Moto2 had its last major technical change with the introduction of Triumph engines in 2019 – more powerful – and new electronics. Thus, the bikes became more similar to those in MotoGP.

On the other hand, Moto3 remains practically identical to when it was created in 2012, even if the experience requirements for participating riders have changed – including the new minimum age of 18.

Luca Boscoscuro, owner of SpeedUp in Moto2, admitted to GPOne.com that he would like to have more powerful bikes in the intermediate class, but he believes that Moto3 is the one that needs a major technical change:

– I would like to have 30 to 40 more horsepower, but the regulation that is not correct is that of Moto3. Now, with the minimum age set at 18, the bikes are too small, the boys have to grow a lot physically. At that age they are two meters tall, in fact, they train with 600cc bikes and then compete with 60hp bikes, something is wrong.

O conteúdo Luca Boscoscuro would like more powerful bikes in Moto2 and suggests bigger bikes in Moto3 aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

David Alonso is doing a very good championship so far and took his third win of the season at Le Mans. He took his race slowly and on the rise, preparing to attack in the last laps, which did go well.

Here is his reaction at parc fermé right after the race:

– I’m so happy to be here. For sure during the whole race I had in mind the last race at Jerez so I just kept calm in the first laps, trying to learn from my teammates, rivals in some points where I was losing [time]. I was trying to wait, be calm until the last laps. Then with three laps to go I tried to pass but I had a battle with [Daniel] Holgado, a nice battle and until the last corner. I’m happy with how I managed this race, more calm than the other ones. My team did a great job during all the weekend, my bike was always perfect […].

O conteúdo ‘I was trying to wait, be calm until the last laps, then had a nice battle with Holgado. I’m so happy’ – David Alonso aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

What a great race and again with a lot of uncertainty in Moto3 at this French GP. The winner? David Alonso, who achieved his third victory of the year.

David Alonso took pole position and was joined by Daniel Holgado and José Antonio Rueda on the front line.

And at the start of the beginner class race, Alonso got off to a good start and Holgado overtook him seconds later, with David Muñoz being the star of the first lap, going from eighth place to second quickly. Filippo Farioli was the first to abandon the race after one lap, while Adrian Fernández and Joshua Whatley received a warning that they had a double Long Lap penalty.

Angel Piqueras was, after three laps, the fastest on the track and rose to fourth place, in a race he was still led by Holgado, with Muñoz in second and Collin Veijer in third.

Fastest lap & up to 4th!

Watch out for @angelpiqueras18! #FrenchGP pic.twitter.com/G0f4qINXdS

— MotoGP (@MotoGP) May 12, 2024

Veijer meanwhile rose to second place in the race and was 0.146s behind Holgado, with Muñoz in turn 0.294s behind the lead.

Riccardo Rossi was also on the rise, who, shortly after beating Muñoz and reaching third place, was slightly wide and when trying to regain his line he was touched and fell at turn 11. Holgado lost the lead in the race to Veijer and an intense fight with Muñoz ensued, with a penalty possibly on the cards in light of the incident with Rossi.

Moments later Muñoz was penalized with two Long Laps for irresponsible riding due to what happened, and seconds later Holgado returned to the lead of the race in Le Mans! This is how the top ten looked with the race halfway through:

After completing the first Long Tour, Muñoz went from the lead to 17th, with Scott Ogden falling and abandoning the race.

Holgado and Veijer exchanged positions once again, and #95 was leading. With seven laps to go the difference between first and third (Alonso) was 0.365s. Holgado second was at 0.090s.

Another rider to show up among the first was Joel Esteban who reached fifth position and placed himself in a very good position and within the potential winners. Everything is open at Le Mans.

And Muñoz? His day went from bad to worse, with the Spaniard from BOE Motorsports crashing, even though he returned to the race right away. Matteo Bertelle also abandoned the race but due to a problem with his bike.

Four laps to go and Holgado was once again at the front of the race, with Veijer in second, Alonso in third, Ivan Ortolá in fourth and Esteban in fifth.

The GP was quickly approaching the end, with Muñoz effectively out and with Veijer once again taking the lead in the race, but everything was changing quickly, and the #95 went from first to third, with Alonso reaching second, behind Holgado. Two laps to go!

At the start of the last lap Alonso took the lead with 0.101s over Holgado, Veijer was 0.214s behind. An intense moment followed with Holgado standing next to Alonso and the two touching.

The race ended soon after with Alonso confirming victory, with Holgado in second and holding the lead in the championship, while Veijer was third.

O conteúdo David Alonso wins epic battle at Le Mans and takes third victory of the year aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

David Alonso confirmed his competitiveness at the Moto3 French Grand Prix, clinching pole position at Le Mans. This afternoon’s qualifying session was tight, with mere milliseconds separating the top two.

In Q1, Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) led the quartet to advance to the second phase of qualifying. The Australian rookie set the fastest time on his penultimate lap. Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse/Honda) was second, 0.204s behind after an improvement towards the end.

Third to advance was Scott Ogden (MLav Racing/Honda), followed by Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). The Japanese rider secured the final spot in Q2 with just a 0.052s advantage over Matteo Bertelle (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team/Honda).

The 18 fastest riders then battled for pole position. José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) led after the first flying laps, before being surpassed by Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar).

Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) also took the lead, as did Rueda, who regained the top spot only to be overtaken by Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) in the final minute.

However, it was Alonso who prevailed, with an impressive lap of 1m40.114s at the end of qualifying. The Colombian secured another pole position, edging out Holgado by 0.011s. Rueda finished third, 0.312s off the top.

O conteúdo Impressive qualifying gives David Alonso pole position at the Moto3French Grand Prix aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

David Alonso dominated the practice sessions of the French GP in Moto3. This Saturday, he once again set the fastest time in the second session at Le Mans, with yet another record-breaking lap.

The CFMoto Gaviota Aspar rider was the first to complete a flying lap, but there were several changes in the lead in the early minutes. Leading the pack were also Iván Ortolá (MT Helmets-MSi/KTM), José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets-MSi/KTM), and David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports/KTM).

Muñoz was the first to hold onto the lead for a longer period, about nine minutes before being overtaken by Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GasGas Tech3)… before Rueda reclaimed the top spot.

Closer to the end, Alonso clocked a time of 1m40.121s, setting a new lap record and securing the lead in the session. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) improved later but trailed by 0.402s. Yamanaka finished third, 0.476s off the pace.

In the battle for direct access to Q2, Muñoz was the last to secure it, posting the 14th fastest time in the combined standings of the two sessions. David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team/Honda) finished 15th and missed out on the second qualifying by just 0.065s.

O conteúdo David Alonso set yet another lap record in the second Moto3 practice session at Le Mans. aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

This Friday, David Alonso was unstoppable in Le Mans, also leading the first practice session of the Moto3 French Grand Prix. Just like in the free practice, he set a new circuit record.

The Colombian from CFMoto Gaviota Aspar was the first to complete a flying lap but was soon overtaken by Adrián Fernández (Leopard Racing/Honda) and David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports/KTM) in the early laps.

Ángel Piqueras (Leopard Racing/Honda) was the next rider to top the time sheets, holding the lead for about 11 minutes before being overtaken by Alonso. The South American rider put in a series of quick laps that kept him in front for a few minutes.

With 26 minutes gone, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) took the lead, only to be beaten by Joel Esteban (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar) shortly after. However, it was Alonso who ultimately set the pace with a lap time of 1m40.470s, leading his teammate Esteban by 0.480s. Holgado finished third, followed by José Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) rounding out the top five.

Timesheets:

O conteúdo David Alonso set another record-breaking lap in the first practice session of Moto3 French GP aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Once again, David Alonso started as the fastest in the Moto3 French GP, leading this morning’s free practice in Le Mans… and by a very significant margin with a new lap record.

After the first flying laps, Scott Ogden (MLav Racing/Honda) was the leader, but was soon overtaken, with several riders taking turns at the top until Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports/KTM) managed to hold the position for about four minutes.

Subsequently, Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power/KTM) and Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) took turns at the top. With about 21 minutes gone, Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar) took the lead for the first time.

The Colombian improved his time twice and never left the first place. He finished with a time of 1m40.792s, beating Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse/Honda) by 0.788s. Ogden was third, 0.987s behind. The rest of the pack was more than a second behind the leader, with the top five rounded out by Holgado and Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP).

Timesheets:

O conteúdo David Alonso overwhelming in Moto3 free practice in Le Mans with new lap record aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The MotoGP World Championships return this weekend, crossing the Pyrenees for the French GP at Le Mans. MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3 will be in action as usual, as well as MotoE for its second round of 2024.

In MotoGP, Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) leads despite his first retirement of the year in Jerez. He is 17 points ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), who is motivated by his second victory of the season. Enea Bastianini (Ducati) is third, 22 points behind, followed by Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GasGas Tech3/KTM), who is also coming off his worst result of the year.

After failing to continue his strong performances in Jerez, Maverick Viñales will try to bring Aprilia back to the top when he is fifth in the World Championship – just ahead of Marc Márquez (Gresini), who stepped onto the podium for the first time with a Ducati in the previous round.

This is Fabio Quartararo’s (Monster Energy Yamaha) home round, and he faces another tough task. At home, he will try to return to the top ten, which has eluded him since the Portuguese GP, and continue working on the development of the YZR-M1.

With three consecutive second places, Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team/Kalex) leads Moto2, just five points ahead of Sergio García (MT Helmets-MSi/Boscoscuro). Fermín Aldeguer (SpeedUp/Boscoscuro) is third, recovering from a less-than-ideal start, already with one victory and 15 points behind the top. Manuel González (QJMotor Gresini/Kalex), in fourth, is the last one who could mathematically surpass Roberts in the French GP.

Looking at Moto3, two riders are starting to stand out at the front. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) leads with just six more points than David Alonso (CFMoto Aspar). In third is Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), who, despite his victory in Spain, is already 22 points behind Alonso and therefore unlikely to rise further in the standings in the French GP.

In Le Mans, the MotoE World Championship returns to action with the second round of the season. Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) is currently leading with one more point than Héctor Garzó (Dynavolt Intact GP), while Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) is third, 16 points behind the top, after already having secured a victory in Portimão.

Stay informed about all the schedules of the French GP, in all categories (CET time), which you can follow closely here on Motorcycle Sports.

• Monday, May 10
  • 08h30-08h45: Practice 1 MotoE
  • 09h00-09h35: Free practice Moto3
  • 09h50-10h30: Free practice Moto2
  • 10h45-11h30: Free practice 1 MotoGP
  • 12h25-12h40: Practice 2 MotoE
  • 13h15-13h50: Practice 1 Moto3
  • 14h05-14h45: Practice 1 Moto2
  • 15h00-16h00: Practice MotoGP
  • 16h15-16h25: Qualifying Q1 MotoE
  • 16h35-16h45: Qualifying Q2 MotoE
• Saturday, May 11
  • 08h40-09h10: Practice 2 Moto3
  • 09h25-09h55: Practice 2 Moto2
  • 10h10-10h40: Free practice 2 MotoGP
  • 10h50-11h05: Qualifying Q1 MotoGP
  • 11h15-11h30: Qualifying Q2 MotoGP
  • 12h15: Race 1 MotoE (8 laps)
  • 12h50-13h05: Qualifying Q1 Moto3
  • 13h15-13h30: Qualifying Q2 Moto3
  • 13h45-14h00: Qualifying Q1 Moto2
  • 14h10-14h25: Qualifying Q2 Moto2
  • 15h00: Sprint Race MotoGP (13 laps)
  • 16h10: Race 2 MotoE (8 laps)
• Sunday, May 12
  • 09h40-09h50: Warm-up MotoGP
  • 11h00: Race Moto3 (20 laps)
  • 12h15: Race Moto2 (22 laps)
  • 14h00: Race MotoGP (27 laps)

O conteúdo MotoGP continues in Le Mans: Full schedule for the French GP aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

For the historic Bugatti circuit of Le Mans, in addition to the standard allocation, the riders will also have the front SC3 compound in Moto2 and the rear C1096 specification in Moto3.

For the French Grand Prix of the Motorcycle World Championship, which will take place from 10 to 12 May on the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, Pirelli has decided to replicate what was adopted for the Grand Prix of the Americas, with the standard 2024 allocation bolstered by the SC3 front compound for Moto2 riders and the rear C1096 specification for Moto3. This choice is dictated by the desire to offer riders a wide range of options, some of these particularly resistant to wear and therefore useful in the event of cold temperatures which could trigger excessive consumption.

Giorgio Barbier, Motorcycle Racing Director:

– Although we have never raced at Le Mans with this Championship, the Bugatti Circuit is not new to us as we have participated in several editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle, winning 6 of them in recent years with the Team SRC Kawasaki France always using standard tyres regularly on sale on the market. This track does not pose any particular dangers for the tyres, the only unknown is the weather: even though we’re already in May, in this area, it’s possible to experience significant temperature variations between night and day. Cold temperatures could accentuate tyre wear, and this explains why, following Texas, we decided to propose the front SC3 for Moto2 and the rear C1096 for Moto3 in France too. It’s just a precaution, if it gets hot enough, I expect everyone will focus on softer solutions. The layout of the track is a mix of high-speed corners and hard braking, it will be interesting to see which compounds will be most used given that this is the first time we have raced on this track with these categories.

· Tyre allocation: Moto2 riders will have the SC3 (hard) compound available at the front (4 per rider), while Moto3 riders will have the same quantity of a development rear compound with C1096 (hard) specification. This latest compound has already been allocated in Texas and Qatar. These compounds will be added to the standard 2024 allocation, which includes SC1 (soft) and SC2 (medium) compounds at the front for both classes. For the rear, Moto2 will have SC0 (soft) and SC1 (medium) compounds, while Moto3 will have SC1 and SC2. In case of rain, there is the DIABLO Rain wet solution in SCR1 compound for both the front and rear for riders in both categories.
 
· More choice for Q2: following a regulation change, starting from the French GP the 4 Moto2 and Moto3 riders who will move from Q1 to Q2 will be free to choose the preferred compound for the extra set provided for the access to Q2. They will no longer be tied to using a softer option than the one used in Q1.
 
· Characteristics of the track: inaugurated in 1966, the Bugatti circuit is named after the Milanese naturalised French entrepreneur Ettore Bugatti, founder of the historic car manufacturer. The track measures 4,185 meters, with a 674-meter straight, which is 13 meters wide. It features 14 corners, with 5 left turns and 9 right turns. Partially derived from the classic Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, it is a highly technical track characterised by numerous corners at medium to high speeds, such as those in turns 5, 6, 7, 10, and 12. Additionally, it features significant braking zones at turns 8, 9, and 11.

O conteúdo Pirelli bring extended range of compounds to the French GP aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The first day of official tests for the Moto3 World Championship season is complete. David Alonso emerged from Jerez with the fastest time this Tuesday, after being hampered by a fall during Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix that prevented him from continuing his dominance up to qualifying.

And on the testing day, the Colombian continued to showcase his speed in southern Spain. In the first session, he was the only one to clock a time in the 1m44s range to beat Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team/Honda) by 0.509s. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) set the third fastest time, with Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets-MSi/KTM) in fourth and Stefano Nepa (LevelUp-MTA/KTM) in fifth.

Lap times improved in the second session, with Alonso (CFMoto Aspar) once again leading the way: he lapped in 1m43.948s, 0.710s ahead of Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse/Honda). The other rider from Paolo Simoncelli’s team, Filippo Farioli, was third, with David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports/KTM) fourth and Nepa fifth again. In sixth, Veijer was already over a second behind the leader.

It was the Dutchman who set the pace in the third and final session. Despite setting his personal best time and being second overall for the day, it wasn’t enough to surpass Alonso’s time from the previous session. The Colombian finished second, with Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) third, Yamanaka fourth, and Nicola Carraro (LevelUp-MTA/KTM) fifth.

O conteúdo David Alonso led the way on the Moto3 testing day in Jerez aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.