The massive, vibrant crowd that filled Le Mans for the Grand Prix de France and round five of 2024 MotoGP were treated to another action-packed spectacle. Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s riders were in the midst of the battle as Augusto Fernandez tackled the 27-laps to take 13th and 19-year-old rookie teammate Pedro Acosta crashed out of a dispute for the top six.
Anticipation and volume hit new heights at another capacity-filled Le Mans for the annual trip to La Sarthe. The Bugatti circuit inside the historic motorsport complex provided a grippy but also tricky Grand Prix challenge for the MotoGP teams. The mix of hard braking and accelerating zones was complicated by an overcast climate that threatened French rain and had the teams practicing for a bike swap and flag-to-flag outing.
MotoGP blasted around the track and was cheered by the crowd for 27 gripping laps. Acosta and Fernandez started from 7th and 20th on the grid and Acosta made an ambitious launch from the third row. The rookie lost control of the front end under braking on the second lap, slid into the gravel at ‘Garage Vert’ and could not rejoin. Augusto kept pushing his times and rose through the rankings to enter the points. The Spaniard did not stop there and plotted a course to 13th for 3 decent points, a slice of confidence and signs of progression.
Acosta’s fine campaign so far means he has tallied enough points to sit 6th in the championship standings, while Fernandez is 17th. The Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 squad are situated 6th from 11 in the Teams table. The Gran Premi de Catalunya at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will entertain round six in two weeks’ time.
Augusto Fernandez, 13th: “My start was bad and we paid for that in the race. I had the soft tire so I thought I’d be better but these things can happen. It was a hard and tough race! Taking the positives of the weekend, it was the best GP for my feeling on the bike and we were more competitive, so I’m looking forward to Barcelona to keep this line and build up my confidence and speed.”
Pedro Acosta, DNF: “Not a bad weekend overall. After the Sprint we made a big step with the setting of the bike and my feeling at this track. I made a good start and there were many guys making mistakes. Anyway, it’s another year of no results here: it is becoming a tradition! So, let’s take this ‘back’ at the next one.”
Nicolas Goyon, GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 Team Manager: “This year we leave the French Grand Prix thinking about what could have been. Pedro was quick in the warm-up and went into the race with a great feeling. He wanted to fight at the front but made an early mistake. He’s still young and this was the first error of the season. I think it will help him to bounce back and be a stronger rider even if he is frustrated at the moment because the potential was there. Augusto’s three points was a small reward for the whole team but it’s still not the position we are targeting with him. His feeling with the bike is improving but we need to start the weekends in a better way and be higher on the grid if we aim for improved results. Onto Barcelona.”
- From GasGas Factory Racing Press Release
<
Discussion about this post