Ducati Chokes MotoGP Victory and Podium Lockout at Le Mans

Photo: Jean-Francois Monier/AFP (Getty Images)

The FIM MotoGP World Championship made its annual visit to the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans for the French Grand Prix. While expectations were high for reigning world champion Fabio Quartararo in his home race, the Ducati factory team locked out the first two grid spots in qualifying.

Despite Ducati’s good form so far this season, I had my doubts that Ducati would be able to convert their starting positions into podium finishes. The Ducati Desmosedici GP22 tends to aggressively wear its front tire throughout a Grand Prix, and the track temperature at Le Mans was the hottest of the season so far.

From second place, Jack Miller was able to pass his teammate and polesitter Francesco Bagnaia at the race start. They were joined by Gresini’s Enea Bastianini riding a satellite Ducati. It seemed like the trio would be chased down by Suzuki’s Álex Rins. But, Rins had a massive accident at Rins at the start of the third lap. He went straight on at the first corner, then he launched through the air and crashed as he rejoined the track at the Dunlop chicane.

This was the point when the three leading Ducatis began pulling a gap to the rest of the field. After Rins’ teammate Joan Mir also crashed in pursuit of the leaders, Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaró and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo were the next riders behind the leading three. Ducati was hurtling towards locking out all three podium positions.

Things for Ducati unraveled with seven laps to go. Bagnaia ran wide at Garage Vert, allowing Bastianini to take the lead. Pecco pushed to try and regain ground on the Gresini rider but crashed later that lap. This made the fight between Espargaró and Quartararo a contest for the final step on the podium. As Enea Bastianini clinched his third victory of the season, Espargaró denied the world champion a home podium.

Race Result – Top 15

Enea BastianiniJack MillerAleix EspargaróFabio QuartararoJohann ZarcoMarc MárquezTakaaki NakagamiBrad BinderLuca MariniMaverick ViñalesPol EspargaróMarco BezzecchiFabio Di GiannantonioÁlex MárquezFranco Morbidelli

Fabio Quartararo leads the World Riders’ Championship over Aleix Espargaró by 4 points. MotoGP will return in two weeks for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.