MotoGP 2014: Le Mans race results

Results from the fifth round at the French Grand Prix

REPSOL Honda’s Marc Marquez continued his winning streak today at the Le Mans circuit after several mistakes saw him drop to tenth on the first lap.

Valentino Rossi has continued to show he can still be competitive in the premier class after leading for several laps, but unfortunately was unable to ward off the 21-year-old for the race win and instead finished in second.

Marquez has now become the first rider since Mick Doohan in 1997 to win five consecutive premier class races from pole position.

GO&FUN’s Alvaro Bautista finished in third position, his first podium since 2012, showing that his three DNF’s have not hindered his confidence.

After starting from the front row rookie Pol Espargaro on the Monster Yamaha Tech3 machine finished fourth – his best result so far this season.

Marquez’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa recently underwent arm pump surgery and during as well as after the race in the garage it was clear to see that the Spaniard was in a significant amount of pain still, but managing to finish fifth.

Three seconds behind Pedrosa was Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo with Stefan Bradl in seventh who is also recovering from arm pump surgery.

Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso eventually finished in eighth despite leading for a couple of laps towards the first half of the race. His team-mate Cal Crutchlow finished just outside the top ten in eleventh.

Race results:

1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team 44:3.925
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 44:5.411 (+1.486)
3. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini 44:7.069 (+3.144)
4. Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44:7.642 (+3.717)
5. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 44:8.002 (+4.077)
6. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 44:11.013 (+7.088)
7. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP 44:15.452 (+11.527)
8. Andrea Dovizioso* ITA Ducati Team 44:26.028 (+22.103)
9. Aleix Espargaro* ESP NGM Forward Racing 44:26.551 (+22.626)
10. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 44:27.033 (+23.108)
11. Cal Crutchlow* GBR Ducati Team 44:29.705 (+25.780)
12. Scott Redding* GBR GO&FUN Honda Gresini 44:43.448 (+39.523)
13. Yonny Hernandez* COL Pramac Racing 44:46.469 (+42.544)
14. Hiroshi Aoyama* JPN Drive M7 Aspar 44: 46.661 (+42.736)
15. Karel Abraham* CZE Cardion AB Motoracing 45:0.569 (+56.644)
16. Michael Laverty* GBR Paul Bird Motorsport 45:18.048 (+1:14.123)
17. Colin Edwards* USA NGM Forward Racing 45:23.648 (+1:19.723)
18. Broc Parkes* AUS Paul Bird Motorsport 45:34.859 (+1:30.934)
19. Mike Di Meglio* FRA Avintia Racing 45:38.446 (+1’34.521)

DNF. Andrea Iannone* ITA Pramac Racing
DNF. Hector Barbera* ESP Avintia Racing
DNF. Nicky Hayden* USA Drive M7 Aspar 

* = Open Class