Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team secured a second-place finish in the Michelin Grand Prix of France, in a wet race marked by ever-changing conditions. Francesco Bagnaia crossed the line in sixteenth position following a crash on the opening lap through no fault of his own.
Márquez had a good start from second on the grid and remained in the top positions. After serving a double long-lap penalty and returning to the pits for a bike swap (switching to the wet-track configuration), Marc climbed back to second place by lap nine and managed the situation excellently all the way to the chequered flag. Bagnaia, meanwhile, ended up in the gravel at turn one due to a coming together triggered by another rider. Pecco re-joined the race but had to return to the pits due to damage to his Desmosedici GP. He ultimately made it to the finish in sixteenth place.
As the sixth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez returns to the top of the championship standings with 171 points and a 22-point lead over his brother Alex. Bagnaia sits third, 51 points adrift of his teammate. The Ducati Lenovo Team leads the teams’ standings (291 points), with Ducati firmly in control of the manufacturers’ classification (217 points).
The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on May 23rd for the opening day of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the seventh event of the season.
Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2nd
“The main goal was to stay fully focused, as in these conditions any small mistake can cost you the race. The track was very slippery but not wet enough for the tyres to work at their best. The most challenging part of the race was the last five laps, as it was crucial to manage the situation — especially mentally — with no other riders nearby. The bike worked really well, but in the wet you never know what might happen. We made no mistakes today, and I’m happy with the result, though the season is still very long.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 16th
“My strategy from the beginning was to stay on track no matter what. Unfortunately, I had some significant spinning at the start and had to close the throttle. Just before turn one, I was passed by several riders, and then came the contact with Enea (Bastianini). These things can happen, especially when there are riders on slick tyres and others on wets in the same race — speeds are very different. I’m sad because had I re-joined straight away, without needing to return to the pits due to the bike damage, I could have finished in the top five. But unfortunately, everything went the wrong way today.”
