Marc Marquez’s late overtake of Francesco Bagnaia at the French MotoGP was a victory in a “ment✅al game”, it has been claimed.

The Gresini rider swooped on the laꦦst lap to sensationally pass the factory Ducati rider, and claim P2 at Le Mans.

But the wider context is the psychological advantage Marquez took from Bagnaia🧔 in France, after Bagnaia emerged victorious in their 🥀wheel-to-wheel scrap in Jerez.

“From 13th on the grid, normally you have no chance,” Sylvain Guintoli said on🍒 TNT Sp💃orts.

“It’s impossiꦇble. Even if you have a good start, you make inroads, and you make no mistakes, you are going to get tangled in battles that you don’t want to be involved in. You are going to lose time.

“He was able to make passes🌳 stick. He capitalised on a mistake by Maverick Vinales.

“Every opportunity for Marc, he managed to𝔉 stick his front wheel in and make it stick. To not lose time.

“It is so hard to do,🐷 when you♒ start from that far back.

“Th🎀e battle with Fabio di Giannantonio was super-clean up the inside. Di Giannantonio twice tried to respond.

“On the final lap, the pass on Bagnaia…

“How far back was he, when he launched the atta꧟ck? Unbelievable how he managed to stop that, and make it stick.

“Look at him on the inside, there’s no way you can stop that. He still does it. He uses the kerb on the exit and makes it stiꦬck.

“He defends on the last sꦏection. Inch perfect. He covers the line, there is no way Pecco can get secon🙈d-place back.

“He wins the ꦯduel. The duel that he lost in Jerez. 

“Th💙at will matter to Marc. And to Pecco, actually.

“These are mental gaღmes. This is really important for the rest of the season.

“Marc got his own back.”

Michael Laverty said about the French MotoGP which Jorge Martin won: “I had be🌳en waiting for this three-man battle.

“They are the class acts in MotoGP now, and are on similar m🐽achinery.𒅌 Marc’s is a year-old version and he’s battling two GP24s.

“Bu💯t the tools Marc has got? The team that Marc has ൲got around him? It’s enough.

“If he was on the secoᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnd row, it would have been a different kettle of fish.

“It’s nice to see how much he’s loving it. It is reigniting his passion for the sp💮ort.”

Gu🌄intoli replied: “He sacrificed everything. His contract at Honda, a whole lot of money, just to enjoy himself racing again.

“It goes back to 2020, the massive injury then the years that followed whiဣch were difficult on the sporting🍷 side because his bike wasn’t competitive.

“When you know y🅠ou’ve got the weapon underneath you, and the team who can bring you to podiums and fights for victory, there is nothing that feels so good.

“He will feel that the sacrifices were worth it.”