Jack Miller victorious at rain-affected French Grand Prix

When the lights went out for the 27-lap race it was Miller who led into turn one with the two Monster Energy Yamaha’s of Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo second and third. Miller’s team mate and Championship leader going in to the French round, Pecco Bagnaia was down in 20th.

Vinales hit the front on lap two before Quartararo took charge on lap three. Then the rain came into play and changed everything. Riders filed into pit lane at the end of lap five to change bikes for the wet conditions and it was Marc Marquez who led heading out of the pits followed by Quartararo and Suzuki’s Alex Rins, before he crashed on the out lap.

Miller was now third but like his team mate Bagnaia was given a double long lap penalty for speeding in pit lane.

Marquez was stretching his lead over Quartararo when the Repsol Honda man got caught out by the tricky conditions and crashed out at the end of lap eight.

Quartararo now led but Miller, having taken his long lap penalties, passed the French rider on lap twelve and controlled the remaining laps to win by over four seconds from Pramac Ducati’s Johann Zarco, the fastest rider on track in the closing laps, who had caught and passed fellow country man Quartararo, six laps from home. Bagnaia finished off a tough weekend in fourth.

In the championship Quartararo leads on 80 points, Bagnaia 79, Zarco 68 and Miller 64, as the series heads to Mugello.