MotoGP readying to hit Le Mans as round six beckons – MotoGP/2/3 Previews

From one of the most passionate rounds of the year at Jerez to another in France, there’s a legacy at every turn. Welcome to the Michelin Grand Prix of France, the next chapter in an epic 2025 title race, making Le Mans even more unmissable than ever.

For the second time in 2025, Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) leads the Championship but this time, there’s no question about if he’s going to clinch a MotoGP win. A circuit that he loves and where he’s achieved a podium before, there’s an opportunity to grow his lead. A slender point advantage over his brother Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) is all that splits the fastest siblings in the world.

Marc Marquez produced an epic fight back at the French Grand Prix in 2024, with a last lap pass on 2025 teammate Francesco Bagnaia for second. Pecco in-turn has a tricky past at Le Mans – despite that third place 12 months ago, he’s only got one other top ten premier class finish there, with back-to-back DNFs in 2022 and 2023. All three are covered by 20 points; any mistakes won’t go unpunished.

If ever there was a time to pull out top draw performances, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) chose the start of the European tour – just before Le Mans – as the perfect place. The Frenchman rolled back the years with an unforgettable pole lap on Saturday and a first podium in two years in Sunday’s Grand Prix and following a successful Monday test with an engine upgrade, ‘El Diablo’ has the tools and the form to put on a show at home. Whilst it’s never quite fallen right in terms of victory, the 26-year-old seeks to add to his sole podium from 2021, even if the win remains a realistic dream.

Likewise flying The Tricolore, Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) has had a great start to 2025 with top five performances; fast in the test after a tricky Spanish Grand Prix, Zarco will be in the mix. In short, two French riders in the top seven overall as we touch down at Le Mans… dare the home fans dream?

The last two Grands Prix have shown signs of positivity for Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and whilst he was penalised at Lusail for a tyre pressure infringement, the Spaniard was a classy P4 at Jerez, picking up KTM’s best result of the season so far. With it being the team’s home round this weekend and a circuit where Viñales has won at before and was top five last year, there’ll be even more to celebrate for the huge crowd.

Teammate and 2022 French GP winner Enea Bastianini took a third top ten of 2025 whilst all four KTMs were in the top ten at Jerez. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) lands at Le Mans after arm-pump surgery and teammate Brad Binder hopes the test found a solution for the persistent chatter issues.

Victory in 2023 at Le Mans, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) had a positive test at Jerez following what was a Sunday disaster, although P14 and two points were salvaged. Aprilia have been competitive at the French circuit in the past and despite the absence of 2024 World Champion and Le Mans winner Jorge Martin, they aim high again.

Another past winner on hallowed French turf was Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), taking the chequered flag in an unforgettable 2021 French Grand Prix. The Australian, like Bezzecchi, had a tough time of things at Jerez, retiring from the Grand Prix. Making his return – although subject to a mandatory medical check on Thursday – Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) will be present again after his injury has kept him out since Saturday in Argentina.

Further up the order in the Championship in P4, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) will need to pass a Thursday medical check after his crash at Jerez left him unfit, whilst teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio closed him down in the standings, now just 21 adrift. Likewise in the top ten, Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) is top rookie but in recent rounds, he hasn’t had the pace to challenge Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), although the Spaniard’s error from a top four placing at Jerez was a costly one.

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Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) has finished every Grand Prix this year and is challenging for the top ten but teammate Joan Mir has had opposite fortunes and seeks to stymie his streak of three DNFs in GPs. Just ahead of the 2020 World Champion, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) has four points-scoring finishes in a row but both he and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) aim for a first top ten of 2025.

Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) hunts his first points of 2025 and aims to do so following arm-pump surgery post-Jerez. There’ll be one extra – but familiar – face on the grid as Takaaki Nakagami will wildcard for HRC, following his attendance at the post-Jerez Test after the Spanish Grand Prix.

So, a sell-out crowd packing out the terraces and two French riders looking to have their say amongst a fraught three-way scrap for the title. Not to mention the weather, which is always a topic of conversation… Le Mans will deliver the goods, the drama, the storylines and the talking points in bucket loads… perhaps even some rain too.

Le Mans Moto2 Preview

It wasn’t a bad weekend at Jerez for Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), was it? Pole position and a lights-to-flag victory saw the Spaniard clinch a dream home GP victory and with it, reclaim the Championship lead.

Gonzalez’s advantage over Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) stands at seven points ahead of Round 6 after the latter picked up a P8 in Jerez. However, Canet has tasted podium glory in Le Mans before in 2022, and he also grabbed pole position in France last year – so it’s a track Canet gets on well with.

Can Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) bounce back into victory contention in France following his P9 finish in Jerez? The British rider is 20 points adrift of Gonzalez now, while Dixon’s teammate Filip Salač will be hunting a first podium of the season on a circuit he claimed P2 at in 2023.

Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) has back-to-back podium finishes in Le Mans, so the Spaniard lands at a happy hunting ground searching for a big points haul after scoring none in the last two rounds. Tony Arbolino (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) is a former race winner in France and like his fellow Boscoscuro rider Lopez, the Italian will hope his fortunes turn this weekend.

Meanwhile, the likes of Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego), Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) are some notable names that are out to continue their recent good form – and all three are now in the top seven in the standings.

Moto2 Championship Standings

Le Mans Moto3 Race

Following an unbelievable weekend in front of his home crowd in Jerez, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) lands in Le Mans atop the Moto3 standings again. Four points split the Spaniard and his compatriot Angel Piqueras (FRINSA-MT Helmets-MSI) coming into Round 6, and it’s those two who have done the winning so far in 2025.

Three wins play two wins in favour of Rueda, so will Piqueras level things up in Le Mans? There’s a chance, but it’s not all about the two Spaniards.

Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) is in a rich vein of form and is P3 in the title chase after P2, P4 and P3 results run in the last three outings. That first win can’t be far away for the Australian.

Elsewhere, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) bounced back from a disappointing couple of races with a strong P4 finish on home soil, so can the Spaniard – who is P4 in the standings – make a rostrum return in France?

Similar can be said for Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA-MT Helmets-MSI). Both Japanese riders boast a podium and top six in their last two races, so the duo will be hunting podium success in France as they try and keep tabs on the likes of Rueda and Piqueras in the Championship.

And what about Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team)? The Italian is the only rider on the current grid who has clinched a French GP podium in our last four visits, and after a luckless Spanish GP, the #54 will be hoping Le Mans brings better fortunes after a promising start to the year.

Aussie youngster Jacob Roulstone continues his return to form after missing the opening few rounds and made huge strides forward last time out at Jerez, scoring a top ten finish.

Moto3 Championship Standings

2025 MotoGP Calendar