Towards the end of today’s qualifying session in Le Mans, Ambrogio Racing’s Danny Webb suffered a big highsider that saw him crash onto the track heavily.
Limping slightly, Danny was able to walk away from the crash but had to see a doctor to be checked out for possible injuries. A scan revealed a mild concussion and a broken foot which unfortunately means he won’t be able to compete in tomorrow’s race.

At this point in time Danny is expected to be fit to race at Mugello in two weeks time.

From all of us here at motogpbrits.com: Get well soon Danny!

Photo Copyright: Ben Davies for smartfotos.co.uk

The Le Mans Bugatti circuit, very different from the much longer 24-hour car track, returned to the GP calendar in 2000 after an absence of four years, during which time the French GP was run at Circuit Paul Ricard in Provence. Since 2000 the event has built a huge following in bike-mad France, with tens of thousands of bikers making the two-hour trip to the Sarthe region from Paris.

Le Mans underwent safety modifications before the 1999 GP, partly as a result of Alberto Puig’s injurious turn-one crash during practice for the 1995 French GP. The daunting right hander was tightened and the Musée left-hander was also modified to lower speeds. Further modifications have been carried out during subsequent years in an ongoing program of improvements.

The track’s character is very stop-and-go, with plenty of slow turns where braking and acceleration performance are primordial. Riders and their engineers therefore concentrate on honing their machines’ stability during braking, as well as improving rear-end traction for the numerous hairpin exits.

After Le Mans the MotoGP circus heads south to one of the season’s most popular events, the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello on June 2.

Danny Webb: “I’m looking forward to getting to Le Mans and getting to work. Jerez wasn’t a good weekend for me, but that’s behind me now and forgotten about, so I’m fully fit and ready to go at Le Mans. My feeling is that the Honda will work well at this track, so I know that I can have a good result.”

Source: Honda Racing

Honda has two other riders in the top ten here: Danny Webb (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) and Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold FTR Honda) who were eighth and ninth this afternoon. The Briton and the Frenchman were happy with their form and hoping for even better in the race.

Danny Webb, Ambrogio Racing: 8th, 2m 18.899s “The beginning of the session was not so bad. In the middle we got stuck sometimes and sadly we went a bit the wrong way with the setting. So we came back to not quite the same set-up as yesterday afternoon, but something very similar, and that made a big improvement. On my last lap I gave it everything I had and the time wasn’t so bad. If we have a good first six, seven laps we can also do a good race.”

Source: Honda Racing
Photo: Ben Davies for smartfotos.co.uk

Source: Ambrogio Racing

The MotoGP World Championship continues with the Grand Prix of the Americas at the new COTA circuit in Austin, Texas, on April 21.

Danny Webb, Ambrogio Racing: 11th “The race didn’t go so badly for us. I think we need a bit more top speed, but in the end I think it was a good start to the season in my first race with a new team on a new bike. Qualifying didn’t go so well yesterday, but I was more confident for the race. The best thing is that we scored some points and finished top Honda.”

Source: Honda Racing Press Release

Lead rider Danny Webb, who started from pit lane after fitting a new engine, had fought his way through to 27th place when the chain broke and his race was over.

It was the last outing for the Mahindra MGP-30 machine, built in Italy. Next year the Indian automotive giant embarks on an exciting new project. Design and development of an all-new machine is already under way in a new base in Switzerland in partnership with experienced engineering company Suter Racing Technology.

The race was won by British KTM rider Danny Kent, from his team-mate, new Moto3 champion Sandro Cortese.

DANNY WEBB It’s disappointing to end a year of hard work for myself and the team with such a small problem as a broken chain. It’s not the way I wanted to say goodbye, after all the effort we have made together. I wish Mahindra all the best for the future. They put a lot in, and they deserve success.

Source: Mahindra Racing Press Release

With team-mate Danny Webb sidelined on the first day due to problems with his motor, Moretti had the task of learning the complex 4.448-km circuit at the same time as mechanics were hunting down an electronic glitch.

Unfortunately the gremlin struck again on the first lap of the Moto3™ race, and he retired.

The Mahindra team expects to come back strongly for the final round in Valencia in two weeks, with technical upgrades waiting to help them to a strong finish to the pioneering Indian team’s first Moto3 season, one of a tiny handful on the grid developing an independent engine and motorcycle from scratch.

“This has been a disappointing weekend but we’ll take some valuable lessons from it,” explained Mahindra Racing CEO Mufaddal Choonia. “We’ll come back stronger in Valencia where we shall also announce our 2013 rider line-up. Work on the new Mahindra Moto3 bike continues apace with Suter Racing Technology, and we are expecting significant steps forward next year.”

DANNY WEBB: For me, it’s one to forget. The Mahindra MGP-30 is a sweet-handling bike and this would have been a good track for us, but it was not to be. Now it’s full throttle for Valencia in two weeks.

Source: Mahindra Racing Press Release

Danny Webb retired at half distance of the 18-lap race, as his technical problems got worse. Riccardo Moretti had an even shorter race, retiring on the second lap, unable to select gears.

Today’s disappointment at the 5.548-km Sepang circuit is part of the risk of developing a machine in the white heat of grand prix racing – a route chosen by Mahindra, the first Indian team in GP racing, for the value of technical lessons learned.

Already the Mahindra team and riders are thinking ahead, and for next Sunday’s race at the swooping Phillip Island race-track will evaluate the new clutch units in practice. The nature of the seaside track will let the riders exploit the Mahindra MGP-30’s strong suit of high corner speed.

Today’s race was run in front of record crowds, after Zulfahmi Khairuddin became the first Malaysian to qualify in pole position. Khairuddin led much of the race, finishing a close second to Sandro Cortese, whose victory secured him the first Moto3™ World Championship.

Action for next weekend starts on Friday, with the first of three free practice sessions.

DANNY WEBB The slipper clutch works well when it’s right, but it’s really tricky to set up. Mine was playing up from the start, and then the engine seemed to lose power, so there was nothing for it but to retire. I’m looking forward to making up for this weekend at Phillip Island – it’s a great track that will suit our bike better than the last two.

Source: Mahindra Racing Press Release

The 21-year-old British rider was scrapping to the end with Honda-powered Giulian Pedone: the pair was separated by less than two tenths of a second after Webb’s final lunge fell just a few feet short.

The Motegi track puts a premium on acceleration out of a series of stop-and-go corners. It was always going to be difficult for the only Indian machine in grand prix racing – one of a tiny handful of all-independent machines on a grid dominated by over-the-counter production racers. The strong point of the white-and-red Mahindra is in cornering speed rather than acceleration.

The team looks forward to better chances at the tracks coming up over the next two weeks of the intensive three-week series. Next Sunday they take up the challenge again at Malaysia’s more technical Sepang circuit, before flying south to Australia for the seaside swoops at Phillip Island.

Danny Webb – 26th position It went about as I’d expected – this is a track where you need acceleration, and it is our weak point. We had some little problems with the clutch, but that didn’t really make a difference. Now we go to Malaysia to try again: I hope we go better, though there are two long straights there. Phillip Island is more fast and flowing, which should suit us better.

Source: Mahindra Racing Press Release

Webb (21, from England) finished 25th after moving through from last on the first lap. Team-mate Popov was following on, but retired with electrical problems with three of the 20 laps of the 5.078-km circuit to go.

Webb’s first lap spoiled his afternoon – he started well but was baulked by other riders and then put off the track when somebody crashed next to him. From then on he was playing catch-up. The circuit’s straight of almost one kilometre did not favour the Mahindra – the Moto3™ machine’s strong point is handling rather than top speed.

DANNY WEBB – 25th position I got a fair start but a few people were going crazy round me and after crashing on the first corner at Misano I was a bit cautious. Then I got put off track by another rider crashing. I got back in last. I managed to pick up some places, but it was hard. I was down on top speed, and wet practice left us short of set-up time … and on this bike everything has to be perfect. It was still a big step compared with qualifying. The new slipper clutch makes the bike a lot more stable under brakes, but I’m still getting used to the feeling.

Source: Mahindra Racing Press Release