By Circuit Bugatti at Le Mans is a 2.6 miles long track, first opened in 1965, neighbours part of ‘Circuit de la Sarthe’ (8.467 miles, used for legendary car race 24 Hours of Le Mans).
It is traditionally station for the Grand Prix of France (Moto GP), also for 24 hours Le Mans motorcycles and last weekend hosted the FSBK (Championnat de France Superbike) season opener.
P3, P2 in European Bikes class races, was TT 2025 entrant Jonathan ‘La Buche’ Goetschy (second fastest French rider in TT history, fastest French exponent at Horice).
Another member of the large French community for TT 2025, Timothee Monot appeared only in practice and did not start the French Superbike races.
Both premier category races were won by EWC specialist, FSBK Champion Kenny Foray. John Ross Billega, (former IRRC and Manx GP racer) participated as did Gabriel ‘PonPon’ Pons (twice fourth from last season’s IRRC Chimay Superbike races, also quickest French rider at Chimay) piloting an interested bike, the ‘Metiss’.
Pons also pilots this steed in the EWC (Endurance World Championship), within the experimental category for innovative prototypes.
Sidecars action, saw the revival of 2024 World Championship duels between TT experienced, World Champions Harry Payne/Kevin Rousseau (P1 in Race 1, P2 in Race 2) and Markus Schlosser/Luca Schmidt (P2 in Race 1, P1 in Race 2).
The Christie brothers Sam & Tom accrued third place finishes x2 whilst another British pair, circulating around Le Mans on Sunday were sons of former Sidecar TT driver Andy Laidlow, Sam Laidlow/Jack Laidlow.
Father/Son duo, Ted Peugeot/Vincent Peugeot (Sidecar lap record holders at Chimay), respectively 8th, 7th overall, obtained duplex of F2 category victories. Three-wheeling contests additionally contained top ten TT finisher Paul Leglise and TT 2025 participants Bruno Mathern/Mathilde Jully, Steevens Palacoeur/Yann Druel.
In below four weeks, Le Mans will host World Sidecar Championship speedsters (18-19th April) plus EWC 24 Hours race competition. New LRP Poland BMW team addition Michael Dunlop is the main star from road racing circles amongst the start-list.
Later this month the second of seven FSBK 2025 rounds, commences at Circuit Ledenon (25th-27th April). The following month the road race French Hill Climb Championship opens in Bocognano on the Corsica Island (17th-18th May), coinciding with 2025 IRRC curtain raiser round at Hengelo.
Words by Jan Vavra
