MotoGP icon Carlo Pernat has delivered an unfiltered analysis of the 2025 French Grand Prix, praising Johann Zarco's (LCR Honda) heroic victory and Marc Marquez's (Ducati) handling, while also lambasting Race Direction for its chaotic handling. Here's a breakdown of his comments, key performances, and implications for the championship, with a focus on Silverstone (May 23-25).
Le 2025 French Grand Prix will be remembered for its meteorological chaos, its numerous falls, its surprise pole position of fabio quartararo and the historic victory of Johann zarco at home. But for Charles Pernat, an emblematic figure of the MotoGP paddock, this spectacle was above all the result of a poor management of the Race Direction, which he severely criticizes.
« Race management, zero. All it would have taken was to delay the start by ten minutes, everyone would have put on rain tires, and we would have had a normal race. What we saw was not worthy of a world championship, not even an amateur championship. ", Pernat castigated to GP One.
He also denounces a confusing and dangerous chain of decisions: double long lap, poorly synchronized motorcycle changes, successive stops... a cocktail that he describes as "shameful", particularly in terms of rider safety.
Stars truly aligned for @JohannZarco1 in Le Mans! 💫#FrenchGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/gCkDUghHXn
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) May 13, 2025
Carlo Pernat: “ Johann Zarco takes Honda to levels no one would have imagined and Fabio Quartararo is too fast for the Yamaha »
Despite this chaotic context, Johann zarco managed to triumph over his sling lcr, signing a sensational and unexpected victory. Zarco put on a show. He won a great victory. and even dominated Marc Marquez. He takes Honda to levels no one would have imagined »
This success also prevents Ducati to beat the absolute record for consecutive Grand Prix victories (23), a record that the Italian manufacturer now shares with… Honda. Second at Le Mans, Marc Marquez has demonstrated prudence and strategic intelligence, according to Feathered : " he did well. This result gives him a margin for the championship. He is now the man to beat. »
The Italian manager believes that the elder Marquez is psychologically at his peak, where bagnaia is losing his bearings: " Bagnaia, for me, is no longer there mentally. Having Marquez three meters away is difficult to manage. 70% of his problems are psychological »
Finally, Fabio Quartararo, who started on pole, was one of the victims of the last wet corner at Le Mans. While he showed some good things, Feathered also sees it as an excess of enthusiasm: " he was riding faster than the Yamaha could handle. He got carried away, but that's normal, it was his home Grand Prix »
Charles Pernat does not mince his words: for him, this race did not reflect the true hierarchies of the championship: " It was a very strange Grand Prix. We don't perceive true values that way.. » But if the Race Direction is singled out, this Grand Prix will also have allowed zarco to enter history, to Marquez to take the upper hand, and to Quarterly to offer, despite everything, a thrill to his audience...
Course MotoGP French GP
MotoGP general classification
