The 1991 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the tenth round of the 1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 43rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:The beginning of the 1990s marked a golden age for Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The rivalry between Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz was in full flow while Mick Doohan started to...

. It took place on the weekend of 19–21 July 1991 at the Paul Ricard

Circuit Paul Ricard

The Paul Ricard Circuit is a motorsport race track built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard, who created what essentially became Pernod Ricard...

 circuit

500 cc race report

Wayne Rainey

Wayne Rainey

Wayne Wesley Rainey, born in Downey, California, United States, is a former American Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won the 500cc World Championship three times and the Daytona 200 once. He was characterized by his smooth, calculating riding...

 on pole, Mick Doohan 2nd at .5 second, John Kocinski

John Kocinski

John Kocinski is a retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.-Early years:...

 3rd and Kevin Schwantz

Kevin Schwantz

Kevin Schwantz is an American former World Champion motorcycle road racer during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Early life:...

 4th on the grid. Doohan gets the start from Schwantz, Eddie Lawson

Eddie Lawson

Eddie Lawson is a former four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. His penchant for not crashing & consistently finishing in the points earned him the nickname "Steady Eddie".-Biography:...

 and Rainey. After a bad start, Kocinski crashes out hard on the first lap.

By the end of the first lap, Rainey is showing Doohan a front wheel and it’s a 2-man fight for 1st very early with a 4-man group fighting for 3rd.

Rainey takes the lead from Doohan and Lawson and Schwantz remain behind to determine 3rd place.

One the last lap, Rainey expertly zigzags across the Mistral Straight, preventing Doohan from draft-passing, and Lawson wins his fight from Schwantz.

500cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	United States Wayne Rainey Wayne Rainey Wayne Wesley Rainey, born in Downey, California, United States, is a former American Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won the 500cc World Championship three times and the Daytona 200 once. He was characterized by his smooth, calculating riding...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	44:13.070	20
2	Australia Mick Doohan	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+4.000	17
3	United States Eddie Lawson Eddie Lawson Eddie Lawson is a former four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. His penchant for not crashing & consistently finishing in the points earned him the nickname "Steady Eddie".-Biography:...	Cagiva Cagiva Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. It went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. The name is a portmanteau derived from the founder and the founding location, i.e. CAstiglioni GIovanni...	+23.646	15
4	United States Kevin Schwantz Kevin Schwantz Kevin Schwantz is an American former World Champion motorcycle road racer during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Early life:...	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	+23.730	13
5	Early Modern France Jean Philippe Ruggia	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+31.387	11
6	United States Doug Chandler Doug Chandler John Douglas Chandler is a professional motorcycle racer. He earned a reputation as one of the most versatile racers of the 1980s and 1990s. Chandler is one of only four riders in AMA racing history to win the AMA Grand Slam, representing national wins at a mile, half-mile, short track, TT and...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+49.660	10
7	Belgium Didier de Radiguès Didier de Radiguès Didier de Radiguès is a Belgian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing driver.He made his motorcycle Grand Prix debut in 1979, racing in the 500cc class. His best year was in 1982 when he won two races and finished second to Anton Mang in the 350cc world championship...	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	+55.097	9
8	Early Modern France Adrien Morillas Adrien Morillas Adrien Morillas is a former Superbike and Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from France. He competed in the inaugural Superbike World Championship season in 1988, winning one race. His best year in Grand Prix competition was in 1991 when he finished in eleventh place in the 500cc world championship...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+1:12.584	8
9	Spain Sito Pons	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+1:17.300	7
10	Australia Wayne Gardner Wayne Gardner Wayne Michael Gardner OAM is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and touring car racer. His most notable achievement was winning the 1987 500 cc Motorcycle World Championship, becoming the first Australian to win motorcycling's premier class...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+2 Laps	6
11	Spain Juan Garriga Juan Garriga Juan Garriga is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is remembered for his aggressive riding style.Garriga had his best year in 1988, when he won three races and finished second in the 250cc world championship to Sito Pons. In 1990, he moved up to the 500cc class but failed to repeat his...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+2 Laps	5
12	Netherlands Cees Doorakkers Cees Doorakkers Cornelis Martinus Anthinius Maria Doorakkers is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.Cees Doorakker was the 250cc Dutch champion in 1984 and 1986. In 1986 he also reached the championship in the 500cc class....	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+2 Laps	4
13	Italy Marco Papa Marco Papa Marco Papa was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His most successful year was in 1990 when he finished in 13th place in the 500cc world championship aboard a Moto Club Perugia sponsored Honda NS500. Papa perished in a road accident in September 1999...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+2 Laps	3
14	Germany Michael Rudroff Michael Rudroff Michael Rudroff is a German retired Moto GP driver. He raced his first Grand Prix in 1988, and made one podium; coming third in the 1989 Nations Grand Prix...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+2 Laps	2
15	Austria Josef Doppler	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+3 Laps	1
Ret	Switzerland Nicholas Schmassman	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	Retirement
Ret	Germany Hans Becker	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	Retirement
Ret	United States John Kocinski John Kocinski John Kocinski is a retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.-Early years:...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	Retirement