Factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia will start the French Grand Prix from pole position after topping Saturday’s qualifying session at Le Mans.
It was the Italian’s first pole position since last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix, as well as the second for Ducati in 2026 following Marc Marquez’s impressive lap at the Spanish Grand Prix last month.
Marquez was due to join his team-mate on the front row but suffered a huge high-side in the sprint race and damaged his foot, leaving him out of both Sunday’s race and next weekend’s Catalan GP. He will undergo surgery on his broken foot as well as another operation on his right shoulder, which he had already planned after a screw had become dislodged.
With Marquez absent, the rest of the riders will move up a position. That means Aprilia rider and championship leader Marco Bezzecchi will start second, with Fabio di Giannantonio lining up third on the grid on the VR46 Ducati.
Pedro Acosta, Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir will represent their respective manufacturers on the second row, while sprint winner Jorge Martin will take the start in seventh place.
Last year’s French GP winner Johann Zarco (LCR) moves up a place to 10th, with rain forecast on Sunday.
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