The 2012 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the fourth round of the
2012 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2012 MotoGP World Championship season was the 64th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Casey Stoner started the season as the defending World Champion, while Honda was the defending Manufacturers' Champion.
In the premier MotoGP ...
. It took place on the weekend of 18–20 May 2012 at the
Bugatti Circuit
The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport Race track, race course, chiefly known as the venue for ...
in
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
,
France. In a press conference on the Thursday before the race,
Casey Stoner announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the season. He went on to finish third in the MotoGP race, handing the championship lead to
Jorge Lorenzo, the race winner.
Valentino Rossi took second place for his first podium since
the previous year's race.
Thomas Lüthi
Thomas Lüthi (born 6 September 1986) is a Swiss sporting director at Prüstel GP, and former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He spent 19 years in Grand Prix world championships, becoming one of only six riders to reach 300 race starts, spending m ...
and
Louis Rossi
Louis Rossi (born 23 June 1989 in Le Mans) is a French Grand Prix motorcycle racer, best known for winning the 2012 French Grand Prix in the Moto3 class. He currently competes in the World Endurance Championships aboard the #Ducati 6, he has als ...
won the Moto2 and Moto3 races respectively. This was the 800th race to contribute to the Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship.
Classification
MotoGP
Moto2
Moto3
Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round four has concluded.
;Riders' Championship standings
;Constructors' Championship standings
*
Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
References
{{MotoGP 2010–19
French motorcycle Grand Prix
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
Motorcycle Grand Prix
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
French motorcycle Grand Prix
The French motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season.
The Grand Prix was held on different circuits in its history: on the Charade Circuit (Puy-de-Dôme) between 1959 and 1967, Le Mans circ ...