Tag Archives: Sachsenring MotoGP

Zarco takes pole in Germany | Results | Notes | Quotes

2021 MotoGP Round Eight Sachsenring

Qualifying


Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) pulled a fast one in qualifying at the Liqui Moly Motorrrad Grand Prix Deutschland, the Frenchman just pipping compatriot Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to pole position by 0.011 – and that despite a late crash. Quartararo is therefore denied a record six in a row for a Yamaha rider but will start second, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) stealing a few headlines in third as he gave Aprilia their best qualifying in the MotoGP era and since 2000.


MotoGP Qualifying Quotes

Johann Zarco – P1

“I am very happy, it is a nice sensation to be in the Pole position at the Sachsenring. This is a difficult track for Ducati and me, but the bike’s potential is so high that we are obtaining good results. Tomorrow we will need to be careful with the usage of the tires, but to start from Pole I hope is what will give me that extra help.”

Johann Zarco
Fabio Quartararo – P2

“It was really tough. I was not feeling so good on the bike today, actually the whole weekend we‘ve been struggling a little bit, like all Yamahas. But I managed to get in a quite good lap. On my first lap of the second run there were many riders on track, but I managed to do a good second lap and we’re not far from pole. I gave my 100% and that‘s the best I could do, so I‘m happy. Tomorrow we will try to make the best possible start to the race. We have a good pace, so we‘ll see what we can do in the race.”

Fabio Quartararo
Aleix Espargaro – P3

“The best thing about today was arriving in parc fermé and seeing the smiling faces of my team. Rewarding them with a good performance is more important to me than the result in and of itself. I knew I could be fast. The characteristics of the track help us and already yesterday I had good sensations. It’s true that it is still only Saturday, but starting from the front is no small advantage. The characteristics of the track definitely suit the strong points of the RS-GP, stable and highly effective in braking. It’s hard to make predictions for tomorrow. Our pace is good, but there are a lot of riders rather close, so aiming for the top 5 seems like the most realistic thing to do.”

Aleix Espargaro
Jack Miller – P4

“I was expecting to do a little bit more today in qualifying, but we were unfortunate as, on both of my two flying laps with the soft tyre, I found the yellow flags. Anyway, we will start from the second row, and I am sure that this will allow us to fight for a good result. This was meant to be a difficult track for us on paper, but Zarco’s pole position also proved that our bike is working well here. So I am confident for tomorrow’s race”.

Jack Miller
Marc Marquez – P5

“The focus was not on taking pole today, we know our situation and what is realistic because over one lap we are struggling. Qualifying was acceptable, we did a good first lap and then it was hard to improve with all the yellow flags. Our race pace isn’t too bad, we are closer to the front than at other circuits, but I still think they have a little something extra at the moment. It’s a lot of laps and it looks like it will be very hot again, I’m feeling less physical limitations than before so I don’t think this will be a big issue for us – it will be demanding for everyone.”

Marc Marquez
Miguel Oliveira – P6

“It was a bit chaotic today. I felt good with the bike in Q2 but couldn’t make any clean laps so I was a bit disappointed by that and our strategy which means the second row. The pace is there, and we are one of the strongest so we need a good start tomorrow, to hold our position and maintain the tire life to be able to fight for a long race.”

Miguel Oliveira
Jorge Martín – P7

“I am very happy, we have taken a huge step forward since yesterday. Already from FP3, I was feeling much better than yesterday and I knew that I could push harder. Tomorrow I will try to fight to remain in the leading group.”

Jorge Martín
Pol Espargaro – P8

“The lap where I crashed in FP3, I was certainly on to challenge for Q2. Pushing with two tyres in Q1 and one new tyre in Q2 was difficult, we had to risk a lot. I am going to do whatever it needs to be on the top, I finished eighth in Qualifying and one tenth off Marc but I can’t be happy with eighth. Sure we came through Q1, but I want more and I want to be on top. It’s not a bad day overall, let’s see what happens tomorrow in the race as everyone is very close.”

Pol Espargaro
Takaaki Nakagami – P9

“I had a crash in the last minutes but P9 is good and from the third row we still have a chance to fight in the race. We definitely have good pace for the race and we were working on that in FP4, putting on new tyres and it was looking good. We’re ready to make a great race and hopefully we can get a good result.”

Takaaki Nakagami
Francesco Bagnaia – P10

“Unfortunately, today, I found a lot of traffic in qualifying that hindered me, preventing me from taking advantage of my flying lap with the soft tyre. We will start from the fourth row with the tenth fastest time, so getting a good start will be really important. This morning and in FP4, we showed good pace, so if we can be in the front group from the beginning of the race, I’m sure we can fight for the top five positions”.

Francesco Bagnaia
Alex Rins – P11

“The issue I had in FP3 was with the engine, so I went straight to the box and got the second bike so I didn’t lose much time. But after that I made a few mistakes, I didn’t really get a quick lap and it meant I couldn’t get into Q2 directly. But then in Q1 I felt great and I was able to push well to make it into the Top 2 and get through to final qualifying. But I’m a bit disappointed and angry with Q2 because some riders were going very slowly, almost stopping on the track and this is something we always speak about in the Safety Commission. We are MotoGP riders and we have to set the example for the younger riders, yet I found a big group of riders going slowly during the final laps of Q2. Anyway, I’ll start 11th on the grid and even if it won’t be easy to overtake, I want to work hard and get the best result possible despite my wrist injury.”

Alex Rins
Álex Márquez – P12

“It was a good day in general. We made a step forward, there is still margin to improve in some sectors, but the rhythm is not bad for the race. During Q2, I was not riding like I needed to ride, I gave 100 percent, but I was not taking 100 percent from the bike. I made too many mistakes, so I want to say sorry to my team for that. Anyway, I think we need to take the many positives that there were today and keep going like this. Tomorrow will be a long, tough race for everybody and we need to be really active from the beginning.”

Álex Márquez
Brad Binder – P13

“I’m happy with the improvements I made in FP4 but when it came to qualification something didn’t feel quite right. There was an issue with the left side of the front tire and we need to have a look at it. I pushed as hard as I could and then came in to try and new one. I wanted another time attack but the same issue came up. We’ll have a look but in general I’m happy with the better pace from the day. I’m still not quite fast enough but I’m consistent. Hopefully tomorrow I can find the final step-up I need.”

Brad Binder
Luca Marini – P14

“I think we have to be satisfied with this P14, it’s a good result for us and we are only half a second off pole time. We have done a good job with the team, we are fast, we have reduced the gap to the leaders and tomorrow we have a very tough race ahead of us. It will be difficult on the medium tires, we are all very close and it will be crucial to start well and manage the first few laps.”

Luca Marini
Enea Bastianini – P15

“It was a good day. This morning I didn’t set my best time and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t push like I wanted to. However, in qualifying I was able to set a good time and I felt strong. We still have some work to do, but I feel ready for tomorrow’s race.”

Enea Bastianini
Valentino Rossi – P16

“Today was better because I was able to improve the pace, I felt more comfortable on the bike and, in the end, the time attack was not too bad. Finally I will start P16 because everyone is really strong and it’s very close between all the riders. You can see this because there are a lot of good names further down the grid. Now we need to understand what conditions will be tomorrow, so that we can make the right tyre choice because it is very open at the moment. It is going to be a long race, because the circuit is short, which makes things difficult. This is also a physically demanding track, so we know it will be hard.”

Valentino Rossi
Joan Mir – P17

“Today has been a day to forget, but also a day to learn. We made a step compared to yesterday, but my feeling with the bike isn’t right – I’m not able to push how I want or stop the bike well and I’m really losing a lot in the last sector. It’s a shame because I’m not riding badly, but with this lack of feeling it’s making everything a struggle, so we need to fix a few things. In Q1 it was quite a mess, a lot of yellow flags and distractions, so it was very tough to set a quick time. We’ll keep trying and hope to fix it tomorrow morning, I will stay motivated and positive because we’re not far off; we’re just missing something. I trust in myself and I know our bike has more potential. I’ll give it 100%.”

Franco Morbidelli – P18

“Today I was not the fastest on track and I was doing everything I could to get into Q2, but I needed to be on the limit to do it. Unfortunately I went over the limit in the last corner and crashed – I’m okay though. It’s a pity because it means I will start 18th, but I am happy with the feeling that I have with the bike and the speed we had in FP4. We know the race tomorrow will not be an easy one, but we will try to do our best to be as competitive as we can. There are some areas of the track where I am losing time, but I do feel great with the bike, so let’s see where we can end up. We know it will be difficult, but we will try.”

Franco Morbidelli
Danilo Petrucci – P19

“It was not an easy qualifying. I found some traffic when I was improving my lap time. On top of that, my setup didn’t feel perfect, as I felt some strange vibrations and therefore it wasn’t possible to improve the lap time. I’m pretty confident regarding my race pace, although we start really far back. I still think that we can have a good race tomorrow.”

Danilo Petrucci
Iker Lecuona – P20

“Overall, it was a difficult day. In the morning, I went wide in turn one as I made a mistake on the brakes and I had a small crash. I struggled quite a lot. Finally, in FP4 we tried something on the base setting in order to improve for the race. This was a success and we went a few tenths quicker. So, this is positive for tomorrow. In Qualifying I tried to push at my maximum. On my fast lap, I did a small mistake again and crashed in turn one. Luckily, I’m fine. Q1 was pretty tight, I just lost half a second to the front. Tomorrow in the race, we will see what we can do but I’m convinced we can fight for the top 10.”

Iker Lecuona
Maverick Vinales – P21

“I don‘t exactly know where the problem lies, but we are working on it. It‘s difficult to say anything else about it at the moment. We are trying, working on the bike. We are working on corner speed as well. We are struggling on that point, the turning of the bike. We will keep going and improving, and then we will see what we can do tomorrow.”

Maverick Vinales
Lorenzo Savadori – P22

“First of all, let me congratulate Aleix and Aprilia for the front row – an extraordinary and well-deserved result. As for me, I am disappointed and angry about the crash in qualifying. I must apologise to my team because it was my mistake, when we had a solid chance of taking a step forward. My neck hurts a little, but hopefully this won’t limit me tomorrow.”

Lorenzo Savadori

Q1

A frantic Q1 full of superstars eventually saw Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) progress through to Q2 in Germany, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) marginally missing out and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) both some way off moving through. For Mir it’s his worst qualifying of the season after he was P17, now moving up one after a penalty for another rider, and for Viñales it’s 21st and penultimate on the grid after his worst qualifying in MotoGP.

The penalty, meanwhile, was a three-place grid drop for Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) after he was found to be riding slowly on the racing line, creating some drama for an angry Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing). In addition, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) crashed at the final corner, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) crashed at Turn 12 and Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 1.

Q2

As the Q2 session got underway, it was immediately clear that Quartararo had strong speed, as he dropped the best lap to a 1:20.4. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was initially second, ahead of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), but that would shuffle after the final push.

As the closing stages of the session came onto the horizon, it looked like Quartararo had done enough, but it would prove to not be the case as Zarco sliced round the Sachsenring with the lap of his life to hustle his Ducati to the top – by just 0.011. The double Moto2 World Champion then went in pursuit of another hot laptime too but as Zarco tipped into Turn 5, he tucked the front and crashed out of contention, bringing out the yellow flags.

That was also true after a crash late on at Turn 1 for Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – the last man on a push – was forced to settle for fourth as he rolled out.

The Grid

MotoGP Qualifying Sachsenring 2021
1 Johann Zarco – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 1:20.236
2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.011
3 Aleix Espargaro – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – Aprilia – +0.211

Zarco starts ahead of Quartararo after Ducati’s first pole at the Sachsenring since 2008 with Casey Stoner, and it’s the first French 1-2 since Brno 2020 too. Completing the front row is Aleix Espargaro, taking his first front row since Assen in 2015 and giving Aprilia their first front row since MotoGP was introduced in 2002, a historic landmark for the Noale manufacturer. Espargaro is the fourth different rider to give Aprilia a front row in Grand Prix racing’s premier class.

Miller heads up Row 2, just ahead of the King of the Sachsenring: Marc Marquez. Having been eyeing up a front row place for the majority of the session, Marquez dropped to the middle of the second row by the end but it is his best qualifying position since his return. After some time looking for the ideal track position, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) ultimately completed the second row in sixth.

Jorge Martin took P7 and makes it three Ducatis inside the top seven, whilst eighth place went to Pol Espargaro after he made it through from Q1. The number 44 was tracking Quartararo for the majority of the second half of the session. He’s joined by fellow Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami, and rounding out the top ten is Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), just over half a second from Zarco’s pole time.

Rins could only take 11th come the chequered flag, whilst 12th place went to Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol). Binder and Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) are next up, with Bastianini then shuffled back and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) gaining 15th instead.


MotoGP Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Q Time/Gap
1 Johann ZARCO DUCATI Q2 1m20.236
2 Fabio QUARTARARO YAMAHA Q2 +0.011
3 Aleix ESPARGARO APRILIA Q2 +0.211
4 Jack MILLER DUCATI Q2 +0.272
5 Marc MARQUEZ HONDA Q2 +0.331
6 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM Q2 +0.353
7 Jorge MARTIN DUCATI Q2 +0.381
8 Pol ESPARGARO HONDA Q2 +0.423
9 Takaaki NAKAGAMI HONDA Q2 +0.574
10 Francesco BAGNAIA DUCATI Q2 +0.575
11 Alex RINS SUZUKI Q2 +0.713
12 Alex MARQUEZ HONDA Q2 +0.899
13 Brad BINDER KTM Q1 (*) 0.092
14 Luca MARINI DUCATI Q1 (*) 0.220
15 Enea BASTIANINI DUCATI Q1 (*) 0.309
16 Valentino ROSSI YAMAHA Q1 (*) 0.328
17 Joan MIR SUZUKI Q1 (*) 0.370
18 Franco MORBIDELLI YAMAHA Q1 (*) 0.447
19 Danilo PETRUCCI KTM Q1 (*) 0.493
20 Iker LECUONA KTM Q1 (*) 0.510
21 Maverick VIÑALES YAMAHA Q1 (*) 0.521
22 Lorenzo SAVADORI APRILIA Q1 (*) 0.767

MotoGP Championship Top Five

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha 115
2 Johann ZARCO Ducati 101
3 Jack MILLER Ducati 90
4 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati 88
5 Joan MIR Suzuki 78

Moto2

Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo)

Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is back on top in Moto2 as the rookie sensation put in a new lap record in qualifying for the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, taking over at the top from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), who was forced to settle for second. Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completes the front row.

Moto2 Qualifying Sachsenring 2021
1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 1:23.397
2 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – +0.347
3 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +0.372

Moto2 Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Q Gap
1 Raul FERNANDEZ KALEX Q2 1m23.397
2 Fabio DI GIANNANTONI  KALEX Q2 +0.347
3 Remy GARDNER KALEX Q2 +0.372
4 Marco BEZZECCHI KALEX Q2 +0.787
5 Xavi VIERGE KALEX Q2 +0.899
6 Jorge NAVARRO BOSCOSCURO Q2 +0.904
7 Sam LOWES KALEX Q2 +1.019
8 Ai OGURA KALEX Q2 +1.042
9 Bo BENDSNEYDER KALEX Q2 +1.077
10 Aron CANET BOSCOSCURO Q2 +1.103
11 Nicolò BULEGA KALEX Q2 +1.106
12 Joe ROBERTS KALEX Q2 +1.124
13 Somkiat CHANTRA KALEX Q2 +1.197
14 Augusto FERNANDEZ KALEX Q2 +1.203
15 Jake DIXON KALEX Q2 +1.214
16 Marcos RAMIREZ KALEX Q2 +1.219
17 Marcel SCHROTTER KALEX Q2 +1.227
18 Albert ARENAS BOSCOSCURO Q2 +1.410
19 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA KALEX Q1 (*) 0.256
20 Tony ARBOLINO KALEX Q1 (*) 0.447
21 Celestino VIETTI KALEX Q1 (*) 0.482
22 Alonso LOPEZ KALEX Q1 (*) 0.497
23 Fermín ALDEGUER BOSCOSCURO Q1 (*) 0.545
24 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI MV AGUSTA Q1 (*) 0.572
25 Cameron BEAUBIER KALEX Q1 (*) 0.616
26 Hafizh SYAHRIN NTS Q1 (*) 0.752
27 Stefano MANZI KALEX Q1 (*) 0.824
28 Thomas LUTHI KALEX Q1 (*) 0.876
29 Simone CORSI MV AGUSTA Q1 (*) 1.285
30 Barry BALTUS NTS Q1 (*) 1.478

Moto2 Championship Top Five

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Remy GARDNER Kalex 139
2 Raul FERNANDEZ Kalex 128
3 Marco BEZZECCHI Kalex 101
4 Sam LOWES Kalex 75
5 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO Kalex 60

Moto3

Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) will start a Grand Prix from pole position for the first time at the Sachsenring, with the Czech rider topping Q2 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland by nearly two tenths. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) takes another front row to equal his best 2021 qualifying in second, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing the front row.

Filip Salač

The top three in the Championship all start outside the first four rows, with a charge potentially on the cards on Sunday…

Aussie Joel Kelso was taken out by Darryn Binder in the Q1 session. The South Africa exited pit-lane and barged straight into the side of Joel Kelso, but it was Binder that fared worst. He not only came down, but was then punished by officials not only by disqualification from Q2, but will also have to serve a ride-through penalty during Sunday’s race.

Moto3 Qualifying Sachsenring 2021
1 Filip Salač – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda – 1:26.913
2 Dennis Foggia – Leopard Racing – Honda – +0.183
3 Tatsuki Suzuki – SIC58 Squadra Corse – Honda – +0.214

Moto3 Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Q Time/Gap
1 Filip SALAC HONDA Q2 1m26.913
2 Dennis FOGGIA HONDA Q2 +0.183
3 Tatsuki SUZUKI HONDA Q2 +0.214
4 John MCPHEE HONDA Q2 +0.315
5 Kaito TOBA KTM Q2 +0.437
6 Lorenzo FELLON HONDA Q2 +0.479
7 Niccolò ANTONELLI KTM Q2 +0.485
8 Romano FENATI HUSQVARNA Q2 +0.562
9 Stefano NEPA KTM Q2 +0.609
10 Andrea MIGNO HONDA Q2 +0.716
11 Deniz ÖNCÜ KTM Q2 +0.780
12 Izan GUEVARA GASGAS Q2 +0.986
13 Pedro ACOSTA KTM Q2 +0.993
14 Sergio GARCIA GASGAS Q2 +1.006
15 Xavier ARTIGAS HONDA Q2 +1.082
16 Yuki KUNII HONDA Q2 +1.452
17 Jaume MASIA KTM Q2 +1.480
18 Darryn BINDER HONDA Q1 /
19 Gabriel RODRIGO HONDA Q1 (*) 0.570
20 Jeremy ALCOBA HONDA Q1 (*) 0.697
21 Ryusei YAMANAKA KTM Q1 (*) 0.702
22 Riccardo ROSSI KTM Q1 (*) 0.958
23 Adrian FERNANDEZ HUSQVARNA Q1 (*) 1.042
24 Joel KELSO KTM Q1 (*) 1.232
25 Elia BARTOLINI KTM Q1 (*) 1.275
26 Andi Farid IZDIHAR HONDA Q1 (*) 1.560

Moto3 Championship Top Five

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Pedro ACOSTA KTM 120
2 Sergio GARCIA GASGAS 81
3 Jaume MASIA KTM 72
4 Romano FENATI Husqvarna 61
5 Darryn BINDER Honda 58


2021

2021 MotoGP Round Eight Schedule Sachsenring

Source: MCNews.com.au

Riders reflect on opening day of practice in Germany

2021 MotoGP Round Eight Sachsenring

Friday MotoGP Rider Quotes

Miguel Oliveira – P1

“It was a good day. We did many laps with used tyres and the pace was nice. We hoped and expected to have a good time attack at the end and we managed to do it. There was no pressure at all to be super-fast today but you know it just kind of happened. So that means we are on a good direction and I feel comfortable with the bike. We need to be sharp and still pay a lot of attention to the small details because our rivals are also quite fast so I hope to do a good FP3 and hopefully go straight through to Q2 and qualify well for Sunday.”

Miguel Oliveira
Fabio Quartararo – P2

“I didn‘t feel great with the front tyre this morning and we saw that quite clearly. I crashed straight away. But anyway, I feel good and I‘m on the pace. We had more than 30 laps in total on the tyre in FP2, so that was mentally challenging. I was counting to myself, ‘17, 18, 19‘. I thought, ’Okay, I know that I have old tyres.‘ The time attack after that was a little strange, because you switch from a medium with 30 laps to a brand new soft. That‘s totally different. I didn‘t use all the potential of the soft, but in general I feel happy. I don‘t feel as good with the bike as I usually do, but we are working on it for tomorrow. I would really like to get pole, but first I need to stay calm and work on the pace. Then qualifying for me is like a game. It‘s an important part to prepare for the race, but the most important part for me is to have fun in tomorrow‘s Q2.”

Fabio Quartararo
Maverick Vinales – P3

“It‘s been a positive Friday. I‘m happy because the work done in Montmeló is now paying off. I have such a good feeling with the front, which was something that we were looking for. Normally we struggle a bit in this area, and then I lose confidence. With Silvano we worked a lot with the front, and it‘s starting to get much better. But, you know, when you focus a lot on improving one specific area you can lose out a bit in another. So, right now we are trying to find a good balance on the bike and try to build it up. I think it was important to be inside the top 3 today. That‘s always nice, also for the team. We will try to keep going with a lot of motivation.”

Maverick Vinales
Alex Rins – P4

“This is a track that I like, and I’m not feeling bad with my arm. I’m pleased with my position today, even if I lack a bit of consistency in lap times I am quite fast. I have a bit of pain in Turn 3 because it’s a long right-handed corner then there’s a quick change of direction. I also feel it on the brakes in Turn 1 and Turn 12, but in general this track has a lot of left-handed corners which maybe helps me a bit, although in MotoGP we’re always using our right hand for the throttle and brakes! I’m happy because I’ve completed my programme today, and tomorrow will be a similar plan. I’m satisfied with fourth, and tonight I will take some painkillers and try to rest a bit to be ready for tomorrow.”

Alex Rins
Pol Espargaro – P5

“Crashing was not part of the plan, but I am trying to find the limit now, rather than in the race. We are figuring it out but Turn 3 is causing some problems at the moment and this is why I fell there. Over one lap we are quite good, but the crashes meant we couldn’t really do as long a run today as we had hoped. It was a bit of a messy day honestly, but we have the speed here. Tomorrow we need a smoother day, less crashes and more in control. The bike is working well here this weekend.”

Pol Espargaro
Takaaki Nakagami – P6

“Today was a really good start to the German GP and a good day for us. We were P3 in FP1 and this afternoon we were able to be in the top six. We have a good feeling on the bike and good pace already. In sector one I need to improve as that’s the only place I’m not able to make a good speed, but in all the rest we’re in good shape. Tomorrow I’ll be focusing on improving in sector one and, if we can do that, we have a chance of maybe staying in the top three. That’s the target for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to the qualifying session.”

Aleix Espargaro – P7

“I know it may seem strange, given the final position, but I think this was the best Friday of the season so far. I felt good straight away. I’m able to be fast without taking excessive risks and the grip helps us, significantly higher than it was in Barcelona. I didn’t put together a perfect performance on my flying lap, but I’m competitive in terms of pace. This will be a track where the tyres will be highly stressed, also because of the weather conditions, so working well on that aspect is important.”

Johann Zarco – P8

“I am happy to be riding at this circuit again. My style is not ideal for this track, but I will try to adapt myself as much as possible. Together with the team, I am working a lot to find the best solution for us. I am happy with my last run where we were able to find important information.”

Jack Miller – P9

“My feeling with the bike is good, and I’m pretty satisfied with the work done today. We tried all the available tyres except for the soft and made a time attack with the medium in the final minutes of FP2. I think I already have a clear idea of what we will use in the race on Sunday. We are working mainly on the setup to make the bike more stable in the last two sectors, where we are not yet as strong as in the first two. Overall, I’m positive and happy with how the weekend is going so far.”

Jack Miller
Franco Morbidelli – P10

“It has been a good first day and we managed to get into the top-ten, which is an important thing. Although I think the lap time will need to be a bit faster to get into Q2. Today we were fast enough to do it and I felt good with the bike, we didn’t have any problems, so I’m happy about that. Of course there are things that could be better here and there, which we will do our best to try to improve, but it’s only the first day here. We are looking at some combinations of settings at the moment, to give ourselves the best bike setup that we possibly can. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

Danilo Petrucci – P11

“I’m really happy about the feeling I have with the bike here. It was maybe the first session, in which I felt strong and I was always very confident. We did some steps and it works, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I think if we do everything in a perfect way, we can make it to the top 10, which would be a very good target for us.”

Danilo Petrucci
Marc Marquez – P12

“Here I feel less physical limitations, honestly I was expecting zero problems but I still don’t think I am riding at my best. I can manage it and we have a good pace at the moment but for sure a focus for tomorrow is working on riding style. I didn’t put a new tyre at the end, I spoke with the team as I didn’t feel like I had the energy to do it. We are working to understand many things with the bike when it’s working well here. Our pace is looking good but it’s not the best on track at the moment.”

Marc Marquez
Álex Márquez – P13

“The end of the first day and I can honestly say I’m happy. It’s my first time here with a MotoGP bike and I enjoyed it, that’s the most important thing. I was able to play with the bike to try to improve things, we need to improve with the used tyre especially and make a step forward, but we are not bad and we can be happy with our day. There’s still a lot of work to do and things that we need to understand better, but we introduced today the new aerodynamic and among other things that were working quite well. The bike is working well. The problem of the grip is still there, but it’s something that we can manage a bit better than at Montmelo. This weekend, it will be important to be in Q2 directly, and also difficult because everyone is so close, but it’s definitely possible at this track.”

Jorge Martín – P14

“Physically I feel much better compared to how I was In Barcelona and that is a good starting point. I am not far off from the top ten and I feel satisfied with this first day even though this is my first time riding a Ducati on this track. I remain positive.”

Joan Mir – P16

“I’m not happy about today, we still have a lot of work to do because my feelings with the bike weren’t good, especially in FP2. We have a margin to improve and we need to figure it out overnight, but I feel quite calm anyway because I know we can be stronger. I didn’t have a good feeling with the bike overall, but especially with the grip – these hot temperatures make everything slippery and I felt better in the cooler conditions. I did my time attack with a medium front tyre, and I think I should’ve used the hard because I feel better with that. I didn’t have much confidence with the front so I couldn’t really push. Once we’ve checked everything we can try to piece it all together in FP3 so that we’re prepared for qualifying.”

Iker Lecuona – P17

“Finally, it was a quite ok day. We have been working well with the team and improved from FP1 to FP2. We are still far from the top, but in some places of the track I feel really good. We need to check the data now and we are aware of the way we need to follow, so I feel we have the potential to recover the gap tomorrow morning and to fight for the Q2.”

Luca Marini – P18

“It was not an easy day, we had some problems, but the feeling was not bad at all. What we did in the Barcelona test worked here, I felt good on the bike and I rode as I like. In FP2 I had a problem shortly after the start, which made me lose feeling with the rear. I went back out on the soft tire, but I couldn’t get the most out of it because I had the medium tire in front, whereas I prefer the hard one. I tried to push anyway because the top 10 was possible, but I crashed. The soft held out for about three laps, so I tried to make the most of it on my fifth attempt. I’m really sorry for the team because they’ll have a lot of work to do tonight.”

Enea Bastianini – P19

“It was a difficult day, however, we got some positive things out of it and we have a good pace. This morning I was able to try different tires, but I didn’t feel comfortable with the hard one. My fast lap wasn’t very good and also some other riders bothered me and didn’t allow me to give 100%. I am sure that tomorrow we will achieve better times and we will try to give our best.”

Lorenzo Savadori – P20

“I liked coming back to this track. The last time I raced here was in 2019 with the MotoE bike. Clearly, everything changes with a MotoGP bike. The track gets a lot smaller, but I must say that I had fun. We worked a lot with used tyres. We need to improve the second stage of the race because in Barcelona that was a limiting factor for us again. When I put on the new tyre, I did two decent laps, but I think that our potential is higher. We are still lacking a bit, especially on T2, but I continue to improve and, for now, that is still the main objective.”

Valentino Rossi – P21

“It’s been difficult today because it’s been very hot. In FP2 this afternoon we also tried the harder tyre to try to understand what it’s like. My second run was not too bad because my pace was quite good but in the end I unfortunately had a small crash, and it made me lose some confidence. This also meant that I had to change bike for the time attack, so my fast lap was not fantastic – plus I also made a mistake in the fourth sector. I am losing some time in sector three, so we need to look at this to find the best setting for tomorrow. It’s difficult to predict what will happen this weekend, as it is only Friday, but we will try our best.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P22

“It was a productive day. We focused mainly on finding the right set-up for the bike to limit tyre wear and get a good pace for the race. I am pretty satisfied with the work we have done in the two sessions today. For sure, it will be important to take another step forward ahead of tomorrow morning’s FP3, where we will also try our time attack to secure a spot directly into Q2″.

Francesco Bagnaia

Friday Practice Reports


New week, same speed: Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) remains the fastest man in MotoGP only a few days after his Catalan GP win, with the Portuguese rider topping the timesheets on Day 1 of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.  Around half-a-second off the outright lap record, Oliveira escaped Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) by a couple of tenths to take to the top, with Maverick Viñales making it two Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP machines in the top three on Friday as he ended FP2 within a tenth of his team-mate.

FP1

The day started with a very familiar name at the top of the Sachsenring timesheets: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The Spaniard is undefeated at the venue in the premier class plus a few years before that, and he was quick out the blocks before also stringing together a longer run of laps. Second was Quartararo, who also took a fast tumble – rider ok – at Turn 12 before moving back to within 0.168 off Marquez.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) started the event a tenth further back in third, ahead of another Honda: Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team). The number 44 also crashed at Turn 2, rider ok. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the top five, less than half a tenth in further arrears.

The other crasher in FP1 was the first: Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing). The Spaniard went down at Turn 12, rider ok.

FP2

In the afternoon, everyone improved and Miguel Oliveira took over at the top. The Catalan GP winner went more than 1.6 seconds quicker than his morning best, and just under a second quicker than Marc Marquez’ FP1 fastest lap, to head the timesheets in the session. He had two-tenths in hand over Quartararo, who was second once again, with Viñales moving up from tenth in FP1 to complete the top three.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) stole some headlines in fourth, the Spaniard impressing despite his wrist injury sustained ahead of Barcelona, ending the day top Suzuki and just under four tenths off the top. Pol Espargaro, Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro also impressed again, taking fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, was shuffled down to outside the top ten.

Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) crashed first at Turn 13 and then at Turn 7, rider ok, and Pol Espargaro had his second crash of the day at Turn 4. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) also slid out; the ‘Doctor’ at Turn 1.

Friday Combined Times

FP2 timesheets are the combined timesheets, so it’s Oliveira, Quartararo, Viñales, Rins, Pol Espargaro, Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro in the top seven. Next up is a Ducati duo as Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) pipped Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) to P8 by just 0.011, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completing the top ten.

Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), who now has the updates seen on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machines of Oliveira and teammate Brad Binder, took P11 by the end of play and is the first man set to miss out on Q2 as it stands, with Marc Marquez ultimately ending the day in 12th by just 0.009. The eight-time World Champion said he’d expected to find himself in slightly better shape at the track but also didn’t push for a time attack.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) was even closer to the rider ahead – Marc Marquez – by the end of the day. Just 0.002 split the two as the younger Marquez slots into P13. With the track not featuring on the 2020 calendar, the day was the first taste of the Sachsenring in MotoGP for more than just the 2021 rookies. Alex Marquez was the fastest of those who haven’t raced the track before in the premier class.

Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) was a tenth further back in P14, with Brad Binder completing the fastest fifteen on Friday ahead of reigning Champion Joan Mir.

Rossi ended Friday in P21, with a compatriot for company just behind him: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The number 63 was last on the timesheets and, although he didn’t push for a fast lap on soft tyres, will be looking for a lot more on Saturday morning as FP3 gets underway – as will the likes of Marc Marquez and Joan Mir.

Friday MotoGP Combined Times

Pos Rider MOTORCYCLE Time/Gap
1 M.Oliveira KTM 1m20.690
2 F.Quartararo YAMAHA +0.220
3 M.Viñales YAMAHA +0.333
4 A.Rins SUZUKI +0.387
5 P.Espargaro HONDA +0.418
6 T.Nakagami HONDA +0.441
7 A.Espargaro APRILIA +0.453
8 J.Zarco DUCATI +0.491
9 J.Miller DUCATI +0.502
10 F.Morbidelli YAMAHA +0.538
11 D.Petrucci KTM +0.592
12 M.Marquez HONDA +0.601
13 A.Marquez HONDA +0.603
14 J.Martin DUCATI +0.708
15 B.Binder KTM +0.736
16 J.Mir SUZUKI +0.763
17 I.Lecuona KTM +0.878
18 L.Marini DUCATI +0.905
19 E.Bastianini DUCATI +1.012
20 L.Savadori APRILIA +1.188
21 V.Rossi YAMAHA +1.278
22 F.Bagnaia DUCATI +1.521

MotoGP Championship Top Five

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha 115
2 Johann ZARCO Ducati 101
3 Jack MILLER Ducati 90
4 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati 88
5 Joan MIR Suzuki 78

Moto2

Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was fastest in FP1 and FP2 on Day 1 of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, ending the day an impressive three tenths clear in the combined times. It was once again a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2, however, with rookie Raul Fernandez the man on the chase.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completed the top three, pipping Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) to it by a single thousandth.

Friday Moto2 Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 R.Gardner KALEX 1m24.197
2 R.Fernandez KALEX +0.339
3 F.Di Giannanto KALEX +0.442
4 S.Lowes KALEX +0.443
5 X.Vierge KALEX +0.610
6 A.Fernandez KALEX +0.643
7 S.Corsi MV AGUSTA +0.835
8 M.Schrotter KALEX +0.848
9 T.Arbolino KALEX +0.888
10 T.Luthi KALEX +0.896
11 M.Ramirez KALEX +0.944
12 A.Arenas BOSCOSCURO +0.955
13 J.Navarro BOSCOSCURO +0.965
14 M.Bezzecchi KALEX +0.986
15 L.Dalla Porta KALEX +0.990
16 J.Roberts KALEX +1.239
17 H.Syahrin NTS +1.265
18 A.Canet BOSCOSCURO +1.354
19 B.Bendsneyde KALEX +1.356
20 A.Ogura KALEX +1.397
21 A.Lopez KALEX +1.403
22 C.Beaubier KALEX +1.502
23 L.Baldassarri MV AGUSTA +1.520
24 S.Chantra KALEX +1.528
25 N.Bulega KALEX +1.530
26 J.Dixon KALEX +1.667
27 F.Aldeguer BOSCOSCURO +1.709
28 S.Manzi KALEX +1.709
29 B.Baltus NTS +1.964
30 C.Vietti KALEX +1.965

Moto2 Championship Top Five

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Remy GARDNER Kalex 139
2 Raul FERNANDEZ Kalex 128
3 Marco BEZZECCHI Kalex 101
4 Sam LOWES Kalex 75
5 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO Kalex 60

Moto3

John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was the man to beat on Day 1 of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, the Brit topping the timesheets in the morning and no one able to displace him. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) starts his German GP off on good footing too as he ends Friday in second, just over a tenth off the top, with Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the top three after going quickest in the afternoon.

Aussie rookie Joel Kelso who answered a call-up from the CIP Green Power Team to replace their injured rider finished Friday 25th quickest, 2.8-seconds off the P1 pace set by McPhee.

Friday Moto3 Combined Times

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap
1 J.Mcphee HONDA 1m26.739
2 T.Suzuki HONDA +0.113
3 P.Acosta KTM +0.351
4 G.Rodrigo HONDA +0.370
5 D.Öncü KTM +0.530
6 S.Nepa KTM +0.550
7 R.Fenati HUSQVARNA +0.758
8 D.Foggia HONDA +0.762
9 F.Salac HONDA +0.762
10 D.Binder HONDA +0.771
11 A.Migno HONDA +0.854
12 N.Antonelli KTM +0.960
13 I.Guevara GASGAS +0.997
14 J.Masia KTM +1.043
15 J.Alcoba HONDA +1.059
16 L.Fellon HONDA +1.110
17 S.Garcia GASGAS +1.116
18 Y.Kunii HONDA +1.176
19 K.Toba KTM +1.180
20 X.Artigas HONDA +1.183
21 R.Rossi KTM +1.236
22 A.Fernandez HUSQVARNA +1.371
23 R.Yamanaka KTM +1.381
24 A.Izdihar HONDA +1.817
25 J.Kelso KTM +2.836
26 E.Bartolini KTM +2.878

Moto3 Championship Top Five

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Pedro ACOSTA KTM 120
2 Sergio GARCIA GASGAS 81
3 Jaume MASIA KTM 72
4 Romano FENATI Husqvarna 61
5 Darryn BINDER Honda 58

Source: MCNews.com.au

Will Sachsenring mark the point where Marquez gets his mojo back?

2021 MotoGP Round Eight Sachsenring


Following the excitement of Catalunya the MotoGP paddock has now trekked north to Germany for the next round of the world championship – the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the iconic Sachsenring circuit.

Located near to Chemnitz in Saxony, Sachsenring is a 3,671m (2.281 miles) anti-clockwise circuit, which makes it the shortest track on the calendar. However, with 10 left and only 3 right turns, and a short 700m (0.435 miles) straight, this means that it is also one which places a lot of stress on the left-hand-side of the tyre. For the first time this season the entire allocation will be asymmetric, with all front and rear tyres having a harder left side of the tread, and the right side being a much softer compound to warm up quickly and provide grip when the riders need it in one of the three right turns. Being in the eastern part of the country not far from the cities of Dresden and Leipzig, and despite the race being staged in early summer, there is always the possibility for it to be cool and damp.

MotoGP Sachsenring Marquez GP AN
Marquez took an emphatic victory at Sachsenring before the summer break in 2018 – Image by AJRN

All of the Sachsenring MotoGP lap records were set in 2019 by Marc Marquez, with an all-time lap record time of 1m20.195s, while the circuit top speed record of 298.2 km/h was set by Andrea Dovizioso in the same year. With this year’s race taking place one month earlier, it will be interesting to see, with the potentially different weather conditions, if these are still standing after the 2021 race.

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Marquez Podium
Marc Marquez – Sachsenring – MotoGP 2019

The tight and twisty venue is a different challenge from most, and traditionally there has been a single King of the Sachsenring: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). With seven wins from seven in his time in MotoGP – and a few before that too – the number 93 has been almost unassailable at the track, but this time he arrives on the comeback from injury and the flashes of brilliance so far have been very much accompanied by some struggles for the eight-time World Champion. “Like the old Marc,” was his review of the laps he completed in Barcelona though, and on Monday in the post-race test he did more laps than anyone. So is it too soon to expect the King to return to the throne

Marc Marquez
No crowd there this year…
Marc Marquez

After the test day in Barcelona, the week between races went very well to recover. In this test we worked a lot and now we come to the Sachsenring where I have always enjoyed riding in the past. This year of course we arrive in a different position, but hopefully the layout should allow us to be more competitive from the physical side. Let’s see what the weekend brings.

If he doesn’t, there’s a somewhat blank slate in his wake. Traditionally though, the next bike home after the winner has been a Yamaha in recent years. So will it be this time? Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) will be hoping so after a dramatic end to his race in Barcelona where race-winning pace translated into sixth in the final results after two penalties. He’ll want to gain that ground back, and team-mate Maverick Viñales will want to gain ground full stop – something also true of Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi as some tougher times continue in their garage.

Will Quartararo continue to be the benchmark in season 2021?
Franco Morbidelli

We have the positives from Friday and Saturday at Catalunya, and also from the test there, to take with us to Germany this weekend. I hope that we can use these and be stronger at Sachsenring, but of course we will have to see what happens when we get there. It’s a nice track, very tight in places, and I’m looking forward to being back there this weekend. In fact, I remember the first time that I rode here in Moto2. I didn’t know the circuit and I was fighting for the podium in the race! I’m looking to face these next two races before the summer break in the best way possible.

Franco Morbidelli
Valentino Rossi

We had a good test at Catalunya; we tried some settings that we wanted to look at and my pace was good. I was in the top-ten and the feeling was positive. I hope we can continue this in Germany and have a good weekend, where our race goes like we expect. It’s a very different track to the others, with a lot of the corners on the left and this makes it quite a tricky circuit, it can be very difficult sometimes – but I have had some great battles in the past there, especially in 2009! I’m looking forward to returning there after we could not race there last year.

Valentino Rossi

Also traditionally, another Honda has sometimes joined Marc Marquez on the podium. The top rider for the marque as it stands is Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and he’ll want that good form for the bike at the track to translate into a kinder weekend in Germany after a dip recently. He has, after all, already taken a fourth place in 2021, as difficult as the year has been at times. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) will likewise look to the past performance of the machine to give themselves a boost, too. And what did HRC find in the post-Catalan GP test?

Pol Espargaro

We arrive here in Germany after a good day of testing in Spain. It has been a hard few races so it is important to keep our focus and do what we can this weekend. The Honda has been strong here in the past and with what we found in the test I hope that we can make some steps forward. Everything in MotoGP is so close so even a small improvement will help a lot, especially on Saturdays. We now have two races before the summer break, we want to head into the break on a positive.

Pol Espargaro

The more unknown quantities, in terms of track records, go for the rest. Ducati, to start with the factory equal on points with Yamaha at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, have seemed to edge closer and closer to the front in Germany as their bike has been crafted to turn better and better. And this season, it’s seemingly better than ever. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) praised the machine after his podium in Catalunya and offered a quick “we’ll see” regarding the Sachsenring, but 2021 so far says there’s more to be optimistic about than ever before. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) will have a few eyes on him too, with the Italian’s riding style and corner speed a key talking point earlier in the year, but his Barcelona weekend a little more muted.

Jack Miller

After almost two years, we’re back racing in Germany, at the Sachsenring. It’s a very peculiar track, and it’s also one of the shortest on the calendar. Ducati isn’t one of the favourites at this circuit, but this year we’ve managed to be competitive even on tracks that should have been difficult for us. We’ve had another good weekend at Catalunya, and my feeling with the Desmosedici GP continues to be very good, so I’m confident that I can fight for another good result at this Grand Prix”.

Jack Miller arrives in Germany after moving up to third place in the championship. 25-points behind series leader Fabio Quartararo
Francesco Bagnaia

We’re at the eighth round of the season and the penultimate race before the summer break. It’s a crucial moment for the Championship, and it will be crucial to get a good result this weekend. Sachsenring is definitely not one of the best tracks for our bike’s specifications, but I am confident that we can do well this year. As always, it will be important to be competitive right from the start of the weekend! I can’t wait to get right back to work with my team”.

Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), however, got the better of both last time out. The Frenchman was top Independent Team rider and top Ducati – as he is in the standings, although Miller especially is gaining some traction – and cut his gap to the top quite a bit after Quartararo’s two penalties. What can he do? He had a tougher time of it at the track on the Yamaha, or more so in 2017 compared to then-teammate Jonas Folger’s heroics, but Zarco won the Moto2 race at the track in 2016 and was only 0.083 off doing the same the year before. So he knows his way around… can he hook it up in the premier class?

Ahead of all the Borgo Panigale machinery in Barcelona, however, was Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Portuguese rider put in an outstanding push on Sunday – and a smart one – to leave the Catalan GP with his first victory in factory colours, and he’s another with some good stats in his past at the track, just 0.066 off the win in Moto2 in 2017 behind only Morbidelli. Teammate Brad Binder won the Moto2 race the year after. As this is a track where the Austrian factory have no 2020 data and a best result outside the top ten given the sheer speed of their ascendancy, will it be more of an uphill struggle at this particular – and in some ways peculiar – venue? Or are the riders, mileage so far and updates to the RC16 ready to carry on where they left off?

Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 KTM Team Manager

Fresh from a week off the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing Team is now heading to Germany, where we didn’t race in 2020 due to the Covid19 situation. It will be for sure very interesting to see and understand how our KTM RC16 is behaving on that very particular circuit. We are happy to have had the chance to have a full day of test on Monday following the Catalunya GP, where both Danilo and Iker managed to test the new chassis and a few settings. That is going to not only improve the performance on track, but is also a moral boost for our two riders. We are now entering in the final straight of the first part of the season and clearly, the two upcoming back to back races prior to the summer break area going to be very important as we know the whole grid is preparing its 2022 line up. We are happy to be back in Germany. Sachsenring is always a very special event where we will for sure have fun, but clearly, we are going to miss the fans that were so many and that were so passionate about MotoGP. It will be strange to have empty grandstands when you remember how warm and noisy the German fans have been. Yet, we can’t wait to start Friday’s FP1 on that great Sachsenring circuit and hopefully we will be able to be closer to the Factory riders, Miguel and Brad, which is always our target. I have to repeat, that it was a great emotion to see Miguel winning the Catalan GP aboard his KTM RC16, so let’s try to be close to him. That’s our mission!”

Will KTM’s breakthrough at Catalunya also work in Germany?

Suzuki, meanwhile, have a couple of highlights that lend themselves to optimism – in addition to a bike that handles exceedingly well. First is a fourth place for Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the grid in 2019, the last time we raced at the Sachsenring, although he didn’t finish the race and arrives fighting to be fit after a cycling accident ahead of Barcelona. But the other is his team-mate – and the reigning Champion – Joan Mir’s seventh place in 2019. Looking back at the Majorcan’s record at the track in his short, sharp ascent to the top of the MotoGP world, it goes from Moto3 win on the way to the title to best Moto2 result at the time in 2018, a second place.

Joan Mir

It will be good to ride in Germany again, I was here in my rookie season in MotoGP and I did well, but obviously we missed out on coming here last year. It’s a circuit I like, it’s quite technical with a lot of ups and downs and blind corners. There are far more left turns that right, so it’s important to make up the difference in the lefts. Tyre management is important, and you have to be very precise with your lines. There are not many good overtaking spots, but there’s the first corner and also just after the waterfall section, although in general it’s a hard track to pass at. I’m looking forward to trying for a strong result.”

Alex Rins

I went to see Doctor Mir for some checks and I feel quite well. He took out the stitches and the bone seems almost fixed. I have some pain when moving my wrist, so I will keep working on my recovery during these days. In any case, I will try to give it my all. We didn’t race in Sachsenring last year, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on track here in Germany. I’m very pleased to be back with the team; I can’t wait to see them all and return to racing with my GSX-RR.”

Finally, for Aprilia the fight for the top five continues and will continue in Germany. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) has been close to it but ended up equalling their best result in the MotoGP era, sixth, which speaks to an impressive season but one that remains fixed on a firm goal: the top five, and the podium. Aleix Espargaro sat out the post-Catalan GP test after crashing out of the race but did get his arm, following arm pump surgery previously, checked out. All is ok, and the number 41 will be gunning for more glory in Germany… can he crack that top five this time around?

MotoGP Championship top five:

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha 115
2 Johann ZARCO Ducati 101
3 Jack MILLER Ducati 90
4 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati 88
5 Joan MIR Suzuki 78

Moto2

2021 is going pretty well for Red Bull KTM Ajo. In Moto2, it’s a masterclass so far for both Championship leader Remy Gardner and his rookie sensation of a teammate Raul Fernandez, who remains a close second in the standings. The number 25 also been Gardner’s closest challenger on track as the two stamp some serious authority on the season: a 1-2 in the last three races, the latter two with Gardner out front, and the only single race in which neither have been on the podium is Jerez. That’s quite a record, and as we head into the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland the Jaws music has likely already started a faint crescendo for their rivals.

In terms of track records, Gardner has scored points on Moto2’s last four visits to Saxony, a solid CV even for a rider in the form of his life as everything comes together, so there’s no reason to expect he’ll suddenly lose any speed. There is one added challenge for Raul Fernandez though: a little less experience. That didn’t make much difference at Mugello, however, and on his Moto3 debut at the Sachsenring in 2018 as an injury replacement, the Spaniard very much showed he knew his way around. So who could challenge the duo?

Winning on the track, and winning a MotoGP contract for 2022. Things are on the up for Remy

So far this season it’s been a tale of five riders with the edge on the rest and the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo with a little more than that. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) have both had wins marred by a few mistakes, so can they hit back? It’s starting to get more and more vital as the summer break approaches, with both seeing big points go begging of late but both already having taken to the top step.

The opposite is true of Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), who has lacked the raw pace to take him to a first win of the season so far but put together an impeccable campaign of consistency in third overall. That’s paying dividends as he now enjoys a nice 26-point cushion ahead of Lowes on the chase. With the metronomic excellence of the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo ahead though, “points make prizes” will soon not be enough. Can the Italian find that step forward in Germany? And can Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), who denied Bezzecchi the third step in Barcelona, keep his renewed form rolling?

Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was back on song in Barcelona too, and he took a solid sixth last time Moto2 raced in Germany. Bo Bendseyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) impressed last time out to beat Lowes to sixth at Catalunya as well. On German turf though, a few eyes will also be on Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as he starts to rebuild some speed after a tougher start to 2021. The Bavarian has a good record at the Sachsenring too, including a podium the last time we raced there in 2019…

Finally, Fermin Aldeguer (+Ego Speed Up) could be one to watch for those keen on catching a rider on the ascent. The Spaniard, who has taken five wins from five in the Moto2 European Championship, including an almost offensively quick double in Barcelona on the Sunday ahead of the Sachsenring, will be in on injury replacement for Yari Montella once again. First time out on the Triumph 765, the 16-year-old took 12th and was just half a tenth off top Boscocuro Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2). And this was at Mugello, where he’d never raced before. Can he make some more magic in Saxony?


Moto2 Championship top five:

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Remy GARDNER Kalex 139
2 Raul FERNANDEZ Kalex 128
3 Marco BEZZECCHI Kalex 101
4 Sam LOWES Kalex 75
5 Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO Kalex 60

Moto3

Consistency has been hard to come by in the 2021 Moto3 season. At first, rookie sensation – and still very much Championship leader – Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had it as those around him faltered, but now the momentum has moved once again and he’s been scoring good points, but not on the podium. Instead, it’s Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) who’s scored 57 points in the last three races, two of which he’s won to emerge as the closest challenger. One in the wet, one in the dry… and now we head to a venue where a few of his rivals lack some experience. And Garcia was in the lead group last time we raced in Germany.

First things first, Acosta has ridden the Sachsenring in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, and won a race. But will that experience count for a lot? He’ll hope so, with at least some track knowledge to help him on his quest to stem the tide of points. But Garcia isn’t the only rider looking to claw back some more ground…

Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who was just bumped off the podium in Barcelona by a track limits infraction, will be out for some revenge, and the likes of Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) will want to keep finishing ahead of Acosta as they did at Catalunya. Romano Fenati (Steilgarda Max Racing Team) remains fourth overall too and of those returning to race Moto3™at the Sachsenring this year, the veteran Italian was also the top finisher in 2019 as he took fourth.

Experience is also a question for Catalan GP podium finishers Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Rookies in 2020 and therefore not racing the venue in Moto3 yet, can they stay at the front? Alcoba hasn’t had any experience of the track and will be up against the clock to get up to speed, but Öncü has an impressive record at the place in the Rookies. He took his first victory in the Cup at the track in 2017, and in 2018 he took another win and a second place. Will that, plus the added confidence from an emotional first podium in Barcelona, translate into race day pace in 2021?

While the ASBK is racing in Darwin this weekend, one of the Northern Territory’s brightest young starts will be in Germany to stand in for the injured Maximilian Kofler in the CIP-GREEN POWER team. Joel Kelso has been competing in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship and his best result in the class is a ninth place. The CIP-GREEN POWER team is pleased to give to another young rider the opportunity to race in Moto3, as Daniel Holgado did recently at the Catalan Grand Prix.

Alain Bronec (CIP-GREEN POWER Team Owner)

Obviously, I wish Maximilian a speedy recovery, as he still needs to rest before coming back with us. For the next two races, we will rely on Joel Kelso, a promising young Australian. He will be discovering the Sachsenring and Assen, but we are very confident that he will improve throughout the two weekends. Once again, it is an Australian rider who will fly our colours after Remy Gardner who raced in the team before moving up to Moto2. Welcome Joel!

Joel Kelso joins the big game this weekend in Germany

The tight, twisty Sachsenring may deliver a slightly different Moto3 showdown to that of many tracks so far, and it’s a new challenge for a few key faces in the field, not just Joel.


Moto3 Championship top five:

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Pedro ACOSTA KTM 120
2 Sergio GARCIA GASGAS 81
3 Jaume MASIA KTM 72
4 Romano FENATI Husqvarna 61
5 Darryn BINDER Honda 58

Source: MCNews.com.au

Riders reflect on Sachsenring MotoGP | Round 9

MotoGP 2019

Round Nine – Sachsenring
MotoGP Race Rider Quotes


Marc Marquez – P1

“It was a perfect strategy. But I didn’t have a perfect start as I ran a little deep at Turn One. After that my plan was two slow laps to warm the front tyre well and then push, and it’s exactly what I did. Step by step I opened the gap and followed the plan as I needed to. Once the gap was at three seconds I stayed there and saved the tyre and enjoyed riding. It’s a great feeling to win here again and to enter the summer break in this way. Congratulations also to my brother for his win today, it’s always really nice to win together! I want to say thank you to the Repsol Honda Team for their work in this race and the first half of the season.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez makes it 10 wins in a row at Sachsenring in 2019
Maverick Viñales – P2

“We discovered quite early this weekend that second place might be the best we could do here, so with that in mind we achieved the objective. For us it’s really good, second is my best result here. I started well, I did a good first few laps. This result means a lot, it prepares me for Brno. I’m really happy, we understand the way to go. Yamaha is working in a good way, and I know our strong and weak points. It’s good that we have a summer break to improve the bike and improve myself. The tyre choice was very difficult, I took a gamble with the hard because I worked most of the time with this tyre. It was on the limit if I could or could not finish the race, and I said to myself ‘If I need to slow down in the last ten laps, I will, but I will be at the front’. I’m very pleased for Yamaha, it’s very important to get a consecutive first and second place. I saw Cal on my pit board the whole time and for about fifteen laps I closed every door. I worked very hard on making sure he couldn’t overtake me, because I knew if he did, he would go. Luckily I was second, so I’m very pleased and happy. I can’t wait for Brno to try out the new things and see if we take a step.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Maverick Vinales
Maverick Vinales – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Cal Crutchlow – P3

“First of all, it’s great to be on the podium at the HJC Grand Prix, the team did a fantastic job. We worked all weekend on what we thought would be a race pace. Yesterday I did around the 28 lap mark a 22.7 and that’s exactly what I did on the 28th lap today. Everybody was shocked when my pace was that, but I thought that would be the pace in the race and it was. The track condition was not great, in the middle of the race I had a bit better pace than Maverick (Vinales), but once (Alex) Rins crashed I thought I’m on the podium anyway and we had nine seconds to the guys behind and the gap was going up every lap. I planned to attack with five laps to go, but the wind was so strong that my eyes were streaming with water, so I tried to blink it out and he (Vinales) got a bit of a gap. I came again, but then with two laps to go I made a big mistake in turn 10 and lost the rear of the bike. So after that I said Maverick could have it, I’m very happy with the podium today, the team and Honda have worked very, very hard and we deserve it.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Cal Crutchlow AX
Cal Crutchlow – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Danilo Petrucci – P4

“Today we did our best, making a strong comeback to finish fourth and take home important points for the championship. It’s been a complicated weekend, but fortunately yesterday’s crash didn’t particularly compromise our performance during the race. I was able to get off to a strong start from twelfth place on the grid and I immediately recovered some positions, then I simply tried to manage the rear tyre in the best way possible. It wasn’t easy to hold off the other riders of the pack, and once again I had a fun battle with Andrea and Jack. The only negative note is the gap from the winner, but I think we achieved the best possible result today. Now we’ll take a small break, during which we’ll work hard to be even more competitive by the time we’re back in action and make up ground in the championship.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Danilo Petrucci AX
Danilo Petrucci – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Andrea Dovizioso – P5

“Today we had another exciting battle with Danilo for almost the entire race and claimed fifth position in a sprint to the finish line to bring home important points in one of the most difficult tracks for us, which is undoubtedly positive. However, we couldn’t have done more during the race and the gap shows how we still need to improve under some aspects to be able to fight at the front in each situation. We’re still second in the championship despite the bad luck we had in Barcelona and the issues we encountered in the last couple of races. For sure we won’t give up and we’ll try to put this short break to good use and find some new solutions to be more competitive, starting from next round at Brno.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Andrea Dovizioso AX
Andrea Dovizioso – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Jack Miller – P6 (First Independent)

“To be honest, I thought I could do better. I had the pace to attack the two official Ducati on the last lap but in the end, I preferred not to make mistakes and take home important points that allow me to go on holiday as the first Independent rider.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Jack Miller
Jack Miller – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Joan Mir – P7

“It was really nice to fight for top positions in a quick group, but I made some mistakes and I had to recover some places, which cost me a bit. Anyway, I’m happy with my performance and my pace, it was difficult to pass the other riders in front of me, but I gave it my best shot and I could bring home seventh. Now it’s time for a little break with my family, and then I’ll start preparing for part two!”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany joan mirr
Joan Mir – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Valentino Rossi – P8

“I‘m not satisfied because it was a difficult race, I suffered a lot. First of all, we used the medium rear tyre because Michelin said to us that it would be impossible to race with the hard, but I had a lot of sliding and not enough grip, so this was the first problem. The bigger problem was that in Assen in the race I felt strong, so here we tried to confirm it, but in reality I wasn‘t very fast, I didn‘t feel good with the bike. This is a difficult moment, because the last time when we were here, at this part of the championship, I was very competitive. From Le Mans to Sachsenring I did some good races. This year it‘s been a lot more difficult, so we need to get a better understanding, because I don‘t have a great feeling with the bike and I‘m not as fast as we want.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Franco Morbidelli – P9

“It was a strange race for me. I was in the big group stretching from fourth back, but I couldn’t attack and had to stay behind. I tried to manage the tyres, but even then they dropped off a little and I lost my position within the group. We came home in the top ten, but the feeling in the race was completely different from practice. Now we’ve got time to relax and study everything, and we can start where we left off in Brno with some new ideas.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Franco Morbidelli
Franco Morbidelli – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Stefan Bradl – P10

”All weekend I was able to really enjoy riding and working with the team. Not many people are able to ride in Repsol Honda colours at home so it was a very special weekend for me and I enjoyed every moment. A big thank you to the team as they were incredibly welcoming and we were able to work extremely well together. Our approach in the race was good, maybe if I had been a little more aggressive in the opening laps I could have stayed with the group in front better and been stronger but still, a top ten was my target. I was able to be consistent and achieve what we set out to do for myself, the team and HRC.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Fri Stefan Bradl
Stefan Bradl – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Pol Espargaro – P12

“The start was not amazing – we had a small electronic problem – but the first half of the race was OK and I was fighting with some other riders. I was trying to keep the tyre but towards the end it was finished and I was really disappointed to suffer such a big drop on the rear. I could not ride or do anything because there was so much spin. We tried our best today. Now it is time to relax a little bit and then go hard again in the Czech Republic.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Pol Espargaro
Pol Espargaro – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Andrea Iannone – P13

“We are headed into the summer break on an upward trend. From Barcelona on, we took a small step and we need to pick up from here for the second half of the season. It was not an easy race today. I struggled with fresh tyres, but as the laps went by, I began to improve. We are taking some points home, but more than anything, I have more confidence in the saddle. We are able to understand the RS-GP better and we are very clear about which points we need to work on. I hope that the guys at home are able to get something new ready already for Brno. Our goal from here on is to battle consistently for the top 10.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Andrea Iannone
Andrea Iannone – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Takaaki Nakagami – P14

“It was a really tough day, like yesterday. The situation is that my whole body was getting worse not better so unfortunately it was a difficult two days. But yesterday was good, we did really well considering my condition. During the warm-up, the doctor gave me some injections to help with the pain which helped a bit. During the race there was a lot of pain and it was difficult. Over the last eight laps I had lack of grip on the rear and I had to slow down, but we scored a few points and that’s quite positive. Now we have three weeks off and tomorrow I’m going back to Japan so I will have time to rest, especially my left foot. We have time, so I will try to recover soon and I’m really looking forward to working with the team in the second part of the season.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Takaaki Nakagami AX
Takaaki Nakagami – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Hafizh Syahrin – P16

“The beginning of the race was really good but after ten laps we had a very big drop. I tried to keep the pace but it was impossible in the left corners to keep the grip. It was easy to spin and many times, I was sliding a lot. I couldn’t ride the bike comfortably and was fighting especially with the left side. I just continue working hard, even if we go into the summer break now.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Hafizh Syahrin
Hafizh Syahrin – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Pecco Bagnaia – P17

“It was a very particular weekend. I had to skip the FP2 for the FP1 crash and my physical condition was not at its best. Saturday’s practice was positive and even in the warm-up there was confidence. I didn’t expect to struggle so hard in the race. I can’t wait to be in Brno.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Pecco Bagnaia
Pecco Bagnaia – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Miguel Oliveira – P18

“It’s a sad finish this weekend because I think it was one of my strongest I had all season. I was very consistent in terms of race pace and also quite fast. It’s a shame that I made this mistake early in the race because after the crash even with a broken winglet I was quite fast and I had the pace to be inside the top 10. It is frustrating, but the most important is, that after the crash we picked up the bike and continued the race, which was very important for me in order to get information for the team and to learn from this, also to keep working hard to be fast again in Brno.

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Oliveira – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Alex Rins – DNF

“I lost a podium today. My feeling with the bike was really nice and I tried to get into second place as soon as possible because I felt that my rhythm was strong. Unfortunately, I lost the front on a fast right-hander, I entered into it just a couple of kilometres per hour faster than usual, and that’s why I crashed. It’s a shame because it’s my second DNF in a row, but I still feel positive because my pace has been good recently and I know I can get good results again when we come back after the break.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany alex rins
Alex Rins – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Johann Zarco – DNF

“My start was quite correct but there was a lot of sliding in the cooler conditions. I was expecting this and tried to keep consistent and limit the mistakes but in Turn 3 I came into the corner – maybe with too much lean – and lost the front. It’s a shame because I was in the points and that was the target. I know what I will do during the summer break and I am motivated to work and come back stronger in the Czech Republic.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Johann Zarco
Johann Zarco – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Aleix Espargaro’ – DNF

“We were finally competitive. I’m sorry for the team and for all those who work on this project. When you end a race with a crash, you are usually angry about it, but today I am pleased because we were able to stay with the group where we want to be battling, from fourth to tenth place. I had a good start. I didn’t have great grip on the rear, but I was very strong in braking and I managed to stay up with Rossi. When he overtook Morbidelli, I struggled to do the same and I got a bit frustrated. When I got past him and tried to close the gap, I made a small mistake on turn 1 and crashed. We are not in the fight for the title, so when I saw the chance to take eighth, I went for it. It’s a pity about how it ended, but I am very pleased about how we did this weekend.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Aleix Espargaro
Aleix Espargaro – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Fabio Quartararo – DNF

“I made a small mistake; I was trying to overtake another rider and I hesitated a little about whether or not to do it and ended up going into the corner with too much speed and lean angle. It’s the first mistake I’ve made in a race, and I’ll learn from it and come back stronger. The first half of the season has been really positive – we didn’t expect some poles and podiums. I’m happy with the balance of the year so far and really looking forward to the second half.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019

Team Managers

Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“We already predicted yesterday that managing the rear tyre would be key in today‘s race, and that was indeed the case. Maverick had shown good pace here all weekend, so we knew the tyres were performing well, but managing the degradation over the whole length of the race is challenging, especially when under pressure from a chasing rider, like Mack was today. He did a fantastic job. He was very consistent and precise, so this second place is well-deserved. Vale used the medium rear tyre, but it didn’t behave like we predicted. We had expected a better consistency, especially in the second part of the race, but it didn’t keep up its performance level. Because of this Vale wasn’t able to attack at the end of the race. We now have a three-week break which we will use to recharge before we head to Brno, where we will have some things that our riders can try during the test.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Maverick Vinales
Maverick Vinales – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Davide Brivio – Team Suzuki Ecstar Manager

“It was a pity for Alex that he crashed, because he was in a good position and he had space around him, therefore we missed a chance for another good result. But these things happen. Joan did a really good race, he was faster than his group at times, but it’s difficult to overtake here in Sachsenring. Anyway, it was great for him to be around much more experienced riders, and battle with them. We’re looking forward to the second half of the season, we’re competitive and we can try to go for good results. We’ll do our best.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany joan mirr
Joan Mir – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager

“The weekend was not so good because we are at a point where 12th position does not make us happy any more. Pol had a lot of issues in the race with the tyres and the bike. He could stay with the group in the first half of the race but then the lap-times dropped dramatically. It was not what we expected. The crash from Johann so early was not good for him or for us. Miguel also had a slide but afterwards his pace and lap-times were great. At least we can look at a top ten position in the championship for the summer break and now Dani [Pedrosa] and Mika [Kallio] will do some tests for us. We’ll analyse the last GPs because we’ve had some really good ones. Difficult races like today often mean you learn even more. The company will not stop working or pushing and we will come back stronger after the break.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Pol Espargaro
Pol Espargaro – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Wilco Zeelenberg – Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Manager

“We aren’t very happy with the race, with Fabio on the ground on lap two and Franco having a difficult time keeping his tyres alive. But in the end, he finished the race in the best way possible, scoring valuable points after a few DNFs earlier this season. It wasn’t our best performance of the year, but after eight races we can be proud with what we’ve achieved. I’m looking forward to a good break because I think we all need it and deserve it, and then we can come back in Brno and achieve a little bit better than today.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Hervé Poncharal – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager

“This has been a very frustrating last round before the summer break for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team. We knew with Miguel we had a very strong pace, we did a great FP3 and an even better FP4. Unfortunately, one more time, we didn’t qualify well enough and I think that is something we have to work on very much for the second part of the season. Clearly, the start was quite good from Miguel, average for Hafizh. Miguel was in the good group and unfortunately, although he is a rider that very, very rarely does a mistake, he did one and that was a costly mistake at the wrong moment. He was brave to pick up the bike, back on track with a broken winglet on the right side and completely bent brake lever. Even though, he pushed and was doing impressive lap times with the bike quite damaged. What is leaving us even more sad is the fact, that this pace would have been good enough for the top 10 or even the top 8, which means for the best result of the season so far. Of course, it would have been great to leave on holidays with that result. We know we can, but we need to make it and prove it on paper. This is a pity, but I just want to say ‘Good job, Miguel! Thank you for staying on track, thank you for pushing and this is something that for sure will make you a better MotoGP rider and I’m sure you learned quite a lot today!’ On the other side, I don’t know what to say, because the Qualifying position was a bit better for Hafizh than Miguel. The start was, as I said earlier, not ideal, but anyway, he passed a few guys ahead of him and was 15th, so we were quite happy when he was fighting with Nakagami in front. We thought that could be at least one of the guys finishing in the points and having a bit of positive feeling before the end of this first part of the season. Unfortunately, we saw his pace dropping dramatically, many riders passed him. I can’t explain it, because it looks like the same scenario every weekend; at the end of the race, there is no grip, much sliding, no pace. That was in Assen, but then we got the carbon swingarm, which is supposed to be better. Clearly, the tyre wear is more than Miguel, who has been a lot faster than his teammate today. So, maybe there is also something to understand about how to handle the bike, how to set it up and how to ride it. But I am disappointed with that result, because I’m sure today Hafizh had the possibility to score a point or two, minimum and we didn’t do it, which is a shame. Still I wish everybody a great break and hopefully we can start on a good base in Czech Republic for the second part of the year.”

MotoGP Rnd Sachsenring Germany Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Oliveira – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019

MotoGP Results


Source: MCNews.com.au