Jorge Martin charged from seventh on the grid to win the French Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming his first MotoGP victory in 588 days and moving to within one point of championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.
The Spaniard overtook his Aprilia teammate Bezzecchi with three laps remaining at Le Mans, completing a remarkable comeback after a difficult 2025 season disrupted by crashes and injuries. The victory was Martin’s first Grand Prix win since the 2024 Indonesian GP, the season in which he won the world title.
“It’s unbelievable,” an emotional Martin said after the race. “I’m so, so grateful to all the fans.” He also paid tribute to his family, team and girlfriend, saying he had struggled to find words after ending his long wait for a win.
Bezzecchi finished second, while Ai Ogura took third for Aprilia’s satellite team Trackhouse, giving the Italian manufacturer its first MotoGP podium sweep. Ogura also became the first Japanese rider to stand on a MotoGP podium in 14 years.
The result tightened the championship battle after five rounds, with Bezzecchi still leading but Martin now just one point behind. Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola said he was confident the two factory riders could manage their rivalry respectfully as the title fight develops.
Ducati endured another difficult weekend. Reigning champion Marc Marquez missed the race after fracturing his foot in Saturday’s sprint crash and later underwent successful surgery in Madrid. Francesco Bagnaia, who started from pole, crashed out while running second, marking his third Sunday retirement in five rounds.
Bagnaia’s poor start allowed Bezzecchi to take the lead, while home favourite Fabio Quartararo briefly moved into second. Martin initially struggled to gain places in traffic, but the race turned when Bagnaia fell on lap 16. Martin moved past KTM’s Pedro Acosta, then steadily closed a gap of nearly three seconds to Bezzecchi before making the decisive pass late on.
Ogura denied Acosta a podium with four laps remaining, while Fabio Di Giannantonio snatched fourth from the KTM rider in the closing corners. Quartararo finished sixth on home soil.
Martin celebrated by smashing his windscreen in trademark style before mimicking Kylian Mbappe’s crossed-arm celebration. After a year of setbacks, his Le Mans victory announced his full return to the title fight — and confirmed Aprilia as MotoGP’s team to beat.
