Bezzecchi Denied on Final Lap by Marquez as Quartararo Takes Sprint Podium in Wet Sachsenring Showdown

It was shaping up to be Marco Bezzecchi’s moment. For nearly the entirety of a wet and wild 15-lap Sprint at the Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany, the Aprilia rider had the lead firmly in his grasp. But racing is rarely predictable—especially in the rain—and it was Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) who once again proved why he’s the championship leader. The eight-time world champion staged a thrilling final-lap overtake to snatch the win away at the last possible moment.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) joined them on the podium, putting together his strongest Sprint performance since 2023 with a hard-fought third place.

Marquez Goes Wide, Bezzecchi Seizes the Lead

The drama began right from the start. Marquez launched cleanly from pole position, but went deep into Turn 1 and ran wide, dropping from the front of the pack to fifth. His troubles didn’t stop there—by Turn 8, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) had muscled past him too, pushing the Ducati rider down to sixth.

At the front, Bezzecchi wasted no time capitalizing. He moved into the lead with a small buffer back to fellow Italian Franco Morbidelli, who sat second. Behind them, Fabio Quartararo made the most of a stellar start from seventh on the grid, climbing to third by the end of Lap 2. But while one Frenchman was surging, the other was fading—Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR), who gambled on a medium rear wet tyre unlike most of the field, quickly tumbled to 10th.

Then came an early twist: Morbidelli crashed out at Turn 8 on Lap 3—he went down fast, and hard—giving Quartararo a free pass into second. Over the next two laps, the Yamaha rider found serious pace and began reeling in Bezzecchi, cutting the lead to just 1.5 seconds on Lap 5.

Meanwhile, Marquez began his charge. He made a firm move past Di Giannantonio and was soon followed through by Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), putting the Spaniards third and fourth respectively as the field approached mid-distance.

The Chase Is On

Now back in clean air, Marquez found his rhythm. At the start of Lap 7, he was the fastest man on the circuit. The deficit to race leader Bezzecchi was 2.4 seconds, but more manageable was the 1.2-second gap to Quartararo just ahead.

Acosta, who had looked threatening, saw his podium hopes dashed on Lap 8 when he overshot Turn 8 and skidded through the gravel. That handed third back to Marquez, who wasted no time dispatching Quartararo at Turn 1 as Lap 9 got underway.

Bezzecchi still had a slim lead—1.6 seconds—but it was shrinking. By Lap 10, Marquez had brought it down to 1.3 seconds, but Bezzecchi wasn’t going to roll over. The Aprilia rider dug deep, responding lap after lap to the looming pressure from behind.

Still, with four laps to go, Marquez found another gear. He shaved off half a second from Bezzecchi’s lead and brought the gap under one second. Now, with three laps remaining, the pressure was fully on. Just 0.5 seconds separated them—and shrinking.

Two laps to go. Marquez was now glued to Bezzecchi’s rear wheel. The Sachsenring crowd knew what was coming: a last-lap showdown between a resurgent Marquez and a determined Bezzecchi looking for redemption.

Final Lap Magic From the Master

As the final lap began, Marquez made his move into Turn 1. It looked like he might have overcooked it again, but this time he held the outside line expertly, using it to position himself perfectly for Turn 2. That’s where the lead officially changed hands.

Bezzecchi tried to hang on, but through the rapid sequence of left-handers, Marquez had the edge—too much for the Aprilia to fight back. With clinical precision, Marquez crossed the line first, sealing yet another Sprint win. It was a victory built on patience, grit, and a perfect late push.

Bezzecchi, despite leading 14 laps, had to settle for second, while Quartararo rode smartly to fend off late pressure from Di Giannantonio and clinch a valuable third. It’s the Frenchman’s first appearance on the Sprint podium since Assen last year.

The win also means Marquez now holds the record for most Sprint victories in a single season, surpassing Jorge Martin’s nine-win tally from 2023.

Sprint Points Finishers

Di Giannantonio missed out on the podium by just 0.3 seconds but still bagged solid points with fourth place. Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) had a strong ride of his own, bringing home fifth to cap off a much-needed positive outing for Yamaha.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) put in a gritty ride to hold off Zarco and Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), both of whom pushed hard despite challenges—Zarco still adapting to the Honda, and Alex nursing a hand injury. He dropped valuable championship points today.

Pedro Acosta salvaged the final point in 9th after recovering from his earlier off-track excursion. A decent damage-limitation effort from the KTM rookie.

A Wild Saturday—What Comes Next?

Saturday’s action at Sachsenring delivered all the unpredictability, tension, and edge-of-your-seat drama that makes MotoGP so captivating. But we’re only halfway through the weekend. The Grand Prix itself is still to come—and with weather conditions likely to change again, Sunday could be another masterclass in survival and strategy.

Strap in. The story of the German GP isn’t over yet. Bis morgen!

Dixon Storms from Q1 to Claim Sensational Wet-Weather Pole at the Sachsenring

Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) put in a brilliant display of skill and composure in challenging conditions to snatch pole position for the Moto2™ class at the Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany. The Briton, who had to fight his way through Q1 after a tricky Friday, mastered the rain-soaked Sachsenring circuit and timed his final run to perfection to take his first pole of the season.

Joining Dixon on the front row are fellow Q1 graduate Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) and Tony Arbolino (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2), both of whom delivered impressive late laps as the conditions deteriorated rapidly. The top three turned the session into a dramatic final-lap shootout, taking advantage of a short window before the rain intensified once more.

Meanwhile, current championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) had a day to forget. The Spanish rider struggled to find rhythm on the wet track and was unable to extract the pace needed, qualifying all the way down in 16th—his worst grid slot of the season so far.

Rain Mixes Up the Order in Both Qualifying Sessions

Both Q1 and Q2 were held in full wet conditions, turning the established Friday pecking order upside down. Slippery track surfaces and shifting grip levels led to multiple off-track excursions and late-session crashes, threatening to bring out yellow flags that could have frozen the running order at a critical point.

One of the big stories of Q2 was Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), who briefly held provisional pole with a storming early lap. But just as the Australian was pushing to improve, he lost the front and crashed. While uninjured, the fall cost him a shot at maintaining his spot at the top, and as others completed their final laps, he was bumped down to fourth on the grid.

Row Two and Beyond: Breakouts and Big Names in Trouble

Joining Agius on Row 2 is Albert Arenas (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), another standout performer who also advanced from Q1. He showed sharp consistency in the wet and will be eager to build on that momentum come race day. Completing the second row is Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who continues to make a steady impression in his rookie season in the intermediate class.

Row 3 sees Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing) start from P7, with Alonso Lopez (Folladore SpeedRS Team) lining up beside him in P8. Rookie sensation Ivan Ortola (QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI) rounds out the third row, quietly going about his business and now well-positioned for a strong Sunday charge.

Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) qualified in tenth, just missing out on the third row but still placing himself in the mix after a composed session in tricky circumstances.

Tough Day for Title Contenders and Recent Winners

The rain certainly played havoc with some of the usual front-runners. As mentioned, Gonzalez had a subdued showing and will have work to do on Sunday if he wants to preserve or extend his title lead. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) also suffered a setback. The Spaniard went down in Q2 and ended up 12th on the grid. He’ll also need to be medically cleared to race after his fall, adding another layer of uncertainty to his weekend.

Meanwhile, Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), fresh off his maiden Moto2™ win at the previous round, was unable to even progress beyond Q1. He’ll start deep in the pack, in unfamiliar territory, and will need a massive effort on Sunday if he hopes to make an impact in the points.

What’s Next? A Wet Grid, a Dry Fight Ahead?

With the grid shaken up and several key players out of position, Sunday’s race is set to be a thrilling one. Weather could again play a major role, but regardless of conditions, expect fireworks. Jake Dixon will lead them away—back on pole, and back in the hunt—with challengers hungry to rewrite the script behind him.

Moto2™ rarely disappoints, and if qualifying is anything to go by, the race at Sachsenring might just be another instant classic.

Sensational Scott Ogden Seals First-Ever Pole in Soaked Sachsenring Qualifying

Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) delivered the standout performance of the day in Moto3™ qualifying at the Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany, snatching a career-first pole position in wet conditions that caught many of the field off guard. The British rider rose to the occasion with a controlled but aggressive run in Q2, edging out David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and Guido Pini (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) in a dramatic session marked by crashes, red flags, and unpredictable grip.

For Ogden, it was not just a personal milestone—it was also the first pole for a British rider in the lightweight class since John McPhee’s effort at the 2020 European Grand Prix. A long time coming, and hard-earned on a track that punished even the smallest of errors.

Tricky Conditions Continue into Qualifying

The morning drizzle may have stopped by the time Q2 got underway, but the Sachsenring circuit remained treacherously wet, making slick tyres a non-option and demanding absolute precision from the 18 riders competing for pole.

Guido Pini’s session got off to a rough start. On the very first lap out of pit lane, the young Italian highsided at Turn 8—one of the day’s trickiest corners—triggering a red flag due to damage caused to the air fence barrier. Thankfully unhurt, Pini quickly returned to the paddock, and following a short delay, the session resumed with just over 11 minutes on the clock.

Red Flags, Yellow Flags, and Flying Laps

Once the green lights came back on, it was a rush to set a fast time before the next rain—or incident—could intervene. As the surface dried slightly with each lap, the leaderboard shuffled continuously. With five minutes to go, Leopard Racing’s Adrian Fernandez briefly moved into provisional pole but ran deep into Turn 1 on his next attempt, losing the chance to consolidate his lead.

Scott Ogden, however, was finding his rhythm. Already showing promising pace throughout the weekend, the Brit timed his push to perfection, stringing together a blistering lap just as the rest of the field began to falter.

Behind him, crashes started piling up. First it was David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP), who suffered a heavy fall at—you guessed it—Turn 8. Not long after, his teammate Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went down at the same spot. With yellow flags waving and no opportunity for the remaining riders to improve, Ogden’s lap stood firm as the benchmark.

Front Rows Finalized, Rising Stars and Big Names Mixed in the Pack

David Almansa put together a calm and composed run to slot into P2, securing his place on the front row next to Ogden. A strong comeback for Guido Pini—despite his earlier crash—earned him the final front row spot in third.

Just behind, teammate Muñoz starts from P4, ahead of the unfortunate Carpe and early pace-setter Fernandez, who complete Row 2.

Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) leads Row 3 in seventh, followed closely by Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE), who advanced through Q1 with grit and confidence. Ninth on the grid is Eddie O’Shea (GRYD Mlav Racing), claiming a personal best starting position after a steady and impressive Q2 showing.

Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) rounded out the top ten, just ahead of the Moto3™ championship leader.

Rueda on the Back Foot, Kelso Under Assessment

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who currently leads the standings, struggled to adapt to the wet Sachsenring surface. He’ll start from P12, and will need a strong launch and a strategic race if he hopes to limit damage to his title campaign.

Just one place behind Rueda is Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA), who also had a subdued session. Unfortunately, Kelso’s day may be further complicated as he now requires medical clearance to compete on Sunday following a crash earlier in the day.

Sunday Forecast: Dryer Skies, But a Storming Field

With the grid set and a number of heavy-hitters scattered throughout the field, the Moto3™ race promises drama from lights to flag. Will Ogden convert his dream pole into a first podium—or even a win? Can Rueda claw his way back to the front? And what role will Turn 8 play this time?

Stay tuned—if qualifying is any indication, Sunday’s race at the Sachsenring could be a thriller.

Official MotoGP Press Release