Jorge Martin produced a stunning ride at Le Mans on Sunday to win the French Grand Prix and close to within a single point of championship leader Marco Bezzecchi, with both riders racing for Aprilia in what turned out to be a historic day for the Italian manufacturer.
Starting seventh on the grid, Martin was initially held up in traffic but grew stronger as the race went on. The turning point came on lap 16 when Francesco Bagnaia, who had been challenging for the lead, crashed out at turn three. It was his third retirement on a Sunday in just five rounds this season. Martin seized his chance, reeling in Bezzecchi and sweeping past him with three laps to go.
Ai Ogura completed the podium in third for Aprilia’s satellite team Trackhouse, giving the manufacturer a clean sweep of the top three, a first in the company’s history. Ogura also became the first Japanese rider on a MotoGP podium in 14 years.
It was a miserable day for Ducati. Reigning champion Marc Marquez missed the race altogether after fracturing his foot in Saturday’s sprint crash, while Bagnaia’s retirement left the Italian manufacturer with nothing to show for the weekend.
An emotional Martin dedicated the win to his family, team and fans, and celebrated by mimicking Kylian Mbappe’s famous goal celebration on the podium.
With five rounds gone, Martin and Bezzecchi are now separated by just a single point at the top of the standings.
