Daniel Holgado of KTM secured his second victory of the season at a dramatic and intensely watched French Grand Prix, held at the iconic Le Mans circuit. The Spaniard delivered a near-flawless ride as he navigated the tightly packed early laps and then broke away to control the race pace in the second half.
With a total of 84 points, Holgado led the Moto3 standings, closely followed in the title quest by Iván Ortolá and Jaume Masiá, who were both on 63 points. The championship picture remained highly open, and Holgado’s performance further solidified his status among the world’s top riders this season.
Although Ayumu Sasaki from Japan started from pole and briefly led into the first straight, Holgado demonstrated superior positioning by gripping the inside line at the first two corners. Sasaki settled into second, while Diogo Moreira from Brazil took third as the pack began to settle into a rhythm around Le Mans.
From the outset, a strong group formed behind the leading duo, including Sasaki, Moreira, Masiá, Ortolá, and a clutch of other contenders. The group rode with confidence as the race unfolded, while a separate effort by David Alonso, the Spanish-Colombian rider, was aimed at bridging the gap and joining the leaders after a strong start in the early laps.
The race saw a mix of aggressive overtakes and careful pacing, with Holgado maintaining his position at the front through the first half. Sasaki remained a constant threat, but a fall by Moreira altered the dynamics, temporarily elevating Salvador and Yamanaka, who battled to remain in contention after a rough moment for the team’s Japanese rider.
The early phases kept the field tight, with a clear core of ten riders pulling away from the rest. Rueda also faced a setback during the early stages, dropping off the leading peloton and contributing to the shifting composition of the front group. Alonso’s fast pace continued to be a talking point as he pressed to rejoin the leaders after a late-rairing chase.
Holgado maintained his lead through much of the middle portion of the race, with Sasaki pressing hard but finding it difficult to convert pressure into a sustained advantage. A mistake by Migno created an opening that briefly allowed Salvador and Yamanaka to threaten the top positions, though they soon found themselves locked into a tight pack that refused to let go of the front runners.
When the field regrouped for the dash to the finish, a compact group of eight riders remained at the sharp end: Holgado, Sasaki, Ortolá, Masiá, Moreira, Artigas, Yamanaka, and a few others who had fought their way back into contention. The closing laps remained tense as each rider weighed when to launch an attack without risking contact with the leaders on the narrow Le Mans layout.
Holgado finally put a decisive move in place during the late stages, drawing a few meters clear of Sasaki and close rivals as the track slickened and the wind carried the race day heat. Masiá and Ortolá battled to keep pace, while the others chased to avoid losing contact as the circuit’s corners tightened toward the final values of the race. In the end, Holgado’s resilience and strategic riding earned him the win, with Sasaki taking second and Ortolá claiming fourth, just ahead of Yamanaka and a careful charge by Artigas. Rueda, Salvador, and Nepa followed in the remaining points positions, with the season’s momentum shifting again in a race that showcased the depth of Moto3 talent.
In a separate note, the race served as a dramatic chapter in the season’s ongoing story, with Salvador finishing fourteenth and Carrasco in the twentieth position. The day highlighted the fierce competition driving the category as riders push toward the championship’s pinnacle and aim to establish themselves as future stars of MotoGP.