In typical barnstorming Moto3™ fashion, fans were out of the seats at a restarted lightweight class race went down to the wire at the SHARK Grand Prix de France in Le Mans. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jaume Masia earned victory after a thrilling final corner move past Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) while Izan Guevara stole the final podium place with another dramatic final corner manoeuvre past poleman Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing).

The threat of rain loomed large over Le Mans on Sunday, and we saw the effects just a few spits of rain can have on the asphalt as the Red Flags were waving by the end of the opening lap. Initially, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) got a brilliant launch from the line to take the holeshot going into the Dunlop Curve, with a brilliant move on the outside seeing him take P1. Despite a good start, poleman Foggia had dropped to third behind teammate Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) while the Italian then had to contend with Masia, who recovered from a poor opening sector to move back into the top three places at the expense of his title rival.

Before we even completed the first lap, there was mayhem on track as the final corner Raccordement saw seven different fallers. Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) were the first to go before five riders went down in simultaneous but separate crashes. GASGAS Aspar duo Sergio Garcia and Izan Guevara were joined in the gravel by Sasaki, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Riccardo Rossi (SI58 Squadra Corse) as the spits of rain began to play havoc.

On the second lap, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went down after making contact with Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) at Turn 3 while at the front Suzuki had hit the lead, but that was that as the Red Flags began to wave due to the rain, and offering those fallers a reprieve as a full race start procedure was signalled.

With a new race distance of 14 laps set, it was always going to be a tight affair with the sun shining again, and so it proved. In a carbon copy of the first race start, Moreira managed to push himself into the lead from the second row while a superb effort from Championship leader Garcia saw him move up into the podium places behind Foggia. Behind them, there was lots of chopping and changing as Suzuki battled with Migno and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) throughout the first lap.

The race began to settle somewhat by the time the third lap rolled around, while Masia was finding his groove, picking off Suzuki at Garage Vert before getting the better of Foggia on the next lap at the Turn 3 chicane. The Italian tried to return the favour one lap later, but Aki Ajo’s prized asset was in control of the race and fended him off. The race had lost Scott Ogden by this stage, with the VisionTrack rookie crashing out at La Chappelle.

The race began to settle somewhat by the time the third lap rolled around, while Masia was finding his groove, picking off Suzuki at Garage Vert before getting the better of Foggia on the next lap at the Turn 3 chicane. The Italian tried to return the favour one lap later, but Aki Ajo’s prized asset was in control of the race and fended him off. The race had lost Scott Ogden by this stage, with the VisionTrack rookie crashing out at La Chappelle.

Behind Masia, Garcia had moved up to second after getting past the Leopard Hondas, while Öncü in P4 had entered the podium conversation. All the chopping and changing at the front brought the leader of the second group, Sasaki, into contention.

Back at the front, Foggia pushed himself back into second at the expense of Garcia. The GASGAS man tried to respond into the chicance, but got it wrong and was forced wide, costing him his drive out of the corner and dropping him the sixth overall. That gave Masia a couple tenths of breathing space out front, but it didn’t last long as he was soon reeled in by Foggia and Sasaki at S Bleu with just over three laps to go.

La Musee is another hot spot for overtaking, and that’s where Sasaki picked off Foggia, relegating the poleman to third. Having bided his time all race, the Japanese rider looked like he would steal the win with just two corners to go, taking the lead on the flick back left at S Bleu. The drama was still far from over, with Masia producing a sensational last corner lunge up the inside to take the win, while Guevara had done something similar to Foggia to deny the pre-season Championship favourite a podium.

La Musee is another hot spot for overtaking, and that’s where Sasaki picked off Foggia, relegating the poleman to third. Having bided his time all race, the Japanese rider looked like he would steal the win with just two corners to go, taking the lead on the flick back left at S Bleu. The drama was still far from over, with Masia producing a sensational last corner lunge up the inside to take the win, while Guevara had done something similar to Foggia to deny the pre-season Championship favourite a podium.

Garcia recorded a P7 finish, meaning his title lead has been cut to 17 points as Masia took the maximum to move into second overall, leapfrogging Foggia. Suzuki finished fifth ahead of Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing Pruestel GP), whose teammate Xavi Artigas recorded a DNF with three laps to go. Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) ended the day eighth, ahead of Öncü with Migno rounding out the top 10.

Holgado, John McPhee (Sterilgarda Max Racing), Riccardo Rossi, Diogo Moreira and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) are your other points finishers

Next up for Moto3™ is a date in the rolling Tuscan hills of Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix.

1. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 14 laps
2. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) + 0.150
3. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.220
4. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) + 0.322
5. Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) + 0.529
6. Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrustelGP) + 1.594
7. Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) + 2.007
8. Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) + 2.275
9. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) + 2.502
10. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) + 2.917

Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) has become an FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup race winner after he saw off a serious challenge from Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) in Race 1 at the SHARK Grand Prix de France. Zannoni threw everything into his bid for victory, but hit the deck on the final lap when he asked too much of his front tyre at Turn 13.

There was drama as soon as the race started when Casadei’s team-mate Jordi Torres fell in the pack as the they exited the Turn 3/Turn 4 chicane. Torres’ leg was run over initially by Niccolo Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) and then Xavi Fores (Octo Pramac MotoE™), neither of whom were able to avoid the stricken Spaniard, before being stretchered from the scene. He was taken to the medical centre and initial reports are, thankfully, that he is not seriously injured.

The net result of a hair-raising opening lap was that Casadei led Zannoni, Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE™), and Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™). Casadei looked like he might break away but was reeled in by Zannoni as the eight-lap contest reached its halfway mark.

After biding his time for a handful of laps, the SIC58 rider had a big look at the Pons pilot as they sped through the Turn 1/Turn 2 sweeper for the final time. Casadei fended off that attack but Zannoni did not give up, until his challenge came to an end when he folded the front of his Energica Ego Corsa at the penultimate corner of the race.

Casadei won by 0.8 seconds while Aegerter claimed second after passing Okubo at Turn 3 on the second-last lap. Okubo was a maiden podium finisher in third, just ahead of Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™), Hector Garzo (Tech3 E-Racing), Miquel Pons, and Eric Granado. The latter two, team-mates at the LCR E-Team, had managed to stay upright despite contact exiting Turn 14 in the closing stages of the race.

Canepa made the chequered flag in eighth position, Andrea Mantovani (WithU GRT RNF MotoE™ Team) took ninth, and Alex Escrig (Tech3 E-Racing) was 10th all-told. Escrig had run as high as fourth in the early stages but lost three spots when he ran long at Chemin aux Boeufs (Turn 9/Turn 10) on Lap 2, then had to serve a long lap penalty for the shortcut. Fores ended up 12th and Zannoni was classified a finisher, but in 16th.

Granado won both races in Round 1 of the season at the Spanish Grand Prix, but his lead in the MotoE™ World Cup standings has now been cut to six points, with Aegerter second and Casadei 12 points further back in third.

Will they make up more ground, or can the Brazilian fight back? Tune in for Race 2 on Sunday at 15:30 (GMT +2).

MotoE™ Race 1 Top 5:

1. Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40) – 8 laps
2. Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) + 0.826
3. Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) + 1.223
4. Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) + 1.701
5. Hector Garzo (Tech 3 E-Racing) + 5.754

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Pedro Acosta has first pole position in the Moto2™ class after breaking his own, hours-old All Time Lap Record at the SHARK Grand Prix de France. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) qualified second-fastest for Round 7 of the season at Le Mans, and will be in a KTM Ajo sandwich on the front row given Augusto Fernandez was third-quickest in Q2. World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), on the other hand, could not escape Q1.

Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was the early pace-setter in the second stanza of qualifying, before a nasty-looking highside at Garage Vert (Turn 8). The Briton appeared winded, taking some time to get to his feet before riding a scooter back to the paddock, as the 1:36.071 which he set on his second flyer looked vulnerable.

As it turned out, the front row lap times would all come in the 11th minute of the session. Fernandez was first to better Lowes’ marker when he set a 1:35.963, only for FP3 fast man Acosta to pip his team-mate with a 1:35.803 as he followed him across the line. Then, moments later, Dixon split the KTM Ajo duo with a 1:35.921.

No one else beat Lowes’ time, however, meaning the Briton is set to start from fourth position when lights go out on Sunday afternoon. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar) qualified fifth on a 1:36.088 and they will be joined on Row 2 by Alonso Lopez, who has replaced Romano Fenati at MB Conveyors Speed Up, effective this weekend.

Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) took seventh, and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was eighth with the only flying lap which he could get in before crashing at La Chapelle (Turn 6). Rounding out the top 10 were Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), with FP1 fast man Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) 11th after he took a tumble at Chemin aux Boeufs.

The story of Q1 was Vietti’s bid to rescue a good starting position. The Italian improved on each of his last three laps in the session, but every time, it was only good enough for fifth position. The last of those efforts was a 1:36.310 which was just six thousandths of a second slower than Jorge Navarro’s best lap, meaning Vietti will launch from 19th on Sunday. Navarro (Flexbox HP40) would go on to secure 12th on the grid in Q2.

Can Vietti get into the points and protect his World Championship lead? The Moto2™ field is back for the Warm Up on Sunday at 09:20 (GMT +2), before the grand prix itself at 12:20.

Moto2™ Q2 Top 10:
1. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 1:35.803
2. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.118
3. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 0.160
4. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.268
5. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) + 0.285
6. Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors Speed Up) + 0.466
7. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) + 0.500
8. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 0.506
9. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) + 0.538
10. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 0.548