Monster Energy‘s Fabio Quartararo celebrated a home podium at the FrenchGP just a week after undergoing surgery for arm pump.

Braving the conflicting and at-times treacherous conditions in the Le Mans flag-to-flag race, the Frenchman brought his Yamaha M1 home in third, holding off a determined Pecco Bagnaia in the closing stages.

Lining up from pole position as the dry race got underway, the ominous clouds above hinted at what was to come for Quartararo as he started his first flag-to-flag race. Initially losing out to teammate Maverick Viñales and Jack Miller, he fought back and was soon in the lead, before the real drama struck. Rain started pouring down, and with 22 laps to go, the Frenchman was heading for pit lane but all was not as it seemed. El Diablo parked his bike in his teammate’s garage, after almost entering the Avintia of Bastianini’s, and having to run to find his own. The chaos cost him both time and a long lap penalty as he returned to the track in third position.

With Marc Marquez crashing out in front of him, Quartararo was in the lead again with 20 laps to go, but not for long. Four laps later he executed his penalty smoothly as Miller took charge of the race. It looked like it would be a lonely ride for the Yamaha man, but with a dry line forming in the latter stages of the race, his soft front rain tyre started to drop. With six laps remaining, Johann Zarco swept passed with Bagnaia also on a charge, but he pushed hard in the closing stages, retaining third to join his countryman in the podium celebrations and retaking the lead of the championship in the process, by a single point.

“This was the strangest race of my life,” Quartararo admitted from Parc Ferme.

“I had never done a flag-to-flag race before. With the holeshot device in the first corner I was going so wide I thought I was not gonna turn and Maverick passed me on the inside but we were so fast on slicks before it started to rain. Then I saw Jack catch Maverick so fast and we had a great battle with Jack in the wet, but arriving to turn nine was like proper rain. Braking, I lost a little bit the front, then the rear released. So from turn nine to the pit line, I just go straight and be gentle with the gas.

“Then I arrived into the pit line, I was looking at the numbers on the ground, and I was first going to Bastianini’s box, then I said ‘no it’s not this one’ then I turned in the correct one, but I stopped at the wrong bike, it was a mess! Then had a long lap penalty and then the mixed conditions - all the weekend we were not able to finish in the top-10, even top-15.

“In the beginning I saw Rins crash at the first corner - it was perfect for the confidence. I nearly had a moment too and then there was Marc in front, I say ‘okay, I want to have him like a reference’ he was far, but I saw both of us were doing the same thing, he was sliding in turn six, I was going wide, and then he had a high side in the last corner. Leading the race in a wet, it never happens. So I’m really pleased about my first podium in the wet in MotoGP - also in Moto2 and Moto3 I’d never had one.

“To take a podium in these circumstances is amazing and good to do it in a French GP. I never expected it in these mixed conditions. I don‘t really care about the lead in the championship, because there are 14 more races to go, but it‘s still good because it means we are doing a great job. Looking at the conditions we had today, I was scared to lose positions, but we gained one. In the next few races we need to focus and take it step by step.

“I’ve learned a lot today because I was pushing at the maximum from the first lap to the end. The rear at 10 laps to go was spinning a lot, no grip, the front was destroyed, in the braking I felt big movement but was still stable in straight braking. Was really not easy but I could maintain the pace. Last five laps Pecco was coming so fast, I think he was two or two and a half seconds faster. Lucky there was not two more laps! It was great to make podium in that condition so I’m really happy and I think that for the future it will help a lot.”