Marc Marquez reclaimed the lead of the MotoGP world championship by winning the sprint race at the French Grand Prix, the six-time premier-class world champion becoming the first rider to win six successive sprints at Le Mans on Saturday.
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The factory Ducati rider remained undefeated on Saturdays in 2025 by passing pole-sitter Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) for the lead on lap six of the 13-lap race, scurrying away from younger brother and erstwhile championship leader Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) to win by 0.530 seconds.
Alex Marquez finished second for the sixth consecutive sprint race behind his brother, while the younger Marquez’s rookie teammate Fermin Aldeguer earned his first MotoGP podium with third, 2.164secs from victory.
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“Fabio at the start was super fast, he was pushing a lot and I say ‘I cannot follow that pace in the first two laps’,” Marquez said after retaking the series lead by two points.
“But then I saw that he start to drop a bit the pace, and then I felt better and better. The last laps, I was riding well. Maybe the last lap I relax a bit too much, but honestly speaking I’m feeling good, so let’s see tomorrow if we can finish our job.”
By winning the opening six sprints of the season, Marquez breaks the record of fellow Spaniard Jorge Martin, who won five successive sprints in 2023.
Quartararo, who qualified on pole for a second successive Grand Prix for the first time since 2021 and for the third time at Le Mans, bolted from the start to lead by seven-tenths of a second on the opening lap before Marc Marquez began to reel the Yamaha rider in, harrying him for the lead on lap five and taking over at the front one lap later, his lead peaking at 1.7secs with three laps remaining.
Quartararo then dropped places to Alex Marquez and Aldeguer on lap eight and 10 respectively to finish fourth, while an all-KTM battle for fifth was decided in Maverick Vinales’ favour when Pedro Acosta crashed at the final corner on the final lap.
Two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) made an early exit when he crashed out from fourth place at turn three on lap two, while Australia’s Jack Miller, who qualified eighth for Yamaha, was shuffled back to 13th on lap three before finishing 11th, 12.238secs behind Marquez and outside of the points.
The 27-lap French Grand Prix, round six of the 22-round MotoGP season, will take place at 10pm on Sunday (AEST).
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