Moto3 World Championship leader Jack Miller looks to return to the podium this weekend at the French Grand Prix. Hanika will attempt to add further points to his tally.

Jack Miller heads to Le Mans this week looking to extend his lead at the head of the Moto3 World Championship, in addition to making a podium return. The Australian was off the rostrum for the first time this season at the previous round, held at Jerez. Teammate Karel Hanika will seek to put problems at the last two races behind him, and do as he did at the opening two Grands Prix by finishing in the points.

With 3 podiums and 3 pole positions to his name –the latter all taken in consecutive fashion– Miller is five points clear in the Moto3 World Championship standings. The Australian Red Bull KTM Ajo rider likes the Le Mans circuit, but is wary of the unpredictable weather typical of the French Grand Prix. This will be his third time riding in France, where last year he took a spot on the second row in qualifying and placed twelfth in the race. If he manages to claim a fourth pole position in a row on Saturday, it will set a new record in the Moto3 class.

A crash in Argentina and a mechanical issue at Jerez prevented Karel Hanika from obtaining a strong position on the grid, preventing a push for points on raceday.  However, such setbacks have not diminished the rookie’s desire to return to the form shown at the opening two rounds. At Le Mans, Hanika will debut at a circuit that he has studied thoroughly in preparation.

The French Grand Prix, the fifth round of the season, will run from Friday to Sunday, with the race held at 11:00am local time.

Circuit information – Le Mans
Length: 4.185 metres / 2.600 miles
Width: 13 metres
Left corners: 4
Right corners: 9
Longest straight: 674 metres  / 0.419 miles
Constructed: 1966
Modified: 2008

Jack Miller,
“Last year I got a good result in qualifying, getting onto the second row, but on the Sunday I suffered a bit on a half-dry, half-wet surface. It’s a good track for me, I like everything about it overall, but if I had to highlight one sector it would be the first; an uphill climb at full gas. I’m looking forward to another race weekend, and trying to improve the result from Jerez by making up for some mistakes I made there.”

Karel Hanika,
“Once again I’m going to be riding at a track where I’ve never been before, but I’m not worried because we knew earlier this year that this season was about learning. I also know the Le Mans circuit a little after seeing the races on television and especially playing a lot of videogames. It looks good and I think I might like it, but until the first practice session I won’t know for sure. We’ll see what the weather is like, but it is always highly variable and it wouldn’t be a shock if it were to rain. I’m sure it will be a tough race, but I hope it is as successful as possible for us.”