OF THE 20 RIDERS THAT
formed the grid behind the pole-sitter, only two felt as though they had a genuine chance of challenging for ultimate honours. Boosted by a strong showing in morning warm-up, Iannone showed that he, at the very least, had the outright pace to challenge for a début win.
Rossi, too, felt a victory fight was possible. However, going off last year’s race, when he also qualified seventh, progress through the top six would have to be both ruthless and rapid to pose his team-mate any kind of serious threat.
Of the two, Iannone would get closest, albeit at a great cost. Slow off the line, the 26-year-old could only watch on as Lorenzo stretched out an early lead of half a second over Dovizioso. He trailed his team-mate in third, with Marquez fourth, and Rossi contending with several forms of maelstrom on the first lap. Attempts to manoeuvre towards Marquez were frustrated by a determined Pol Espargaro, whose barging of the nine-time champion at the turns nine and 10 ‘S’ bends allowed Smith and Aleix Espargaro [Ecstar Suzuki] through.
With Lorenzo out front, and seemingly in control, Iannone inched forwards, lapping faster than the leader on laps three and four, then disposing with team-mate Dovizioso for second two circulations along. It was then that it all fell apart. Entering the double apex right at Garage Vert, Iannone’s front Michelin tucked. “I don’t know what happened, it was strange,” said a baffled Iannone soon after. “I close the gap to Jorge without problems but then I crash,” he continued, his third non-finish while holding a top-three place from five races, a vast contrast to 2015.
By then Dovizioso’s hopes of a second consecutive podium at the French track were coming under threat; as first Marquez, then Rossi — looking settled and fast on lap four in particular, the best of the race — advanced. Rossi was by Marquez with an expert out-braking move at Garage Vert on lap 13. Just over a minute later, he was past Dovizioso at Musée to go second, the Yamaha M1’s stability under braking unparalleled.
Dovizioso and Marquez — using Michelin’s harder front compound, due to the 2016 RC213V’s propensity for overheating the front rubber — duly followed. Followed until, like Iannone, their front tyres gave way. Both went down in separate falls on the same lap at Musée, with an eerie synchronised timing. “I just had two degrees more lean angle, and it was enough to lose the front,” said a dejected Dovizioso, yet to score a point since his Qatar podium.