MotoGP Preview: French Grand Prix
- Silvia Cojocaru
- 8 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Jerez brought us a new race winner for 2026, a chaotic sprint and lots of action. Marco Bezzecchi extended his lead in the championship but lost his winning streak, Ducati showed signs of a comeback, and new contenders emerged, all of these events setting up an even more exciting season ahead.
Now MotoGP is heading to France for this week’s spectacle. Here is everything you need to know ahead of this race weekend!
The track layout for this week: Le Mans
Built in 1965 and home of the 24-hour motorcycle race, Le Mans has been a part of the MotoGP calendar since 1969, but it was momentarily taken off the regular program following a serious incident in 1995.
The track made its return in the 2000's with added safety measures in place, and since then it became a classic for the competition. The track layout to be used for the weekend spans 4.19km (2.6 miles) and has a width of only 13 metres, representing a unique challenge for the riders.
The opening Dunlop Section (Turns 1-3) consists of a fast right-hand corner that leads into a tight left-right chicane, testing riders’ brake-turn precision. A key overtaking spot to keep an eye on this weekend is the Ford Chicane, situated right at the end of the lap and leading into the main pit straight.
The riders are almost certain to be encountering an additional challenge in the form of rain as the French Grand Prix is known to provide some of the most iconic wet-weather races in the sport’s history.
Past results
MotoGP served up an absolute thriller around this venue in 2025, especially for the home crowd to savour. At the start of the weekend, Fabio Quartararo managed an impressive performance in Qualifying and put his Yamaha on pole position on Saturday. However, heartbreak followed during the Grand Prix, as the Frenchman crashed on Lap 4 and was out of the race.
It was another French rider that stunned the crowd instead, as Johann Zarco put out an unreal performance on track to beat the favourite Marc Márquez after only qualifying down in 11th. This made him the first Frenchman to win at home since 1954.
The uncertain track conditions proved to be an advantage for the experienced French rider, who made the right call at the start of the race when a few drops of rain threatened the track. This, mixed with his calm riding throughout the race, made him untouchable, even by the more competitive machines behind him.
Other memorable moments at Le Mans feature Bezzecchi’s historic win at the 1000th Grand Prix and Dani Pedrosa’s unmatched performance in the rain in 2013 which brought him his
first win in France.
Key talking points in France
Bezzecchi’s run of five consecutive wins was ended in Spain by Álex Márquez, who became the first Ducati rider to win a race this season. As a result, Aprilia might begin to feel the pressure from their rival Italian manufacturer after they lost important points in the Spanish sprint.
Saturday saw an all-Ducati podium with the factory team duo returning to the top and VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli rounding up the top three.
Marc Márquez proved that he is still a title contender after a perfect Saturday. The reigning world champion claimed pole position and won the sprint race, taking advantage of chaotic weather conditions.
However, the happiness wasn’t long-lived for the Spaniard, as he crashed out of the race on Lap 2 after he had already given up the race lead.
The reigning world champion explained that although he felt more comfortable with the bike, there is more work to be done before he can compete for race wins, stating:
“I enjoyed the weekend; this is the most important thing. I was riding in a comfortable way, not in a fast way, because in dry conditions I was there, and today that was my mentality, to fight for third/fourth place, that was my position.”
Will France be the place where the Ducati factory team finally fight for the lead on Sunday?
Aprilia made up the lost points from the sprint, having four riders finishing in the top 10, while Bezzecchi extended his championship lead to 11 points, still followed by his teammate Jorge Martín.
Maverick Viñales is still not able to race this weekend due to injury, but KTM has announced a replacement in Jonas Folger.
Honda had a good weekend in Spain after Zarco put out an incredible performance in qualifying to start from second on the grid. He was able to capitalise on this result, finishing seventh in the race and eighth in the mixed conditions of the sprint.
Last year showed us that the right strategy can bring anyone to the top at Le Mans, and with Honda seemingly on the rise, Zarco might be the rider to watch. The Frenchman stated at the start of this season: “The goal is to still dream about victories”, and his own home race proved to be the place where dreams come true in the past.
Can Zarco pick up another win at his home Grand Prix? Will Ducati make a return to the highest step of the podium? Don't miss out on all the action at the French Grand Prix on the 10th May 2026 from 14.00 track time (13.00 GMT)!
