--- title: "MotoGP: Lucky Marc Marquez Wins in France as Zarco, Dovizioso Falter" description: "All it took the Spaniard was patience and a whole lot of tire management to emerge victorious in France." date: "2018-05-20" modified: "2018-05-20" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20976/motogp-lucky-marc-marquez-wins-in-france-as-zarco-dovizioso-falter" categories: - "News" tags: - "France" - "Jorge Lorenzo" - "Le Mans" - "Marc Márquez" - "MotoGP" - "motorcycle racing" - "racing" - "Racing News" - "Valentino Rossi" --- # MotoGP: Lucky Marc Marquez Wins in France as Zarco, Dovizioso Falter ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez cruised to another victory at the [MotoGP Grand Prix of France](), which saw the majority of his race and championship contenders disintegrate one by one—quite literally. Alma Pramac Racing's Danilo Petrucci finished a valiant second, with none other than Valentino Rossi right behind him in third. The French Grand Prix at Le Mans got off to an exciting start thanks to Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo, who launched out of his grid spot like a space rocket as soon as the lights went off. The Spaniard blasted from sixth to first place in a matter of seconds, leaving [pole-sitter Zarco]() and even Marquez dumbfounded with his ballistic start. ![message-editor%2F1526833803786-gettyimages-960456154.jpg]() *Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo rockets to the front at the start of the race., *GETTY** Lorenzo managed to stay ahead of Zarco during the early stages of the race, just like Zarco managed to stay ahead of the Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso. The Italian rider, who recently signed a [two-year contract extension]() with Ducati, had enough pace to challenge for the win—at least until he crashed out of it by making a silly mistake, that is. This allowed Marquez, who had fallen back to fifth place, to slowly make up ground get into contention for the race win. Things were once again made easy for Marquez when home hero Zarco, much like Dovizioso, lost the front end of his Yamaha and [went down hard](), quickly promoting Marquez to third place. It was at that point that Lorenzo's medium tires couldn't keep up the pace any longer, and eventually began falling back down the order. The world champion eventually finished the race in sixth place. ![message-editor%2F1526833843331-gettyimages-960507428.jpg]() *Marquez celebrates as he begins to build a solid gap in the championship standings., *GETTY** All along, Marquez, Petrucci, and "The Doctor" were greatly benefited by the attrition at the front, and they found themselves separated from the pack by quite a margin. At the end of the day, it was an unexpected (sort of) podium in France, with a Spaniard being the meat in an Italian sandwich. The MotoGP circus will now pack its bags and head to legendary Mugello, where a multitude of fans will welcome their lord and savior [Valentino Rossi]() with open arms and cheerful hearts. ![message-editor%2F1526833884340-screenshot2018-05-20at12.24.08pm.png]() **MotoGP** ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()