The fifth lap offers the Repsol Honda team another weekend full of opportunity as Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro arrive ready and rested after a strenuous GP in Spain.
The fifth chapter of the MotoGP World Championship 2021 is on the Le Mans race track in France. The French circuit, best known for hosting the 24-hour race, has been a happy hunting ground for the Repsol Honda team in recent years. In 2019, Marc Marquez took Hondas 300th victory in the premier class as he celebrated his first consecutive wins of the season. In 2020, rookie Alex Marquez put in a masterly performance in wet weather to take his first MotoGP podium in the colors of the Repsol Honda team.
Marc Marquez’s return to Jerez was positive overall as he shortened the distance to the race winner after a complicated weekend. Continuing this trend of bridging the void forward is again Marquez ‘main goal for the weekend as his recovery and return to competition advance. On previous visits to Le Mans, Marquez has achieved four podiums, including three wins.
After an exhausting but productive one day test in Jerez, Pol Espargaro comes to France with an even deeper understanding of the Repsol Honda RC213V. Working through a number of options on Monday, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion was able to improve the overall feel of his Honda. The Le Mans circuit has achieved some of Espargaro’s most consistent premier-class results with five top ten finishes and a podium from seven visits. Since the weather at Le Mans is almost always an unpredictable element, the fifth lap could also give Espargaro his first chance to run the Honda in the wet.
The action at the French GP begins on Friday, May 14th at 9:55 am local time with Free Practice 1 for the MotoGP class. The 27-lap Grand Prix of the premier class on the 4.2-kilometer circuit begins on Sunday, May 16, at 2:00 p.m. local time. Rain is currently forecast for the whole weekend in France, but it does not dampen sentiment in the Repsol Honda Team.