Jorge Martín of Aprilia made a stunning return to the top of MotoGP with a commanding victory in the sprint race at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans. The Spanish rider, who had struggled with the Aprilia machine just over a year ago, showed his championship pedigree with a breathtaking start and an untouchable performance.
Starting from eighth on the grid, Martín launched himself forward as soon as the lights went out. Sticking to the inside wall, he passed six riders on the straight and entered the first corner in second place. Just two corners later, he overtook Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) and never looked back. By the second lap, he had already built a lead of over one second, and he continued to extend it until the checkered flag.
“I felt very good, but there’s still a lot of work ahead. I’m slowly getting back the feelings I had when I was winning. Today I used a trick at the start, but tomorrow (Sunday, 14:00 local time) everyone will be watching me. Still, I’m very happy for myself, my team, and Aprilia,” Martín said after the race.
The sprint race, run over 13 laps of the Le Mans circuit, saw Marc Márquez (Ducati) suffer a high-side crash two laps from the end. He lost control of his rear wheel in a fast corner and was thrown from his bike, appearing to injure his right foot as he limped back to the pit box. Earlier, Márquez had set a new Le Mans lap record of 1:29.288 in Q1.
The victory strengthens Aprilia’s hold on the championship, with both Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín now leading the standings. Bezzecchi finished third in the sprint, behind Bagnaia, while Pedro Acosta (KTM) took fourth and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) completed the top five.
Sprint race results:
1. Jorge Martín (Aprilia) – 19 minutes 46.830 seconds
2. Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) +1.107 seconds
3. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) +2.786 seconds
4. Pedro Acosta (KTM) +3.808 seconds
5. Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) +4.402 seconds
Championship standings after the sprint:
1. Marco Bezzecchi (Italy) – 108 points
2. Jorge Martín (Spain) – 102 points
3. Pedro Acosta (Spain) – 72 points
4. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Italy) – 71 points
5. Marc Márquez (Spain) – 57 points
