Alex Marquez lines up in Le Mans after finally taking a checkered flag in the world’s premier motorcycle racing Championship. His older brother Marc leads the 2025 MotoGP France Grand Prix pre-event odds, despite sitting second in the Championship behind Alex. Fabio Quartararo starts his home Grand Prix off the back of his first podium of the season. Defending Champion Jorge Martin continues to nurse himself back to health after a horrific crash in Qatar in mid-April.
After reading our analysis, check out our partner sportsbooks to get valuable promotions and place bets.
In addition to traditional sports betting on MotoGP Michelin Grand Prix of France has Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and Real Money Gaming available in a Pick’Em style on Underdog. Although “fantasy games” might seem misleading, DFS is a significant and growing category within legal sports wagering. MotoGP fans are allowed to legally make better/worse picks with real money gaming in 30 states, including California, Texas & Wisconsin, where traditional sports betting is currently illegal.
Schedule and How to Watch the MotoGP French Grand Prix
An early morning ensues this weekend, starting on Friday, May 9, when MotoGP stars take to the circuit for FP1 at 4:45 AM ET. Qualifying is scheduled for 4:50 AM on Saturday and runs until 5:30 AM. Once the grid is decided, riders switch gears for the customary sprint, setting off at 9 AM. It all comes down to Sunday, when the lights go out at 8 AM for the 27-lap MotoGP France Grand Prix.
Fox Sports 2 has you covered throughout the weekend, bringing all the practice and qualifying sessions, along with the Saturday sprint and Sunday Grand Prix.
Weather Forecast For MotoGP France
Conditions are forecast to remain clear on Friday afternoon before intermittent rain moves in on Friday evening and continues throughout the weekend. Just under half an inch of rain is expected after Practice on Friday and in the run-up to Sunday’s Grand Prix. Temperatures are set to range from the low to mid-60s throughout the weekend, while wind gusts are moderate. This is the weather after all, and the forecast could change at any moment.
Best Bets and Picks for the 2025 French MotoGP
Top Picks and Bets
swipe to see more
Driver
Event Winner
Payout on $20
Marc Marquez
-225
$28.89
Alex Marquez
+400
$100.00
Francesco Bagnaia
+450
$110.00
Marc Marquez (-225)
After crashing in the Spanish GP, Marc Marquez got back onto the bike and rode his way into 12th place. The result was undesirable, but the six-time MotoGP Champion won the hearts of his home crowd for never giving up. “The Ant of Cervera” takes to the track in France with three wins to his name in five races, placing him in second in the Championship.
Alex Marquez (+400)
The younger Marquez brother is finally a MotoGP winner after taking top honors in Jerez. Alex Marquez broke the trend of finishing “Mr. P2,” the position he finished in Thailand, Argentina, and the USA. Alex now leads the Championship by a single unit from his older brother, and lines up in France with a finishing average of 2.6 across the first five rounds this year.
Francesco Bagnaia (+450)
Francesco Bagnaia lands in France tied for the best finishing average in MotoGP this campaign at 2.6. The Italian has greeted the stewards inside the top five in every race this season, only missing the podium once, at Termas de Rio Hondo. “Pecco” delivered his best performance in Austin, entering Victory Lane, and he starts here fresh off three consecutive podium finishes.
Outsider Bets
swipe to see more
Driver
Event Winner
Payout on $20
Fabio Quartararo
+900
$200.00
Fabian Di Giannantonio
+2800
$580.00
Franco Morbidelli
+3300
$680.00
Fabio Quartararo (+900)
“El Diablo” rides on home asphalt this weekend, after securing his first podium of the campaign in Jerez. Fabio Quartararo has improved in every race this season, starting with a 15th-place finish in Thailand, down to a runner-up in Spain. The Yamaha rider starts in sixth place in the Championship at a venue where he crashed out last year and has only podiumed once, back in 2021.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (+2800)
Fabio Di Giannantonio has finished every race this season, racking a top 10, two top fives, and a podium. “Diggia” had his toughest outing in Qatar, when he crossed the line in 16th, but he ended in third in Austin, and starts at Le Mans after securing his third top five of the year, at the Spanish GP. The VR46 rider finds himself inside the top five in the Championship, returning to a circuit where he hasn’t finished inside the top five.
Franco Morbidelli (+3300)
Jerez undid all the hard work Franco Morbidelli has put in this season, handing him his first DNF of the year. It was also the first time that Franco found himself outside of the top five all season, which includes two podiums. His consistency has been rewarded as he sits in fourth place in the Championship, despite his hiccup in Spain.
Expert Pick for MotoGP France Grand Prix
Marc Marquez stands out as the rider to beat at Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, based on current and historical form. The Spaniard has triumphed in France on three occasions, the same number of victories he’s recorded this year. Sportsbooks have the older Marquez at -225, paying $28.89 on a $20 bet.
Where to Bet on MotoGP
Marc Marquez starts as the winningest active rider in Le Mans, with three scalps to his tally. Can the Spaniard bounce back after a disappointing home Grand Prix last time out? Or will his younger brother Marc find his way onto the top of the podium in consecutive rounds?
Visit our partner sportsbooks to access special deals that will elevate your betting experience as you anticipate the upcoming MotoGP Michelin® Grand Prix of France. If you’re a newbie in the world of MotoGP betting, our comprehensive MotoGP Betting Guide is a must-read. Remember to enjoy the race and make your betting choices wisely. Betting responsibly ensures the fun lasts all season long.
Moto3 practice at the Circuit of the Americas produced a rapid succession of record laps, with Máximo Quiles opening the run on Friday by setting a new all-time Moto3 lap record of 2:13.757 on a Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team KTM, breaking Matteo Bertelle’s 2025 benchmark of 2:13.939. Álvaro Carpe then lowered that mark to 2:13.190 in Saturday morning practice aboard his Pirelli-shod Red Bull KTM Ajo machine; Quiles’s 2:13.757 session also featured Guido Pini second fastest on a Leopard Racing Honda with a 2:13.929.
Carpe had earlier topped Friday morning Free Practice One with a 2:14.209 for Red Bull KTM Ajo before finishing third in Friday’s faster session with a 2:14.202.
Friday’s timing sheets showed a cluster of leading Moto3 riders in the 2:14s — Matteo Bertelle (2:14.293), Valentín Perrone (2:14.309) and Joel Esteban among them — while Saturday morning produced a tight top three of Carpe (2:13.190), Perrone (2:13.280) and Esteban (2:13.349). The practice sessions ran around the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) Circuit of the Americas with a 25-rider field, Pirelli control tires prominent among the front-runners and KTM machinery occupying many of the top positions. Final grid places will be decided in subsequent practice and qualifying sessions.
Trackhouse Aprilia revealed its 2026 MotoGP livery today in Milan, unveiling a revised blue-and-black color scheme with yellow accents and American flags on both sides of the satellite Aprilia RS-GP26. Riders Raúl Fernández and Ai Ogura attended the 3 pm CET (2 pm UK) launch. The team also confirmed a special Gulf livery that will be used at several Grands Prix, including Thailand, Brazil, Italy, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Trackhouse, which took over from CryptoDATA/RNF at the end of 2023, is based in North Carolina and had already run Gulf colors in 2025 without an official title sponsor.
The team retained Fernández and Ogura for 2026. Fernández was the team’s breakthrough rider in 2025, delivering Trackhouse’s first premier-class victory at Phillip Island, a Sprint podium at Mandalika, and a near-miss second in Valencia, and he finished the year 10th in the championship. Ogura debuted with a fifth place at Buriram, saw a rookie campaign curtailed by injuries, and ended 2025 16th. The team finished seventh in the teams’ championship, ahead of factory Honda and Tech3 KTM.
Trackhouse confirmed the RS-GP26 is set to make its first on-track appearance at the Sepang test, Feb 3–5, and that it will continue to receive factory-spec RS-GP machinery. The launch followed Aprilia’s disclosure of targeted 2026 updates to chassis, aerodynamics, and electronics, plus power-unit improvements carried out within engine-freeze limits. Coverage highlighted clear RS-GP development through 2025 and positioned established rivals — including Marc Marquez and factory Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin as key comparators for Trackhouse’s prospects. The Sepang test will give the team its first real chance to assess those updates as it heads into the final 1000cc/Michelin season with continuity in riders and equipment and a visible new livery.
David Almansa produced a dominant weekend at the 2026 Moto3 Thai Grand Prix in Buriram, claiming pole, topping final practice and then edging Máximo Quiles by 0.003 seconds in a dramatic 19-lap photo finish to win the season-opening race. Riding a Pirelli-shod Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM, Almansa started from pole, led for much of the race and carried the better exit from the last corner to the line to secure victory — the closest Moto3 finish since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.
Almansa set the tone in practice and qualifying: he topped Saturday morning FP2 with a 1:40.922 lap on the 4.55km Chang International Circuit (the only rider in the 1:40s in FP2) and then took pole with a 1:40.088 in qualifying, a time that eclipsed Jose Antonio Rueda’s 2025 all-time lap record of 1:40.350. FP2 placed Adrian Fernández and Máximo Quiles among the session leaders as well (reports list Fernández’s FP2 time as either 1:41.278 or 1:41.202), and Álvaro Carpe and Fernández filled the second and third slots on the grid with 1:40.518 and 1:40.693 respectively.
The race furnished tense moments and drama: Quiles, who had started fourth, briefly took the lead on lap 11 before running wide at Turn 1 and allowing Almansa back through; Quiles launched a last-corner attack but Almansa’s momentum to the line decided the outcome. Quiles finished a scant 0.003 seconds behind, while Valentín Perrone came home third 9.480 seconds back. Álvaro Carpe was fourth and Moto3 debutant Veda Pratama fifth; Adrian Fernández finished sixth. The result moved Almansa to the top of the Moto3 standings with 25 points, Quiles sat second on 20 and Perrone third on 16. The race also featured one retirement (Cormac Buchanan) and incidents including Ryusei Yamanaka and Guido Pini crashing earlier and remounting.
MotoGP officials confirmed a major calendar overhaul as Liberty Media, MotoGP’s new owners, will replace Phillip Island with a planned Adelaide circuit as part of a push for more city-center events. Liberty announced Phillip Island will no longer host the Australian Grand Prix, though reports differ on the timing — the announcement cites a change “from 2027,” while some reports say Phillip Island was removed from the 2026 calendar. Some outlets suggested Adelaide could take the season-finale slot while Valencia moves into the middle of the season.
The move provoked widespread criticism from riders, commentators and fans; commentator Keith Huewen called the loss “tragic.” Organizers acknowledged the decision has created uncertainty for local communities and supporters.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta defended the overhaul on safety grounds, saying “safety comes first,” and citing an increased number of accidents at Phillip Island and persistent wind and rain concerns. He said safety — not location alone — will determine which venues remain on the calendar, warning that Madrid’s IFEMA layout lacked required safety conditions and that Suzuka, while “a beautiful circuit,” could not remain under current safety standards. Organizers and circuit designer Jarno Zaffelli described the planned Adelaide layout as urban but not a true street circuit: Ezpeleta called it a “safe, non-street race,” and Zaffelli said it would not be a “true street circuit.” Liberty Media has signaled further calendar changes as it modernizes and globalizes MotoGP’s schedule, identifying at least one other unnamed circuit for removal; the dispute frames a broader clash between a push for more city-center events (and some street-style proposals) and defenders of traditional high-speed venues, with venue design and safety at the center of the debate.
Best Bets: 2025 MotoGP France Grand Prix Pre-Event Odds Analysis
Alex Marquez lines up in Le Mans after finally taking a checkered flag in the world’s premier motorcycle racing Championship. His older brother Marc leads the 2025 MotoGP France Grand Prix pre-event odds, despite sitting second in the Championship behind Alex. Fabio Quartararo starts his home Grand Prix off the back of his first podium of the season. Defending Champion Jorge Martin continues to nurse himself back to health after a horrific crash in Qatar in mid-April.
After reading our analysis, check out our partner sportsbooks to get valuable promotions and place bets.
In addition to traditional sports betting on MotoGP Michelin Grand Prix of France has Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and Real Money Gaming available in a Pick’Em style on Underdog. Although “fantasy games” might seem misleading, DFS is a significant and growing category within legal sports wagering. MotoGP fans are allowed to legally make better/worse picks with real money gaming in 30 states, including California, Texas & Wisconsin, where traditional sports betting is currently illegal.
Schedule and How to Watch the MotoGP French Grand Prix
An early morning ensues this weekend, starting on Friday, May 9, when MotoGP stars take to the circuit for FP1 at 4:45 AM ET. Qualifying is scheduled for 4:50 AM on Saturday and runs until 5:30 AM. Once the grid is decided, riders switch gears for the customary sprint, setting off at 9 AM. It all comes down to Sunday, when the lights go out at 8 AM for the 27-lap MotoGP France Grand Prix.
Fox Sports 2 has you covered throughout the weekend, bringing all the practice and qualifying sessions, along with the Saturday sprint and Sunday Grand Prix.
Weather Forecast For MotoGP France
Conditions are forecast to remain clear on Friday afternoon before intermittent rain moves in on Friday evening and continues throughout the weekend. Just under half an inch of rain is expected after Practice on Friday and in the run-up to Sunday’s Grand Prix. Temperatures are set to range from the low to mid-60s throughout the weekend, while wind gusts are moderate. This is the weather after all, and the forecast could change at any moment.
Best Bets and Picks for the 2025 French MotoGP
Top Picks and Bets
swipe to see more
Marc Marquez (-225)
After crashing in the Spanish GP, Marc Marquez got back onto the bike and rode his way into 12th place. The result was undesirable, but the six-time MotoGP Champion won the hearts of his home crowd for never giving up. “The Ant of Cervera” takes to the track in France with three wins to his name in five races, placing him in second in the Championship.
Alex Marquez (+400)
The younger Marquez brother is finally a MotoGP winner after taking top honors in Jerez. Alex Marquez broke the trend of finishing “Mr. P2,” the position he finished in Thailand, Argentina, and the USA. Alex now leads the Championship by a single unit from his older brother, and lines up in France with a finishing average of 2.6 across the first five rounds this year.
Francesco Bagnaia (+450)
Francesco Bagnaia lands in France tied for the best finishing average in MotoGP this campaign at 2.6. The Italian has greeted the stewards inside the top five in every race this season, only missing the podium once, at Termas de Rio Hondo. “Pecco” delivered his best performance in Austin, entering Victory Lane, and he starts here fresh off three consecutive podium finishes.
Outsider Bets
swipe to see more
Fabio Quartararo (+900)
“El Diablo” rides on home asphalt this weekend, after securing his first podium of the campaign in Jerez. Fabio Quartararo has improved in every race this season, starting with a 15th-place finish in Thailand, down to a runner-up in Spain. The Yamaha rider starts in sixth place in the Championship at a venue where he crashed out last year and has only podiumed once, back in 2021.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (+2800)
Fabio Di Giannantonio has finished every race this season, racking a top 10, two top fives, and a podium. “Diggia” had his toughest outing in Qatar, when he crossed the line in 16th, but he ended in third in Austin, and starts at Le Mans after securing his third top five of the year, at the Spanish GP. The VR46 rider finds himself inside the top five in the Championship, returning to a circuit where he hasn’t finished inside the top five.
Franco Morbidelli (+3300)
Jerez undid all the hard work Franco Morbidelli has put in this season, handing him his first DNF of the year. It was also the first time that Franco found himself outside of the top five all season, which includes two podiums. His consistency has been rewarded as he sits in fourth place in the Championship, despite his hiccup in Spain.
Expert Pick for MotoGP France Grand Prix
Marc Marquez stands out as the rider to beat at Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, based on current and historical form. The Spaniard has triumphed in France on three occasions, the same number of victories he’s recorded this year. Sportsbooks have the older Marquez at -225, paying $28.89 on a $20 bet.
Where to Bet on MotoGP
Marc Marquez starts as the winningest active rider in Le Mans, with three scalps to his tally. Can the Spaniard bounce back after a disappointing home Grand Prix last time out? Or will his younger brother Marc find his way onto the top of the podium in consecutive rounds?
Visit our partner sportsbooks to access special deals that will elevate your betting experience as you anticipate the upcoming MotoGP Michelin® Grand Prix of France. If you’re a newbie in the world of MotoGP betting, our comprehensive MotoGP Betting Guide is a must-read. Remember to enjoy the race and make your betting choices wisely. Betting responsibly ensures the fun lasts all season long.
Related Posts
Álvaro Carpe lowers Moto3 lap record at COTA to 2:13.190
Moto3 practice at the Circuit of the Americas produced a rapid succession of record laps, with Máximo Quiles opening the run on Friday by setting a new all-time Moto3 lap record of 2:13.757 on a Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team KTM, breaking Matteo Bertelle’s 2025 benchmark of 2:13.939. Álvaro Carpe then lowered that mark to 2:13.190 in Saturday morning practice aboard his Pirelli-shod Red Bull KTM Ajo machine; Quiles’s 2:13.757 session also featured Guido Pini second fastest on a Leopard Racing Honda with a 2:13.929.
Carpe had earlier topped Friday morning Free Practice One with a 2:14.209 for Red Bull KTM Ajo before finishing third in Friday’s faster session with a 2:14.202.
Friday’s timing sheets showed a cluster of leading Moto3 riders in the 2:14s — Matteo Bertelle (2:14.293), Valentín Perrone (2:14.309) and Joel Esteban among them — while Saturday morning produced a tight top three of Carpe (2:13.190), Perrone (2:13.280) and Esteban (2:13.349). The practice sessions ran around the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) Circuit of the Americas with a 25-rider field, Pirelli control tires prominent among the front-runners and KTM machinery occupying many of the top positions. Final grid places will be decided in subsequent practice and qualifying sessions.
Trackhouse Keeps Raúl Fernández and Ai Ogura for 2026
Trackhouse Aprilia revealed its 2026 MotoGP livery today in Milan, unveiling a revised blue-and-black color scheme with yellow accents and American flags on both sides of the satellite Aprilia RS-GP26. Riders Raúl Fernández and Ai Ogura attended the 3 pm CET (2 pm UK) launch. The team also confirmed a special Gulf livery that will be used at several Grands Prix, including Thailand, Brazil, Italy, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Trackhouse, which took over from CryptoDATA/RNF at the end of 2023, is based in North Carolina and had already run Gulf colors in 2025 without an official title sponsor.
The team retained Fernández and Ogura for 2026. Fernández was the team’s breakthrough rider in 2025, delivering Trackhouse’s first premier-class victory at Phillip Island, a Sprint podium at Mandalika, and a near-miss second in Valencia, and he finished the year 10th in the championship. Ogura debuted with a fifth place at Buriram, saw a rookie campaign curtailed by injuries, and ended 2025 16th. The team finished seventh in the teams’ championship, ahead of factory Honda and Tech3 KTM.
Trackhouse confirmed the RS-GP26 is set to make its first on-track appearance at the Sepang test, Feb 3–5, and that it will continue to receive factory-spec RS-GP machinery. The launch followed Aprilia’s disclosure of targeted 2026 updates to chassis, aerodynamics, and electronics, plus power-unit improvements carried out within engine-freeze limits. Coverage highlighted clear RS-GP development through 2025 and positioned established rivals — including Marc Marquez and factory Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin as key comparators for Trackhouse’s prospects. The Sepang test will give the team its first real chance to assess those updates as it heads into the final 1000cc/Michelin season with continuity in riders and equipment and a visible new livery.
Almansa wins Buriram Moto3 GP by 0.003s
David Almansa produced a dominant weekend at the 2026 Moto3 Thai Grand Prix in Buriram, claiming pole, topping final practice and then edging Máximo Quiles by 0.003 seconds in a dramatic 19-lap photo finish to win the season-opening race. Riding a Pirelli-shod Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM, Almansa started from pole, led for much of the race and carried the better exit from the last corner to the line to secure victory — the closest Moto3 finish since the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.
Almansa set the tone in practice and qualifying: he topped Saturday morning FP2 with a 1:40.922 lap on the 4.55km Chang International Circuit (the only rider in the 1:40s in FP2) and then took pole with a 1:40.088 in qualifying, a time that eclipsed Jose Antonio Rueda’s 2025 all-time lap record of 1:40.350. FP2 placed Adrian Fernández and Máximo Quiles among the session leaders as well (reports list Fernández’s FP2 time as either 1:41.278 or 1:41.202), and Álvaro Carpe and Fernández filled the second and third slots on the grid with 1:40.518 and 1:40.693 respectively.
The race furnished tense moments and drama: Quiles, who had started fourth, briefly took the lead on lap 11 before running wide at Turn 1 and allowing Almansa back through; Quiles launched a last-corner attack but Almansa’s momentum to the line decided the outcome. Quiles finished a scant 0.003 seconds behind, while Valentín Perrone came home third 9.480 seconds back. Álvaro Carpe was fourth and Moto3 debutant Veda Pratama fifth; Adrian Fernández finished sixth. The result moved Almansa to the top of the Moto3 standings with 25 points, Quiles sat second on 20 and Perrone third on 16. The race also featured one retirement (Cormac Buchanan) and incidents including Ryusei Yamanaka and Guido Pini crashing earlier and remounting.
Liberty Media drops Phillip Island for Adelaide circuit
MotoGP officials confirmed a major calendar overhaul as Liberty Media, MotoGP’s new owners, will replace Phillip Island with a planned Adelaide circuit as part of a push for more city-center events. Liberty announced Phillip Island will no longer host the Australian Grand Prix, though reports differ on the timing — the announcement cites a change “from 2027,” while some reports say Phillip Island was removed from the 2026 calendar. Some outlets suggested Adelaide could take the season-finale slot while Valencia moves into the middle of the season.
The move provoked widespread criticism from riders, commentators and fans; commentator Keith Huewen called the loss “tragic.” Organizers acknowledged the decision has created uncertainty for local communities and supporters.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta defended the overhaul on safety grounds, saying “safety comes first,” and citing an increased number of accidents at Phillip Island and persistent wind and rain concerns. He said safety — not location alone — will determine which venues remain on the calendar, warning that Madrid’s IFEMA layout lacked required safety conditions and that Suzuka, while “a beautiful circuit,” could not remain under current safety standards. Organizers and circuit designer Jarno Zaffelli described the planned Adelaide layout as urban but not a true street circuit: Ezpeleta called it a “safe, non-street race,” and Zaffelli said it would not be a “true street circuit.” Liberty Media has signaled further calendar changes as it modernizes and globalizes MotoGP’s schedule, identifying at least one other unnamed circuit for removal; the dispute frames a broader clash between a push for more city-center events (and some street-style proposals) and defenders of traditional high-speed venues, with venue design and safety at the center of the debate.