See you in the morning!
After a packed Saturday at Le Mans, let’s take a deep breath and close our MotoGP live ticker for today. Tomorrow we will be back for you with a new issue just in time for the warm-up!
The schedule for Sunday:
08:50 Rookies Cup Race 2 (16 laps)
09:45-09:55 MotoGP warm-up
10:00 a.m.: Riders Parade
11:00 am: Moto3 race (20 laps)
12:15 p.m.: Moto2 race (22 laps)
2:00 p.m.: MotoGP race (27 laps)
Follow-up start on Sunday unclear
Like Quartararo, Jonas Folger fell in the sprint race, but his accident was not visible in the TV picture. The German then had himself examined at the Medical Center along the route and then also at the hospital.
No serious injuries were reported, but Folger is due to be checked again tomorrow before the warm-up. We keep our fingers crossed that the GasGas substitute can start.
Quartararo: I gave everything and still lost
Starting from 13th on the grid, Quartararo had a difficult time in the sprint today. Although he was able to fight his way up to eighth place in the points, he then fell.
“In all the races that we drove this year, there was the same problem that the bike moved a lot at the front. I had that today, too,” explains the Yamaha rider. Still, he didn’t want to give up and fight to the end.
“I said to myself that I’d rather try to see from my position whether there is, let’s say, another ‘limit’ for this limit. But unfortunately I was already at 100 percent of my possibilities.”
© Motorsport Images
The sprint winners 2023
Francesco Bagnaia twice, Brad Binder twice – and now Jorge Martin. These are our previous sprint winners this season.
MotoE: The Voices of the Top 3
Matteo Ferrari (Gresini; 1st): “First of all I have to thank my team for the hard work between race 1 and race 2. I’m sorry for my mistake this morning. So I had to do a long lap this time but the bike was fantastic. I got every lap I gave my maximum and I’m very happy with the result. For Gresini Racing this is the 200th podium finish overall. I’m happy that I was able to give them this gift.”
Jordi Torres (Aspar; 2nd): “We can be very satisfied with the way the first weekend went. After his mistake in the first race, Matteo Ferrari tried everything this time to finish at the front. So this second race was very fast. I tried to stay close to him, but I made a few minor mistakes. After Matteo passed me, I had to realize that the points for second place are the most important thing for the championship today.”
Hector Garzo (Intact; 3rd): “I’m happy that I got on the podium twice today. Those are good points for the general classification. Compared to the first race we tried something different this time. But we should have let it go because I had quite big problems “At the end I just managed the gap to the back. Matteo was incredibly fast and still won despite a long lap. Congratulations to him.”
MotoE: Ferrari wins race 2 despite long lap
Compensation for Matteo Ferrari: After crashing out of the first MotoE race at Le Mans in the early afternoon, the Gresini rider put in a flawless performance in the second race and won despite a long lap penalty.
He received this because he crashed under yellow in race 1. However, that didn’t stop him from overtaking Jordi Torres – the winner of Race 1 – and Hector Garzo. For Randy Krummenacher it’s not enough for the podium this time. The MotoE rookie finishes seventh behind Mattia Casadei, Nicolas Spinelli and Andrea Mantovani.
Martin happy and proud after victory
Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati; 1st): “Finally it worked again! I’m very proud of my team and of myself. It’s been a long time since we were able to celebrate first place. It’s only a sprint, but I could finally feel it again enjoy being in the lead, not making any mistakes, just attacking at full speed. It wasn’t easy to open up the lead over Brad. I then really enjoyed the last two corners to the checkered flag.”
Binder makes a declaration of war for Sunday
Brad Binder (KTM; 2nd): “I knew that everything would depend on the start. If I could manage to keep up with the guys in the early stages, then I knew that there could be a good result in the end.”
“I did my best today and I can only repeat myself: my team did an incredible job again. We know what we can still improve for tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it because I think we can still do it clearly in the long race be stronger.”
Bagnaia complains about Marquez
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati; 3rd): “In the beginning I needed a few laps for the tires to warm up. Then Marc overtook me very aggressively. A lot of time was lost in the process. We touched and I lost two positions. That was close. But then it went well but quite well. I was able to close the gap again and finished third.”
MotoGP Sprint: Martin wins
Martin won’t let this win take him away and crosses the finish line almost two seconds ahead of Binder to celebrate his first win of the season. Bagnaia can still catch up a bit at the end, but stays third.
Marini maintains fourth place ahead of Marc Marquez. After a late error, it is no longer enough for Zarco to attack. He’s sixth. Bezzecchi, Aleix Espargaro and Vinales take the final points in seventh through ninth.
MotoGP Sprint: Zarco catches up
Marc Marquez is trying to stay close to Marini. But from behind Zarco has unlocked. That could still be tight in the fight for the top 5. But they are too far away from the podium. Martin, Binder and Bagnaia are staying there.
MotoGP sprint: Quartararo crashed
A good three laps before the end of the race, Quartararo’s run is over in turn 9. The Frenchman was just in the points. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, loses further position to Marini and is only fifth.
MotoGP Sprint: Bagnaia third again
Early on lap ten, Bagnaia accelerated down the main straight and reclaimed third place. But the train has left the front. Binder is almost two seconds away. Martin continues to lead confidently.
Folger was eliminated after a fall.
MotoGP Sprint: Bigger gaps
Due to the fighting, Marc Marquez and Co. lost the connection to the front. Binder is now two seconds ahead. He, in turn, is one and a half seconds behind Martin at the front.
The second half of the top 10 is also hard fought. Zarco is the new sixth. Aleix Esaprgaro has lost places and has fallen behind Bezzecchi and Quartararo. Another rider crashed, Augusto Fernandez.