Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Le Mans, in France. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard won the 27-lap race by 0.477 second.

His teammate, Marco Bezzecchi was the runner-up.

Ai Ogura placed third on his Aprilia Trackhouse RS-GP26.

Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the finish line fourth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

Pedro Acosta took fifth on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16. 

Polesitter, Francesco Bagnaia crashed his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

Marco Bezzecchi leads the championship with 128 points, 1 ahead of Jorge Martin who has 127 points. Fabio Di Giannantonio is third with 84 points.

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Comeback King Martin produces Sunday magic to beat Bezzecchi in France. The #89 reels in and passes his teammate and title rival as Ogura clinches a debut MotoGP podium to hand Aprilia a podium lockout at Le Mans.

All the blood, sweat, and tears. The injury woes of 2025. The not knowing if he’d ever return to the top step again. Now though, he’s done exactly that. Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), for the first time since the 2024 Indonesian Grand Prix, emerged victorious on Sunday in Le Mans with a ridiculously impressive ride that saw the #89 reel in and overtake teammate Marco Bezzecchi in the closing stages. It was a day to remember for Aprilia because not only did they lock out the top two spots on the podium thanks to the top two in the championship, but Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) produced some more late Grand Prix magic to force his way onto the MotoGP podium for the first time.

THE START

Bezzecchi got the best launch of the riders from the front row and heading up to Turn 3, the lead was the Italian’s. Much to the delight of the home faithful, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was up to an early P2 as he and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) swapped paint coming out of Turn 4. Bagnaia lost ground from pole position, the Italian was P4, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) getting a much better launch than he did just under 24 hours ago – the Italian was P5 from the front row.

Lap 2 saw Spanish GP winner Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) crash out of the top 10, as Acosta attacked Quartararo. It was a move that stuck at Turn 11, as Acosta then locked his radar onto Bezzecchi. Lap 5 saw Pecco then pounce to demote the home hero to P4, and on that lap, the Italian set the fastest lap of the race – 0.2s quicker than leader Bezzecchi.

BUBBLING UP NICELY AT THE FRONT AS MARTIN BEGINS VICTORY PUSH

The chasers lost ground on the next lap, and it was clear Pecco had some pace in hand over Acosta. And sure enough, the #63 carved his way past the KTM star into P2. The gap to Bezzecchi? 0.9s. Meanwhile, a train of fire breathing thoroughbreds had formed, with Di Giannantonio and Tissot Sprint winner Martin now ahead of Quartararo. Ogura and Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) were next in line, but it was Martin vs Di Giannantonio on Lap 9. Eventually, after a couple of attempts at Turn 3 and then Turn 6, Martin got the attack done at Turn 7. But that battle saw the second group sit over a second and a half away from the top three.

The Grand Prix simmered a tad approaching the half way point, but intriguing was the word to describe what was going on at the front. Bezzecchi’s advantage was 0.6s over Pecco, with Acosta still lingering in P3. Martin’s pace was on par with the leaders, but the 2024 World Champion was 1.6s back – but the good news for the #89 was he had pulled 1.1s on Di Giannantonio.

BAGNAIA CRASHES 

Then, a dose of drama was thrown into the mix. Bagnaia, seemingly comfortable in P2, then lost the front coming into Turn 3 on Lap 16 of 27. A disastrous end to a very promising weekend for Pecco. Thankfully, the Italian was OK physically, and looking more than OK too was Martin. Now in P3 after Pecco’s error, Martin was right in the victory hunt and on Lap 18, the Aprilia star dispatched Acosta.

MARTIN REELS IN BEZZECCHI, OGURA LAUNCHES ROSTRUM ATTACK

Now, it was Aprilia vs Aprilia. P1 vs P2 in the title race. Martin was 1.5s behind Bezzecchi but while we locked eyes on Mir lunging underneath Quartararo at Turn 3, the gap came down by half a second. On Lap 20, Bezzecchi led Martin by one second, with Acosta 0.7s back in P3.

At the beginning of Lap 2, the gap was 0.8s. Martin was reeling in his teammate, and another Aprilia rider was on the charge. Ogura. Di Giannantonio was shuffled down to P5 on Lap 21, and just before that, having moved into P6, Mir crashed out at Turn 11.

Back at the front, and back to Ogura. The Japanese rider was 0.5s faster than Bezzecchi on Lap 21, and Acosta’s podium was under serious threat. Lap 23, Turn 3, Ogura made it an Aprilia 1-2-3.

Could the #79 now claw his way into the victory fight? Well, if Martin engaged in battle with Bezzecchi, it would give him a chance. And with four laps to go, Martin was right on the rear wheel of his teammate after landing a 1:31.2, compared to Bezzecchi’s 1:31.4.

Bezzecchi was in trouble here, and so it proved. Martin, with three to go, made his move. What a class pass it was too. Turn 3, late on the brakes, job done. Martin led for the first time and it looked like Bezzecchi didn’t have anything in response. No counterattack was coming, as Martin pulled 0.7s clear.

Instead of the win, Bezzecchi now had a real task to keep P3. Ogura was now just 0.7s away from the factory RS-GP, then 0.5s, as we entered the final lap of the Grand Prix.

0.6s was the gap splitting Martin and Bezzecchi, so a mistake-free closing lap would see Martin return to the top step. And guess what: that’s exactly what it was. For the first time since the 2024 Indonesian Grand Prix, Jorge Martin would spray the bubbly from the top step of the podium.

Bezzecchi held off Ogura’s late pressure to earn 20 healthy points, but the Italian sees his championship lead come down to a single point after a mini sucker punch was handed to him by his teammate. And sure enough, in P3, Ogura secured a first MotoGP podium to become the first Japanese podium finisher since 2012. It’s been coming, now it’s arrived. What a day for Aprilia.

YOUR POINTS SCORERS IN FRANCE

A penultimate corner pass on the final lap saw Di Giannantonio overtake Acosta for P4 honours, which means the KTM rider had to settle for P5. Quartararo’s top weekend ended with a very solid P6 on home soil, and although P6s aren’t the results the Frenchman comes racing for, but given the circumstances, El Diablo will be pleased with that.

P7 went the way of Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) closing out the top 10 in Le Mans.

Johann Zarco’s (Castrol Honda LCR) home Grand Prix Sunday didn’t go as planned after Fernandez forced the Frenchman wide on Lap 1, leaving last year’s winner just inside the top 15. P11 was Zarco’s result in the end, as Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), and Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) picked up the final points on offer in France.

NEXT STOP: BARCELONA

We barely have time to catch our breath before MotoGP is back on track, as a trip to Barcelona beckons for Round 6 next weekend. See you there. 

• MotoGP French GP results!