1988 French motorcycle Grand Prix

  1988 French Grand Prix

Race details
Race 11 of 15 races in the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	24 July 1988
Location	Circuit Paul Ricard
Course	Permanent racing facility 5.81 km (3.61 mi)
500 cc
Pole position Rider Christian Sarron Yamaha Fastest lap Rider Wayne Gardner Honda Podium First Eddie Lawson Yamaha Second Christian Sarron Yamaha Third Kevin Schwantz Suzuki
250 cc
Pole position Rider Dominique Sarron Honda Fastest lap Rider Juan Garriga Yamaha Podium First Jacques Cornu Honda Second Sito Pons Honda Third Dominique Sarron Honda
125 cc
Pole position Rider Ezio Gianola Honda Fastest lap Rider Jorge Martínez Derbi Podium First Jorge Martínez Derbi Second Ezio Gianola Honda Third Corrado Catalano Aprilia
Sidecar (B2A)
Pole position Rider Rolf Biland LCR-Krauser Fastest lap Rider Rolf Biland LCR-Krauser Podium First Rolf Biland LCR-Krauser Second Steve Webster LCR-Krauser Third Markus Egloff LCR-ADM

The 1988 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 22–24 July 1988 at the 5.81 km (3.61 mi) Paul Ricard Circuit.

500 cc race report

Frenchman Christian Sarron claimed his 5th pole position in a row on his Yamaha YZR500, and his last ever in 500 GP.

Like most of the mid-field, Niall Mackenzie (Honda) jumped the start and raced to the lead, but the race was allowed to continue and no penalties were handed out by race officials. On the 1.8 km long Mistral Straight for the first time Wayne Gardner used the power of his factory Rothmans Honda to shoot to the lead from Kevin Schwantz (Suzuki), Mackenzie and Wayne Rainey (Yamaha).

Gardner and pole sitter Sarron battled for the lead with Schwantz and Eddie Lawson (Yamaha), who was battling a shoulder injury suffered in the previous race in Yugoslavia only one week before and had turned to famed Austrian Willi Dungl to help him get fit to race. Gardner's Honda had the advantage on the Mistral Straight over all but Lawson's YZR500, but Lawson, Sarron and Schwantz had the advantage through the turns, though the Suzuki was clearly the slowest on the Pit and Mistral straights. The quartet gradually pulled away from Rainey, who in turn pulled away from a pack including Randy Mamola (Cagiva), Didier de Radiguès (Yamaha), Pierfrancesco Chili (Honda) and Kevin Magee (Yamaha).

Going into the last lap, Gardner had pulled out a two-second lead over the trio and looked set to win his fourth race in a row. However, going through the Courbe de Signes at the end of the Mistral his bike developed mechanical problems when a crankshaft bolt broke loose and found its way into the water pump, though he had a big enough gap over Wayne Rainey to struggle home in 4th place only 5.720 seconds behind Lawson. Gardner's breakdown allowed Lawson to win the race and extend his lead in the championship. Sarron consolidated his second place in the title race, finishing only 0.22 behind the American. In one of the closest top 3 finishes in history, Schwantz finished in 3rd place only 0.24 behind Sarron and less than half a second from winning. Schwantz came out of the final turn and knowing his bike didn't have the acceleration to pass, pulled a wheelie until after crossing the line and celebrated on the cool down lap for gaining an unexpected podium finish.

Wayne Gardner, back in the form that has seen him win the World Championship in 1987, had the consolation of setting the races fastest lap.

1988 was the final time that the French motorcycle Grand Prix would be held on the full length 5.81 km (3.61 mi) Paul Ricard circuit. When Grand Prix racing next returned to the circuit in 1991, the 3.812 km (2.369 mi) 'Club' circuit was used.

500 cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Eddie Lawson	Yamaha	42:15.520	20
2	Christian Sarron	Yamaha	+0.220	17
3	Kevin Schwantz	Suzuki	+0.460	15
4	Wayne Gardner	Honda	+5.720	13
5	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha	+17.630	11
6	Randy Mamola	Cagiva	+27.810	10
7	Didier de Radiguès	Yamaha	+30.620	9
8	Pierfrancesco Chili	Honda	+30.870	8
9	Kevin Magee	Yamaha	+35.110	7
10	Ron Haslam	Elf Honda	+35.310	6
11	Rob McElnea	Suzuki	+59.870	5
12	Malcolm Campbell	Elf Honda	+1:19.040	4
13	Mike Baldwin	Honda	+1:42.640	3
14	Alessandro Valesi	Honda	+1:46.140	2
15	Fabio Barchitta	Honda	+2:02.540	1
16	Donnie McLeod	Honda	+1 Lap
17	Marco Gentile	Fior	+1 Lap
18	Marco Papa	Honda	+1 Lap
19	Fabio Biliotti	Honda	+1 Lap
20	Manfred Fischer	Honda	+1 Lap
21	Eddie Laycock	Honda	+1 Lap
22	Claude Arciero	Honda	+1 Lap
23	Nicholas Schmassman	Honda	+1 Lap
24	Maarten Duyzers	Honda	+1 Lap
Ret	Patrick Igoa	Yamaha	Retirement
Ret	Rachel Nicotte	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Daniel Amatriain	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Thierry Rapicault	Fior	Retirement
Ret	Bruno Kneubuhler	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Wolfgang von Muralt	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Niall Mackenzie	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Shunji Yatsushiro	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Raymond Roche	Cagiva	Retirement
Ret	Eric Sabatier	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Jean Luc Demierre	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Vittorio Scatola	Suzuki	Retirement

External links

• 1988 French Motorcycle Grand Prix