10:29
Bagnaia takes pole now with a 1m29.634s!
Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2026 French MotoGP
© Gold and Goose
MotoGP France sprint as it happened: Jorge Martin wins, Marc Marquez out after big crash
Live coverage of qualifying and the sprint for the 2026 MotoGP French Grand Prix
KEY MOMENTS
- Jorge Martin wins sprint, Marc Marquez crashes
- Pecco Bagnaia takes first pole of 2026
- Marc Marquez fastest in Q1 with lap record
- Fabio Quartararo goes into Q2
The 2026 MotoGP French Grand Prix continues on Saturday 9 May with qualifying and the sprint from Le Mans, with home hero Johann Zarco hoping to delight the crowd once again.
The LCR Honda rider made history in 2025 with his win in wet conditions at Le Mans, and has faced numerous questions about repeating this coming into the weekend amid grim forecasts for Sunday.
But Johann Zarco showed he and his Honda have pace in the dry, too, on Friday, after he topped Practice by just 0.010s from VR46 Ducati's Fabio Di Giannantonio.
In what was a tight Practice, Honda looked solid over one lap as well as race pace, while Ducati continued its strong form from the Spanish Grand Prix, with Di Giannantonio leading Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez.
Marc Marquez was the big casualty of the top 10 shootout on Friday afternoon, as the reigning world champion failed to make it directly into Q2. Though the Ducati has made a step since the Jerez test, the seven-time world champion appears to still be struggling to get the most out of his bike.
Aprilia had a mixed day at Le Mans on Friday, but Marco Bezzecchi was fast over long-run pace, while both he and team-mate Jorge Martin made it directly into Q2.
KTM's Pedro Acosta was second at the end of Friday's running, as he comes into Saturday at Le Mans looking for his second sprint win of the season.
Following qualifying, Pecco Bagnaia claimed a first pole of the season ahead of Marc Marquez.
2026 MotoGP French Grand Prix: Saturday schedule
FP2 - 9:10am BST-9:40am BST
Q1 - 9:50am BST-10:05am BST
Q2 - 10:15am BST-10:30am BST
Sprint - 2pm BST
09 May 2026
10:30
Chequered flag
Chequered flag is out. It's now or never for pole.
10:29
Marc Marquez wrote off this lap before he started. DiGia has rolled out of this one. So, only one attempt left for these two.
10:29
DiGia muscled his way through on Marc Marquez at Turn 7 to get some track space, but there's some more gamesmanship happening here as they slow and swap places.
10:27
Crash - Alex Marquez
Alex Marquez has gone down at the Dunlop chicane. He's down in 10th right now. Washed the front-end going through the first part of the chicane.
10:26
Marc Marquez goes top with a 1m29646s ahead of DiGia.
10:25
No further action on the Acosta/DiGia incident.
10:22
The incident between DiGia and Acosta at the start of the session is being looked at by the FIM stewards.
Both were on outlaps and DiGia was trying to keep off the racing line, so I'm not sure there is much in that. But let's see.
10:22
Standings after the first runs:
- Bezzecchi
- DiGia
- Martin
- Mir
- Ogura
- M.Marquez
- Quartararo
- Acosta
- Rins
- A.Marquez
- Zarco
- Bagnaia - no time
10:20
Quartararo goes seventh on his first flying lap. Marc Marquez is sixth. Nothing for Bagnaia right now.
10:20
All change again on the timesheets. Bezzecchi is now top on a 1m29.825s from DiGia and Martin.
Just 0.058s covering the top three.
10:19
Acosta had a scary trip through the gravel at the Dunlop chicane, but he made it through.
10:18
Di Giannantonio sets the pace at 1m29.876s from Acosta and Mir.
10:17
DiGia checked up coming out of Turn 10 on his out-lap and Acosta nearly ran into the back of him. That was close.
10:15
2026 French MotoGP - Q2 begins
The pole shootout is GO!
10:13
I think Davide Tardozzi liked what he saw in Q1!
10:12
2026 French MotoGP - Q2 group
Here are your Q2 riders:
- Zarco
- Quartararo
- Mir
- Acosta
- Rins
- Di Giannantonio
- Bagnaia
- Bezzecchi
- A.Marquez
- Ogura
- Martin
- M.Marquez
10:11
At the end of Friday's running, there was just under three tenths covering the top 10. This Q2 session is going to be a thriller.
10:06
Rest of the grid will look like:
- Fernandez
- Bastianini
- Marini
- Morbidelli
- Razgatlioglu
- Moreira
- Miller
- Aldeguer
- Binder
- Folger
10:05
Q1 - Chequered flag
The chequered flag is out and Marc Marquez will end this session top.
Fabio Quartararo will go through to Q2 along with him.
10:04
Ducati has clearly found something overnight for Marquez. He complained yesterday that he was struggling with front-end confidence.
10:02
That is a lap record at Le Mans!
10:02
But Marc Marquez has obliterated that with a 1m29.288s! He's 0.431s clear of the field with three minutes to go.
10:02
Quartararo goes quicker with a 1m29.719s.
09:57
Around seven minutes to go in this Q1 session.