MotoGP Sunday Grand Prix Deutschland

Bagnaia back on top, Marc Marquez battles to second as Martin crashes from lead in dramatic last dance before summer break

A dramatic Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland saw Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) come out on top after piling the pressure on Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) throughout as the duo pulled away to make the race a chess match at the front. Martin was holding on to a half second advantage as the final laps closed in, but then suddenly went sliding out at Turn 1, rider ok but Championship lead far from it. The #89 cedes the top of the leaderboard to Bagnaia as the reigning Champion swept through to take the 25-point haul.

If the fight for the win was a chess match decided by tenths, the battle behind was a rollercoaster ride. Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) scythed through from P13 on the grid to take second place after battling a gallery of rivals, the last of whom to overcome was brother Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). But the #73 held on to third and took his first GP podium of the season, with the Marquez brothers becoming the first to share a premier class podium since Nobuatsu and Takuma Aoki in Imola in 1997.

Martin got the best start but didn’t get the perfect T1, giving Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) chance to have a look, but the Portuguese rider was forced to settle into second. Bagnaia was holding third but the reigning Champion struck at the end of Lap 1 to overtake Oliveira, taking up the chase as Martin tried to bolt at the front. He couldn’t, however, and the #1 pulled off a carbon copy of his last corner move on Oliveira to take the lead.

Morbidelli was then the rider in the spotlight as he shot past Oliveira and into second, then starting to harry his teammate Martin. Bagnaia, Martin and Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) started to build a small gap as the shuffle continued in a big group battle behind, but then the shuffle kicked off again in theirs as Martin struck late at Turn 1 to take back the lead with 24 to go.

Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) then suffered a run off from the battle behind, leaving Alex Marquez, Oliveira and now Marc Marquez in the chasing group as Martin started to put the hammer down at the front. Bagnaia had been reeling a couple of tenths back in, but then Morbidelli sailed down the inside of Turn 1 past the reigning Champion, somehow getting it stopped and nabbing second. And there were still 22 to go.

Martin led Morbidelli with around half a second between the Prima Pramac duo, with the group behind holding high-speed station. By 16 to go Morbidelli then went deep at Turn 1, and Bagnaia was right on him looking for a way though. He found one at Turn 12, and then Marc Marquez found one on Oliveira. Martin was a second clear, Bagnaia was now the rider on the chase, and Alex Marquez got past Morbidelli before Marc Marquez also homed in. The podium fight was starting to take shape.

As Morbidelli headed wide at Turn 1 with nine to go, #93 went for it, but the #21 cut back. The two bashed into each other and just stayed on, but Marquez ultimately came off worse, dropping back into the clutches of a charging Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). One dance of high-speed ballet wasn’t enough and the two staged another at Turn 1 next time around. Marquez was then able to hold him off, and the duo stalked down the deficit to Morbidelli up ahead.

It was an absolute late lunge when it came, the #93 suddenly darting out from behind the #21 at the final corner and making the pounce stick to perfection. At the front, Martin was holding Bagnaia at bay by five, seven, six tenths, and Alex Marquez was now in the space between the duo and the #93. The gap between the two Gresini machines was over two seconds. But then it was 1.5, then just under a second, then even less… when the #93 arrived he sliced straight past, more tyre underneath him and only a few laps to go.

Those few laps delivered the headline drama. Martin seemed on course to complete his second consecutive double at the Sachsenring, with that margin to Bagnaia looking to be enough. And then the #89 was sliding out across the tarmac into the gravel, with his closest rival so far this season sweeping through to create a 20-point swing in the title fight.

Bagnaia just had to avoid the same to take the victory, and that he did as he crossed the line with just under four seconds in hand to become the Championship leader for the first time since Saturday in Portimão

Marc Marquez, after his huge highside on Friday, a dramatic Q1, and then an all-out war up from P13 in the Grand Prix – including full combat with Franky – takes second for this fourth podium of the season, but loses that undefeated record at the track. Alex Marquez is back on the podium for the first time since Sepang last year and makes that history as two brothers sharing the podium in the premier class.

Bastianini added some stunning racing to the mix at the front but had to settle for fourth this time round, ahead of Morbidelli in fifth after a standout race day for the #21. Oliveira takes a very solid P6 to follow up his Tissot Sprint podium on Saturday, with some breathing space ahead of a big battle for seventh. That was won by Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) completed the top ten.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) stayed ahead of Viñales after his run off, with another close set of finishes just behind as Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) pipped Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) after tyre pressure penalties for Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR). For Marini, a point rewards a weekend with a big step forward seemingly taken in all sessions just ahead of summer break.

That summer break sees Bagnaia head in as the points leader, a position he’s not held since Saturday night in Portugal. A 20-point swing in one weekend is a big one, and Martin will be looking to hit back immediately. First, he has to stew on it. And it’s far from a two-horse race in the world’s most exciting sport, with the whole grid ready to be back out at Silvestone from the 2nd to the 4th of August as the second half begins… in vintage style for a very modern spectacle!

RESULTS

Moto2 Aldeguer scores Sachsenring winner as Ogura pinches late podium place

Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) claimed his first win since the Spanish GP, breaking away in the latter stages to defeat Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Polarcube Aspar Team) by 2.1 seconds. Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) secured his fourth podium of the season in third place at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.

Dixon grabbed the holeshot, but polesitter Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) quickly reclaimed P1 on Lap 1. On Lap 3, Aldeguer took the lead for the first time, with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) passing Vietti soon after.

By Lap 6, Arbolino led for the first time, capitalizing on Aldeguer being overtaken and pushing the Spaniard to P3. Aldeguer soon returned to P2, with Dixon and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) completing the top five, forming a Moto2™ freight train. Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) climbed from P12 to P6 by Lap 7, with teammate Ogura close behind.

With eight laps remaining, Aldeguer had a 1.3-second lead after Arbolino’s near highside at Turn 7, costing the Italian several positions. As the race progressed, Aldeguer extended his advantage to 1.7 seconds, with eight riders vying for podium positions.

In the final laps, Aldeguer maintained his lead, finishing 2.1 seconds ahead of Dixon. The battle for third was intense, with Vietti, Ogura, and Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) all in contention. Ogura outmaneuvered Vietti in the final corners to claim the last podium spot, with Moreira also surpassing Vietti at the finish line.

Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) narrowly missed the podium in P6, finishing 0.118 seconds behind. Championship leader Garcia finished in P7, one place ahead of the impressive Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing), who battled through pain to secure P8.

Heading into the summer break, Garcia leads the Championship by seven points over teammate Ogura, with Roberts 25 points back in third. Aldeguer’s second win of the year places him 39 points behind the leader as the second half of the season begins at Silverstone in early August.

RESULTS

UPDATE:

Following the race, Fermin Aldeguer came under investigation for a possible tire pressure infraction. The FIM stewards reviewed the case and cleared Aldeguer of any wrongdoing just before the start of the MotoGP race, deciding no further action was necessary.

Moto3 Alonso denies Furusato and Ortola as Veijer crashes out the lead

David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) secured his sixth win of the season at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, fending off Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) in a thrilling final lap showdown.

Championship contender Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) crashed out early from the lead, leaving Alonso to seize the full 25-point haul.

Veijer initially took the holeshot and led the early stages, but his crash presented a significant opportunity for his rivals in both the race and the championship battle. The race featured a classic group battle with plenty of drama, including Ortola serving a Long Lap penalty for a slow sector on Saturday and Furusato running through the gravel. The climax came down to a final lap face-off.

Alonso faced intense pressure from Furusato as they led the final lap around the Sachsenring. A wobble from Furusato cost him just enough momentum to prevent a final corner challenge. Alonso held on to win by 0.187 seconds, with Furusato holding off Ortola. The podium trio finished two seconds ahead of the chasing pack.

Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and teammate Angel Piqueras finished fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by a duel where Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) came back from two Long Lap penalties for a jump start to beat Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) finished eighth after initially running at the front, ahead of Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing). Scott Ogden (MLav Racing) took the final spot in the top ten, denying Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsport).

Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was in the leading battle before a moment at Turn 1 sent him into the gravel, ending his race.

After Veijer’s shocking crash and Alonso’s comeback win following a podium miss at Assen, the championship momentum swings further in Alonso’s favor. He now leads by a substantial 58 points heading into the summer break. Join us at Silverstone for more action as the field looks to fight back!

Official MotoGP Press Release