Just two weeks after the extraordinary success taken at Jerez de la Frontera, Jack Miller scored another sensational victory at the Bugatti Circuit of Le Mans, where the French Grand Prix took place this afternoon.
The Australian dominated a tough race that saw riders dealing with a bike swap following the “flag-to-flag” rule. As they started with dry conditions, the sky became soon clouded, and after only a few laps, it started pouring rain. On lap five, Miller, who was in fourth place after going straight into the gravel, returned to the pits to make the bike change but managing to rejoin in third place. However, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider had to serve a double long lap penalty for exceeding 60km/h in the pit lane. Jack remained third and, at lap 12, after Márquez crashed out, he overtook Quartararo, taking the lead where he stayed until the chequered flag, securing his second consecutive win this season. Behind him, home hero Johann Zarco finished second with the Ducati Desmosedici GP of the Pramac Racing Team.
Excellent performance also for Francesco Bagnaia, fourth today at the finish line in a comeback. The Italian rider, who started with the sixteenth fastest time, had dropped back into nineteenth place on the first lap but, after the bike swap, he was able to rejoin in the eleventh position. Forced to take a double long lap penalty as well, Pecco didn’t lose concentration. Thanks to a steady pace, he could catch up with his rivals, passing them to reach fourth place.
At the end of the fifth round of the 2021 MotoGP season, Ducati and the Ducati Lenovo Team are first in the constructors’ and teams’ standings. In the riders’ championship, Bagnaia is now second, just one point behind Quartararo, while Miller occupies the fourth position.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“Winning two races in a row is a dream for me, especially after such a difficult race where I even had to take a double long lap and ended up in the gravel. So to be able to get this result is really extraordinary! The race was really long and tough mentally. I tried to keep my concentration and kept telling myself to stay calm. In this way, I managed the tyres well and saved them until the end, managing the advantage over Johann, who was getting very close towards the end. It was really a fantastic victory!”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 4th
“I got a bad start and made a mistake on the first lap, going wide at Turn 6. Then, there was the flag-to-flag: it was the first time for me! It wasn’t easy, but in a way, I enjoyed it. In the beginning, I didn’t feel completely comfortable on the bike, but in the wet, I was able to find my rhythm right away. Finishing fourth in these conditions is a really good result, also considering that last year I was very slow in the rain. Now I am second in the Championship, just one point behind Quartararo, so I’m delighted”.
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“It was another great day! I’m happy because we have two really great riders this year! Both Jack and Pecco did an incredible race, and we could have taken first, second and third today. We just need to see what happened in the pit lane when we exceeded the speed limit during the flag to flag. Congratulations also to Zarco for another extraordinary podium”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back on track from 28th to 30th May for the Italian GP at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, the first home race for the Bologna-based team in the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.
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