Martín Claims Victory In Le Mans To Extend Championship Lead

[May 13, 2024]  Spaniard enjoys a memorable weekend as he wins both the sprint and feature race.
 
Ducati rider Jorge Martín stretched his lead in the MotoGP™ championship standings as he cruised to victory in Le Mans, while Marc Márquez continued his resurgence with a second-place finish in France. Here’s all you need to know:  

Ducati rider Jorge Martín clinched victory in the MotoGP championship at Le Mans, extending his lead over Francesco Bagnaia to 38 points. Martín secured pole position and dominated the sprint race before overtaking Bagnaia in the feature race, while Marc Márquez surged to second place from 13th on the grid. // Marc Marquez performs at French MotoGP, May 11, 2024. // Gold & Goose / Red Bull Content Pool

- The weekend started in style for championship leader Jorge Martín who qualified for Sunday’s race in pole position and secured a dominant lights-to-flag victory in the sprint race.

- In Sunday’s feature race, the Spaniard slipped to second after a fast start from two-time world champion Francesco Bagnaia who expertly held his title rival at bay for the majority of the race.

- However, on lap 21, Martín was finally able to overhaul the Italian and despite coming under huge pressure was able to hold off his rivals to claim victory and extend his championship lead over Bagnaia to 38 points.

- Martín, 26, said: “I’m really happy with my performance. My progression is clear. You can see from my results that I am becoming a better rider.”

- Bagnaia eventually had to settle for third thanks to another incredible display from six-time world champion Márquez who had started from 13th on the grid.

- The 31-year-old, who rose from 13th to second in the sprint race, gained five places on the opening lap and carved his way through the field before passing Bagnaia on the final lap.

- Red Bull KTM rider Brad Binder struggled to find the pace to trouble the front runners as he finished in eighth place, while Gresini Racing’s Álex Márquez was two places further back in 10th.

- LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco claimed 12th place and Spaniard Augusto Fernández was 13th, while Australian Jack Miller, Portugal's Miguel Oliveira and rising Spanish star Pedro Acosta all failed to finish the race.

2024 French GP result

1. Jorge Martín SPA Pramac Ducati 41m 23.709s

2. Marc Márquez SPA Gresini Ducati +0.446s

3. Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo +0.585s

4. Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati Lenovo +2.206s

5. Maverick Viñales SPA Aprilia Racing +4.053s

2024 MotoGP World Championship standings

1. Jorge Martin SPA Pramac Ducati 129 points

2. Francesco Bagnaia ITA Ducati Lenovo 91

3. Marc Márquez SPA Gresini Ducati 89

4. Enea Bastianini ITA Ducati Lenovo 89

5. Maverick Viñales SPA Aprilia Racing 81

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