Race

Rossi takes the fastest lap and he has closed the gap between he and Stoner to a shade over two seconds - a full half a second gained in that last lap.

Rossi leads Dovizioso by less than a quarter of a second in the race for that final podium position, now down to two riders. Pedrosa in fifth, Bradly sixth and Hayden seventh ahead of Crutchlow, who is now 15 seconds behind the American.

Lorenzo now 5"911 ahead of Stoner in second.

Crutchlow's off his bike! He races to get back on and in the game but he's fallen to eighth.

Front five seven seconds ahead of the remaining pack now as we approach the final ten laps.

Lorenzo isn't feeling the pressure at all, and has moved further away from Stoner with another fastest lap at 1'44"947. He's almost four seconds ahead again now.

Rossi moves back in front of Crutchlow, putting the Brit down to fifth, and is breathing down his compatriot's neck to reclaim that podium spot.

Dovizioso takes the edge in the three-bike pack between he, Crutchlow and Rossi. Hayden after a poor start has grafted his way up to eighth.

Stoner continues to chip away. 2.7 seconds between he and Lorenzo and it has stopped raining.

Crutchlow overtakes Rossi! He's riding a wave of momentum out there. The Italian hesitates on a corner and leaves the gap.

Abraham has retired by the looks of things. Stoner closes the gap on Lorenzo to 3"613.

Crutchlow close to squeezing inside Rossi but remains fourth for now. Compatriot Ellison remains 13th. Stoner now a second ahead of Rossi.

Stoner is slowly closing the gap on Lorenzo, back to under four seconds now. Pedrosa is back within five of Crutchlow in sixth. Spies, De Puniet and Silva remain at the back following their respective 'mares.

Bradl now putting pressure on Pedrosa for sixth. The Spaniard has had a rough time in the rain so far, not what was expected.

The Monster Yamaha pair are beginning to push closer to Stoner and Rossi. A four-way battle for second is on the cards at present.

Stoner whittles the difference between he and Lorenzo to 4"294. He's still marginally ahead of Rossi with Dovizioso a full second behind the Aussie. Pedrosa now a lap behind in sixth while Spies down in 14th after being compromised by De Puniet's early fall.

Crutchlow into fifth behind Yamaha team-mate Dovizioso.

Lorenzo has the fastest lap at 1'47"239 and the gap between he and Stoner is building, almost five seconds now. Rossi very confident on the corners and still going strong in third.

Dovizioso gets ahead of Pedrosa and has his sights on Rossi. Lorenzo's lead is building to almost three seconds on the chasing pack.

Silva is off. The track is immensely wet at the moment and the rain is showing no sign of letting up for now. Stoner moves into second, 1.1 seconds behind Lorenzo.

Lorenzo leads with Pedrosa, who poled, in second ahead of Stoner, Rossi and Dovizioso. De Puniet has headed out on another bike.

De Puniet is off his bike immediately! What a disappointment for the home hope.

And we're off!

The premier class riders are on their warm-up lap.

A massive 18 riders failed to finish the Moto3 race. They were falling off all over the place!

Before Thomas Luthi scored his first win of the 2012 Moto2 championship with a masterful ride in wet conditions at Le Mans, moving to within three points of the championship lead in the process.

This morning Louis Rossi took a dramatic first grand prix victory on home soil in a tense and massively attritional first wet Moto3 race at Le Mans.

The track is soaking wet after relentless rainfall.

The race begins at 1pm UK time.

Dani Pedrosa starts on pole for the French MotoGP at Le Mans.