Le Mans MotoGP Race Highlights: Jorge Martin takes victory in first‑ever Aprilia 1‑2‑3

Jorge Martín threw down a statement at the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit as he stormed to victory at the 2026 French MotoGP leading the first‑ever Aprilia 1‑2‑3 podium lock‑out.

The Spaniard casually carved his way through the field from seventh, then preyed on Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi in the closing stages, grabbing the lead with three laps to go and proceeded to claim his first win since the 2024 Indonesian Grand Prix.

Trackhouse Aprilia’s Ai Ogura, meanwhile, completed a picture‑perfect afternoon for the Noale-based manufacturer by finishing third, supplying the first Aprilia podium‑sweep in MotoGP history.

From the moment the lights went out, the French Grand Prix unfolded as a tightly choreographed battle between the satellite and the factory machines, with Martín’s ability to manage tire temperature and test‑track braking lines setting the tone before the laps even began to tick over.

Bezzecchi, who had qualified on the front row, launched cleanly and slotted into the lead after Ducati polesitter Francesco Bagnaia spun after the initial launch, dropping to fifth as KTM’s Pedro Acosta took second and home favourite Fabio Quartararo slotted his Yamaha into third.

Quartararo later dived underneath Acosta at Turn 4 to take second, but the Spaniard reclaimed the position on Lap 2 and immediately started closing the gap to Bezzecchi.

Bagnaia was next in line to pass Quartararo who was now struggling with pace as Fabio Di Giannantonio and Jorge Martin also made their way past the Yamaha at Turn 1 on Lap 7.

Martin overtook Di Giannantonio for fourth at the end of Lap 9 and began to put pressure on Bagnaia and Acosta to close the gap to Bezzecchi who was now leading by almost two seconds.

However, Bagnaia crashed out at Turn 2 on lap 16, vaulting Acosta into second place briefly before Martin pulled late-braking move on the KTM at same the chicane on Lap 18 to take the spot, one and a half second behind Bezzecchi.

Further behind, Ai Ogura’s charge emerged as one of Le Mans MotoGP race highlights as the satellite Aprilia rider stormed through the field, passing Di Giannantonio for fourth before pulling a strong move on Acosta to complete his podium charge.

When the lap‑board showed three to go, Martín made his decisive move. He pulled a small gap exiting the fast left‑hand kink that leads into the Dunlop Curve then used the slipstream down the straight to pull alongside Bezzecchi, before overtaking him at the chicane for the lead.

Martin proceeded to take victory by 0.477s over Bezzecchi, as a charging Ai Ogura sealed a historic Aprilia 1‑2‑3 podium lock‑out.

Di Giannantonio made a late move on Acosta to finish fourth, while Quartararo held onto sixth despite Yamaha’s limitated pace. Enea Bastianini took seventh as Raul Fernandez, Fermin Aldeguer and Luca Marini wrapped up the top ten.

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Full 2026 Le Mans MotoGP Race Results