Sachsenring, 5 July 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) topped the timesheets on Day 1 of the HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, but the reigning Champion had some competition at the venue he’s reigned nine times in a row. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was second quickest, but Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) stole a few headlines in both sessions. The French rookie was fastest in FP1, and in the latter stages of the day he was denied the chance to improve his lap first as he got held up by teammate Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and second as he caught Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) at the end of his final push. Does the rookie sensation have more in the tank for Saturday?

Conditions were warmer in the afternoon and almost the entire premier class field were able to improve their FP1 times within ten minutes of FP2 on a day of good weather in Germany – sometimes easier said than done – and two action-packed sessions, including 66 degrees of lean for Marquez and Quartararo’s determination to try and dethrone the king of the Sachsenring didn’t disappoint. And although the Frenchman didn’t manage that in the end, Quartararo’s rookie run of form in recent sessions is akin only to Marquez’ speed in 2013 – with the rookie now in the top three for 16 sessions in a row; a good omen for the rest of the weekend.

Assen winner Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), who finished on the podium here last season, was the man in P4 after the first day and just over a tenth off Quartararo, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) next up to complete the top five; the Spaniard putting in another stunner of a performance for Austrian factory KTM.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was P6 despite struggling through the pain barrier after a cycling mishap, just ahead of the fastest Ducati on Day 1: Jack Miller (Pramac Racing). Miller led a Borgo Panigale 7-8-9 as he headed Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) by half a tenth, with Petrucci’s teammate Andrea Dovizioso only a further 0.005 in arrears. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completed the top ten on Friday and therefore currently holds the last of the provisional places in Q2. The ‘Doctor’ was also in the top three in the morning.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was an infinitesimal 0.005 off that fastest ten, and he’ll be the first pushing to try and crack it on Saturday morning in FP3, ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and home hero Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team), who is standing in for the injured Jorge Lorenzo. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completed the fastest fifteen.

It was a day with low rates of attrition and only Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) suffered a crash, the Italian going down in FP1. He missed FP2 as he headed for a check up in Chemnitz in the afternoon, rider ok.

That’s it from Day 1! The top ten after FP3 will go through to Q2, and that final chance to move up the timesheets starts at 9:55 (GMT+2) on Saturday morning at the Sachsenring. Does Quartararo have an ace up his sleeve? Can Marquez move the benchmark once again? Qualifying begins at 14:10 to decide the grid.

1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 1:20.705
2 – Alex Rins (SPA – Suzuki) +0.341
3 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +0.360
4 – Maverick Viñales (SPA – Yamaha) +0.488
5 – Pol Espargaro (SPA – KTM) +0.560

*Independent Team rider

Sachsenring, 4 July 2019: It’s Thursday and, as always, that means it’s Press Conference day so ahead of track action at the HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was joined by Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), who recently re-signed with the Bologna factory squad, as well as rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Dutch TT winner Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and rookie Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

First on the agenda for Marquez, who spoke first, was the Championship – and he’s got a good points buffer coming into the last race before the summer break, as well as nine wins from pole in a row at the Sachsenring…

“I feel good, I feel good because we are in a very good position in the championship. We’re in good form. Of course in Assen we had a really good weekend. It was one of our worst during practice but in the race we took 20 important points. We will see during the weekend. The opponents will show us the level, the target is to work in the best way, try to be competitive from the beginning and then we will see. Everyone expects a victory. Austin is the worst part on the calendar in the first part… We will try to be focused.

“For me, our key point, the most import thing is consistency. To have a bike and setup that is working pretty much good at all tracks and this is how to win a championship. And it’s the way were working. Doesn’t mean some weekend arrives somebody… for me in all weekends we need to be fast enough to be on the podium. We are working in that way, in that way our strong points are a little bit weaker but our weak points are a bit stronger so we need to manage in a good way.

Next up was Petrucci, and for him it was a little more a longer term talking point than simply Sunday’s race, with the Italian having been announced as remaining at the factory Ducati Team. Naturally, that dominated the first part of what he talked about.

“For sure it was a thing that both parts wanted to continue, this adventure,” says the Mugello winner. “The first part of this season has been very, very good. Since the first interview, I’ve said my target was to stay in this team for as many years as possible. Now, in the next season, I have a big opportunity. Now everybody says I can race with less pressure but actually we’re fighting for the top three in the championship and both Andrea and I want to enjoy some better races than Assen. We have a very, very big challenge. We’re halfway through the season and I think we can now be more focused on the track than off the track.

“In Assen, it was one of the strangest weekends of the year because on Saturday morning the bike was perfect, I rode one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden, but in the afternoon,  it was the opposite. Just two hours later with the hot temperature. In the Sunday, we sorted our problem a little bit but for sure it was big gap to Maverick.

“We have to work on those conditions. For sure, we must work better with Andrea for a better strategy in qualifying, not the races because we’re free to do what we want. For sure, to be faster than our challengers is hard, the competition is really high.

Fabio Quartararo took to the mic next, and the Frenchman kept it short and sweet. Off the back of a second premier class podium and becoming the youngest ever rider to take back-to-back premier class poles, it’s all going well – despite his ongoing recovery from arm pump surgery.

“First of all its good to be back on a weekend,” he begins, with Germany arriving so soon after the Dutch TT. “Assen was really positive for us. We made really good pace in the first part of the race and for sure, here being at the new track for us on a MotoGP bike means I’m looking forward to it.”

So did he do some homework ahead of his Sachsenring debut? “Yeah! I looked at the last few races here in MotoGP and it looks like the Yamaha is working well at this track. At all the tracks the bike has been working well and I expect the same from this track.”

At Assen, especially, the Yamaha was working well, especially in the hands of eventual winner Maverick Viñales. On the top step for the first time this year for rider and manufacturer, was that win important? In a word, yes.

“It was very important. Especially to prove the work that we do on Friday and Saturday finally was then also done on Sunday. That was the most important, to keep working, keep fighting as always and prove we can be there fighting for the races.”

And at Germany? It’s a tall ask to beat the unbeaten, but history has shown no one is unbeatable. “I think Honda and Marc are the favourites, they are the ones to beat. We’ll try follow their speed, but it’ll be very difficult for sure. We’ll try and work in the same mentality as Montmelo and Assen, try be strong every session and then you never know. In the race you never know, we’ll prepare for the race the best we can and then let’s see. But the motivation is there, I feel really good, I have nothing to lose so I’ll push to maximum.”

Morbidelli shared some thoughts after his fellow Yamaha rider, after equalling his best premier class result last time out.

“Well…it’s been a good season so far. We were strong, we were having quite a good speed. Maybe we didn’t get what we were aiming for in some races due to crashes and mistakes. The speed is there, I’m having fun on the bike, of course there is always room to improve, there’s always room to improve, but its going well and I’m having fun.

“Sachsenring is a track where somehow I have always been fast from the first year I was here, I don’t know why. But that was Moto2. We will see what will happen in MotoGP, I didn’t ride last year due to injury. As Fabio said and as you know, the Yamaha works pretty well here so I am curious to see how the bike will react and how I will go at the track.”

Mir was the final man on the mic and he, of course, is also gearing up to ride the track for the first time on a premier class machine. After a tougher few races after a solid debut in Qatar, Assen saw him lead for the first time and get back in the mix.

“The truth is that during the first races I was struggling a little bit: bad luck, some mistakes; rookie mistakes sometimes. Now it looks like from Barcelona we’ve made a step every time. I’ve been stronger and can finish in good positions. It looks like we’re going in a good way, which I’m happy about. It’s my first time on a MotoGP bike here so it’ll be interesting to see how I react and how strong I can be. In past years we haven’t seen any good Suzuki results here, maybe we’ve struggled a bit, but this year we have a competitive bike at all tracks so let’s see.

“In the past, I have been quite strong here, winning some races. But also, this is MotoGP, it’s another story but I’m looking forward to it.”

Everyone is, although Marquez is on a roll at the ‘ring. Can the grid overhaul him in 2019? Or is the reigning Champion not infallible? Find out as track action begins on Friday morning, before lights out for the MotoGP race on Sunday at local time 14:00 (GMT +2). which is 7.30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).

The reigning Champion extends his lead, the rookie’s luck turns and a multiple-rider crash makes waves

Barcelona, 16 June 2019: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) took an impressive win in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya, the 7th round of the MotoGP World Championship, on an expensive day for his key Championship rivals, with a dramatic multiple-rider crash near the start of the race creating some serious chaos. Marquez escaped that and in the aftermath it was Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) who emerged as his closest challenger, with the polesitter and French rookie cutting down the gap in the latter laps as he seared away from those on the chase. His second place makes him the second-youngest podium finisher in the MotoGP™ era, behind only Marquez, and he managed to pull two seconds clear of Mugello winner Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) to do it.

It was Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) who took the holeshot with another stunning start, this time from the second row, with Marquez pushed back into second and Quartararo then trying to send it around the outside of the reigning Champion. But he couldn’t quite make that stick and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) capitalised to sweep through soon after. The number 12 then attacked Marquez to take over in second, with Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) making some serious ground up into fourth to fight for the podium.

Marquez hit back against Viñales on Lap 2 and it was shaping up to be a serious fight at the front, but that’s when the drama hit. Lorenzo went to attack Viñales just as Marquez attacked Dovizioso, and the number 99 then lost the front as the space ahead diminished. That set off a huge incident as the number 99 took down Dovizioso, then Viñales, and then Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) got caught too – with all four out the race. Marquez was clear of it, with Petrucci the man left in second, escaping the drama after having been passed by Rossi at the best time for one of them and the worst for the other.

Marquez was then able to pull the pin and extend the gap but the fight behind was on fire: Petrucci vs Alex Rins  (Team Suzuki Ecstar) vs Quartararo. First it was a duel behind the Italian before Rins then started looking for a way past Petrucci, attacking into Turn 1 and the Ducati defending to perfection in Turn 2. A couple of laps later it was a Rins and repeat, but the Suzuki man couldn’t make it stick.

He kept trying, but the next attempt was more costly. Running on and left heading over the Long Lap Penalty after dropping anchor to avoid Petrucci in Turn 1, the number 42 lost out and rejoined in sixth, behind his rookie teammate Joan Mir. That left him fighting to try and get back through, and left Quartararo with only one man in between himself and Marquez’ trail.

It didn’t take long; the Frenchman sliding up the inside of the Ducati to take over in second soon after. And then, he was in the same position as his fateful race in Jerez and wishing for more luck. Barcelona brought just that, with the number 20 then able to unleash his pace and push on after Marquez, immediately starting to cut the gap.

In the end, there weren’t enough laps left for a charge at the win, but the Frenchman made a little history regardless and a first rostrum finish is good payback for his incredible pace so far. Petrucci was around two seconds behind him but scored big for Ducati once again, with Rins taking fourth after managing to pass first Mir and then Jack Miller (Pramac Racing).

Miller was only two tenths behind him over the line, however, and the Australian’s P5 puts him back in the lead of the Independent Team standings. Behind them? Another small gap back to Joan Mir, who took sixth and his best rookie result yet, two better than his season opening P8 in Qatar.

Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) continues his consistency in seventh and took more solid points, ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) took P9 and his best of 2019 so far, as Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) did the same and completed the top ten.

Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli (Team Suzuki Ecstar) were the remaining finishers in a serious race of attrition, with fallers outside the huge incident near the start including Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Francesco Bagnaia) and Bradley Smith (Aprilia Racing Team), who made contact with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) on Lap 1 and both crashed out.

It was a near-perfect day for Marquez’ Championship hopes in Montmelo, and the reigning Champion heads into the next race with a serious buffer of 37 points at the top of the table. Dovizioso remains second, Rins couldn’t capitalise too much in third…but next up it’s the Dutch TT, and that’s the perfect place for Yamaha, especially, to strike back. Rossi was back in the mix in Barcelona, Viñales had made an awesome start…what will the classic TT Circuit Assen bring? Don’t miss it as MotoGP™ gets back in action in two weeks.

MotoGP Top-3 results:

1 – Marc Marquez (SPA – Honda) 40’31.175
2 – Fabio Quartararo* (FRA – Yamaha) +2.660
2 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati) +4.537

*Independent Team rider

Catalan Grand Prix Full Results