Fabio Quartararo will wait to enter a little more into the legend of French motorcycling.
Arrived loaded with the status of world champion and full of ambition, the Niçois had the profile of the ideal candidate for the first triumph of a Frenchman at Le Mans.
Missed.
Fourth in the Grand Prix de France on Sunday, the 23-year-old prodigy did not become the worthy successor to Pierre Monneret, who won in 1954 in Reims.
We stay stuck behind, we have no possibility of overtaking, it gives this frustration
Fabio Quartararo
Visibly disappointed at the thought of putting his bike away and heading to his pit box, Quartararo seemed quicker to see the glass half empty.
However, it would be simplistic to confine himself to this place of honor on the Bugatti circuit, where his Yamaha showed a power deficit in the face of competition led by the firepower of Ducati, team victorious for the third time in a row in the Sarthe. .
"
We are still missing the same thing, we are stuck behind, we have no possibility of overtaking, it gives this frustration
", will coldly regret the person concerned at the microphone of Canal +.
Still leading the championship
Fourth on the grid as at the finish, "
El Diablo
" has at least shown consistency, the key in his quest for a second world championship title.
The good points snatched at Le Mans also allow him to keep the controls.
“
This first place is good, but we will need big results after a while, agrees the Frenchman.
Today, we couldn't do better than fourth.
We lack potential, and we will need big changes.
Under penalty of seeing his pursuers get even closer, like the surprising Aleix Espargaro, on the podium for the third consecutive time.
Third on Sunday, the Spaniard is now four points behind Quartararo at the top of the championship.
Thanks to his driving skills, the 32-year-old driver regularly gets the best out of his Aprillia, a team that has been on the decline in recent seasons.
At Le Mans, it was almost forbidden to have deprived Quartararo of great happiness in front of the incandescent French public (110,000 spectators).
“
I'm sorry to have prevented the local hero Fabio from getting on the podium, admitted the Spaniard after the race.
I felt it coming back behind me and I tried to contain it on the giant screens.
A D system (the motorcycles have no mirrors) paid off for Espargaro against Quartararo, whose battle punctuated the last four laps of the race.
I am certainly more satisfied than Fabio
Johann Zarco
Because in front, the dice were thrown with the third victory of the season of Enea Bastianini.
Winner of the first round of the season in Qatar then in the United States, the Italian nugget (24 years old) has added a third continent to his list, proof of his desire to shine on all terrains.
The Gresini Racing rider (Ducati's satellite team), whose trajectory recalls that of Quartararo, is the candidate we weren't expecting.
Better rated than his compatriot, Francesco Bagnaia, poleman and long time leader of the Grand Prix, went to the rope before giving up following a fall.
“
I sensed that he was nervous
“Summarized the winner of the day, author of a nice comeback from his initial 5th place.
In the general classification, Bastianini is eight points behind Quartararo.
Just behind the Niçois on Sunday, Johann Zarco will also be able to leave Le Mans with the feeling of having given everything.
Fifth, but far behind Quartararo, the Avignonnais also scored valuable points to move up to sixth place in the general classification.
A result all the more convincing for the Ducati-Pramac rider, demoted to 9th position on the grid and a time stuck in traffic before returning, after having been "
quite incisive
".
Second last year, Zarco seemed less disappointed than his friend: “
I'm certainly more satisfied than Fabio.
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