Once again this year, the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans served as the backdrop for a major sporting and popular celebration. With a new attendance record set, the MICHELIN Grand Prix de France reaffirmed its status as the most attended event of the season. In true Le Mans fashion, the weather proved capricious throughout the weekend, alternating between chilly mornings, spring sunshine, and heavy rain on Sunday during the race. Riders had to contend with a surface offering very unpredictable grip. Faced with the challenges of an evolving track, the MICHELIN Power Slick and Power Rain tyres demonstrated their full ability to provide performance, consistency, and safety in all conditions.
From Friday onwards, the performance level proved exceptionally high. Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) made a strong impression by setting a new track record in Practice (1’29.855), making full use of the Soft front and Medium rear tyre combination. On Saturday, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) thrilled the French crowd with an exceptional pole position in 1’29.324, six-tenths faster than the 2024 pole time. The sunny day continued with a lively Tissot Sprint in the afternoon, animated by the French rider's performance, which further energized a crowd already warmed by the high track temperatures (36 °C at race start). Leading in the opening laps, Fabio Quartararo was soon overtaken by Marc Marquez. Alex Marquez and Fermín Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) followed the factory Ducati rider and completed the Sprint podium in second and third places respectively. All riders used a MICHELIN Power Slick Hard tyre at the front and Soft at the rear.
But it was on Sunday, race day, that the tyre challenge fully came to light. After a rainy night, the Warm-Up was held on a soaked track with MICHELIN Power Rain tyres. The sky remained overcast in the morning, and the track gradually began to dry. All riders started the MICHELIN Grand Prix de France at 2:00 pm on Soft MICHELIN Power Slicks, front and rear, but a sudden downpour hit the circuit just before lights out. Riders returned to the pits at the end of the formation lap to switch to rain tyres… but the rain quickly stopped, prompting most of the field to revert to slicks. This led to a highly animated race on a damp, cold, and slippery surface, with several riders receiving double "long lap" penalties following their second tyre change. Only seven laps after the start, rain returned more steadily, forcing the riders back onto MICHELIN Power Rain tyres. With alternating showers and heavy bursts of rain, the riders faced an especially demanding Grand Prix. In these conditions, it was Frenchman Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) who found the right pace, gradually pulling away to take a popular home win. Marc Marquez once again demonstrated his skill with a second-place finish, while Fermín Aldeguer confirmed his competitiveness by claiming the third step of the podium.
Alongside MotoGP™, the MotoE championship kicked off its season at Le Mans with two races held on Saturday under stable weather conditions. These opening rounds of the 2025 season marked the competitive debut of the new MICHELIN Power Slick MotoE tyre range. Featuring a unique temporary design called Race to Vision, these tyres incorporate 58% renewable and recycled materials at the front and 56% at the rear, highlighting Michelin's pioneering role in sustainable innovation within motorsport.
On the sporting front, Oscar Gutiérrez (MSI Racing Team) and Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) stood out. Gutiérrez claimed victory in the first race of the season, while Casadei won the second. Both riders benefited from improved grip and enhanced feedback, validating the technical progress achieved.
Piero Taramasso, Michelin Two-Wheel Motorsport Manager, summed up the weekend as follows: “A home Grand Prix for Michelin that went very well, despite Sunday's weather! Performance, spectacle, and sustainable technologies worked hand in hand to delight the crowd throughout this double MotoGP and MotoE weekend. We faced a wide range of weather conditions: cold and hot dry track, wet asphalt, and heavy rain. In all of these situations, riders made the most of tyres that remained safe, versatile, and high-performing, inspiring total confidence. As for the new MICHELIN Power Slick MotoE tyres, they offered an unprecedented level of grip and performance while incorporating up to 58% renewable and recycled materials—a technological achievement matched with a performance gain.”
With a weekend perfectly handled on both the technical and sporting fronts, under particularly demanding conditions, Michelin once again demonstrates its ability to support the elite of motorcycle racing while strengthening its commitment to more sustainable mobility. The MotoGP season will continue in two weeks at Silverstone (23–25 May), where the stakes will remain just as high.
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