2005 MotoGP - FRANCE 250 / 125 GP

2005 MotoGP : R4 of 17: MAY 15, 2005, LE MANS, FRANCE

CIRCUIT:

• Paul Ricard, Le Mans, France
• 4.18 km circuit in Le Mans, 200 km from Paris
• part of the longer circuit used for Le Mans 24 Hour race
• circuit modified in 2002 with slower corners
• one of the slowest circuits in MotoGP
• track resurfaced for 2004 race
• PREVIOUS WINNERS: 250cc
  2004: Pedrosa, Honda
  2003: Elias, Aprilia
  2002: F Nieto
  2001: Katoh, Honda
  2000: Ukawa, Honda
• PREVIOUS WINNERS: 125cc
  2004: Dovizioso, Honda
  2003: Pedrosa, Aprilia
  2002: Cecchinello
  2001: Cecchinello
  2000: Poggiali, Gilera

250cc GP:

RACE

• 1 Daniel Pedrosa (SPA) Honda
  "Today it didn't worth it to be second. I wanted the victory and we worked very well with the team for this achievement ... It's been a great race and very exiting in the end, when the tyres were the key. From the start I knew it and I wanted to keep the tyres in a good level. In the last part I pushed harder in every lap to give it all after de Puniet passed me. It's great, may be one of my greatest victories in 250cc"
• 2 De Puniet
  "It was a great day, despite the victory escaped for us in the last lap. Knowing the problems we had in the practice, this is a good result for us ... The bike wasn't on a 100% today, but I pushed hard from the start, The beginning was a little complicated, but during the race I saw that I could pass Dani (Pedrosa) ... I was convinced I can win, but I made a mistake in the last lap and Dani took advantage of it."
• 3 Dovizioso
• 4 Stoner
• 5 Lorenzo
• 6 Aoyama
• 7 Barbera
• 8 Debon
• 9 Guintoli
• 10 Takahashi
• 11 Corsi 12 Davies 13 Baldolini 14 Locatelli 15 Ballerini

GRID

• 1 Daniel Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1m 37.3
• 2 Casey Stoner (AUS) Aprilia 1m 37.8
• 3 Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Honda 1m 37.8
• 4 Porto
• 5 Dovizioso
• 6 De Puniet
• 7 De Angelis
• 8 Guintoli
• 9 Barbera
• 10 Aoyama
• 11 Davies 12 Smrz 13 Takahashi 14 Ballerini 15 Debon 16 Locatelli
• FRI QUALIFYING
• 1 Anthony West KTM, 2m 1.7
• 2 Vincent
• 3 Marchand
• 4 De Angelis
• 5 Debon

125cc GP:

RACE:

• 1 Thomas Lüthi (SUI) Honda
  ”Of course after qualifying on pole position I knew I could run at the front on a dry track. I got a great start but Talmacsi and Lai outbraked me into the first turn but I got passed them again and started to pull away. Once I was three – four seconds clear of the group I eased off because in Jerez I was in more or less he same position before I retired. But I stretched my lead to eight seconds and won easily. The bike and tyres were just perfect today. I did not look too happy on the podium because I ran out of gas on the run down lap and was worried about a problem with the technical inspection after the race but everything was OK. This is my first GP win and I feel great.”
• 2 Gadea
• 3 Kallio
• 4 Di Meglio
• 5 Simoncelli
• 6 Talmacsi
• 7 Nieto
• 8 Simon
• 9 Toth
• 10 Poggiali

GRID:

• 1 Thomas Lüthi (SUI) Honda 1m43.4
  2 Mika Kallio (FIN) KTM 1m43.6
  3 Hector Faubel (SPA) Aprilia 1m43.9
  4 Talmacsi 1m43.9
  5 Simoncelli 1m44.0
  6 Pesek 1m44.0
  7 Lai 1m44.2
  8 Simon 1m44.3
  9 Di Meglio 1m44.4
  10 Gadea 11 Masbou 12 Nieto 13 Olive 14 Koyama 15 Poggiali 16 Pasini
• FRI QUALIFYING
• 1 Mika Kallio , KTM 1m 43.6
• 2 Simoncelli
• 3 Talmacsi
• 4 Faubel
• 5 Pesek