Jorge Martín celebrates his victory at the French Grand Prix.
(Photo: AFP7 via Europa Press)
Jorge Martín delivered a masterclass at the French MotoGP, claiming his first win since the 2024 Indonesian Grand Prix. The Spanish rider, who now races for Aprilia, crossed the finish line ahead of teammate Marco Bezzecchi and rookie Ai Ogura, completing a historic all-Aprilia podium. The win ends a 588-day drought for Martín, who was visibly emotional as he celebrated with his team on the podium.
“It’s incredible. I want to say ‘Vive la France’ because I feel so grateful to all the fans. Thank you to everyone who has supported me during this tough time,” said Martín after the race.
The podium marked a milestone for Japanese racing, as Ai Ogura became the first Japanese rider to stand on a MotoGP podium since Katsuyuki Nakasuga at Valencia in 2012. Aprilia’s dominance was evident, with team boss congratulating the trio: “Historic day. Three Aprilias on the podium. Congratulations to Jorge, Marco, and Ogura.”
Marco Bezzecchi, who finished second, admitted the race was a struggle. “It was a very difficult and long race. I knew I wasn’t the strongest, but I gave my all. I wasn’t comfortable all weekend, so this was the best I could hope for. Congratulations to Jorge, and now we focus on Montmeló,” he said in the parc fermé.
The championship battle tightened as Bezzecchi still leads the standings with 128 points, but Martín is now just one point behind with 127. Meanwhile, Fabio Di Giannantonio moved into third place in the overall standings, overtaking Pedro Acosta after a last-lap pass during the race. Di Giannantonio now has 84 points, while Acosta slips to 83.
The French Grand Prix also marked a Spanish triple success in the world championship, with Máximo Quiles winning in Moto3 and Izan Guevara taking victory in Moto2. The action resumes shortly with the Catalan Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, starting Thursday, May 14. Marc Márquez, who underwent surgery on Sunday, will not be present as he continues his recovery.
