Enea takes a decisive win at Le Mans

May 18, 2022

MotoGP – Shark Grand Prix De France. Le Mans

Qualification:

Ducati took the advantage at Le Mans with Francesco Bagnaia on pole and Jack Miller P2, with Aleix Espargaro continuing his good recent form on P3. Fabio Quartararo was P4, with an expectant crowd there to support him, as he is now a superstar in France, and deservedly so. Johann Zarco was P6, also a local hero with much expectation directed towards him from many of the 110,000 spectators in the stands.

The Race:

It was a blazing start for Jack Miller as he pulled off the grid and into the lead, even with a slight gap on the first lap. Meanwhile, it was a scrap fest behind him as Quartararo and Nakagami nearly traded paint as they tussled for P7 and P8, with Marquez also in the mix. As the first lap settled Bagnaia had joined teammate Miller and slotted into P2.

Twenty-five laps to go and it was Miller leading with Bagnaia P2 and Rins P3, but Rins seemed to lose his marker and shot off the track through the gravel at an estimated 130mph then landed heavily back on the track. He was up quickly and seemed to re-start but his race was over. Lap 4 with 23 to go and Francesco Bagnaia took the lead away from Jack Miller, with Enea Bastianini in P3, Joan Mir P4, Aleix Espargaro P5 and Fabio P6, not what the Frenchman wanted at his home race, but better than Zarco in P9.

Sixteen laps to go and Pecco Bagnaia was metronomic lap after lap with 0.5 seconds gap over P2 placed Jack Miller and Enea Bastianini P3, but on this lap, Enea made an impressive move on Miller and took him for the P2 slot. Thirteen laps to go and Joan Mir crashed out on his own, sliding into the gravel, race over for the Spanish rider whose Suzuki team will no longer compete in the Moto GP after 2022, leaving Mir in his own words “on the market”.

With seven laps to go Enea Bastianini pulled an aggressive but fair move on Bagnaia to take the lead, but on the next corner, Pecco took it back, so the race was officially on. Soon though Bagnaia went wide and this allowed Enea a golden opportunity to take the lead, then within a couple of corners, Bagnaia went down, seemingly buckling under the relentless pressure from Bastianini. So now Enea was in the lead with Miller P2, Aleix Espargaro P3 and Fabio P4.

Over the line, it was Enea Bastianini for the win, and well deserved as he ran a superb race and probably would have won even with Bagnaia there, despite being on the 2021 bike, and this is his third win this year. Miller brought the factory Ducati into P2 and Aleix Espargaro P3 with Fabio Quartararo P4 and Johann Zarco P5.