Italy’s Marco Bezzecchi, riding for Ducati, earned a victory this Sunday at Le Mans, sealing his place atop the French Grand Prix podium. The race highlighted Ducati’s strength as Bezzecchi joined Spain’s Jorge Martín and France’s Johann Zarco in the top three, with Marc Márquez of Repsol Honda pushing forward from the remainder of the field after two laps behind the leaders.
Bezzecchi’s triumph marks his second win of the season and comes at a landmark moment — the 1,000th Grand Prix in World Championship history. The result adds pressure on fellow Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia, who crashed on lap five after colliding with Maverick Viñales of Aprilia. Bagnaia’s misfortune comes despite him leading the championship early in the season, as he seeks to extend his advantage in the standings.
Even with a “zero” on the scoreboard for Bagnaia, he remains at the top of the riders’ championship with 94 points. Bezzecchi is close behind with 93, narrowly ahead of Brad Binder from South Africa on KTM, who finished sixth and sits in second place overall. Jorge Martín holds fourth, with 80 points, trailing the leader by 14.
This is how MotoGP classification remains after the French GP
In a race characterized by a bumpy surface and a high attrition rate, only 13 riders reached the finish. Early in the afternoon, Márquez surged to the front, with Australian Jack Miller on a KTM pressing from behind as the race unfolded. Bezzecchi’s pace quickly positioned him among the frontrunners, while Bagnaia faced early adversity, and Viñales experienced a tumble on the second lap that halted his run. The crashes also took out Álex Márquez and Luca Marini, who were competing for strong results, leaving room for other contenders to shape the outcome.
Bezzecchi soon joined the battle among Márquez, Miller, and Martín. He seized the moment and moved ahead with 17 laps remaining, initiating a decisive duel for the lead. Martín pressed hard, trying to close the gap on Márquez, but a late-race incident saw Martín fall after Márquez had already passed him, effectively settling the podium positions.
With just two laps to go, Bezzecchi held a comfortable gap, and his finish secured Ducati’s fourth consecutive top-category victory on the French circuit. The race also featured Augusto Fernández on KTM securing fourth place, just ahead of Aleix Espargaró on Aprilia, as the field crossed the line in a high-stakes finale.
The French Grand Prix delivered a dramatic mix of skill, risk, and resilience, underscoring Ducati’s strong performance this season and the tight championship battle that continues to unfold across the premier class. (EFE)