Jamming Jaume on form in Le Mans

May 18, 2022

Moto3 – Shark Grand Prix de France. Le Mans

Qualification:

Pre-season championship favourite, Dennis Foggia, hit the mark and put his Leopard Honda on pole, with team mate Tatsuki Suzuki next to him on P2. Continuing his recent good form, Jaume Masia was P3. P4 was Diogo Moreira, which is worth a mention, the young Brazilian sensation having won a Super Moto World Championship race as a wild card; just turning up ad hoc and blowing away the competition shows a special kind of talent.

The Race:

As the riders lined up on the grid, it was a dry track all riders were on slicks. Diogo Moreira nailed it from the lights and quickly established a gap over Tatsuki Suzuki and Dennis Foggia on lap one. By lap two, it was all chaos as multiple riders crashed out on the same corner, a sudden heavy rain shower soaking the tarmac in a matter of minutes. Garcia, Sasaki, Guevara, Migno, Rossi and others fell victim of the dramatic weather change. By lap two the red flag was out, with riders pushing their bikes along pit lane trying to get back to their boxes in the time allowed.

The restart was quickly announced and that it was to be fourteen laps with original grid positions, and a quick start procedure with only one mechanic to sight the riders on the grid. Somehow everyone who crashed was on the grid to start, a testament to how good the teams and mechanics are in a crisis.

Once again it was Diogo Moreira who took the lead at the first corner, and as the first lap settled, he had Dennis Foggia and Jaume Masia following closely and with intent. On lap two Foggia’s Leopard Honda overtook Moreira like it was a different class machine, and with his rhythm disturbed Diogo found himself swamped by Suzuki, Masia and Garcia.

With ten laps to go Jaume Masia was in the lead with team mates Dennis Foggia and Tatsuki Suzuki in P2 and P3, Sergio Garcia also in the mix in forth, then taking Suzuki for P3. Masia maintained a strong pace and P1 for six laps until Foggia finally took him, bringing Ayumu Sasaki with him for P2, Masia now relegated to P3.

On the last lap Dennis Foggia was leading but he had a feisty Jaume Masia to contend with and Jaume pulled a masterclass overtake on Dennis in a lefthander to take the lead, with Ayumu Sasaki in P3. Sasakisan was on fire as he took Masia in the last few corners but, Jaume was not having it and took Ayumu back again within a corner, Ayumu leaving the door open just a tad. At the same time Izan Guevara made a sensational move on Foggia to place P3. Over the line it was Jaume Masia taking the win, and a deserved one, as Ayumu Sasaki took P2 and Izan Guevara P3, Foggia P4 after leading parts of the race. Championship leader Sergio Garcia was P7.