P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The starting grid for the 2026 MotoGP French Grand Prix sprint
Pecco Bagnaia secured his first pole position of the 2026 MotoGP season at the French Grand Prix, narrowly beating his Ducati teammate Marc Marquez by a mere 0.012s.
This achievement marked the first time since the 2025 Malaysian Grand Prix that the two-time world champion led the grid and triumphed in a sprint race.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi will begin the race in third place on his Aprilia, with Fabio Di Giannantonio, the top Ducati rider in the standings, starting on the second row for VR46 GP26.
Pedro Acosta will start as the top KTM rider in fifth position, followed by Fabio Quartararo in sixth on the factory Yamaha, and Joan Mir from row three on a Honda.
The fourth row will feature Alex Marquez, Johann Zarco, and Alex Rins, with no penalties affecting the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
