling confident for this race and although the weather can sometimes be tricky at this track, I will push hard for the team and the fans, who are always brilliant at Le Mans!"


Aleix Espargaro:

“I’m satisfied with the steps forward we have made in the last test in Jerez. We are looking for better traction which could let us better exploit the bike’s potential. The electronics have made many improvements and we also tested some chassis parts on the rear that allowed us to make better lap times. We have also worked on geometry and set-up which finally gave us better braking, which also allowed us to enter the corners quicker and exploit the strong points of our chassis, which will be crucial for Le Mans. Personally my feeling with the French track is not the best, I prefer fast corners and I struggle on tight circuits, but this is not worrying me too much as I know the handling of my GSX-RR is good and I’m confident I will find a good feeling with the bike pretty quickly.”

Maverick Viñales:

“To me going to Le Mans is a good thing, I like this circuit and I am confident I will find a good feeling pretty quickly. The circuit is tight with slow corners, which means you have to brake later and be as efficient as possible through the turns to have a good exit speed. The improvements we’ve made in the recent Jerez tests give me hope; the electronics and also the new set-up has proved to be effective both on lap-times and on improving my confidence in riding.”

Nicky Hayden:
"I am looking forward to getting to Le Mans and hopefully putting into practice some of the things we found at Jerez. The improvements we made in the test there should help us close the gap to the top. Le Mans is a tough circuit with some hard-braking zones so it will be important to find a set-up that allows us to attack those areas with confidence. We also need to work hard on the acceleration to get us out of those turns. The weather tends to be very changeable at Le Mans so let's hope it is kind to us this weekend. From what we have seen so far this season we will have to work hard from Friday to make sure that we are competitive enough to challenge for a good grid position on Saturday."

Eugene Laverty:
"We did a great job in the test after the Grand Prix at Jerez, finding a solution to our rear grip problems there. That is a positive step as we look towards the next round in France. We have shown our pace over a single lap this season but we have been lacking consistency over race distance and we feel we found that at Jerez. I rode Le Mans during my time in 250cc but that's a long time ago now and it will seem like another new track to me. That won't be a problem though and I'll be doing as much work as I can at home to be prepared. We'll be focused from Friday on doing the best possible job and building on the positive base we found at Jerez."

FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
"In Spain we had a great weekend, completed by positive post-race tests. We can feel satisfied with our achievements so far, with the two championship points Bautista has earned. We have shown that we are able to easily battle to be in the top 15, so now it would be nice if Melandri could bring home his first points of the season in France. After all, Le Mans represents another important milestone in our path of development, so we'll keep working to reduce the gap behind our adversaries as we have done in recent races.”

ALVARO BAUTISTA
“At Jerez we worked very well throughout the entire race weekend. At Le Mans we'll be taking on a track which is similar in many ways, so I think that the data we collected in Spain may be a good base to start from. In the tests on Monday I was able to try the new seamless gearbox for the first time. It's a shame we won't have it already for Le Mans because it is already at a great level, but I'm confident that even with the current version of our bike we'll be able to do well this weekend. I have great memories of last year's race where I took the third step of the podium. The goal this round is the same as the previous races: to keep reducing the gap behind the other riders that are ahead of us and to be as competitive as possible. The track has a lot of direction changes, so we'll be working hard to obtain an agile and easy to ride bike. For the rest we'll try to stay as focused as possible in order to be ready for any conditions since weather conditions often change quickly here at Le Mans. The second championship point earned at Jerez provides great motivation for the entire team. We're ready to work hard.”

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[Razzy]

Who ever thought that The Maestro would be leading the championship 4 rounds in?

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Originally Posted by Razzy

Who ever thought that The Maestro would be leading the championship 4 rounds in?

I guess that word 'retirement' will be going back in the box!

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Pole!

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Starting grid