Jorge Martin secures first Aprilia win at French MotoGP

Jorge Martin delivered a stunning performance, climbing from seventh on the grid to win the French Grand Prix on Sunday. The Spanish rider’s first MotoGP victory in 588 days came since he claimed the 2024 world championship. The result leaves Martin just one point behind his Aprilia Racing teammate Marco Bezzecchi in the overall standings after five rounds.

“It’s unbelievable. I can’t say it enough, I’m so grateful to all the fans,” Martin said emotionally. “But I definitely have to thank my family, my team, my girlfriend, my dog – everyone who has been with me through this time. I have no words!”

The Spaniard passed Bezzecchi with only three laps remaining after a fierce chase. He admitted the 2025 season had been forgettable due to crashes and injuries.

Aprilia made history by sweeping the top three podium positions for the first time. Japanese rider Ai Ogura of the satellite Trackhouse team finished third, becoming the first Japanese rider to reach the podium in 14 years. “It’s amazing… The race wasn’t easy, but I had good pace and I’m very happy,” Ogura said.

Ducati, meanwhile, endured a miserable Sunday. Defending champion Marc Marquez missed the race due to a broken metatarsal sustained in Saturday’s sprint crash, while teammate Francesco Bagnaia – who started from pole – crashed out from second place. Bagnaia made a poor start, allowing Bezzecchi to lead while Fabio Quartararo moved into second. When Bagnaia tried to chase and pressure Bezzecchi, he fell at Turn 3 on lap 16 – the third time this season he has failed to finish a Sunday race.

Martin seized the opportunity, passing Pedro Acosta (KTM) for second place and gradually reeling in Bezzecchi. Despite trailing by nearly three seconds, Martin closed the gap as the sun emerged over the Le Mans circuit. Acosta narrowly missed the podium but was overtaken by Ogura with four laps remaining, securing Aprilia’s hat-trick.

Aprilia team director Massimo Rivola admitted he was nervous seeing his two main riders battling each other. He had no concerns about tension: “They are smart people, they are fighters. As long as they respect each other, I have no problem.” Rivola added: “I still think about last year at Le Mans, when Jorge wanted to leave, and I said, ‘I think you can win with us.’ So winning at Le Mans is very special.”

After crossing the finish line, Martin celebrated in his usual style: smashing his visor and mimicking the folded-arms celebration of footballer Kylian Mbappé. In a final twist, Acosta lost fourth place when Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Racing) overtook him on the last two corners.