MotoGP France 2025: Zarco becomes first French to win on home turf since 1954

Johan  Zarco created history on Sunday by becoming the French national to take the top spot at the MotoGP podium on home turf in more than 71 years. The sellout crowd of more than 120,000 fans at Le Mans witnessed an enthralling battle of guile and precision mixed with the ebb and flow of high-octane motorsport.

In a dramatic race marked by multiple bike swaps due to rain, Johann Zarco claimed a dominant victory, finishing nearly 20 seconds ahead of Ducati’s Marc Marquez, with Gresini Racing’s Fermin Aldeguer securing his first MotoGP podium in third. Zarco had a rough start, dropping to 17th on the opening lap after narrowly avoiding a collision and running off track.

MotoGP France 2025: Zarco’s gamble pays well

Undeterred, the Frenchman steadily carved his way through the field amid the chaos, eventually taking the lead and never relinquishing it. With this win, Zarco became the first French rider to triumph at the legendary circuit since Pierre Monneret in 1954. The 34-year-old celebrated in style, back-flipping off the barrier in front of a roaring grandstand crowd chanting his name.

Local fans, however, came to cheer another Frenchman, Fabio Quartararo, who secured the pole in the qualifiers on Saturday. Zarco’s victory also ended Ducati’s winning streak of 22 wins at MotoGP as Honda welcomed a rare win. This came after Zarco took a gamble of opting for rain tyres at the start of the race as light rain scattered the Le Mans circuit in the lead up to the final race.

MotoGP France 2025: Chaos “rains”

The race was initially red-flagged after all riders entered the pits following the warm-up lap to swap bikes. Despite starting on dry Michelin slicks, they cautiously navigated the wet track, especially after Quartararo nearly lost control in the slippery conditions. As the rain eased, several riders returned to the pits again during the sighting lap to switch back to dry setups, opting to risk a double long-lap penalty rather than continue on wet tyres as the track began to dry.

Saturday’s sprint winner, Marc Marquez, briefly took the lead before Quartararo reclaimed the top spot and began pulling away, while Marc battled for second with his brother, Alex Marquez. Further back, Francesco Bagnaia and Joan Mir both crashed out at Turn 3, with Mir forced to retire from the race.

Quartararo’s hopes of victory came to an abrupt end when he crashed at the final corner on lap four, drawing groans from the crowd in the grandstand. That left the Marquez brothers to fight for the lead—until both opted to pit once again for wet tyres. Meanwhile, Johann Zarco, who had started on wets, seized control with a commanding lead.

MotoGP France 2025: Results