2018 MotoGP Results Sunday from Le Mans — Marc Marquez claimed a third win in a row for the first time since his dominant 2014, demonstrating how his Repsol Honda has found its form again, and that he is right at the top of his game.
2018 MotoGP Results Sunday from Le Mans
He had a bit of help, when his two main rivals made costly mistakes.
Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso had just taken the lead off his fast-starting teammate Jorge Lorenzo on the fifth of 27 laps of the 4.185-km Bugatti circuit at Le Mans, when he slid off under braking for the right-hander at the bottom of the first run down the hill.
The next to go was home hero Johann Zarco, who had been on pole position, and was hot to trot. He was trying to get back ahead of Marquez on lap eight when he went down at Turn Eight – to the vocal disappointment of a record 105,200 race-day fans.
Marquez still had to get ahead of Lorenzo, whose soft tires meant his pace faded as the race wore on.
The Honda rider’s biggest challenge came from independent-team rider Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati), who was still within a second of the Honda with 10 laps to go.
2018 MotoGP Results Sunday from Le Mans
The turn of events handed an unexpected and somewhat lucky second podium of the year to Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha); unable to catch Petrucci, and under some pressure from Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati), less than a second behind over the line, and fourth his best-ever dry-weather result.
Lorenzo continued to fade, ceding fifth to Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) with seven laps to go, although less than three seconds behind at the end..
More than 10 seconds away there as a good scrap for seventh, led for most of the race by Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro from Alex Rins (Ecstar Suzuki).
By the finish, second Movistar Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales had come through to take the position, with a brave ride from injury victim Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) taking eighth from the Aprilia on the last lap. Crutchlow had spent the night in hospital after a heavy high-side in qualifying.
Rins was 10th. Five seconds away Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM) was 11th, while Hafizh Syahrin (Tech3 Yamaha) won out over Franco Morbidelli (EG-VDS Honda) and Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM). A lone Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) took the last point.
Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone crashed out on the first lap.
Marquez extended his title lead over new second-placer Vinales to a valuable 36 points, 95 to 59. Zarco has 58, Rossi 56 and Petrucci 54.
2018 MotoGP Results Sunday from Le Mans
HJC HELMETS GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE
MotoGP Race Classification 2018
Le Mans, Sunday, May 20, 2018
| 1 | 25 | 93 | Marc MARQUEZ | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 162.0 | 41’49.773 |
| 2 | 20 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | ITA | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 161.9 | +2.310 |
| 3 | 16 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 161.7 | +5.350 |
| 4 | 13 | 43 | Jack MILLER | AUS | Alma Pramac Racing | Ducati | 161.6 | +6.314 |
| 5 | 11 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 161.6 | +7.419 |
| 6 | 10 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 161.4 | +10.355 |
| 7 | 9 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | SPA | Movistar Yamaha MotoGP | Yamaha | 160.5 | +23.758 |
| 8 | 8 | 35 | Cal CRUTCHLOW | GBR | LCR Honda CASTROL | Honda | 160.4 | +25.795 |
| 9 | 7 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 160.4 | +26.206 |
| 10 | 6 | 42 | Alex RINS | SPA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 160.2 | +27.937 |
| 11 | 5 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARO | SPA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 160.0 | +32.304 |
| 12 | 4 | 55 | Hafizh SYAHRIN | MAL | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 159.8 | +34.962 |
| 13 | 3 | 21 | Franco MORBIDELLI | ITA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 159.6 | +37.881 |
| 14 | 2 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | GBR | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM | 159.6 | +38.299 |
| 15 | 1 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | JPN | LCR Honda IDEMITSU | Honda | 159.4 | +41.986 |
| 16 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | SWI | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Honda | 159.2 | +45.260 | |
| 17 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | CZE | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 158.4 | +56.872 | |
| 18 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | BEL | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 157.5 | +1’12.117 | |
| Not Classified | ||||||||
| 45 | Scott REDDING | GBR | Aprilia Racing Team Gresini | Aprilia | 158.5 | 17 Laps | ||
| 53 | Tito RABAT | SPA | Reale Avintia Racing | Ducati | 147.3 | 17 Laps | ||
| 5 | Johann ZARCO | FRA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 148.2 | 19 Laps | ||
| 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 160.3 | 23 Laps | ||
| 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | SPA | Angel Nieto Team | Ducati | 149.0 | 26 Laps | ||
| Not Finished 1st Lap | ||||||||
| 29 | Andrea IANNONE | ITA | Team SUZUKI ECSTAR | Suzuki | 0 Lap | |||
