Marco Bezzecchi took the MotoGP win in French GP after multiple incidents from Pramac pair of Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco.
It was a good start to the 1000th grand prix in MotoGP French GP by Honda’s Marc Marquez who took the lead from KTM’s Jack Miller, VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini and Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin as pole-sitter Francesco Bagnaia dropped to fifth in his Ducati.
He got through Martin quickly in fourth, as Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales was sixth from VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi, Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez, Tech3 GASGAS’ Augusto Fernandez and Pramac’s Johann Zarco rounded the Top 10 from Honda’s Joan Mir.
But a seemingly mistake from Mir dropped him last. There was also wide moments for Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro and KTM’s Brad Binder who dropped outside the Top 10 after A Marquez tried an inside move on the opening sequence.
Martin too ran wide to drop towards the fag end of the Top 10 as Miller got into a back and forth fight against Marquez to take the MotoGP French GP lead. As the duo led the way, it was mayhem behind with four riders crashing out changing the course.
First up were Vinales and Bagnaia. The Italian was passed by the Spaniard but he came back and almost retook the place but going to the left-hander, the two made contact and crashed out. There were some feisty moment as they blamed each other.
Moments later Marini had a moment where he dragged his elbow but while trying to save himself, he was hit by A Marquez as both crashed out. The incident was put under investigation, as amid all of this Bezzecchi put himself in third.
Martin was up to fourth from teammate Zarco with Fernandez in sixth from Espargaro, Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and Binder in the Top 10. This opened up the grand prix where Miller started to struggle on the soft tyre.
Bezzecchi tried a move on Marquez but both ran wide which allowed Martin to take second. Bezzecchi was handed a penalty of one place drop but despite that, he came back on Marquez to retake third. They both then cleared Martin who had a moment.
Bezzecchi soon cleared Miller with Marquez and Martin following through. The Australian dropped to seventh in the laps to come with Zarco, Fernandez and Espargaro moving up to fourth, fifth and sixth. Binder, meanwhile, moved up to eighth.
Quartararo ran ninth from di Giannantonio, as Mir and LCR Honda’s Alex Rins had separate crashes. The Frenchman gained a place after a Long Gap Penalty to Binder who took shortcut at Turn 9-10 while trying to pass teammate Miller.
At the front, Bezzecchi checked out in the lead but Marquez had to fend off Martin, who went back and forth for second. It continued on for several laps until a crash for Marquez. It was a late crash for Miller too from seventh leaving only 13 riders on track.
Bezzecchi controlled it at the front to win the 1000th MotoGP race in French GP ahead of the Pramac pair of Martin and Zarco, with Fernandez holding off Espargaro to career best fourth. Binder recovered to sixth after clearing Quartararo with a lap to go.
Di Giannantonio was eighth from LCR’s Takaaki Nakagami and Yamaha’s Franco Morbidelli in the Top 10, as Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci, RNF Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori and Tech3’s Jonas Folger rounded the 13 finishers.
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Here’s how MotoGP sprint panned out in French GP
