Logbook of a crater at the French GP MotoGP

AUTOhebdo's choice to open its pages to MotoGP is ultimately only obvious as there are so many of us in our beautiful community who admire the tightrope walkers of the Continental Circus. When the invitation came, I didn't have to force myself much to agree to spend the day on Saturday in Le Mans.

Discovering these fabulous MotoGP machines.

The setting is also ideal and provides me with a good basis for comparison since I had the chance to attend 14 editions of the 24 Hours from the stands as well as several dozen GT, Proto, Historic events, etc. Invariably on the other hand, automobile events.

First meeting with El Diablo

The emotion is always as strong when entering this Eden Park of motorsport that is the 24 Hours circuit. If the setting is well known to me, I do not recognize its surroundings. The Technoparc as well as the surrounding car parks are invaded by motorbikes, as are the terraces of good spots such as “Le Casque” or “Aux Portes du Circuit”. No animosity, however, from the bikers for the few cars trying to make their way to the North and South entrances. Any effort to pull over to let a motorbike pass is even thanked with a wave of the leg. A good manners that many cashiers should take inspiration from.

MotoGP fans responded.

As always, the passage of checkpoints is done with the most absolute professionalism and good humor. No matter the number of wheels, Le Mans remains a land of motor sports enthusiasts and the circuit teams are a reference in terms of organization.

3 places on the first row?

When entering the MotoGP paddock, a little moment of anxiety when our Passes are refused. Don't panic, you just have to go through the Info Point to sign the liability waivers imposed by the MotoGP promoter, DORNA. Nobody knows where this place is located, so we have to wander around a bit before finding it in a small algeco near the Moto E Paddock. The code of good conduct is around fifteen pages long and prohibits us from filming or endangering the drivers. , to harm the image of the discipline, to be positive about Covid 19… A great classic but if it goes without saying, it goes better by saying it and committing to it.

The Moto E has its own paddock hosting charging stations.

Very Anglo-Saxon rigor but a totally Spanish environment, nationality of almost all of the DORNA teams. On the other hand, once the Media pass is activated, it's all-inclusive MotoGP! No need for an extra chasuble or bracelet, everything is open to us with a smile, from the sides of the track to the official buildings including hospitality. After all, when a competition has nothing to reproach itself for, it cannot fear that people will say bad things about it.

To enter the paddock, you have to show your credentials.

And on the track? The slap in the face is gigantic when we see the frail Moto3 pass by for the first time. The angles taken by the pilots in the “S” of the Blue Garage defy all the laws of gravity. The noise of the engines is unsettling, but the spectacle is incredible. We decide to show off our precious sesames by going along the side of the track to the Dunlop Chicane in order to see the MotoGP riders in qualifying. By the time we leave the pits, the session starts and cars traveling at 300 km/h are brushing past us.

Shall we say hello to Fabio?

I've seen a lot of things, but nothing compares to the spectacle of these human-sized missiles on the track. I then wonder what might be going through the minds of the drivers when they come out of the shelter of their bubble still inclined in the Dunlop curve to apply extraterrestrial braking and lie down at ground level to approach the left of the chicane. Once past the bend, the motorcycle immediately swings to the right, the rider puts his knee on the ground, swallows the curb and reaccelerates furiously towards the footbridge. Sorry, but damn it’s beautiful!!!

It’s going fast… very fast!

The laps follow one another and we find ourselves analyzing the trajectories in this ultra-technical sequence. Special mention without surprise for fabio quartararo whose piloting is of incredible finesse and precision. It's angrier, less fluid at Ducati but the time proves them right. An explanation may come from the fact that the Italians always ride in packs, sharing aspirations while Quartararo is most often solo. No analysis, a simple visual observation which I will not fail to ask for an explanation from our MotoGP professionals.

Johann Zarco disappointed with his qualifications.

Once the session is over, we go back down to take a look in the stands. From the dressing of the garages to the team outfits, everything is to the highest standards. However, we are very far from the exuberance of F1 and its innate propensity for mismanagement. It's beautiful, clean and functional, the motorcycles are placed like jewels on a base, they work most often against a very rock sound background and with a smile.

A funny coat rack at Marc VDS

A digression on the dimensions of Moto3 tires... Someone will really have to explain to me how the riders can take such angles with such fine tires! At the end of the pit lane, we join our friends from Canal+ who are collecting the drivers' impressions. Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller intersperse each interview with a greeting to the public and despite the disappointment of a first blank grid of French riders, communion with MotoGP fans is total.

With our friends from Canal+.

The success of a sports meeting is judged by the enthusiasm of the public, and on the Le Mans side it is a real celebration. Everywhere, sound animations and giant screens leave no respite for jubilation. Claude Michy and his teams know how to entertain, and the attendance records recorded this year are not the result of chance, but the just reward for their efforts.

Giant screens so you don't miss any of Marc Marquez's setbacks

The dress code covers a wide spectrum, from Bermuda shorts/shirtless to full leather and I feel a little stupid in my jacket but no one seems to mind. The fluorescent yellow dear to Valentino Rossi remains the dominant color, proof of the incredible popularity of “Dotore” and the immense void it leaves in the heart of its community. Fortunately Zarco's 5 and Quartararo's 20 cut into Vale's 46, with a special mention for the reigning champion who seems to be unanimous. They drink (a little), they laugh (without moderation) and they sleep without aggression, without singing of hatred, without fighting. Let us rejoice that our sports have escaped the worst evils. 

Yellow is king in MotoGP.

The Moto2s in turn take the track with a timing respected to the second and offer us a good reference for the Moto E race which must follow. Cooled by the total absence of emotions that the Formula E, I was curious to see what the motorcycle had done with this electric technology destined to become the norm. And it’s honestly a very nice surprise! The motorbikes are beautiful, handled very well, and the whistling sound emitted by the machines is not unpleasant. It's spectacular as can be, and if I can never do without the noise of a combustion engine, I feel ready to accept a fair mix of the two technologies. More spectacular from the small categories, motorcycles are perhaps better equipped than automobiles in this virtuous transition.

The very nice Moto E surprise.

Before leaving we cross the paddock one last time and a comparison with F1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans is necessary. If everything is ultra qualitative, at the level of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, we remain in MotoGP very clearly below the standards of F1. We know that the majority of revenues come from television rights and partners. MotoGP having nothing to envy of F1 on these two points, and 2-wheel machines being infinitely less expensive than single-seaters, the question of redistribution and use of the profits generated arises. Liberty Media and the FIA ​​would certainly have some good lessons to learn from DORNA.

A reasonable luxury.

When I leave the circuit, I know I will come back. I will choose a few friends who are curious to discover these happy madmen and I will equip myself with a polo shirt marked 5 or 20. One thing is certain, however, I will come by motorbike.

See you again in June.

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