From the double French podium in 2021 to Zarco's victory: a look back at the last five French MotoGP GPs

2021: Jack Miller wins ahead of the two Frenchmen

The podium of the French Grand Prix MotoGP 2021. © Michelin Motorsport

The 2021 French Grand Prix will remain one of the most exciting of the decade. Run in flag-to-flag format—with a possible bike change in the pits due to rain—it smiled upon Jack Miller, then riding for Ducati, who staged a remarkable comeback after falling behind following the announcement of the bike change. Behind the Australian, the two French riders on the grid shared the remaining two podium positions.

Johann Zarco, untouchable on a drying track in rain tires, posted laps two seconds faster than his rivals to seize second place. fabio quartararoHaving secured pole position the previous day, he held on to third place despite pressure from Francesco Bagnaia, who finished fourth and ultimately two seconds behind the Frenchman. This result allows the Yamaha rider to regain the lead in the world championship, one point ahead of the Italian.

2022: Enea Bastianini benefits from the fall of Francesco Bagnaia

The fall of Francesco Bagnaia gave victory to Enea Bastianini during the 2022 Grand Pirx de France. © Michelin Motorsport

The 2022 edition revolved around a single moment: Francesco Bagnaia's crash on lap 21, while the Italian was leading the race. Enea Bastianini, riding for Ducati Gresini that year, patiently waited behind the pole-sitter, and when the moment arrived, he seized the opportunity to pull away and secure his third victory of the season after Qatar and Texas. Jack Miller once again finished on the Le Mans podium, in second place, while Aleix Espargaró completed the top three.

Fabio Quartararo finished fourth ahead of Johann Zarco — a fine performance for the Frenchman, the reigning world champion, who maintains his championship lead, eight points behind today's winner. A clean race, which should have gone to Francesco Bagnaia, had he not crashed.

2023: The thousandth Grand Prix in history

Marco Bezzecchi won the 1000th MotoGP race at Le Mans. © Michelin Motorsport

In 2023, Le Mans hosts the thousandth Grand Prix in MotoGP history, and the scenario has made sure the event is memorable. Marco Bezzecchi wins, but it is Johann Zarco who steals the show in front of the crowd of 279,000 spectators present over the three days — an absolute record at the time, since beaten by the 2025 edition, which brought together 311,797 people.

The Cannes native, who ran fourth for much of the race, capitalized on a Marc Márquez crash in the closing laps to snatch third place to a huge ovation. His teammate Jorge Martín finished second. Francesco Bagnaia, meanwhile, had crashed out early after a collision with Maverick Viñales, leaving the championship wide open for the rest of the season.

2024: A Memorable Three-Way Battle

The three-way battle for victory at Le Mans in 2024. © Michelin Motorsport

The 2024 French Grand Prix delivered one of the most intense duels of the season between Jorge Martín, Marc Márquez, and Francesco Bagnaia. After leading for most of the race, the Italian saw the Pramac rider retake the lead on lap 21. However, on the final lap, the then eight-time world champion—who had climbed from the back of the grid after going off the track at the first corner—managed to overtake the number 63 Ducati for second place, but couldn't catch the Madrid native. Jorge Martín won by 0,446 seconds, extending his lead over Francesco Bagnaia to 38 points in the championship, and confirming his status as the title favorite at Le Mans.

2025: Johann Zarco makes history in front of 311,797 spectators

Johann Zarco's home victory in 2025. © Michelin Motorsport

The 2025 edition will undoubtedly remain the most emotional of these five years. Johann Zarco secured a masterful victory on home soil—the first for a French rider at the French Grand Prix since 1954—before a record crowd of 311,797 spectators over the weekend. Rain arrived right from the start, forcing a second restart and disrupting all the strategies. The Frenchman, already on wet tires, took the lead on lap seven and built an impressive gap of nearly twenty seconds over Marc Márquez.

This was his second victory in the premier class, and very likely the most memorable of his career, in front of his parents, who had traveled to see their son race for the first time. The next MotoGP race at Le Mans already promises to be full of exciting stories.

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