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A wild and unpredictable French Grand Prix saw local hero Johann Zarco shine in front of his home crowd, securing his second-ever MotoGP win and making history as the first French rider to win at Le Mans in the modern era. The LCR Honda rider managed the tricky conditions perfectly, finishing over 20 seconds clear of Marc Marquez, who opted for a conservative but strategic ride to secure second. Fermin Aldeguer, riding for Gresini, completed the podium with his first top-three finish in the premier class.
The race descended into confusion before it even began. Light rain started just ahead of the scheduled start, but race direction, led by Mike Webb, chose not to delay proceedings. During the sighting lap, most riders swapped to their wet bikes, forcing a pause and a second formation lap. By then, conditions had started to improve. Several riders switched back to dry setups — excluding Zarco and Bagnaia — and rejoined the grid instead of starting from the pit lane, earning them a long lap penalty for procedural infringement.
Zarco's decision to stick with wet tyres paid off handsomely. For Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia, however, it was another nightmare weekend. After crashing in Saturday’s Sprint, his Sunday lasted just three corners: teammate-turned-rival Enea Bastianini clipped him in Turn 3, sending him into the gravel. Bagnaia remounted, swapped bikes twice, but finished a distant 16th — last of the classified riders.
It was a rough outing for the Italian contingent overall, with Morbidelli and Bezzecchi both crashing out. Meanwhile, Marquez’s calculated approach kept him firmly in control of the title race. With 171 points, he now leads his brother Alex (149), who endured two crashes, and Bagnaia (120). “I stayed focused and didn’t take unnecessary risks,” Marc said. Judging by his grin on the podium, the plan worked perfectly.
