1991 Vitesse du Mans motorcycle Grand Prix

  1991 Vitesse du Mans Grand Prix

Race details
Race 14 of 15 races in the 1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	8 September 1991
Location	Le Mans
Course	Permanent racing facility 4.425 km (2.750 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider	John Kocinski
Time	1:39.964
Fastest lap
Rider	Mick Doohan
Time	1:41.200
Podium
First	Kevin Schwantz
Second	Mick Doohan
Third	Wayne Rainey
250 cc
Pole position
Rider	Luca Cadalora
Time	1:44.963
Fastest lap
Rider	Helmut Bradl
Time	1:45.375
Podium
First	Helmut Bradl
Second	Carlos Cardús
Third	Luca Cadalora

The 1991 Vitesse du Mans motorcycle Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the 1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 6–8 September 1991 at the Bugatti Circuit located in Le Mans. France.

Originally meant to be held in Brazil, that race was cancelled for safety reasons, so the FIM decided to add a second French round. It is the only time in FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing history two rounds were held in France during a season. The race's name was used for this race only, after the European Grand Prix moniker had been used for a race in Jarama that replaced the Yugoslavian race.

500 cc race report

John Kocinski on pole. Kevin Schwantz gets the start from Kocinski, Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner and Wayne Rainey.

Schwantz and Doohan battle for 1st, but at ten laps to go, Rainey just needs to stay in 3rd place to win the championship.

Rainey speculates that Kocinski let him take 3rd so he could win the championship, though he told team manager Kenny Roberts he didn't want Kocinski's help.

Kenny Roberts: "There were a lot of races where we shouldn't have won, and we really wouldn't have won if it wasn't for Wayne. There's a lot of races where had we had anyone else, it wouldn't have happened. Wayne was very, very determined to win it this year. Some years you can say the bikes were definitely better or our engineering was better, but this year Wayne was definitely better."^[1]

500cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Kevin Schwantz	Suzuki	47:37.764	20
2	Mick Doohan	Honda	+0.148	17
3	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha	+3.468	15
4	John Kocinski	Yamaha	+3.700	13
5	Wayne Gardner	Honda	+3.966	11
6	Juan Garriga	Yamaha	+37.852	10
7	Doug Chandler	Yamaha	+38.342	9
8	Didier de Radiguès	Suzuki	+39.290	8
9	Sito Pons	Honda	+1:30.554	7
10	Adrien Morillas	Yamaha	+1:45.040	6
11	Eddie Laycock	Yamaha	+1 Lap	5
12	Niall Mackenzie	Yamaha	+1 Lap	4
13	Marco Papa	Honda	+2 Laps	3
14	Andreas Leuthe	Suzuki	+2 Laps	2
15	Damon Buckmaster	Suzuki	+5 Laps	1
Ret	Cees Doorakkers	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Jean Philippe Ruggia	Yamaha	Retirement
Ret	Michael Rudroff	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Hans Becker	Yamaha	Retirement

References

1. Duke Video: "Bike GP Review 1991". Videocassette.