13:13
Lap 7/27
Almost a second for Bezzecchi now, Bagnaia hasn't dropped Acosta. Di Giannantonio, Martin still in the picture, Ogura not too far away either in seventh but he needs to clear Quartararo.
Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati Corse, 2026 French MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
LIVE
MotoGP France LIVE: Bezzecchi leads early, Alex Marquez crashes out
Live coverage of the 2026 French MotoGP race at Le Mans, the fifth grand prix of the 2026 season.
KEY MOMENTS
- Race is underway
- Bezzecchi leads early on
- Alex Marquez crashes
- Razgatlioglu breaks down on sighting lap
Live updates from the 2026 French MotoGP race at Le Mans, which is due to start at 14:00 local time.
Francesco Bagnaia starts the race from pole position after narrowly beating Marc Marquez to pole position on Saturday morning.
Marquez's crash yesterday leaves him absent from the grid today for a broken metatarsal. He will also have shoulder surgery that was already planned for after the Catalunya race next weekend, which he will also now miss.
No Marquez means everyone from third back in qualifying moves up a spot, which means a front row start for Fabio Di Giannantonio who started terribly from fourth yesterday, dropping to 14th before crashing early on at turn three.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi also moves up a position from third to second for today's grid, he will also be hoping to gain a position or two by the chequered flag, having been third yesterday - his first Sprint podium of the year.
Bezzecchi led into turn three yesterday but he was out-done around the outside by Jorge Martin, who led from that point until the end of the race for his second Sprint win of the season. Martin started eighth yesterday but will go from seventh today, arguably making the start more difficult for him since he will now be on the outside heading into turns one and two rather than in the middle of the grid, from where he was able to find so much space on the outside into turn three yesterday.
Marc Marquez is not the only absentee today, as Maverick Vinales also misses out through injury. The Spaniard hasn't raced since Brazil and is replaced this weekend by Jonas Folger.
10 May 2026
13:12
Bagnaia P2
Bagnaia up to second at turn three beginning lap seven.
Further back, Quartararo back to sixth at Di Giannantonio and Martin move through.
13:11
Lap 6/27
Bezzecchi 0.8s clear at the front now and Bagnaia really pressuring Acosta, he can see Bezzecchi disappearing.
13:09
Bagnaia P3
Bagnaia up to third at turn one beginning lap five, passing Quartararo.
Bezzecchi fastest lap of the race on lap four, 0.5s his gap now.
13:07
Lap 3/27
Bezzecchi still only a couple of tenths clear at the front, Quartararo holding onto third from Bagnaia, too. Martin closing in on Di Giannantonio for fifth.
13:06
Martin passed Ogura for sixth at turn one to begin lap three.
13:05
Lap 2/27
Bezzecchi leads but only by tenths, Acosta now up to second in front of Quartararo. Bagnaia fastest lap of the race in fourth.
13:05
Bagnaia 4th, Marquez out
Bagnaia up to fourth at turn one past Di Giannantonio.
Alex Marquez down at turn three.
13:04
Lap 1/27
Bezzecchi leads lap one from Quartararo, Acosta, Di Giannantonio with a better start, then Bagnaia in P5.
Martin seventh, so not the same start he managed yesterday.
13:03
Race start
It's lights out in France and we are underway for 28 laps of Le Mans.
Holeshot for Bezzecchi, not a good start for Baganaia who drops to fifth.
Acosta and Quartararo battling for second, Quartararo takes that at turn six.
13:00
Warm-up lap
Riders are off on their warm-up lap ahead of the 28-lap French GP.
12:53
Front tyre choice
- Bagnaia - H
- Bezzecchi - H
- Di Giannantonio - H
- Acosta - S
- Quartararo - S
- Mir - H
- Martin - H
- Ogura - H
- A. Marquez - H
- Zarco - S
- Rins - H
- R. Fernandez - H
- Bastianini - H
- Marini - H
- Morbidelli - H
- Razgatlioglu - S
- Moreira - S
- Miller - S
- Aldeguer - S
- Binder - H
- Folger - S
12:50
Conditions & tyres
10 minutes to go until the start, and we're looking at 18C air temperature and 23C track temperature. Cloudy overhead so rain a possibility but it's dry for now.
As for tyres, everyone with soft-compound rear tyre. On the front, though, a split, some on hard front, some on soft.
12:43
Grid
Bagnaia on pole this afternoon. Everyone behind him moves up one position compared to yesterday because of Marquez's absence.
Full starting order is below.
| 1 | Francesco Bagnaia | ITA | Ducati Lenovo Team | Ducati GP26 |
| 2 | Marco Bezzecchi | ITA | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | ITA | Pertamina Enduro VR46 | Ducati GP26 |
| 4 | Pedro Acosta | ESP | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM RC16 |
| 5 | Fabio Quartararo | FRA | Monster Energy Yamaha | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
| 6 | Joan Mir | ESP | Honda HRC Castrol | Honda RC213V |
| 7 | Jorge Martin | ESP | Aprilia Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 8 | Ai Ogura | JPN | Trackhouse Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 9 | Alex Marquez | ESP | Gresini Racing | Ducati GP26 |
| 10 | Johann Zarco | FRA | Castrol Honda LCR | Honda RC213V |
| 11 | Alex Rins | ESP | Monster Energy Yamaha | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
| 12 | Raul Fernandez | ESP | Trackhouse Racing | Aprilia RS-GP |
| 13 | Enea Bastianini | ITA | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | KTM RC16 |
| 14 | Luca Marini | ITA | Honda HRC Castrol | Honda RC213V |
| 15 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Pertamina Enduro VR46 | Ducati GP25 |
| 16 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | TUR | Prima Alpine Pramac Yamaha | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
| 17 | Diogo Moreira | BRA | Pro Honda LCR | Honda RC213V |
| 18 | Jack Miller | AUS | Prima Alpine Pramac Yamaha | Yamaha YZR-M1 |
| 19 | Fermin Aldeguer | ESP | Gresini Racing | Ducati GP25 |
| 20 | Brad Binder | RSA | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | KTM RC16 |
| 21 | Jonas Folger | GER | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | KTM RC16 |
12:40
Razgatlioglu heading out on his second bike now, but that has a wet setup on it. Obviously, that will have to be adjusted when he gets to the grid, but he will be in trouble if rain arrives mid-race, which is a possibility. Cloudy overhead.
12:38
Razgatlioglu problems
Toprak Razgatlioglu has pulled off on the sighting lap on the run to turns nine and 10.
12:36
Sighting lap
Pit lane is open in Le Mans and the riders are off on their sighting lap ahead of the French GP.
12:33
Marquez OUT
In case you somehow missed it yesterday, Marc Marquez will not be lining up today after his Sprint crash yesterday. He's due to have surgery on a broken metatarsal sustained yesterday and on his right shoulder where a screw had come loose after being inserted following his crash in Indonesia last October.
Marquez will also miss Catalunya next week.
Ducati confirmed this morning that Marquez has already returned to Madrid for surgery.
Marc Marquez, 2026 French MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
12:24
Di Giannantonio future confirmed?
Fabio Di Giannantonio has reportedly decided on his MotoGP future.
A factory contract was of particular importance to the Italian for 2027 when, of course, MotoGP's technical regulations will be overhauled.
Di Giannantonio has reportedly decided on the factory KTM team as his destination for next year.
Full story here.
Fabio di Giannantonio, 2026 French MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
12:15
Quartararo livery
Fabio Quartararo is running a special livery today for his home grand prix, which is becoming a bit of a tradition for the 2021 champion, at least at Yamaha.
You can check out more images of the one-off paint scheme here.
Fabio Quartararo, 2026 French MotoGP livery.
© Gold and Goose
12:10
Welcome to live coverage of today's fifth MotoGP race of the season, the French Grand Prix, which is due to start in around 50 minutes at 14:00 local time.