In an unbelievably dramatic Michelin Grand Prix of France, Johann Zarco (LCR Honda Castrol) emerged victorious, becoming the first French MotoGP rider to win on home turf since 1954. Zarco’s wet tyre gamble paid off as he crossed the line nearly 20 seconds ahead of second-placed Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team). Rookie sensation Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) claimed his debut MotoGP podium, while title contenders Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) failed to score points on a chaotic Sunday afternoon.
The race began with tension at an all-time high as light rain scattered the Le Mans circuit. After a red flag due to an excessive number of riders at pit lane exit, the race was reduced to 26 laps, with a wet race declared. Drama continued at the end of the sighting lap, with more than half the grid, including Quartararo, Alex Marquez, and Marc Marquez, pitting while Bagnaia stayed on the grid.
As the race got underway, Bagnaia crashed at Turn 3 on the opening lap, while Quartararo led from Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez. Over half the grid had double Long Lap penalties to take for pitting at the end of the sighting lap. Heartbreak struck for the home crowd as Quartararo crashed at the final corner, along with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Amidst the chaos, Zarco found himself leading the race, having stuck with the wet weather tyres. The Frenchman’s advantage grew to over 14 seconds with seven laps remaining, as he consistently lapped quicker than the rest of the field. Despite crashes for Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Alex Marquez, Zarco maintained his commanding lead, nursing his Honda to the chequered flag to secure a historic victory.
Marc Marquez crossed the line 19.9 seconds behind Zarco to collect valuable points, while Aldeguer secured his first MotoGP podium. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished fourth, followed by Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in fifth.
Reflecting on his momentous win, Zarco said, “There are no words to express what I felt today. We didn’t expect to win, and doing it on home soil is something truly incredible and emotional. It was a long and intense race, but the strategy we applied as a team really paid off. I took a gamble, as the forecast predicted rain, and today, we made the right call. Winning with Honda is something I’ve been aiming for, and now we’ve done it. Huge thanks to the team, to my parents who were here to experience the Grand Prix with me, to HRC, to the sponsors, and to everyone who’s supported us. This is a day I’ll never forget”.
The French GP will go down in history for more reasons than one, with Zarco’s victory and the record-breaking crowd at Le Mans making it an unforgettable event.
