A 71-Year Wait Ends with a French Winner on French Soil in an Unforgettable MotoGP

Sunday, May 11, 2025 – Le Mans, France

It was a day for the history books at Le Mans, one that Johann Zarco, the LCR Honda Castrol team, and over 100,000 fans will never forget. With masterful strategy and unwavering nerves, Zarco claimed victory at the 2025 Michelin Grand Prix of France, becoming the first French rider to win the MotoGP race at home since 1954—a drought spanning 71 years.

Opting for wet tyres in treacherous, changing conditions, Zarco crossed the line nearly 20 seconds ahead of Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), who salvaged crucial championship points after his rivals faltered. In third, MotoGP rookie Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) stole headlines with a sensational first podium.

Rain, Red Flags, and Chaos from the Start

From the moment the rain began to fall before lights out, drama seemed inevitable. The entire grid lined up on slicks, but it quickly became apparent that this was the wrong call. Fabio Quartararo, starting from pole, nearly lost control at Turn 3 during the warm-up lap, prompting a flurry of riders to enter pit lane—so many, in fact, that a red flag was thrown to manage the chaos at pit exit.

A shortened 26-lap race was declared a wet race, allowing mid-race bike swaps. But the action didn’t calm down there. After the sighting lap, chaos reigned again. More than half the field, including both Marquez brothers and Quartararo, came in to switch bikes, while Francesco Bagnaia stayed out—setting the stage for a turbulent and unpredictable French GP.

Opening Laps: Drama Strikes Immediately

When the race finally got underway, Bagnaia—just as in Saturday’s Sprint—was down at Turn 3 on the first lap. Quartararo took the early lead ahead of Marc and Alex Marquez, with Aldeguer settling into fourth. Bagnaia rushed back to the pits for his dry bike, but the damage was done. Having pitted during the sighting lap, over half the field was slapped with double Long Lap Penalties.

Quartararo was the first front-runner to serve his penalty. He was soon followed by Alex Marquez, Aldeguer—who had overtaken Marc Marquez—and Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Marc Marquez, however, remained out and chose to delay his penalty.

Bagnaia, having been lapped, made another costly gamble by switching back to dry tyres—a decision that would soon haunt him once again.

French Elation Turns to Despair—and Back Again

Then came the heartbreak. Quartararo, leading his home Grand Prix, crashed out at the final corner. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), just behind him, followed suit. The Le Mans crowd was stunned. Meanwhile, in the pits, Pedro Acosta and Viñales switched back to wet tyres, hoping to salvage what was quickly becoming a tyre strategy war.

On track, the Marquez brothers finally came in for their changes. That handed the race lead to none other than Fermin Aldeguer, who found himself more than 12 seconds clear—but on the wrong tyres. Sure enough, the rookie pitted a lap later.

That opened the door for the fairy tale: Johann Zarco led his home Grand Prix.

Zarco Takes Command in Slippery Conditions

Zarco’s decision to stay out on wets proved inspired. By Lap 9, he led by seven seconds over Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), who had also stuck to wet tyres. Marc and Alex Marquez were closing in on Oliveira and made short work of the Portuguese rider.

With 17 laps to go, Zarco’s lead over the Marquez brothers stood at 8.5 seconds. That gap slowly grew: 9 seconds with 15 to go, 9.3 seconds as the laps ticked down. Zarco was calmly setting low 1:46 lap times, while Marc Marquez tried to keep pace. Alex, meanwhile, was beginning to lose touch but held a solid buffer over fourth-place Pedro Acosta.

A French Dream Realized

With 11 laps remaining, the dream looked more and more like a reality. Zarco extended his lead to 11.5 seconds, then 12.4, and then over 14. The attrition continued: Oliveira crashed out at the final corner, and then Alex Marquez slid off at Turn 3. Though he remounted, the incident dropped him to sixth—and gave Acosta P3.

Alex Marquez’s race soon ended for good after a second crash, leaving Gresini’s podium hopes resting solely on Aldeguer. The rookie didn’t disappoint. With blistering pace, he closed down Acosta in the final laps and passed him with two to go.

But up front, there was no stopping Zarco. On the final lap, with a nearly 20-second lead, he simply had to bring it home. And he did. The Le Mans circuit erupted. For the first time in seven decades, a Frenchman had won on home soil in MotoGP. Zarco, astride his LCR Honda, had written his name into history.

Final Podium and Points Finishers

Marc Marquez crossed the line 19.9 seconds behind Zarco—his runner-up finish adding valuable championship points in a race where Bagnaia and Alex Marquez scored none. Aldeguer rounded out the podium with a mature and blistering ride, building on his Sprint Race bronze with a full-race silver lining.

Acosta settled for fourth after being unable to respond to Aldeguer’s late charge, while Viñales ensured both KTM squads left France with a top-five result.

Wildcard entrant Takaaki Nakagami impressed with a strong P6 for the Honda HRC Test Team. Behind him, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) scored a season-best seventh. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing), and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) completed the top 10.

Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol), Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), and Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) took the remaining points, while Bagnaia, a title contender, finished a deflated 16th and last.

An Iconic Sunday That Le Mans Will Never Forget

Zarco’s emotional triumph lit up the French skies—and hearts. It was a rollercoaster of a Grand Prix marked by crashes, chaos, and courageous calls. In the end, the home hero delivered.

Le Mans lived up to every expectation and then some. France had waited since 1954 for this moment. Now, it’s Silverstone’s turn to try and follow one of the most memorable races in modern MotoGP history.

ALL-TIME RECORD: more than 300,000 fans make history at Le Mans!

When we said they raise the roof in Le Mans, we weren’t joking. The raucous noise throughout the weekend at the Michelin Grand Prix of France teased an incredible attendance figure and it is a new all-time record.

311,797 fans have come to the iconic track during the event, making it the first time MotoGP has welcomed more than 300,000 fans to a Grand Prix. All that’s left to say is: MERCI !

Postcards from the Le Mans podium

Rider of the Race: could it be anyone but Zarco?

Rider of the Race is new for 2025 and after its debut at Jerez, where Fabio Quartararo took the honour, it went the way of history-making race winner Johann Zarco at Le Mans.

Official MotoGP Press Release