A special week is just around the corner for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad, as we are now heading to Le Mans for the Michelin® Grand Prix de France, the team’s home round, one that always holds a special place in our hearts. After breaking once again the spectators' attendance in 2024 with 297,471 passionate MotoGP™ fans attending the French Grand Prix, it is expected that thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts will once again travel to the famous Bugatti race track to see their favorite riders battle it out for the two trophies on the line, on both Saturday and Sunday.
Grand Prix de France
Maverick Viñales will be heading to Le Mans eager to do well for the team on their home turf, and his two last strong rounds in Doha and Jerez will give him the confidence to continue improving his performances. ‘Top Gun’ closed the Jerez test second in the timesheets after a busy day of testing, where positives were found to improve his bike base, so it is expected that the Spaniard should continue improving his performances with the RC16. The Bugatti track is one of Maverick’s favorites: Last season, he was a sprint podium finisher as he claimed the bronze medal, but he has also already won the French Grand Prix back in 2017, starting from the pole position. Enea Bastianini will also be arriving at one of his favorite circuits, after he won the edition in 2022 after a brilliant race, and last season, he finished at the doors of the podium in P4. His adaptation to the KTM has been different to his teammate's, but the Italian has continued to make steps round after round, and a busy day of testing in Jerez last week will see him arrive with more confidence.
Here is the schedule of the weekend that you don’t want to miss! The Red Bull KTM Tech3 boys will start their French campaign on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 10:45 local time (UTC+2) for forty-five minutes, which will be followed in the afternoon by the one-hour Practice at 15:00, already determining for the qualifying. If we hope that the traditional rain will not join the party, the action will still go on either way on Saturday with Free Practice 2 at 10:10 followed immediately by the qualifying sessions at 10:50. In the afternoon, Viñales and Bastianini will fight for the first points at stake, when lights of the Tissot Sprint go out at 15:00. Finally, after ten minutes of warm up in the morning, Sunday will see the main race start at 14:00 local time. Bring on the show in France, and vive la baguette!
ENEA BASTIANINI: "I am very curious to go to Le Mans because it will be different to experience this weekend since it’s the team’s home GP, and I really want to be competitive. The Jerez test has been very important for us to continue understanding and learning the bike, we made a good step, so we are arriving to Le Mans with positivity. This track has been good to us in the past, so let's see how are can arrive to France, we will give our maximum!"
MAVERICK VIÑALES: "I am super excited to go to Le Mans for the team's round, it almost feels like it will be a home round for me too, and I am super motivated to do well there. We are arriving in Le Mans with good confidence from Spain after a really positive weekend for us, and a hard day at work during the test, where we could make some steps, which I am looking forward to applying this week in France. Le Mans is a track that I enjoy a lot, so let's see how the bike adapts to this track, we will take it step by step as usual, and see how it goes! The atmosphere is always special in France, and it will carry us all weekend for sure!"
NICOLAS GOYON, Team Manager: "It is time for one of the most important races for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team since we are heading to Le Mans for the Michelin Grand Prix de France. It is always a special moment for us as a French team to attend our home race, and the event - which keeps breaking the attendance records every year - prepared by Claude Michy and his team is very special, the atmosphere is something we do not see elsewhere. The team heads to Le Mans with expectations for Maverick Viñales following his last two strong weekends in Doha and Jerez. He also closed the Jerez test with the second fastest lap, and Le Mans is a track that he likes as he was on the sprint podium in 2024. Enea Bastianini has been having a different evolution on the bike, always making steps forwards though, never steps back. He has already 3 top 10 finishes since the start of the season, and he has already won in Le Mans, so we are confident that he will be strong this weekend. I am sure that both Maverick and Enea will give their all to shine in front of the team’s crowd."
ABOUT THE TRACK
Built in 1965 around the existing 24-Hour track, the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit lies 5km south of the city of Le Mans and 200km south-west of Paris. The venue has hosted Grand Prix since the late sixties but a serious accident to Spanish rider Alberto Puig in 1995 saw it struck off the calendar until 2000 whilst stringent safety improvements were carried out. Le Mans is a tight track dominated by first gear corners that place the emphasis on late braking and hard acceleration, whilst rear end traction is also a key area. The weather in Le Mans has often been a major topic for this round, with May's climate in this area of France often rainy and cold, always providing suspense and great racing shows in unusual conditions! The French Grand Prix has become over the last years the most attended Grand Prix of the MotoGP™ World Championship calendar. Elected best Grand Prix of the year in 2023, the record attendance was once again broken in 2024 with 297,471 motorcycle fans having made their way through the doors of the Bugatti Circuit. Will 2025 hit another milestone?
TRACK RECORDS
All Time Record: 2024 - J. Martin (SPA) - 1'29.919 - 167.5 km/h
Best Race Lap: 2024 - E. Bastianini (ITA) - 1'31.107 - 165.3 km/h
Best Pole: 2024 - J. Martin (SPA) - 1'29.919 - 167.5 km/h
Top Speed: 2023 - B. Binder (RSA) - 325.8 km/h
