In a rare flag-to-flag race, Ducati rider, Jack Miller managed to bag a win at the 2021 SHARK Helmets Grand Prix de France. Despite two long-lap penalties, Miller became the first Australian since Casey Stoner in 2012 to win back-to-back races in the premier class at the Le Mans. French riders, Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) managed to come in at P2 and P3 respectively, making it a double French podium at their home Grand Prix.
On Lap 1, coming out of Turn 10, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) then had a huge moment. The Spaniard stayed on but it gave Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and his teammate Franco Morbidelli a sniff. Trying to overtake at the inside of Turn 11, the door was closed on Morbidelli and the Italian ran wide, before crashing in the gravel. It caused Rossi and Pol Espargaro to lose places too, with Morbidelli able to re-join.
It was a frantic start. At the front, Miller, Quartararo and Viñales were your top three with fast-starting Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Marc Marquez inside the top five, as the rain started falling. It was light to begin with and Quartararo made a phenomenal two-in-one move on Viñales and Miller at Turn 3, but the rain then started to fall a lot heavier. On Lap 5, the heavens properly opened and it was time for the field to come into the pitlane for their second bikes.
Miller ran wide at Turn 11 as the riders struggled to finish the lap on the asphalt. Slick tyres and heavy rain don’t mix, and the reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) found that out. Mir crashed on Lap 5 when the rain started bucketing down, as more drama followed in the pitlane. Both Miller and teammate Bagnaia were handed two long-lap penalties for speeding in the pitlane, Quartararo pulled into Viñales’ box slot by accident, with Marc Marquez emerging as the race leader.
However, Marc Marquez crashed at Turn 6, which was his second of the race, and he was out on Lap 18. After a while, the sun started shining again and Zarco was once again 1.8s quicker than Quartararo, as Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) got the better of Nakagami for P4 and P5 respectively. Bagnaia then overtook the Japanese rider with six to go, and further up the road, Zarco blasted past Quartararo on the home straight to take P2, seven seconds behind Miller.
Top-10:
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team)
Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 3.970
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 14.468
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 16.172
Danilo Petrucci (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) + 21.430
Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) + 23.509
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 30.164
Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 35.221
Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) + 40.432
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 40.577
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