Marc Marquez qualified on pole position for Sunday’s French Grand Prix, with LIVE coverage starting on FOX Sports 1 at 7:30 a.m. ET Sunday. Here are five things to watch during the race:
JORGE LORENZO
Lorenzo is shaping up as the man to beat at Le Mans and has been told by his Yamaha engineers to delete a nightmare qualifying lap from his brain. Lorenzo was lucky not to crash when a faulty sensor sent the engine management computer haywire on his M1, upsetting the engine braking system and dashboard information. At one point while in second gear the dash readout showed sixth gear! Lorenzo still qualified third, not a fair reflection of his impressively fast and constant pace in practice. Mentally refreshed Lorenzo is focused taking the title fight to Marquez and Rossi.
DANI PEDROSA
Pedrosa knows a lot about the pleasure and pain of bike racing having made a series of heroic comebacks from injury. But even he is unsure what to expect in Sunday's 28-lap race on the physically demanding Le Mans layout. This is Pedrosa's first race since his risky surgery to cure his crippling arm pump. He has not raced since the opening round of Qatar and his longest run in practice has been six laps. The French GP will be the first crucial test to see if the radical operation can salvage his career.
CAL CRUTCHLOW
Cructhlow admits he doesn't like the Le Mans track but is determined to continue the strong form that has seen him finish third in Argentina and fourth in Jerez. And he has plenty of incentive to show that he deserves the attention he is getting from Honda as the leading satellite team rider in the championship. Honda reward results and, on Saturday at Le Mans, Cructhlow was gifted use of the latest rear swing arm, which improves rear grip and has been developed for Marquez's factory RC213V.
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO
The Le Mans layout is one Dovizioso's favorite tracks and its mix of heavy braking zones, tricky chicanes and hard acceleration are Ducati friendly. He wants to quickly erase the nightmare of ninth place in Jerez, which ended his string of runner-up podiums in the first three races. Boosted by a fast test session in Italy earlier this week, Dovi is openly talking up his podium chances in Le Mans from his front row starting spot.
PAIN THRESHOLD
Bike racers notoriously have high pain thresholds and Andrea Iannone's will be severely tested at Le Mans. It is just five days since he dislocated his left shoulder while testing at Mugello and he will need pain killing injections before the start of the 28-lap race. Impressively fifth fastest in qualifying, Iannone says that after three laps the pain in his shoulder restricts his movement on the bike in left corners. Iannone is fast and fearless but even he admits pain barrier is his biggest challenge in the race.
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