Marco Bezzecchi in MotoGP joy at Le Mans meeting

It was Bezzecchi’s second win of 2023 and he is now just one point behind Championship leader Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who crashed out of the race in a dramatic clash with Aprilia Racing's Maverick Viñales on lap five.

More drama followed half a lap later when Alex Marquez got caught up in Luca Marini’s crash.

At the front it was Jack Miller, Marc Marquez, Martin and Bezzecchi disputing the lead before Bezzecchi took control on lap 11 and opened up an immediate gap over Martin and Marquez. Miller dropped back before crashing out three laps from home.

Marquez, returning after 11 weeks out through injury, looked odds-on for a podium before tucking the front at Turn 7 on the penultimate lap.

After the 1000th FIM Grand Prix, Bezzecchi said: “Finally I can cut my moustache that I don’t really like and the bet is over” in reference to a bet he made with his team at Christmas.

On his race win, he added: “At the beginning I didn’t want to use the front tyre too much or put too much temperature in it.

"When I was behind someone, I was trying to pass quite quick and when I found myself at the front I thought, now I have fresh air and I tried to push.

"I saw I was escaping so I tried to stay calm and concentrate.

"It was an incredible emotion crossing the line in the dry.

"In the wet was good but in the dry even better.”

In the restarted shortened 14-lap Moto2 race, it was Italian Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing) who ran out the winner and climbed to joint first with Pedro Acosta at the top of the championship, after the Spanish rider crashed out on lap five.

British star Jake Dixon (Autosolar GasGas Aspar) finished fifth.

Pole-setter Sam Lowes crashed in the initial race and missed the grid for the restart, having to start from pit lane to eventually score one point, in 15th.

Less than a second covered the first three in the Moto3 race as Daniel Holgarda extended his lead in the championship with his second win of the season – 0.150s ahead of Ayumu Sasaki with Jaume Masia completing the rostrum.