France 2012
LE MANS WAS WET! THE STOICAL FRENCH FANS NEVERTHELESS STUCK IT OUT AND THEY WERE REWARDED WITH A FRENCH WIN IN THE MOTO3 CLASS, LOCAL BOY - LOUIS ROSSI, AND GAVE VENT TO THEIR JOY WITH A SPLENDID RENDERING OF THE FRENCH NATIONAL ANTHEM.
THE MOTO3 RACE WAS THE FIRST ON THE PROGRAMME AND HE GAVE A MASTER-CLASS IN HOW TO WIN IN THE WET - FIRST, YOU HAVE TO STAY UPRIGHT AND SECOND, GO AT A PACE THAT IS JUST LESS THAN THE SPEED OF THOSE WHO ARE CRASHING OUT. AND THERE WERE MANY - ONLY ABOUT HALF THE STARTERS FINISHED.
I MENTION MOTO3 BECAUSE MANY MOTO2 RIDERS SEEMED NOT TO HAVE LEARNED FROM THE EARLIER MOTO3 RACE. ONE WHO HAD WAS THOMAS LUTHI WHOSE SMOOTH STYLE MIRRORED THAT OF LOUIS ROSSI AND ENABLED HIM TO TAKE THE VICTORY. THERE WERE STILL SOME CRASHES IN MOTOGP BUT FEWER IN NUMBER. ONE WHO DID NOT CRASH BUT WAS ABSENT FROM THE SCREEN FOR MUCH OF THE RACE WAS THE EVENTUAL VICTOR, JORGE LORENZO.
AGAIN, IT WAS THE SMOOTH STYLE THAT ENABLED HIM TO STAY UPRIGHT AND WIN. ALTHOUGH AT THE START, HE ALMOST CAME A CROPPER AS THE FRONT WHEEL STAYED POINTING AHEAD WHILST THE REAR WEAVED FROM SIDE TO SIDE.
RANDY DE PUNIET QUALIFIED 12TH, ON THE FOURTH ROW, BUT 'HIGH-SIDED' BEFORE HE CROSSED THE START LINE! I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYONE DOING THAT BEFORE. HE WAS ABLE TO COLLECT THE SPARE BIKE AND START A LAP DOWN FROM THE PIT-LANE
THE TWO HONDAS HAD TAKEN THE LEAD FROM THE START BUT LORENZO SOON DESPATCHED THEM BOTH AS HE RECOVERED AND BY THE END OF LAP ONE HE HAD A 1-SECOND LEAD THAT SOON GREW UNTIL AT THE FINISH IT WAS VIRTUALLY 10 SECONDS. CASEY STONER QUICKLY EMERGED AS THE BEST OF THE HONDAS AS DANI PEDROSA DROPPED BACK IN THE EARLY PART OF THE RACE.
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO AND CAL CRUTCHLOW SEEMED TO SPEND MOST OF THE RACE EITHER FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER OR WITH VALENTINO ROSSI WHO WAS REVELLING IN THE RAIN! WET CONDITIONS TEND TO PUT ALL THE BIKES ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD BECAUSE THE ADVANTAGES OF A FASTER BIKE IN THE DRY ARE CANCELLED OUT IN THE WET. THE AVAILABLE GRIP IS MUCH REDUCED THUS TENDING TO NEGATE THE GREATER POWER.
BOTH TECH 3 RIDERS GOT PAST ROSSI BUT AFTER A FEW LAPS HE WAS ABLE TO REVERSE THE SITUATION. THEN FIRST CRUTCHLOW AND AFTERWARDS DOVIZIOSO CRASHED OUT AS THEY TRIED TO GET BACK ON TERMS WITH ROSSI. VALENTINO WAS HAVING NONE OF IT AND WAS GOING AFTER STONER. BOTH ANDREA AND CAL WERE ABLE TO REMOUNT TO FINISH 7TH AND 8TH RESPECTIVELY.
A LAP OR TWO FROM THE END, AFTER ONE OR TWO UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS, HE MANAGED TO GET AHEAD OF THE AUSTRALIAN TO TAKE SECOND PLACE ON THE PODIUM. ALTHOUGH CASEY HAS ANNOUNCED HE WILL RETIRE AFTER THE END OF THE SEASON, HE CERTAINLY WANTS TO RETIRE AS CHAMPION AGAIN IF THAT IS POSSIBLE. THE WAY HE AND ROSSI WERE FIGHTING FOR THAT SECOND PLACE WAS ALL THE PROOF YOU NEED.
THE BATTLES GOING ON IN THE WAKE, LITERALLY, OF JORGE LORENZO WERE THE PRINCIPAL REASON WHY WE SAW SO LITTLE OF HIM - THE BATTLES BEHIND WERE MORE ENTERTAINING!
STARTING GRID
| | | | | |
| 1.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 2.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 3.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 4.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 5.
|
Cal Crutchlow
|
| 6.
|
Ben Spies
|
| 7.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 8.
|
Alvaro Bautista
|
| 9.
|
Hector Barbera
|
| 10.
|
Karel Abraham
|
| 11.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 12.
|
Randy de Puniet
|
| 13.
|
Stefan Bradl
|
| 14.
|
Michele Pirro
|
| 15.
|
Yonny Hernandez
|
| 16.
|
James Ellison
|
| 17.
|
Aleix Espargaro
|
| 18.
|
Danilo Petrucci
|
| 19.
|
Ivan Silva
|
| 20.
|
Mattia Pasini
|
| 21.
|
Chris Vermeulen
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Jorge Lorenzo
|
| 2.
|
Valentino Rossi
|
| 3.
|
Casey Stoner
|
| 4.
|
Dani Pedrosa
|
| 5.
|
Stefan Bradl
|
| 6.
|
Nicky Hayden
|
| 7.
|
Andrea Dovizioso
|
| 8.
|
Cal Crutchlow
|
| 9.
|
Hector Barbera
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders :
| |
| Jorge Lorenzo
|
90
|
| Casey Stoner
|
82
|
| Dani Pedrosa
|
65
|
| Cal Crutchlow
|
45
|
| Andrea Dovizioso
|
44
|
| Valentino Rossi
|
42
|
| Stefan Bradl
|
35
|
| =Alvaro Bautista
|
35
|
| Nicky Hayden
|
33
|
Constructors :
|
| Yamaha
|
90
|
| Honda
|
86
|
| Ducati
|
47
|
| ART
|
16
|
| Suter
|
4
|
| =Ioda
|
4
|
| =FTR
|
4
|
| =BQR-FTR
|
2
|
| BQR
|
2
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
21st May 2012
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