French Grand Prix: Predictions and how to watch as Marc Marquez looks to retake championship lead at Le Mans

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MotoGP returns to Le Mans for the sixth round of the championship and there is a lot to play for.

The French Grand Prix has produced some great moments over the years, with the weather often playing a role at the Bugatti Circuit.

The riders will be hopeful that it is a dry weekend, even though the forecast suggests that it will be raining for two days between Saturday and Sunday.

Marc Marquez will want to capitalise on a strong weekend so he can retake the championship lead, after finishing outside of the points in Spain.

The Ducati rider is only one point away from his brother, Alex Marquez, in the championship who has finished on the podium more times this season.

With that in mind, here are the predictions from the MotoGP News team on how the weekend will pan out for some riders alongside how you can watch it on TV.

How to watch the MotoGP French Grand Prix on TV?

Fans of MotoGP will be able to catch all of the action on TNT Sports in the UK. Below are the timings for the TV coverage in BST.

Who will start from pole for the French Grand Prix?

Kyle Archer: Fabio Quartararo – MotoGP finally saw a rival rider deny Marquez of Ducati pole position in 2025 last time out at Jerez. Yamaha ace Fabio Quartararo set the fastest qualifying lap at the Spanish Grand Prix by 0.033 seconds to score his first P1 start since the 2022 Indonesian GP.

Quartararo’s last-gasp pole lap to deny Marquez at Jerez was even Yamaha’s first P1 start in 1,134 days since the Mandalika meet in 2022. But the Iwata squad may only have to wait 14 days to bag another, with Quartararo a serious contender for pole for the French Grand Prix.

The Nice native sent Le Mans wild last year when Quartararo progressed directly into Q2. It would go berserk if the Yamaha rider can now repeat his success at the Spanish GP by taking pole on home soil at the French GP where the M1 has traditionally always been competitive.

Factory riders Quartararo and Alex Rins will also homologate Yamaha’s upgraded inline-four engine at Le Mans, which showed gains of around 2km/h (1.2mph) at the Jerez test. So, that plus the strengths of Yamaha’s bike around the Bugatti Circuit can see Quartararo take pole.

Who will win the French Grand Prix?

Tyler Rowlinson: Marc Marquez – Beating Marc Marquez this season, as Jerez proved, will be tough. The Ducati rider has been unstoppable in 2025 with eight wins from 10, but two major mistakes in Austin and Jerez have cost him the lead in the championship.

Marquez’s Jerez crash proved Bagnaia was right about picking up points wherever possible. It is what has given brother Alex the lead in the standings with his incredible consistency.

But the 32-year-old has quite clearly been the quickest rider across the season and by some distance. No one has beaten him in the Sprints, and if he has kept his GP25 on the track, there should be no reason why Marquez cannot return to winning ways at Le Mans

Who will be the biggest surprise of the French Grand Prix?

Shay Rogers: Fermin Aldeguer – After a positive home event in Spain before a late fall, Fermin Aldeguer’s rookie MotoGP season has quietly been going from strength to strength. Within five races, he’s managed to go from being a fringe top 10 contender to level on pace with teammate Alex Marquez at times.

Considering that he leads the championship, that’s an impressive feat. His consistency should only improve and when he strings everything together, there should be podiums on offer for him this season. Le Mans often springs up a surprise or two.

Who will be the biggest disappointment of the French Grand Prix?

David Comerford: Franco Morbidelli – While he’s been passed fit to race, one could understand why Morbidelli may need some time to regain his confidence after a scary crash at the Spanish GP. 

Eye-witnesses say Morbidelli was unconscious after his fall, and he missed testing afterwards. On that basis, his 100% top-four record when he sees the chequered flag could come to an end.