The Repsol Honda Team achieved their best result of the season to date, #alexmarquez stunning with second place from 18th on the grid as #stefanbradl makes it a double top ten.
It was another cold start to the day in France for round 10 of the #motogp World Championship. Forecasts had predicted it to stay dry throughout, but the French sky had other ideas just moments before the lights went out. A delayed start our to rain on the grid saw the race declared wet and had the entire field switch to wet tyres, the race distance reduced by one lap.
With only first practice on Friday as true wet experience on a #motogp bike, #alexmarquez shot forward from 18th on the grid and made up eight places in just a few laps. Settling into his rhythm and gauging the conditions, Alex progressively got faster and was a full second quicker than the leaders throughout the middle of the race. This pace saw the rookie cut through the field, passing the likes of Dovizioso and Crutchlow as he moved ever closer to the podium.
On lap 20 Alex moved into third and took just five laps to move past Dovizioso and up to second. The gap to eventual race-winner Petrucci proved too big, #alexmarquez crossing the line in front of a delighted Repsol Honda Team. With 47 points, Alex jumps to 14th in the championship and is now 15 points behind Binder in the Rookie of the Year Championship.
Stefan Bradl returned to the points and the top ten with an impressive ride, the German also making an incredible start to move through the field in the early laps. Having sat out the wet FP1 session, Bradl stayed calm in the middle of the race to understand the conditions and charged forward in the closing laps. A strong final lap saw the HRC test rider pass Quartararo for a well-earned eighth place.
The #motogp paddock now make the short trip to Aragon for two more races in the coming two weeks. Back-to-back races have so far been a positive for #alexmarquez, the rookie able to make the most of the track time to improve in the second outing.
Alex Marquez (2ND): “A great day. It wasn’t easy starting 18th on the grid but I was feeling really good on the bike. We lost some time fighting with Cal and Pol and Dovi but apart from this I did a good race and it’s a great result for the Repsol Honda Team. I want to say thank you to them for always believing in me and working so hard. Myself and the team never gave up. I felt good even in the dry Warm Up this morning so I think we have managed everything well. It’s been a great weekend and we go to Aragon for two more races. Now we just need to make this result in the dry!”
Stefan Bradl (8TH): “It’s a big relief to get this result today, I’m really happy with it. It’s been a busy year and it’s an important result for me and the Repsol Honda Team. The forecast didn’t predict this so after missing FP1 in the wet I was a little worried honestly! But I said to myself to just try and enjoy the race and feel the bike. The team and I went with the medium tyre, which was the right choice and the feeling improved as the race went on. Also a big congratulations to Alex on his podium, it’s a great result for him and the team as well.”
French Grand Prix
1 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 25 Ducati Team 45’54.736
2 MARQUEZ Alex 73 SPA 20 Repsol Honda Team 1.273
3 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA 16 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1.711
4 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 13 Ducati Team 3.911
5 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA 11 Esponsorama Racing 4.310
6 OLIVEIRA Miguel 88 POR 10 Red Bull KTM Tech 3 4.466
7 NAKAGAMI Takaaki 30 JPN 9 LCR Honda 5.921
8 BRADL Stefan 6 GER 8 Repsol Honda Team 15.597
9 QUARTARARO Fabio 20 FRA 7 Petronas Yamaha SRT 16.687
10 VINALES Maverick 12 SPA 6 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 16.895
11 MIR Joan 36 SPA 5 Team Suzuki Ecstar 16.980
12 BINDER Brad 33 RSA 4 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 27.321
13 BAGNAIA Francesco 63 ITA 3 Pramac Racing 33.351
14 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 2 Aprilia #racing Team Gresini 39.176
15 LECUONA Iker 27 SPA 1 Red Bull KTM Tech 3 51.087
16 RINS Alex 42 SPA 0 Team Suzuki Ecstar 1.14.190
17 MILLER Jack 43 AUS 0 Pramac Racing DNF
18 MORBIDELLI Franco 21 ITA 0 Petronas Yamaha SRT DNF
19 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 0 LCR Honda DNF
20 RABAT Tito 53 SPA 0 Esponsorama Racing DNF
21 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR 0 Aprilia #racing Team Gresini DNF
22 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 0 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP DNF
Rider Standings
1 QUARTARARO Fabio 20 FRA 115 Petronas Yamaha SRT
2 MIR Joan 36 SPA 105 Team Suzuki Ecstar
3 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 4 ITA 97 Ducati Team
4 VINALES Maverick 12 SPA 96 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
5 NAKAGAMI Takaaki 30 JPN 81 LCR Honda
6 MORBIDELLI Franco 21 ITA 77 Petronas Yamaha SRT
7 MILLER Jack 43 AUS 75 Pramac Racing
8 ESPARGARO Pol 44 SPA 73 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
9 OLIVEIRA Miguel 88 POR 69 Red Bull KTM Tech 3
10 PETRUCCI Danilo 9 ITA 64 Ducati Team
11 BINDER Brad 33 RSA 62 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
12 RINS Alex 42 SPA 60 Team Suzuki Ecstar
13 ROSSI Valentino 46 ITA 58 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
14 MARQUEZ Alex 73 SPA 47 Repsol Honda Team
15 ZARCO Johann 5 FRA 47 Esponsorama Racing
16 BAGNAIA Francesco 63 ITA 42 Pramac Racing
17 ESPARGARO Aleix 41 SPA 24 Aprilia #racing Team Gresini
18 LECUONA Iker 27 SPA 18 Red Bull KTM Tech 3
19 CRUTCHLOW Cal 35 GBR 13 LCR Honda
20 SMITH Bradley 38 GBR 11 Aprilia #racing Team Gresini
21 BRADL Stefan 6 GER 8 Repsol Honda Team
22 RABAT Tito 53 SPA 8 Esponsorama Racing
23 PIRRO Michele 51 ITA 4 Pramac Racing
Team Standings
1 Petronas Yamaha SRT 192
2 Team Suzuki Ecstar 165
3 Ducati Team 161
4 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP 154
5 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 135
6 Pramac Racing 121
7 LCR Honda 94
8 Red Bull KTM Tech 3 87
9 Repsol Honda Team 55
10 Esponsorama Racing 55
11 Aprilia #racing Team Gresini 35
Constructor Standings
1 Yamaha 170
2 Ducati 151
3 KTM 125
4 Suzuki 118
5 Honda 92
6 Aprilia 32
