Viñales escapes Martin and Oliveira, Marquez faces Q1 after crash
Aprilia top Day 1 as #MM93 suffers a tougher day at the office and Bagnaia secures P5
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) shattered expectations and the lap record at the Sachsenring on Friday, putting Aprilia on top by a significant 0.340 seconds. 2023 winner Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) showed impressive speed throughout the day and was the first to chase Viñales, but he was closely followed by another Aprilia rider, Miguel Oliveira of Trackhouse Racing, who finished just 0.022 seconds behind Martin, securing two Noale machines in the top three.
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), a pre-race favorite, faced a challenging opening day with two crashes, including a major highside. After a medical check, he was declared fit.
The first part of the crucial afternoon Practice session was dramatic. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) crashed early at Turn 11, but was uninjured. Marc Marquez then experienced a highside at the same turn with 52 minutes remaining, initially returning to the truck rather than the medical center. He later went for a check and was declared fit.
More drama unfolded shortly after at Turn 1. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) crashed, damaging the air fence and causing a red flag. He was checked at the medical center and passed fit, returning to improve his lap time.
After the session resumed, Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) also crashed at Turn 1 but were uninjured. The pace picked up with time attacks in the last 20 minutes, leading to a new lap record. Marquez, who didn’t return to the track, saw his position drop outside the top ten, placing him in Q1.
Viñales’ stunning 1:19.622 lap set the pace, with Martin showing strong form as a top contender in the title fight. Oliveira, bouncing back from a tough Assen race, secured third place at a track where he’s previously achieved a premier class podium.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) took fourth, demonstrating consistent speed with over 30 laps in the hour-long Practice, following up a top-three position on Friday in Assen and his new two-year contract.
Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) had a steady day, finishing P5 just ahead of teammate Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), who had a late crash at Turn 11 but was uninjured.
Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli finished P7, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) in eighth despite crashes in FP1 and Practice. Acosta moves to Q2, aiming to break Marquez’s record as the youngest premier class winner.
Fabio Di Giannantonio took P9 despite his crash, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounding out the top ten, narrowly ahead of teammate Jack Miller. Miller leads Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) and Marc Marquez on the timesheets, all heading to Q1 alongside Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). Full results from the day are below.
Saturday promises to be intriguing, with Aprilia dominating Friday at a track traditionally owned by Ducati, standout performances, and a new lap record. Viñales’ impressive gap could signal a strong weekend ahead, reminiscent of his performance at the anti-clockwise Circuit of the Americas.
Tune in for more as Batmav vs Supermen continues on Saturday.
FP2: 10:10 (UTC +2)
Q1: 10:50
Q2: 11:15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00
Moto2 Chantra claims dominant Friday P1 in Germany
Friday’s Moto2™ pacesetter was Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia), who heads into Saturday over three-tenths ahead of the competition. Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Polarcube Aspar Team) ended Day 1 0.351 seconds behind Chantra’s impressive 1:22.698, with Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) leading the Boscoscuro charge in P3.
MT Helmets – MSI teammates Sergio Garcia and Ai Ogura finished Friday in P7 and P8 respectively, with both riders setting identical times of 1:23.267, reflecting their close competition in the title race.
Despite fracturing his right collarbone just seven days ago in Assen, Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) returned to action, finishing Friday in P17, just over a second behind Chantra’s time. The American rider will be aiming for a top 14 spot on Saturday morning.
Catch Moto2™ Practice at 09:25, with qualifying starting at 13:45.
Moto3 Nepa fastest as Alonso leaves it late after a Turn 11 crash
Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) led the Moto3™ times on Friday at the Sachsenring, clocking a 1:25.283 to edge out Dutch TT winner Ivan Ortola (MT Helmet – MSI) by 0.031 seconds. David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) secured P3 on Day 1, despite a late fast crash at Turn 11. The World Championship leader will be aiming for a smoother session on Saturday morning.
Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) finished P4, marking a solid performance for Alonso’s main Championship rival.
Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) is in P11 heading into Saturday morning’s final Practice session, just under half a second off Nepa’s pace.
Tune into Moto3™ Practice 2 at 08:40 local time (UTC +2), followed by qualifying at 12:50.
Official MotoGP Press Release
