Marc Marquez extended his unbeaten Sprint streak to six races with a composed and clinical performance at the 2025 French MotoGP, overcoming early pressure from home hero Fabio Quartararo at Le Mans.
The Frenchman, starting from pole for the second race in a row, grabbed the lead back from Marquez into the Dunlop chicane after a fast launch by the Ducati rider. Quartararo held firm for six laps, resisting Marquez’s early pressure in front of a raucous home crowd.
But the eight-time world champion bided his time and struck decisively on lap 7, edging past Quartararo at the Dunlop chicane. Despite an immediate counter from the Yamaha star, Marquez responded with a bold move at Turn 8 to retake the lead for good.
From there, he opened a gap and left the battle behind to rage between Quartararo and the Gresini duo of Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer.
Alex Marquez made quick work of his compatriot and slotted into second, while rookie sensation Aldeguer battled fiercely with Quartararo before making a decisive move in the final laps to secure his maiden MotoGP top-three finish — only to later crash after accidentally clipping the back of Marquez’s bike while waving to fans.
Pedro Acosta looked set for a strong finish before a dramatic crash at Turn 13 on the final lap in his duel with Maverick Viñales over KTM bragging rights.
Johann Zarco gave the French fans more to cheer about with a sixth-place finish as the top Honda, while Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi faded badly after a strong start.
There was heartbreak for Francesco Bagnaia, whose consistent run ended with a crash from fourth place at the Dunlop chicane, joined on the DNF list by KTM’s Brad Binder.
All riders opted for the hard front and soft rear tyre combination in dry but overcast conditions, with weather still threatening Sunday’s main race.
Alex Marquez, now second in the standings, remains the only rider to score in all twelve races so far this season — though he relinquishes the championship lead back to his older brother.
Sunday’s full race could see Ducati attempt to break Honda’s all-time record with a 23rd straight GP win — if the weather allows.
