Getting ready for top battles at Le Mans

Race five is just around the corner and it could be a partly rainy outlook for the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP team at Le Mans, which will be missing a crucial rider from the German team's ranks as Moto2 rider Darryn Binder is not yet fit again and will once again be represented by Senna Agius.

What conditions will prevail on the legendary 4.19km track, located just 200km from France's capital Paris, remains to be seen, but rain is certainly to be expected these days.

Ayumu Sasaki finished second at Le Mans last year and wants not only to top this result but also to make up for the points lost at the beginning of the season. The first step in this mission was taken a fortnight ago in Jerez, where the young Japanese just slightly missed the podium. Thanks to his fourth place, he made a big leap forward in the World Championship. Can the 22-year-old reach his full potential in the 20-lap Moto3 race and finally return to the podium?

Fellow rookie Collin Veijer is at least as motivated to keep filling his points account. The 18-year-old newcomer's learning curve is gradually going up, so his expectations of himself and the fifth race weekend of the season are correspondingly high.

In Moto2, Lukas Tulovic also hopes to follow up his first World Championship point from Jerez with more. The German will diligently continue his structured work on the bike together with his team and has set himself the goal of making life easier for himself in the race with a better starting position.

Moto2 rookie Darryn Binder, meanwhile, has another bitter pill to swallow as the South African is still not fit enough to safely contest an entire race weekend at such a high level four weeks after his crash in Austin. Therefore, as in Jerez, youngster Senna Agius will take the saddle of his Kalex. Agius returns as a double winner from a phenomenal Moto2 European Championship season opener at the FIM JuniorGP™ in Estoril and is looking forward to riding more valuable laps in the Moto2 World Championship.

The Moto3 race starts on Sunday 14 May at 11:00 (CEST). Afterwards, Moto2 will fight for glory for 22 laps from 12:15 (CEST).

Schedule (CEST)

Friday, 12th of May
08:30 - 08:45 MotoE Practice 1
09:00 - 09:35 Moto3 Practice 1
09:50 - 10:30 Moto2 Practice 1
10:45 - 11:30 MotoGP Practice 1

12:35 - 12:50 MotoE Practice 2
13:15 - 13:50 Moto3 Practice 2
14:05 - 14:45 Moto2 Practice 2
15:00 - 16:00 MotoGP Practice 2

17:00 - 17:10 MotoE Qualifying 1
17:20 - 17:30 MotoE Qualifying 2

Saturday, 13th of May
08:40 - 09:10 Moto3 Practice 3
09:25 - 09:55 Moto2 Practice 3
10:10 - 10:40 MotoGP Free Practice
10:50 - 11:05 MotoGP Q1
11:15 - 11:30 MotoGP Q2
12:10 MotoE Race 1 (8 laps)

12:50 - 13:05 Moto3 Q1
13:15 - 13:30 Moto3 Q2
13:45 - 14:00 Moto2 Q1
14:10 - 14:25 Moto2 Q2
15:00 MotoGP Sprint (13 laps)
16:10 MotoE Race 2 (8 laps)

Sunday, 14th of May
09:45 - 09:55 MotoGP Warm-up
11:00 Moto3 race (20 laps)
12:15 Moto2 race (22 laps)
14:00 MotoGP race (27 laps)