Jorge Martin Secures Maiden Aprilia MotoGP Victory in Historic French GP Finish

Ai Ogura secures his inaugural MotoGP podium as Aprilia marks an incredible 1-2-3 sweep at Le Mans.

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Jorge Martin delivered a historic breakthrough for Aprilia Racing after securing his maiden MotoGP victory with the Italian manufacturer at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans.

The reigning 2024 world champion capped off a remarkable weekend by defeating teammate Marco Bezzecchi in a dramatic late-race charge, while Ai Ogura completed a sensational Aprilia 1-2-3 with his first premier-class podium finish.

Martin Charges Late for Victory

After winning Saturday’s Sprint race from eighth on the grid, Martin faced a tougher challenge in Sunday’s main race after dropping to seventh during the opening laps.

While Bezzecchi controlled the race at the front, Martin gradually found his rhythm and began carving through the field. Following Francesco Bagnaia’s crash on lap 16, Martin moved into podium contention before overtaking Pedro Acosta shortly after.

With just a few laps remaining, Martin rapidly closed the gap to Bezzecchi before making a decisive move at the Dunlop chicane on lap 25 of 27. The Spaniard eventually crossed the line 0.477 seconds ahead, sealing his first full Sunday MotoGP victory since Indonesia 2024.

“I am truly happy. At the start, I didn’t think I’d be able to battle for the win, but I never gave up. Aprilia is giving me what I need and my confidence is growing day by day,” said Martin.

Historic Result for Aprilia

Bezzecchi secured second place after leading most of the race and admitted Martin simply had more pace towards the end. “I gave one hundred percent, but Jorge had a little more,” said the Italian.

Behind them, Trackhouse Aprilia rider Ai Ogura completed an incredible podium sweep for Aprilia after climbing from eighth on the grid to third place. The Japanese rookie also became the first rider from Japan to stand on a MotoGP podium since 2012.

Marc Márquez Undergoes Double Surgery

While Aprilia celebrated, Ducati Lenovo Team rider Marc Márquez endured another major setback after suffering a violent highside crash during the closing stages of Saturday’s Sprint race.

The Spaniard is currently recovering at Ruber Internacional Hospital after successfully undergoing double surgery led by Dr. Samuel Antuña and his medical team.

Doctors stabilised a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in Márquez’s right foot, sustained during the Le Mans crash. At the same time, surgeons also performed a second planned operation on his right shoulder to address lingering pain from a previous injury aggravated after last year’s Indonesian Grand Prix.

The procedure involved removing two screws and a bone fragment from Márquez’s previous Latarjet surgery conducted in 2019. As a result, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider will officially miss next week’s Catalan Grand Prix as he begins rehabilitation.

Márquez Admits Difficult Season

Before the crash, Márquez had already spoken openly about his struggles this season. “We struggled a little today, but we simply need to keep working and push a bit harder.”

“The bike is working quite well and can be ridden properly, which is the most important thing. It’s up to me to understand how to make the most of it. It hasn’t been an easy season so far, but we’re doing our best to get back to last year’s level of performance,” he added.

Bagnaia Crashes as Championship Tightens

Elsewhere, polesitter Francesco Bagnaia crashed out while chasing Bezzecchi for the lead, ending Ducati’s hopes of victory.

Fabio Di Giannantonio finished as the top Ducati rider in fourth, while Fabio Quartararo secured his best result of the season in sixth for Yamaha.

Meanwhile, returning rider Jonas Folger ended his comeback race in 16th place for Red Bull KTM Tech3. Several riders failed to finish, including Alex Marquez, Brad Binder, Joan Mir and Diogo Moreira.

Barcelona Up Next

With only one point now separating Martin and Bezzecchi in the championship standings, attention shifts to Barcelona for the next round.

The big question heading into Catalonia, can Jorge Martin continue his momentum, or will another Spanish rider rise to challenge Aprilia’s growing dominance?