Takaaki Nakagami finished sixth in the French MotoGP, marking one of the best results of his premier class career.

The Honda test rider retired from full-time racing at the end of last season, returning now for a one-off wildcard appearance.

And although results aren't the main focus of his role, he managed to make the most of the circumstances.

Sunday's race at Le Mans was heavily affected by rain, with several riders pitting to swap bikes due to unpredictable weather - creating the opportunity for surprises.

One of them was Nakagami's sixth place, a result he only bettered seven times during his MotoGP stint from 2018 to 2024: he finished fourth on three occasions and fifth in four races.