2024 French MotoGP, Le Mans - Race Results

* Rookie

Jorge Martin holds off Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia by half-a-second to win the 2024 French MotoGP at Le Mans, in front of 119.145 fans.

Marquez – starting 13th - caught the leading duo with seven laps to go, moments after Martin had finally dislodged Bagnaia from the front.

The Pramac rider kept just out of range until a mistake with 3 laps to go put Bagnaia on his exhaust pipe, with Marquez just a few bike lengths behind.

But Martin, who crashed while leading at the previous Jerez Grand Prix, kept his composure.

Instead, it was Bagnaia who lost out on the final lap - Marquez gaining some revenge for his Jerez defeat by passing the reigning champion under braking to finish 0.446s from Martin.

The #89 smashed his screen with delight as he crossed the line to complete a perfect Le Mans double following his Sprint win.

Bagnaia had put yesterday’s start misery and early retirement behind him by grabbing the holeshot from pole qualifier Martin. The pair then remained locked together, shadow-boxing for lap after lap.

The battles were more intense behind - including Marc Marquez engaged in a back-and-forth with Fabio di Giannantonio for third (Diggia received a long lap for cutting the first chicane).

By the time the Gresini Ducati made a move stick, the leaders were 2.2s clear, with 9 laps to go.

As the #93 closed in, Martin finally took the hint and dived for the lead at the first chicane, only for Bagnaia to snatch the advantage back on the exit. Martin lunged again with 7 laps to go and held the line, but with Marquez now within reach of the pair, setting up a three-way showdown in the closing laps.

Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro had been best of the rest, in third, for the opening ten laps, but was swiftly shuffled back to sixth.

Worse was to follow when a pass by Enea Bastianini saw Espargaro run wide, and eventually drop to ninth. Bastianini received a long lap penalty for straight-lining the exit of the corner during the pass, which cost him dearly, given his strong end-of-race pace for fourth.

A 28-point lead after Saturday’s Sprint win meant Martin was guaranteed to keep the world championship lead... He is now sure to lead the standings whatever happens in both Catalunya races.

After a sunny Friday and Saturday, gathering dark clouds kept riders and teams on their toes for possible rain in the grand prix. Despite the lower temperatures, all riders barring Augusto Fernandez went for the hard front tyre (and soft rear).

Warm-up leader Pedro Acosta and Marco Bezzecchi – who fell from second in the Sprint - were early casualties in the grand prix, both losing the front and sliding into the gravel.

Home star Fabio Quartararo crashed out of sixth at turn 9 with 10 laps to go. Jack Miller exited moments after. Joan Mir was also on the crash list, while Miguel Oliveira retired with a technical issue.

Revised tyre pressure rules for 2024 mean riders must now stay above a lower front minimum of 1.8 bar (instead of 1.88) for 60% (instead of 50%) of a Grand Prix distance, or 30% of a Sprint.

The penalty for failing to meet this minimum in a Grand Prix will be a 16-second post-race time penalty, or an 8-second penalty for a Sprint/short race.