Jorge Lorenzo was imperious as the reignin🌼g MotoGP world champion conque⛦red Le Mans in an incident-littered race in France to take over at the top of the championship table.

Valentino Rossi put a troubled practice and qual🐠ifying behind him to make it a Movistar Yamaha one-two in a lone second place, while Maverick Vinales put the Suzuki onto the podium in a ꦑbrilliant third for his first rostrum finish in the premier class.

Champion﷽ship leader Marc Marquez and Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso incredibly crashed out in tandem entering 🧸turn seven with 13 laps to go as they disputed third place behind Lorenzo and Rossi.

Marquez remounted and returned to the track with half of✨ the fairing of his Repsol Honda missing, ❀eventually finishing 13th.

It was another miserable day for Ducati, with Andrea Iannone denting his prospects of gaining𝓡 a new contract with the Italian team after s🏅liding out of second place as he gave chase to race leader Lorenzo.

The carnage also claimed British riders Cal Crutchlow on the LCR Honda, who came off at turn 11 on lap s💛even as he circulated in tenth, while Bradley Smith went down on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 M1, also falling victim to the infamous turn seven at Museum as he held seventh place on the satellite machine.

Lorenzo, who clinched his first ever pole start in the premier class at Le Mans🅰, rocketed into the lead from Dovizioso and Iannone, with Marquez in fourth.

Rossi, who qualified seventh, jostled for position with the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha pair of Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith on the openin🦂g lap, with Aleix Espargaro on the Suzuki also in on the action in the early stages.

The Doctor put a move on Pol Espargaro𓃲 for fifth on lap two as Lorenzo attempted to break away from the Ducatis of Dovizioso and Iannone.

Espargaro lost two places after getting out of shape on the brakes on lap four, with Suzuki pair Aleix Espargaro and Vinales takiꦉng advantage to move into fifth and sixth respectively.

Lorenzo was gradඣually stretching his advantage on the factory M1 over Dovizioso and Iannone, although Rossi was finding some pace and had Marquez in his sights as he set about b🔜ridging the gap to fourth.

Italian rider Iannone was pressurising team-mate Doviไzioso for second place and made ꦜa clean move at the start of the sixth lap as the top three broke clear of Marquez and Rossi.

With some clear track ahead of him, Iannone began to chase after Lorenzo, whose lead was up to one second, but disaster struck for the 'Maniac' on lap seven when he went own at tu🐟rn eight, leaving Dovizioso clear in second. Iannone rejoined the race butꦍ was later forced into the pits.

Crutchlow also came offᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ on the same lap at turn 11 while Scott Redding was a retirement on the Pramac Ducati.

Lorenzo was now settling into his rhythm and had established a cushion of 2.2 seconds ovꦿer Dovizioso, with Marquez maintaining his advantage over Rossi, who was clear of Vinales and Aleix Espargaro.

Rossi, though, began to up the ante and quickly closed on Marquez before snatching third with a 🧸clinical pass 16 laps from the finish.

Two laps later, the Yamaha rider mov💛ed into second after passing Dovizioso at Museum to a huge cheer from th🦄e crowd at Le Mans.

To stunned gasps around the French circuit, Dovizioso and Marquez went down in unison in almost identical fashion at tuꦇrn seven, 13 laౠps from the finish. Marquez managed to get going again and completed the race in 13th place to salvage a few points after losing his title lead to Lorenzo.

Ducati-bound Lorenzo was in total control at the front with a lead of six seconds over Rossi, who was safe in second place from Vinales, w🔥ith the young prospect a further five seconds in arrears.

Pedrosa, down in 11th pl๊ace on lap one, was now into fourth on the Repsol Honda but had left himself with too much work to do to catch Vinales.

Lorenzo remained ice cool amidst t🍎he mayhem and closed out a do✱minant win to move to the top of the points standings with his second win of 2016, five points ahead of Marquez.

Runner-up Rossi is seven points behind Marquez in third with liꦆttle between the top three in the championship after the first five 🃏rounds.

Vinales was thrilled with his superb third place as he came home ahead of Pedrosa, while Pol Espargaro and Aleix Esparඣgaro completed the top six.

Danilo Petr🗹ucci (Pramac Ducati) got the better of Hector Barbera on the Avintia Ducati for seventh, with Aprilia duo Alvaro Bautista and Stefan Bradl the top ten.

Ireland's Eugene🌃 Laverty (Aspar Ducati) came home head of Loris Baz (Avintia Ducati) in 11th, while Marquez was the last of the finishers in 13th.

French MotoGP:1.Jorge Lorenzo2.Valentino Rossi3.Maverick Vi?ales4.Dani Pedrosa5.Pol Espargaro6.Aleix Espargaro7.Danilo Petrucci8.Hector Barbera9.Alvaro Bautista10.Stefan Bradl11.Eugene Laverty12.Loris Baz13.Marc Marquez
Bradley Smith
Jack Miller
Andrea Dovizioso
Andrea Iannone
Tito Rabat
Cal Crutchlow
Yonny Hernandez
Scott Redding