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Grand Prix France Sprint Race: Sylvain Guintoli praises Marc Marquez overtake as Francesco Bagnaia makes ‘costly’ error
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Published 10/05/2025 at 17:14 GMT+1
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Fabio Quartararo started his home race in France on pole, but could only hold onto first place until Lap 4, when Marc Marquez battled past him. Speaking to TNT Sports, experienced rider and MotoGP pundit Sylvain Guintoli praised both men for their efforts as they competed for top spot, and also suggested Francesco Bagnaia's crash could prove costly.
'Marc was all over him' - Guintoli hails Marquez for move past Quartararo at Grand Prix France
Video credit: TNT Sports
Sylvain Guintoli said Fabio Quartararo "did not give up" in his tussle with Sprint Race winner Marc Marquez, but credited the world championship leader for his overtaking effort.
Marquez bided his time until Lap 4 on Saturday to really engage with the pole-sitter, and while the Frenchman made a concerted effort to hold onto first place, he was ultimately beaten back by the quicker rider.
The win for the Spaniard took him back on top of the world championship standings, in front of his rival and brother Alex Marquez.
Speaking after the race on TNT Sports, Guintoli analysed the manoeuvre from Marquez to move to the top of the pack.
He began as he looked at Quartararo’s lead, saying: "He defended really well. He was really, really strong. This is coming into Turn 1, Turn 2 and Turn 3, so Marc [was] attacking him there, going into the chicane he’s going to run wide.
"Fabio had the perfect cut back. I mean look at it, it is super hard to do, but he placed himself really well there and was able to regain the position.
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'Big mistake' - Guintoli says former champion 'doesn't have the speed' after Sprint Race crash
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Now Marc was all over him, and the exit of the Musee corner got a really good exit, braking really hard. Very, very strong braking, you could tell Marc had a little bit more pace. He could still run the corner [at] speed there, and make the fast speed.
"For Marc Marquez, it was a question of time to overtake Fabio Quartararo. He clearly had more pace. He took his time, though. Took him a couple of attempts, but Fabio did not give up."
Bagnaia disaster ‘costly for the championship’
Marquez’s Ducati Lenovo team-mate, Francesco Bagnaia, suffered yet another setback as he struggled once more in a Sprint Race.
This time, the Italian former world champion found himself out of the running in the very first lap after he spun out early, and was unable to get his bike running out of the gravel.
Guintoli suggested that Bagnaia’s error was to ride too aggressively than his tyres could handle at such an early stage of the race.
He explained: "It’s a big mistake. That corner, Turn 3, it’s where you get caught out in the first laps. You have to wait for your tyres to be fully [up to] temperature before you can attack, and he was trying to keep up with the top guys. Very easy mistake to do.
"For Pecco Bagnaia, he’s been sort of betting on his being regular since the start of the season.
"He hasn't got the speed of the other guys on the Ducati, and unfortunately, that is a mistake that is costly for the championship as well."
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