Gresini Racing’s Enea Bastianini scored a dominant third victory of the 2022 season in the FrenchGP at Le Mans on Sunday.

Three seconds split the young Italian from Ducati Lenovo’s Jack Miller with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro securing another podium finish from his fourth front row start of the year to bring the Noale factory to the top of the teams championship.

The 100,000 strong Le Mans crowd provided a hero’s welcome as MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo set out to the grid ahead of the 27-lap FrenchGP. His Monster Energy Yamaha teammate Franky Morbidelli taking a trip through the gravel on the sighting lap as Garage Vert caught its first victim earlier than expected.

With temperatures hotter than expected the entirety of the pack opted for soft rear Michelin rubber with the majority on medium front options, and the KTM’s on hard. Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia launching from pole ahead of Lenovo teammate Miller and Aprilia’s Espargaro with Quartararo and Pramac’s Johann Zarco starting fourth and ninth respectively in the 68-year hunt for a French winner on home soil.

The threatened rain failed to appear as the lights released under blue skies. Miller grabbing the holeshot from his teammate as Bastianini launched to third on the Gresini machine to make it an all-Ducati trio out front. Quartararo dropped to ninth with the Suzuki’s immediately up to fourth and fifth before Alex Rins pushed through on Bastianini to capture the final podium position. Espargaro battling with Marc Marquez for sixth with Takaaki Nakagami fighting hard on the leading M1 further back.

Zarco and Brad Binder collided in the opening stages on the fringes of the top ten with the South African losing a wing of the KTM in the process. Repsol’s Pol Espargaro and Miguel Oliveira running just adrift as the second lap concluded with Rins crashing out of podium contention at the Dunlop Chicane having tracked through the gravel at high speed.

The Ducatis bickered for position out front as Bagnaia took charge. Remy Gardner crashing out of a disastrous weekend for the Australian on the Tech3 KTM at turn seven.

The gap was immediately half a second as the Italian put his head down on lap five. Bastianini trailed by Joan Mir and Espargaro as Quartararo circulated almost a second adrift in the top six.
Tech3’s heartbreak continuing as Raul Fernandez bowed out at La Chapelle.

Ducati continued to dominate after nine laps around the 4.2km layout as Bagnaia, Miller and Bastianini held over a second clear of Mir in fourth. The 2020 Champion joined by Espargaro and Quartararo with a further 2.5s back to Marquez, Zarco, Nakagami and Jorge Martin in the top ten.

12 laps down and Oliveira was hit with a track limits warning while Alex Marquez earned himself a long lap penalty. Bastianini through on Miller for second with Bagnaia now a half-second clear for the lead with Mir dragging the second trio into contention as the mid-race distance approached.

Quartararo began to reel in the RS-GP at the halfway stage. Three-tenths now the distance to bridge before a crash for Mir, at the final corner, brought the pair up to the edge of the podium.

Maverick Viñales began to recover from a poor start on the Aprilia, returning to his 14th place grid sport with 12 laps to go having circulated at the back of the top 20 in the early stages.

Two-tenths of a second split the Ducati-mounted Italians as lap 17 began. Bastianini’s famed late-race pace coming into its own as the race counted down as Martin suffered another DNF with an early tuck for the Pramac at turn nine.

Bastianini made the move stick with seven to go as the GP21 took charge but it wasn’t for long. Bagnaia returning the move then running wide at turn eight as the Gresini rider capitalised once more. Disaster striking the 25-year-old moments later with a final corner crash and his race done, having led for the opening 21 laps.

Once again Espargaro found himself promoted onto the podium in the closing stages. Five laps left to run with a world champion two-tenths adrift of his rear wheel and the second Frenchman four seconds back in fifth.

Bastianini’s lead sat at almost three seconds with just four laps remaining. Miller safe in second by a further 1.5s as Quartararo continued to circulate on the wheels of the RS-GP in the battle for third. Oliveira suffering the third crash for the KTM outfit with his RC16 almost taking out Pol Espargaro in the process at the opening chicane.

A dominant second half saw Bastianini claim his third victory of the 2022 season by over three seconds from fellow Bologna rider Miller despite three crashes and a technical across the dramatic weekend in France. Espargaro’s stunning podium collection growing to four from seven at the flag with Quartararo crossing the line just a tenth off the podium at his home race.

Zarco claimed fifth as the French talent rounded out the top five from Marquez, Nakagami and Binder. Luca Marini and Vinales completing the top ten with the younger Espargaro, Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez and Morbidelli taking the final points on offer. WithU Yamaha’s Andrea Dovizoso and Darryn Binder the sole finishers without a score.

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