Once again the weather was an important factor in the day´s proceedings with the unpredictable French climate putting the team and their technical strategies to the test. The technically demanding track at Le Mans had a lot of surprises in store for the riders, making the races for both categories aggressive. It was unclear what the final outcome would be right up until the last bend of the last lap.
In the 125cc category rain affected the morning warm-up session (in which Smith had a fall) as well as the first part of the race itself. Officially declared a dry race, when the rain began five laps from the end it was stopped for the change to wet tyres. The race was started again in the same order the riders had been in on lap fourteen. This time Smith started out in eighth position and fought hard to reach the leaders in only five laps, finishing second and achieving his second podium position of the season. This places him in eighth position overall in the championship with thirty six points.
#38 Bradley Smith – 2nd – “I had a very clear objective today, to finish the race and get as many points as possible. This podium position has come just at the right time after two fairly negative races. The fall I had this morning left me a little unfocussed and I didn’t start well. However, I started to feel a lot more comfortable with every lap that went by and I got faster. Thanks to the second start we had because of the rain I was able to start climbing through the pack. I’m really happy; a second place is the best way to end this weekend”.
In the 250cc category the choice of tyres was also decisive but, unlike in the 125cc race, this was made before the start of the race. Team Polaris World made a good decision by choosing to run on slicks and this went a long way to helping Mattia Pasini achieve his third place. He fought for second position with his friend Simoncelli right up until the last bend and the result leaves him in second place overall with a total of seventy seven points, confirming his potential in this new category.
#75 Mattia Pasini – 3rd – “We had to decide which tyres we were going to use before the start of the race. The first few laps didn’t go too well with the slicks, plus the track was wet and my knee was painful. However, as the race went on I got faster, my knee warmed up and the track began to dry out. This was a very complicated race. I think both Simoncelli and I were going at a good speed which helped us reach the leaders and we had to fight each other for second place. Although I tried to close the gap he overtook me in a good move. I have made some ground on Kalio and these are valuable points which keep me in second place in the championship. I think we are ready for the next race in Mugello. Riding in front of so many fans is exhilarating; I’ll continue to think about each race and, with the help of my team which ensures my bike is always fantastic, I know I will be able to fight for the world championship”.
