| Grand Prix: | French |
| Flag: | France |
| Official Name: | Grand Prix de France[1] [2] [3] |
| Location: | Circuit Paul Ricard |
| Course Mi: | 3.610 |
| Course Km: | 5.809 |
| Race No: | 11 |
| Season No: | 15 |
| Date: | 24 July |
| Year: | 1988 |
| Pole Rider 500: | Christian Sarron |
| Pole Rider 500 Country: | FRA |
| Pole Rider 500 Bike: | Yamaha |
| Pole Time 500: | 1:58.810 |
| Fast Rider 500: | Wayne Gardner |
| Fast Rider 500 Country: | AUS |
| Fast Rider 500 Bike: | Honda |
| Fast Time 500: | 1:59.027 |
| First Rider 500: | Eddie Lawson |
| First Rider 500 Country: | USA |
| First Rider 500 Bike: | Yamaha |
| Second Rider 500: | Christian Sarron |
| Second Rider 500 Country: | FRA |
| Second Rider 500 Bike: | Yamaha |
| Third Rider 500: | Kevin Schwantz |
| Third Rider 500 Country: | USA |
| Third Rider 500 Bike: | Suzuki |
| Pole Rider 250: | Dominique Sarron |
| Pole Rider 250 Country: | FRA |
| Pole Rider 250 Bike: | Honda |
| Pole Time 250: | 2:04.030 |
| Fast Rider 250: | Juan Garriga |
| Fast Rider 250 Country: | ESP |
| Fast Rider 250 Bike: | Yamaha |
| Fast Time 250: | 2:03.370 |
| First Rider 250: | Jacques Cornu |
| First Rider 250 Country: | SWI |
| First Rider 250 Bike: | Honda |
| Second Rider 250: | Sito Pons |
| Second Rider 250 Country: | ESP |
| Second Rider 250 Bike: | Honda |
| Third Rider 250: | Dominique Sarron |
| Third Rider 250 Country: | FRA |
| Third Rider 250 Bike: | Honda |
| Pole Rider 125: | Ezio Gianola |
| Pole Rider 125 Country: | ITA |
| Pole Rider 125 Bike: | Honda |
| Pole Time 125: | 2:14.780 |
| Fast Rider 125: | Jorge Martínez |
| Fast Rider 125 Country: | ESP |
| Fast Rider 125 Bike: | Derbi |
| Fast Time 125: | 2:14.700 |
| First Rider 125: | Jorge Martínez |
| First Rider 125 Country: | ESP |
| First Rider 125 Bike: | Derbi |
| Second Rider 125: | Ezio Gianola |
| Second Rider 125 Country: | ITA |
| Second Rider 125 Bike: | Honda |
| Third Rider 125: | Corrado Catalano |
| Third Rider 125 Country: | ITA |
| Third Rider 125 Bike: | Aprilia |
| Pole Rider Sidecar: | Rolf Biland |
| Pole Rider Sidecar Country: | SWI |
| Pole Rider Sidecar Bike: | LCR-Krauser |
| Pole Passenger Sidecar: | Kurt Waltisperg |
| Pole Passenger Sidecar Country: | SWI |
| Fast Rider Sidecar: | Rolf Biland |
| Fast Rider Sidecar Country: | SWI |
| Fast Rider Sidecar Bike: | LCR-Krauser |
| Fast Passenger Sidecar: | Kurt Waltisperg |
| Fast Passenger Sidecar Country: | SWI |
| First Rider Sidecar: | Rolf Biland |
| First Rider Sidecar Country: | SWI |
| First Passenger Sidecar: | Kurt Waltisperg |
| First Passenger Sidecar Country: | SWI |
| First Rider Sidecar Bike: | LCR-Krauser |
| Second Rider Sidecar: | Steve Webster |
| Second Rider Sidecar Country: | GBR |
| Second Passenger Sidecar: | Tony Hewitt |
| Second Passenger Sidecar Country: | GBR |
| Second Rider Sidecar Bike: | LCR-Krauser |
| Third Rider Sidecar: | Markus Egloff |
| Third Rider Sidecar Country: | SWI |
| Third Passenger Sidecar: | Urs Egloff |
| Third Passenger Sidecar Country: | SWI |
| Third Rider Sidecar Bike: | LCR-ADM |
The 1988 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 22–24 July 1988 at the 5.81 km (3.61 mi) Paul Ricard Circuit.[4]
Frenchman Christian Sarron claimed his 5th pole position in a row on his Yamaha YZR500, and his last ever in 500 GP.
Like most of the mid-field, Niall Mackenzie (Honda) jumped the start and raced to the lead, but the race was allowed to continue and no penalties were handed out by race officials. On the 1.8 km long Mistral Straight for the first time Wayne Gardner used the power of his factory Rothmans Honda to shoot to the lead from Kevin Schwantz (Suzuki), Mackenzie and Wayne Rainey (Yamaha).
Gardner and pole sitter Sarron battled for the lead with Schwantz and Eddie Lawson (Yamaha), who was battling a shoulder injury suffered in the previous race in Yugoslavia only one week before and had turned to famed Austrian Willi Dungl to help him get fit to race. Gardner's Honda had the advantage on the Mistral Straight over all but Lawson's YZR500, but Lawson, Sarron and Schwantz had the advantage through the turns, though the Suzuki was clearly the slowest on the Pit and Mistral straights. The quartet gradually pulled away from Rainey, who in turn pulled away from a pack including Randy Mamola (Cagiva), Didier de Radiguès (Yamaha), Pierfrancesco Chili (Honda) and Kevin Magee (Yamaha).
Going into the last lap, Gardner had pulled out a two-second lead over the trio and looked set to win his fourth race in a row. However, going through the Courbe de Signes at the end of the Mistral his bike developed mechanical problems when a crankshaft bolt broke loose and found its way into the water pump, though he had a big enough gap over Wayne Rainey to struggle home in 4th place only 5.720 seconds behind Lawson. Gardner's breakdown allowed Lawson to win the race and extend his lead in the championship. Sarron consolidated his second place in the title race, finishing only 0.22 behind the American. In one of the closest top 3 finishes in history, Schwantz finished in 3rd place only 0.24 behind Sarron and less than half a second from winning. Schwantz came out of the final turn and knowing his bike didn't have the acceleration to pass, pulled a wheelie until after crossing the line and celebrated on the cool down lap for gaining an unexpected podium finish.
Wayne Gardner, back in the form that has seen him win the World Championship in 1987, had the consolation of setting the races fastest lap.
1988 was the final time that the French motorcycle Grand Prix would be held on the full length 5.81 km (3.61 mi) Paul Ricard circuit. When Grand Prix racing next returned to the circuit in 1991, the 3.812 km (2.369 mi) 'Club' circuit was used.
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Manufacturer | Time/Retired | Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Eddie Lawson | Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini | Yamaha | 42:15.520 | 20 | |||
| 2 |  Christian Sarron | Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 | Yamaha | +0.220 | 17 | |||
| 3 | Kevin Schwantz | Suzuki Pepsi Cola | Suzuki | +0.460 | 15 | |||
| 4 |  Wayne Gardner | Rothmans Honda Team | Honda | +5.720 | 13 | |||
| 5 | Wayne Rainey | Team Lucky Strike Roberts | Yamaha | +17.630 | 11 | |||
| 6 | Randy Mamola | Cagiva Corse | Cagiva | +27.810 | 10 | |||
| 7 |  Didier de Radiguès | Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini | Yamaha | +30.620 | 9 | |||
| 8 |  Pierfrancesco Chili | HB Honda Gallina Team | Honda | +30.870 | 8 | |||
| 9 | Kevin Magee | Team Lucky Strike Roberts | Yamaha | +35.110 | 7 | |||
| 10 |  Ron Haslam | Team ROC Elf Honda | Elf Honda | +35.310 | 6 | |||
| 11 | Rob McElnea | Suzuki Pepsi Cola | Suzuki | +59.870 | 5 | |||
| 12 | Malcolm Campbell | Team ROC Elf Honda | Elf Honda | +1:19.040 | 4 | |||
| 13 | Mike Baldwin | Racing Team Katayama | Honda | +1:42.640 | 3 | |||
| 14 | Alessandro Valesi | Team Iberia | Honda | +1:46.140 | 2 | |||
| 15 |  Fabio Barchitta | Racing Team Katayama | Honda | +2:02.540 | 1 | |||
| 16 | Donnie McLeod | Racing Team Katayama | Honda | +1 Lap | ||||
| 17 |  Marco Gentile | Fior Marlboro | Fior | +1 Lap | ||||
| 18 | Marco Papa | Team Greco | Honda | +1 Lap | ||||
| 19 | Fabio Biliotti | Team Amoranto | Honda | +1 Lap | ||||
| 20 |  Manfred Fischer | Team Hein Gericke | Honda | +1 Lap | ||||
| 21 |  Eddie Laycock | Millar Racing | Honda | +1 Lap | ||||
| 22 | Claude Arciero | Honda | +1 Lap | |||||
| 23 | Nicholas Schmassman | FMS | Honda | +1 Lap | ||||
| 24 |  Maarten Duyzers | HDJ International | Honda | +1 Lap | ||||
| Ret | Patrick Igoa | Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 | Yamaha | Retirement | ||||
| Ret | Rachel Nicotte | PVI Racing | Honda | Retirement | ||||
| Ret |  Daniel Amatriain | Ducados Lotus Guarz | Honda | Retirement | ||||
| Ret | Thierry Rapicault | Fior | Retirement | |||||
| Ret | Bruno Kneubühler | Romer Racing Suisse | Honda | Retirement | ||||
| Ret |  Josef Doppler | MRC Grieskirchen | Honda | Retirement | ||||
| Ret | Wolfgang von Muralt | Suzuki | Retirement | |||||
| Ret | Niall Mackenzie | Team HRC | Honda | Retirement | ||||
| Ret |  Shunji Yatsushiro | Rothmans Honda Team | Honda | Retirement | ||||
| Ret | Raymond Roche | Cagiva | Retirement | |||||
| Ret | Jean Luc Demierre | Suzuki | Retirement | |||||
| Ret | Vittorio Scatola | Road Racing Team Avia | Suzuki | Retirement | ||||
| DNS | Eric Sabatier | Weigl Telefix Racing Team | Honda | Did not start | ||||
| DNQ |  Andreas Leuthe | Suzuki | Did not qualify | |||||
| DNQ |  Larry Moreno Vacondio | Suzuki | Did not qualify | |||||
| DNQ |  Ari Ramo | Honda | Did not qualify | |||||
| DNQ | Claude Albert | Suzuki | Did not qualify | |||||
| DNQ | Patrick Leruste | Suzuki | Did not qualify | |||||
| DNQ | Bernard Andrault | Honda | Did not qualify | |||||
| DNQ | Vincenzo Cascino | Honda | Did not qualify | |||||
| DNQ | Christian Polard | Honda | Did not qualify | |||||
| Sources: [5] [6] | ||||||||