MOTOGP: Michelin Grand Prix Of France 2025 – BIENVENUE EN FRANCE!
Words and images courtesy of MotoGP
Le Mans has hosted a Grand Prix on 37 previous occasions, including the Grand Prix “Vitesse du Mans” in 1991, which is the only year that two MotoGPs have been held in France in the same year. Le Mans hosted its first GP in 1969, when the 500cc race was won by Giacomo Agostini, who lapped all the other riders in the race on his MV Agusta.
2019 was the 50th anniversary of the first GP in Le Mans and 2025 is the 60-year anniversary of Le Mans “Bugatti” circuit. It’s over a quarter of a century that Le Mans has hosted consecutive motorcycle Grands Prix, starting in 2000. In addition to Le Mans, there have been seven other circuits that have hosted the French GP: Paul Ricard (13 times), Clermont Ferrand (10), Nogaro (2), Reims (2), Rouen (2), Albi (1), Magny-Cours (1).
Five French riders have won Grands Prix at Le Mans: Jean Auréal (125cc – 1969), Guy Bertin (125cc – 1979), Patrick
Fernandez (350cc – 1979), Mike Di Meglio (125cc – 2008) and Louis Rossi (Moto3™ – 2012).
The best MotoGP result for a French rider at Le Mans is Johann Zarco who took second place in 2017 and 2021, andRaymond Roche’s second place in 1985. The other premier class podiums for French riders at Le Mans are: Zarco (P3 in 2023), Fabio Quartararo (P3 in 2021) and Christian Sarron (P3 in 1987).
Of the 23 MotoGP™ races held at Le Mans in the modern era, 11 have either started in wet conditions or rain has started to fall during the race. The years that the MotoGP™ race has been run under full dry conditions at Le Mans are 2004, 2010, 2011, 2014-2019 and from 2022 to 2024.
MOTOGP™ WINNERS AT LE MANS ON THE GRID
- Marc Marquez 3 (2014, 2018, 2019)
- Jorge Martin 1 (2024)
- Maverick Viñales 1 (2017)
- Jack Miller 1 (2021)
- EneaBastianini 1 (2022)
- Marco Bezzecchi 1 (2023)
SPRINT WINNERS AT LE MANS
- Jorge Martin 2 (2023, 2024)
FACTORIES AT LE MANS: BEST RESULTS
GP wins
- Honda 15
- Yamaha 10
- Ducati 5
- Suzuki 5
- MV Agusta 2
Sprint wins
- Ducati 2
Honda’s last MotoGP win at Le Mans was Marc Marquez in 2019 from pole, which was Honda’s 300th win in the class. Marquez also won at the track in 2014 and in 2018.
Yamaha’s last MotoGP at Le Mans was Viñales in 2017 from pole. Yamaha have had 10 wins at the track, including three consecutive wins with Jorge Lorenzo (2015 & 2016) and Maverick Viñales (2017), the latter of which
marked the 500th win for a Yamaha rider in Grand Prix racing.
Ducati have taken five premier class wins at the track, all in the last five years with five different riders: Danilo Petrucci (2020), Jack Miller (2021), Enea Bastianini (2022), Marco Bezzecchi (2023) and Jorge Martin (2024). Francesco Bagnaia qualified on pole in 2022 and 2023 and Martin in 2024, which are the only pole positions for Ducati in the class at this track. Martin won the two Sprints held at the track so far.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro’s P3 in 2022 is Aprilia’s best MotoGP result in Le Mans.
KTM’s Pol Espargaro finished P3 at Le Mans in 2020, which is KTM’s best MotoGP result at the track.
EXTRA FACTS AND STATS
10 current riders have MotoGP podiums here:
- M. Marquez (5)
- Zarco (3)
- Viñales (2)
- Miller (2)
- Martin (2)
- Alex Marquez (1)
- Quartararo (1)
- Bastianini (1)
- Bezzecchi (1)
- Bagnaia (1)
6 have taken pole:
- M.Marquez (4)
- Quartararo (2)
- Bagnaia (2)
- Viñales (1)
- Zarco (1)
- Martin (1)
4 riders have scored points in all five of the MotoGP™ races so far this season:
- Francesco Bagnaia
- Alex Marquez
- Fabio
- Quartararo
- Luca Marini
And four have scored points in all five Tissot Sprints:
- Marc Marquez
- Alex Marquez
- Morbidelli
- Bagnaia
It means only A. Marquez and Bagnaia have scored points in both the five GP races and Sprints!
WHAT HAPPENS IF…
| 1954 | Both Johann Zarco and Fabio Quartararo will be aiming to become the first French rider to take a MotoGP win on home soil since Pierre Monneret in Reims back in 1954. Jacques Collot finished P3 in that race, which was the first time two French riders shared a MotoGP podium. |
| 115 | If Marc Marquez finishes in the top three, it will be his 115th MotoGP podium, moving above MotoGP Legend Jorge Lorenzo in second on the list of riders with the most podiums. |
| 86 | If a Ducati qualifies in the top three, it will be the 86th consecutive GP that a Ducati rider starts on the front row, a run that stretches back to Valencia 2020. |
| 72 | Ducati are on a streak of 71 podiums in a row. Another will extend their own record to 72. The last manufacturer with more than 72 podiums in a row is Honda with 83 from the FIM GP 1993 to the Imola GP 1999. |
| 23 | A Ducati win would be their 23rd in a row, setting a record of the most MotoGP wins in a row. |
| 20 | Rookie Fermin Aldeguer will be 20 years and 36 days old on Sunday and can become the youngest MotoGP™ winner ahead of Marc Marquez (20 years and 63 days old in Austin, 2013). |
| 7 | If a rider other than M. Marquez (2019), Petrucci (2020), Miller (2021), Bastianini (2022), Bezzecchi (2023) and Martin (2024) wins the MotoGP™ race, they will be the seventh different winner in seven MotoGP races at Le Mans. |
| 6 | There are now six riders on the grid who could take their maiden MotoGP win this weekend: Raul Fernandez, Luca Marini, Pedro Acosta and rookies Ai Ogura, Somkiat Chantra and Fermin Aldeguer. |
| 1 | Aprilia and KTM riders could give their factory a maiden premier class win at Le Mans. |
PREVIOUSLY AT LE MANS
| #5 | Johann Zarco Castrol Honda LCR | has three MotoGP podiums on his home soil: P2s in 2017 and 2021, and P3 in He also qualified on pole in MotoGP™ in 2018. |
| #10 | Luca Marini Honda HRC Castrol | finished P9 in 2022, for his best MotoGP at Le Mans. In 2023, he tried to avoid a crash on the outside of the Dunlop chicane while sitting in third, but A. Marquez was unable to avoid him, the pair collided and both crashed out. |
| #12 | Maverick Viñales Red Bull KTM Tech3 | took his maiden GP win here in 2011, on his fourth GP start in the 125cc class. He has scored three more podiums: wins in Moto3™ in 2013 and in MotoGP™ in 2017 (both from pole), and a P3 in 2016, which was his first MotoGP podium. He also finished P3 in the Sprint in 2024. He crashed out in 2023 after colliding with Bagnaia on Lap 5 at Turn 12. |
| #20 | Fabio Quartararo Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | finished P3 in MotoGP™ in 2021 which is his best MotoGP result at Le Mans. He has qualified on pole twice in MotoGP, in 2020 and in 2021. |
| #21 | Franco Morbidelli Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | scored his best MotoGP result at Le Mans in 2019 and in 2024, finishing P7. |
| #23 | Enea Bastianini Red Bull KTM Tech3 | won in MotoGP at Le Mans in 2022. He missed the 2023 French GP due to the injury he sustained in the Sprint in Portugal and was replaced by Danilo Petrucci. He finished both the Sprint and the Grand Prix in fourth in 2024. |
| #25 | Raul Fernandez Trackhouse MotoGP Team | tried to come back following surgery to his right arm but had to withdraw after Free Practice 1 in 2023. He finished P11 in 2024 for his best MotoGP result here, after scoring one point in the Sprint. |
| #30 | Takaaki Nakagami Honda HRC Test Team | has a best MotoGP result of P7 at Le Mans, scored from 2020 to 2022. |
| #32 | Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia Racing | ’s best MotoGP result at Le Mans is P12 scored in 2023 |
| #33 | Brad Binder Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | finished P6 in 2023 for his best MotoGP™ result here after finishing P2 in the Sprint on Saturday. |
| #35 | Somkiat Chantra Idemitsu Honda LCR | has raced six times in Moto2 at Le Mans and has one podium, finishing P3 in 2022. |
| #36 | Joan Mir Honda HRC Castrol | has scored points only once over six visits to the track in MotoGP, finishing 11th in 2020. |
| #37 | Pedro Acosta Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | crashed out at Turn 8 when battling against Di Giannantonio and A. Espargaro in 2024 but had finished P6 in the Sprint. |
| #42 | Alex Rins Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP | finished P10 in both 2018 and 2019, for his best MotoGP result at the track. |
| #43 | Jack Miller Prima Pramac Yamaha | won here in MotoGP in 2021, marking his first back-to-back MotoGP wins, having also won in Jerez two weeks earlier. In 2022 he also finished P2 behind Bastianini. |
| #49 | Fabio Di Giannantonio Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | finished P6 in 2024 for his best MotoGP result in MotoGP at Le Mans, after finishing P7 in the Sprint. |
| #54 | Fermin Aldeguer Gresini Racing MotoGP™ | has raced three times at Le Mans, all in Moto2, and has a best result of P7 in 2024. |
| #63 | Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo Team | for the win in 2022 and colliding with Viñales in 2023 on Lap 5 at Turn 12. In 2024, he finished P3, his best MotoGP™ result here, after retiring from the Sprint. |
| #72 | Marco Bezzecchi Aprilia Racing | won here in MotoGP™ in 2023, which was GP1000. |
| #73 | Alex Marquez Gresini Racing MotoGP™ | took P2 in 2020 in his first MotoGP race at the track, which was his first MotoGP podium. |
| #79 | Ai Ogura Trackhouse Racing | has raced six times at Le Mans, twice in Moto3 and four in Moto2, and has one podium, finishing P2 in Moto2 in 2024. |
| #88 | Miguel Oliveira Prima Pramac Yamaha | s best MotoGP™ result at Le Mans is P6, scored in 2020. He missed the 2023 French GP due to a shoulder injury sustained during the Spanish GP and was replaced by Savadori. |
| #93 | Marc Marquez Ducati Lenovo Team | has three wins here in MotoGP™ (2014, 2018, 2019) and also finished on the podium in MotoGP™ in 2013 (P3) and in 2024 (P2 after starting from 13th and finishing P2 in the Sprint). He took pole here in MotoGP™ in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2019. |
ON THIS DAY…
May 10th – At the 1992 Spanish GP, MotoGP Legend Mick Doohan won the 500cc race from pole position with an almost 19-second advantage over MotoGP™ Legend Wayne Rainey, who scored his 50th MotoGP podium.
May 11th –
At the 2003 Spanish GP, Loris Capirossi started the MotoGP™ race from pole position, becoming the first Ducati rider to do so in the class.
At the 1980 Nations GP held in Misano, MotoGP Legend Kenny Roberts won the 500cc race from MotoGP Legend Franco Uncini and Graziano Rossi, the latter scoring his first ever podium in MotoGP.