The 2023 French GP was quite an eventful one, with racing incidents, tyre pressure-related washouts and a Frenchman taking the final step on the podium. This was also the 1,000th MotoGP race ever to be held, since the inception of the series in 1949.
- Three out of four Hondas crashed out of French GP
- Bezzecchi wins despite penalty
Bezzecchi bounces back
Despite starting the race from the third row and being handed a penalty to drop a postion after clashing with Marc Marquez, Bezzecchi wasn’t hindered much and ultimately took the lead and stayed there.
Rookie Augusto Fernandez leading KTM
The sole rookie on the grid, 2022 Moto2 World Champion Augusto Fernandez finished the race in fourth place, ahead of Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro. For much of the race he managed to keep up with the likes of Brad Binder and Johann Zarco. His fourth place finish meant he was the highest finishing KTM in this race.
Miller, who led the race for much of the first half, was beset with tyre-pressure woes on the soft front tyre, and then fell through the ranks before crashing out while running in seventh. Sunday man Binder, who finished second in the Sprint race, was pushed wide on the first lap and had to work his way through the pack, and eventually finished the race sixth.
Marquez crashes while battling for podium
After battling it out with the likes of Francesco Bagnaia, Bezzecchi, Martin and Zarco, Marc Marquez crashed out while running in second place in the closing stages of the race. Repsol Honda’s other rider, 2020 World Champion Joan Mir and LCR Honda’s Alex Rins, both crashed out and Takaaki Nakagami was the sole finisher from the Honda camp, in ninth place.
Frenchman Zarco on podium
The late crash from Marquez meant that Johann Zarco snagged the last place on the podium. Fabio Quartararo ultimately crossed the finish line in seventh, with teammate Franco Morbidelli finishing 10th.
French GP sees high-profile crashes
The 2023 French GP saw two separate racing incidents where four high-profile riders crashed out. Francesco Bagnaia and Maverick Vinales collided in a racing incident. Shortly after, Luca Marini and Alex Marquez were tangled, which put all four riders out of contention.
2023 MotoGP championship standings
Bezzecchi is now just one point shy of current championship leader Francesco Bagania. MotoGP will return after nearly a month, with the next race scheduled to be held on June 11 at the Mugello circuit in Italy.
2023 French MotoGP results
| 2023 French MotoGP results | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Rider | Team |
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | VR46 Ducati |
| 2 | Jorge Martin | Pramac Ducati |
| 3 | Johann Zarco | Pramac Ducati |
| 4 | Augusto Fernandez | GASGAS Tech3 |
| 5 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia Racing |
| 6 | Brad Binder | RedBull KTM |
| 7 | Fabio Quartararo | Monster Energy Yamaha |
| 8 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Gresini Ducati |
| 9 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda |
| 10 | Franco Morbidelli | Monster Energy Yamaha |
| 11 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati Lenovo |
| 12 | Lorenzo Svadori | RNF Aprilia |
| 13 | Jonas Folger | GASGAS Tech3 |
| NC | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo |
| NC | Maverick Vinales | Aprilia Racing |
| NC | Luca Marini | VR46 Ducati |
| NC | Alex Marquez | Gresini Ducati |
| NC | Marc Marquez | Repsol Honda |
| NC | Joan Mir | Repsol Honda |
| NC | Alex Rins | LCR Honda |
| NC | Jack Miller | RedBull KTM |