Maverick Viñales won a thrilling Le Mans MotoGP from pole position on Sunday at the famous circuit to take the lead of the championship following last-lap drama, with team-mate Valentino Rossi dramatically sliding out of contention to lose the lead.
The headlines came thick and fast, with Johann Zarco (Yamaha Tech 3) taking the lead from Viñales off the line and the two factory Yamaha machines slotting in behind. The Frenchman held firm at the front in style until Viñales made his move.
As the gap finally began to grow, Rossi pulled the pin from third to overtake the Frenchman and go on the charge. The ‘Doctor’ reeled his teammate in at the front, passed him, and then looked to escape – but the two blue machines were set for a spectacular last lap duel.
It was the ‘Doctor’ ahead as that last lap dawned, before an uncharacteristic mistake let Viñales back through and the number 46 pushed hard to close back in. Close in he did, before the final stroke of drama suddenly found the nine-time World Champion sliding out.
Home hero Zarco kept it calm under the huge pressures of the incredible home crowd to then cross the line in second – with Dani Pedrosa (Honda) completing the podium after an awesome slice through the field.
Pedrosa began the race in P13, was seventh after the first few laps and then pushed his way past Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) to set off after the frontrunners – closing in on Marquez before watching his teammate slide out. Pedrosa, after a magnificent win in Jerez and the drama in Le Mans, is now the man second in the title standings – only 17 off Viñales’ lead.
‘DesmoDovi’ fought off Crutchlow to take fourth, with the rider from Coventry completing the top five. Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) took a top six finish to gain an impressive ten places from his difficult grid position, with Jonas Folger (Yamaha Tech 3) in seventh.
Jack Miller (Marc VDS), despite a huge crash on Saturday, crossed the line in eighth, ahead of a fantastic home showing for Frenchman Loris Baz (Avintia) in ninth.
Andrea Iannone (Suzuki Ecstar) completed the top ten, with Tito Rabat (Marc VDS) in P11 ahead of both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machines in the points once again. Pol Espargaro bested Bradley Smith by only half a second over the line.
Sam Lowes (Aprilia) took his first points in P14, with Alex Rins’ injury replacement Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Ecstar) scoring a point in fifteenth.
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