The Spaniard continued his good form by seeing off the emerging Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia to take victory.
The Bugatti Circuit of Le Mans always provides exciting racing, as over the years we have seen many battles for the race lead and spirited battles that last all the way to the finish. Today it was again the trio Martin, Bagnaia and Marc Marquez who battled it out.
After winning the Sprint Race a day earlier, Martin stepped up his game this time in the main race, where he would normally have a harder time than in the short sprints.
Fortunately, not much went wrong for most of the race - apart from a few unfortunate falls, including that of home hero Fabio Quartararo.
For a moment it seemed like a race between two drivers, as Martin rode behind Bagnaia for most of the race. That was until the Spaniard made an attempt at the first chicane with eight laps to go. At first he was unable to hold on, but after a second attempt in the next round he finally succeeded.
Martin seemed to be pulling away for a few laps until he went wide at the same chicane allowing Bagnaia to close the gap again. This time, however, Marc Marquez also managed to get closer.
It ended up being a three-way battle in the final few laps and while it looked like Bagnaia was preparing to give it another shot. Which Marquez thought differently.
Marquez secured second place, while Bagnaia had to settle for third. While it certainly wasn't the result Bagnaia wanted, it's still better than ending the weekend empty-handed as his Sprint race was ruined by suspected technical issues.
Enea Bastianini brought the second factory Ducati home in fourth place. Despite being the fastest rider in the late stages of the race and making up two places in seven laps, it was not enough to overtake the podium trio. The Italian received a "long-lap penalty" during the race, which probably cost him just too much time to overtake the leaders.
Martin's strong weekend earned him an extension in the championship, where he is now 38 points ahead of Bagnaia.
“I had a lot of doubts at the beginning of the race, but in the end I showed myself and all the people who still need something to believe me that I was the best today.” Martin told the media.
With the way Martin is riding now, he seems to be on another level. Can he maintain his form in Barcelona or can Marquez win again in front of his local Catalan fans?
We'll see in a few weeks at the Catalunya circuit!
Featured image - Gold and Goose, Motorsport Images
Author - Liam van de Seijp
