Larry Lawrence | July 17, 2016
Photo by Gold & Goose
Marc Marquez remains undefeated in the German Grand Prix, having won all four events since coming to MotoGP in 2013. On Sunday it was a brilliant move by Honda and Marquez. The Sachsenring was forming a narrow dry line, but still had plenty of wet patches when Marquez pitted and stunned the 93,000 fans by going out on full slicks. What seemed like a big gamble, paid off richly for Marquez and Honda. The track ended up drying rapidly and Marquez sprinted past all the other riders, while many were still on rains, and went on to a 9.857-second victory over Cal Crutchlow. Andrea Dovizioso was third.
The amazing move not only gave Marquez the victory, but pushed his points lead to what is beginning to look like an insurmountable 48-point lead at the halfway stage of the 2016 season, especially since rival Jorge Lorenzo ended a miserable weekend by finishing 15th.
For Marquez it was his third victory of the season, 27th MotoGP win of his career.
“It was really, really difficult,” Marquez said of the key decision to come in early and go with full slicks. “On wet tires I think I choose the wrong front for my riding style. I went for the extra soft like the others, like Valentino and Jorge, but for me I was struggling a lot. I had the big moment with the rain tires. But then I say, ‘Ok, this will be flag-to-flag race because it’s getting drier and drier.’ And then when I see the minimum possibility I go in and changed the bike, because then it is easier to take the rhythm. OK, I take a lot of risks on the first laps, but then I see the race that I was first leading the race by 20 seconds. Then it was really nice those last laps.”
For Crutchlow, his second matched his career-best finish and it marked his first podium since the third round last year.
“I was quick in the dry,” Crutchlow said when asked how he managed his podium. “I told everybody yesterday that I was the fourth fastest guy and I was correct. I was 13th on the grid. I knew it was going to be a long race. I went with the harder option front tire, I don’t think many had the balls to do it, because in the first laps it was really… not dangerous, but difficult to manage, especially with the Honda. I knew I would get quicker, same as Assen. It was about keeping your head, 30 laps around here is a long time. I pitted way too late. I did ignore my board for one lap. I followed the guys in front of me and was catching them. I caught Vale and Dovi, who was leading. I didn’t think anyone could beat us, even if we stayed out, so I took the gamble. I probably should have stayed out. I think even if I stayed out I would have been in good position, but thanks to my team for doing a great job this weekend.”
Dovizioso was on the podium for just the second time this season.
“On the track you can’t understand everything,” when asked about his timing of coming in. “I had the extra soft front and the track became dry and it was so concentrate to go fast, but don’t use the tire. I didn’t realize I should have changed the bike maybe two laps early and that could make a difference. I did a lot of laps in front, so this is nice, but to lose in the end is not the best. The podium for us is really important. The team worked really hard and this is for them.”
There was a 20-rider field – Stefan Bradl missed his home Grand Prix, suffering a concussion in a heavy get off earlier.
The race began under wet conditions. Marquez squeezed out Rossi going into turn one for the first time to lead the field, but then Rossi took over in the first half of the lap. Dovizioso came up to second ahead of Marquez, who was being pressure by Petrucci.
Yonny Hernandez crashed out at turn 13 two laps in.
Dovizioso took the lead in turn eight with Petrucci following, putting Rossi back to third. In the first three laps the top seven still ran very close.
Petrucci put the Pramac Ducati into the lead on lap four.
Things settled in a bit on lap five with Petrucci and Dovi managing a small gap on Rossi. Marquez and Jack Miller rounded out the top five, but the next lap got around Marquez to take fourth.
A lot of action on lap 11 as Petrucci crashed out of the lead and a few turns later Marquez ran off the track at high speed and used all of his dirt track skills to keep his factory Honda on two wheels, although he lost several positions.
That left Dovizioso in the lead, having established a 1.8 second lead on Rossi. Barbera and Miller were closing in on Rossi.
Dry lines began appearing just around halfway and Andrea Iannone was the first of the top-runners to come in to switch to a bike with intermediates.
Barbera outbraked Rossi to take second on lap 14.
Marquez pitted for his second bike on lap 17. His Honda, almost unbelievably, was mounted with a slick tires.
With 12 laps to go Rossi took back second from Barbera. Cal Crutchlow was the rider on the move having moved passed Miller and pressuring Barbera. Pol Espargaro crashed.
With 10 laps to go slick -shod Marquez was five seconds a lap faster than those on the rains.
With many riders pitting strategy came into play with some were going with some on slicks, some on intermediates.
Marquez was going incredibly fast and gaining on the lead group, but with the dry line very narrow, getting past riders was going to be a challenge.
With seven to go all the leaders pitted, except for Miller, who rolled the dice on his rains. Marquez was in second, 10 seconds from Miller.
Honda’s brilliant gamble proved the perfect strategy as Marquez easily swept past Miller into the lead with six laps remaining and when Miller finally pitted Marquez had 20 seconds in hand.
Miller pitting put Redding in second and Dovi third, but Crutchlow threatening. With two laps to go Crutchlow moved past Dovi at turn 13 to take a podium position in third. He wasn’t finished. On the final lap Crutchlow got past his countryman Redding in a braking contest going into turn one. And then Dovi took advantage of Redding losing grip and in the final section got by to nail down the final podium finish.
The series now take almost a month-long break before resuming in Austria on Aug. 14.
GoPro MOTORRAD GRAND PRIX DEUTSCHLAND MotoGP Race Classification 2016 Sachsenring, Sunday, July 17, 2016
| 1 |
25 |
93 |
Marc MARQUEZ |
SPA |
Repsol Honda Team |
Honda |
140.4 |
47’03.239 |
| 2 |
20 |
35 |
Cal CRUTCHLOW |
GBR |
LCR Honda |
Honda |
139.9 |
+9.857 |
| 3 |
16 |
4 |
Andrea DOVIZIOSO |
ITA |
Ducati Team |
Ducati |
139.8 |
+11.613 |
| 4 |
13 |
45 |
Scott REDDING |
GBR |
OCTO Pramac Yakhnich |
Ducati |
139.8 |
+11.992 |
| 5 |
11 |
29 |
Andrea IANNONE |
ITA |
Ducati Team |
Ducati |
139.3 |
+22.755 |
| 6 |
10 |
26 |
Dani PEDROSA |
SPA |
Repsol Honda Team |
Honda |
139.1 |
+25.920 |
| 7 |
9 |
43 |
Jack MILLER |
AUS |
Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS |
Honda |
139.1 |
+26.043 |
| 8 |
8 |
46 |
Valentino ROSSI |
ITA |
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP |
Yamaha |
139.1 |
+26.449 |
| 9 |
7 |
8 |
Hector BARBERA |
SPA |
Avintia Racing |
Ducati |
139.1 |
+26.614 |
| 10 |
6 |
19 |
Alvaro BAUTISTA |
SPA |
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini |
Aprilia |
138.8 |
+31.274 |
| 11 |
5 |
50 |
Eugene LAVERTY |
IRL |
Pull & Bear Aspar Team |
Ducati |
138.4 |
+41.208 |
| 12 |
4 |
25 |
Maverick VIÑALES |
SPA |
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR |
Suzuki |
138.3 |
+42.158 |
| 13 |
3 |
38 |
Bradley SMITH |
GBR |
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 |
Yamaha |
137.3 |
+1’03.129 |
| 14 |
2 |
41 |
Aleix ESPARGARO |
SPA |
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR |
Suzuki |
137.2 |
+1’06.091 |
| 15 |
1 |
99 |
Jorge LORENZO |
SPA |
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP |
Yamaha |
136.6 |
+1’17.694 |
| 16 |
|
53 |
Tito RABAT |
SPA |
Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS |
Honda |
133.5 |
1 Lap |
| 17 |
|
76 |
Loris BAZ |
FRA |
Avintia Racing |
Ducati |
128.3 |
2 Laps |
| 18 |
|
68 |
Yonny HERNANDEZ |
COL |
Pull & Bear Aspar Team |
Ducati |
125.1 |
3 Laps |
| Not Classified |
|
|
44 |
Pol ESPARGARO |
SPA |
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 |
Yamaha |
137.5 |
13 Laps |
|
|
9 |
Danilo PETRUCCI |
ITA |
OCTO Pramac Yakhnich |
Ducati |
126.4 |
18 Laps |
