King of the Ring with nine wins and topping Friday Practice, evidence points towards Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) making it a perfect ten this weekend as he fired in a 1’19.394. The #93 was in P1 ahead of Raul Fernandez (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) whilst Fabio Di Giannantonio clinched third.
FIRST LAPS: Practice ignites in Germany
With the opening laps bagged, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) led the charge ahead of Sachsenring specialist Marc Marquez and brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). As the session ticked by, there was an incident involving Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with the Italian slowing on the racing line and impeding the #37 at Turn 7.
30 MINS ON THE CLOCK: Q2 placings up for grabs, changes aplenty
Into the second half of the session and there were some movements up inside the top ten, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) elevating himself into P9 and then a mighty lap from Cal Crutchlow (CASTROL Honda LCR) to put the Brit into P10. It was short-lived as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) replaced him in tenth. Di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Honda HRC Castrol duo Luca Marini and Joan Mir were also all improvers to switch up the top ten, leaving the likes of Acosta and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) out of provisional Q2 slots.
PLENTY OF CHANGE: #93 on a mission, Diggia fast
Less than 15 minutes on the clock, the times flooded in and so did the first 1’19 of the day and there’re no prizes for who set it… Marc Marquez was on a mission but it was matched by Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP), the Australian setting an identical time. Then, it was Diggia’s turn as the #49 slammed in a 1’19.674 before Alex Marquez slotted in behind the Italian. Things were heating up nicely for a final roll of the dice with five minutes on the clock.
FRIDAY TOP 10: deciding moments in closing stages
Having been knocked off top spot, the reigning World Champion wasn’t going to have it happen again and he fired in a 1’19.394 to takeover in P1. Fernandez also set a fast time, putting him second, just ahead of Di Giannantonio. Alex Marquez held onto fourth whilst Miller was superb to put him and Yamaha P5 and directly into Q2. The Australian was 0.065s ahead of Dutch GP winner Ai Ogura (SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team) with Bezzecchi, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), Acosta and Morbidelli rounding out the top ten.
FACING Q1: Bagnaia misses the cut
A late crash for Bastianini means that the #23 will go into Q2 and is joined by Pecco Bagnaia, who couldn’t get it hooked up for a top ten placing on Friday afternoon. Quartararo, Marini and Mir will also face the Q1 music, with just over a second covering P11 to P21. Two spots up for grabs, no easy pickings as to who will graduate.
MotoGP Practice results from the Sachsenring!