Cycle News Staff | June 18, 2023
Sunday MotoGP
In one of the closest ever finishes at the Sachsenring, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) came out on top against reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in a duel that went right to the wire, ultimately decided by just 0.064 seconds as the two crossed the line almost in tandem. It’s Martin’s first win since Styria 2021 and consolidates his second place in the standings, now just 16 behind Bagnaia, and it’s the first time the number 89 has done the double – Tissot Sprint and GP win – and taken three GP podiums in a row.
Taking three Grand Prix rostrums in a row for the first time is now also true for Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) as the Frenchman completed the podium following a crash for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and that shuffles the standings yet further. So where do we start…
The first place to start is Warm Up, as eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) suffered another big crash and, although declared fit, decided to sit out the Grand Prix race after a difficult weekend. That left Bagnaia heading a grid that didn’t contain the 11-time winner… but there was one thing, at least, that remained increasingly predictable: Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took the holeshot.
Behind the Australian, Bagnaia and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) slotted into P2 and P3, at least until Turn 11 the Australian had a huge moment on the rear as they flicked it onto the cold side of the tyre. That allowed Bagnaia, Martin and Marini to carve past.
Lap 3, Turn 12 – a change of the lead. Martin pounced on Pecco and with it, the Sprint victor set the fastest lap of the race. Just behind, Miller was holding teammate Binder at bay, with the latter enjoying a mini battle with the fast-starting, soft rear tire-running Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). But Binder grabbed P4 off Miller at the end of Lap 4 and set his sights on the top three, with Martin quickly building a 0.7s lead at the front.
Martin held off relentless pressure from Bagnaia to take his first GP win in two years.
Zarco was soon past Miller too – the same place he dispatched Binder at in the Sprint, Turn 11, this time with a little more space – and on Lap 7 the Frenchman set the fastest lap of the race too. Soon, Martin’s gap was down to 0.5s with the top five just two seconds apart. Lap 10 saw Binder pounce past Marini for P3 too, and soon Zarco was also past the Italian. By then, the gap between Binder and Bagnaia was up to 1.7s as the top five began to spread out.. and the top two to get closer together.
Martin and Bagnaia looked like they were out of reach for the chasing pack. Binder was 2.9s adrift with 17 laps to go, and Bagnaia starting to put pressure on the shoulders of Martin. With 12 to go, it looked like Martin was starting to respond though. Bagnaia had been right on Martin’s coattails but the gap edged back to half a second.
In the podium battle, drama then unfolded. Binder lost the rear heading into Turn 8 and that forced him to run wide and into the gravel, and the South African crashed out of third. That promoted Zarco to P3, and the Frenchman had some breathing space as Marini had teammate Marco Bezzecchi to contend with in a VR46-friendly fire duel.
Espargaro (41) and Oliveira (88) in the battle of the Aprilias.
Did the decisive moment of the Grand Prix come with 10 laps to go? Bagnaia decided it was time to take the lead at Turn 12, and did so, but how would Martin respond? If Bagnaia had been planning to put the hammer down and thought he could escape, after two laps that plan was gone as the #1 couldn’t shake off the #89. Then, at the same corner with six to go, Martin returned the favor. The top two in the title chase were embroiled in a fascinating fight in the Ring, now it was Bagnaia’s turn to show what punches he had left.
Two more tense laps later and it remained as you were, but close as ever with Martin leading Bagnaia by 0.2s. On Lap 27 of 30, it literally couldn’t get any closer between the pair at points on the track. Martin defended well down the hill to not allow Bagnaia through into Turn 12, and as they entered Lap 28 they were absolutely locked together.
Penultimate lap time. Martin vs Bagnaia. A King of the Ring crown up for grabs. Martin went defensive into Turn 1 as Bagnaia nearly ran into the back of Martin at Turn 3, with millimetres in it. And round the final corner for the penultimate time, those millimetres evaporated. Contact! Bagnaia tagged the back of the Pramac ahead, with no harm done but some metres lost for the reigning Champion. The race was really, really on now.
By halfway around the lap, the impossible looked plausible once more as Bagnaia got within 0.3. The climb up the hill was crucial but the #1 wasn’t close enough into Turn 12. And so, just 80 seconds after the contact last time around, it was down to Turn 13. Martin went defensive. Bagnaia opted for a wider, sweeping line up the hill. For the final time, it was Martin vs Bagnaia on the run to the line.
Martin edged it by a slender 0.064s as a wonderful battle lit up the Sachsenring, with the Spaniard cutting Bagnaia’s title advantage to 16 points. It’s the closest finish at the track since the 0.060 margin in 2003.
6.9s away from the victory scrap, Zarco claimed P3 for the third race in succession, and the #5 nearly crashed at Turn 1 on the final lap, too, pushing for his best run of rostrums.
Martin has closed to within 16 points of Pecco in the title race.
Bezzecchi picked his way through the pack to a solid P4 after a tricky weekend, the Italian finishing 3.4s ahead of teammate Marini after the two went head-to-head earlier in the race. Miller was 0.2s him to finish P6, as Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) rounded out the top 10, the ortuguese
P11 went the way of Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) who finished ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo, all three of whom remain the only three riders to score in every GP race so far this season. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) picked up the final points in P14 and P15.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was forced to retire after his RS-GP encountered an issue in the early stages of the Grand Prix, and teammate Aleix Espargaro faded to 17 after struggling for grip late on.
2023 German MotoGP Results
| 1 |
Jorge Martin |
(Duc) |
|
| 2 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
+ 0.064 |
| 3 |
Johann Zarco |
(Duc) |
+ 7.013 |
| 4 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Duc) |
+ 8.430 |
| 5 |
Luca Marini |
(Duc) |
+ 11.679 |
| 6 |
Jack Miller |
(KTM) |
+ 11.904 |
| 7 |
Alex Marquez |
(Duc) |
+ 14.040 |
| 8 |
Enea Bastianini |
(Duc) |
+ 14.859 |
| 9 |
F. Di Giannantonio |
(Duc) |
+ 17.061 |
| 10 |
Miguel Oliveira |
(Apr) |
+ 19.648 |
Sunday Moto2
Acosta held firm for a dominant win in Moto2.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed a stunning victory at the Sachsenring to close the gap in the Championship standings during the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. Polesitter Acosta claimed victory by just under three seconds ahead of World Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) although the gap was bigger during the race. Arbolino limited the damage in the standings by fending off Jake Dixon (Polar Cube GASGAS Aspar Team) as the Brit hunted down Arbolino in the second half of the 25-lap encounter.
2023 German Moto2 Results
| 1 |
Pedro Acosta |
(Kal) |
|
| 2 |
Tony Arbolino |
(Kal) |
+ 2.730 |
| 3 |
Jake Dixon |
(Kal) |
+ 2.825 |
| 4 |
Somkiat Chantra |
(Kal) |
+ 9.013 |
| 5 |
Alonso Lopez |
(Bos) |
+ 12.274 |
Sunday Moto3
At long last, Deniz Oncu is a grand prix winner.
After agonizingly missing out on a debut victory at Mugello last time out, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is finally a Moto3™ race winner after a mesmerizing battle plays out between the Turk and polesitter Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) earned a hard-fought third to extend his advantage in the overall standings.
2023 German Moto3 Results
| 1 |
Deniz Öncü |
(KTM) |
|
| 2 |
Ayumu Sasaki |
(Hus) |
+ 0.095 |
| 3 |
Daniel Holgado |
(KTM) |
+ 12.074 |
| 4 |
Ivan Ortola |
(KTM) |
+ 12.196 |
| 5 |
David Alonso |
(GasGas) |
+ 17.158 |
2023 German MotoGP News—Saturday
Martin rejuvenated
Jorge Martin’s second Spring victory of the season confirmed him to be in the best form of his career. And a certified title contender to boot. After watching the Spaniard decisively break clear to win by 2.4s, runner-up Pecco Bagnaia admitted he had superior turning potential in the track’s second sector, which contains a succession of left turns.
Martin hit the front and checked out.
“I will check all the data from every lap during the race to understand how we can manage to turn the bike more,” Bagnaia said. “It’s where he’s making the difference. I’m very strong in braking, but maybe in this track you need to have a different kind of set-up.”
Martin is benefiting from a clean bill of health – something that wasn’t evident in the first part of last year – and a much-improved engine, after spending all of 2022 on a more aggressive motor to what Bagnaia used. “This season I feel 100% in the physical condition,” he said of his great form. “And now I have a really good bike. I feel the engine is working much better. Also the added experience is helpful.”
Honda so far off
If Honda was in any doubt of the extent of its issues, it just had to follow Marc Marquez’s dramatic Saturday. The 30-year old crashed three times in 28 minutes in qualifying, before admitting to throttling off during the race because of the bike’s deficiencies. Eleventh place in the Sprint represented a total disaster for the former champ.
Marquez didn’t save this one, along with a few others.
Takaaki Nakagami, Honda’s only other rider present as Joan Mir (finger fracture) and Alex Rins (double leg break) recover from their respective injuries, explained, “Performance was pretty poor. Even the half distance Sprint race we had an unstable bike. There is no grip and the front end is always closing mid-corner. And, exit the rear grip is really bad. So the bike is moving a lot. We lose… mainly we’re losing acceleration. In the traction area the bike is shaking a lot. It’s really difficult to keep the pace.”
Riders reminded of pit lane exit protocol
Marc Marquez’s collision with Johann Zarco on Friday wasn’t the day’s only lucky escape. On Saturday drone footage emerged of Maverick Viñales narrowly missing Alex Marquez when the former crashed while the latter was exiting pit lane.
The monster crash between Zarco and Marquez was cause for concern with the officials.
IRTA sent out an email to the teams on Saturday reminding riders that a protocol when exiting pit lane must be followed. “The responsibility to make a safe pit exit rests with the rider exiting pit lane, and the blue flag must be respected” read the email. “The blue flag where the pit exit joins the track is waved for the rider in pit lane to indicate there are riders approaching on track. Riders must pay attention to the blue flag and check for oncoming bikes.”
Asked if the pit lane exit must change at the Sachsenring to prevent further incidents, Luca Marini said, “I agree if you want to change it. But we need to change also in other tracks. Maybe it costs money. It’s been like this for a lot of years, this pit exit. And we know that can happen.”
Saturday MotoGP Sprint Race
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) is becoming a Tissot Sprint master in 2023, making it two wins in the last three on a Saturday afternoon after more glory at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Spaniard beat World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) by 2.4s and in doing so, Martin moves up to second overall, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the rostrum.
Jorge Martin made light work of the Sprint Race once he hit the front.
Miller got a rocket ship launch on the KTM RC16 once again, he had the inside line for Turn 1 but Bagnaia hung it around the outside to hit the front at Turn 2. Miller tried to make a move stick at Turn 8 but that didn’t work, and Martin then made his way through on Miller down at Turn 12.
On Lap 2 at Turn 1 though, Bagnaia and Martin were wide and that allowed Miller to move back through to the lead. Then it tightened up again, with lead group of five formed as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) joined the party.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) wasn’t enjoying his early Sprint laps, the King of the Ring down to P9 on Lap 5, and that despite having made a good start.
Quartararo leads his teammate Morbidelli in the battle for the mid-pack.
Back at the front, it had become a top seven as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) joined the breathless action, and Martin was on the move back into the lead too as he grabbed P1 with a beautiful double overtake down the Waterfall as the two ahead shuffled.
Lap 6 ticked by and Martin was asking big questions – a 1:20.990 saw the Spaniard sit eight tenths clear of Bagnaia, who had also now overtaken Miller. Another fastest lap of the Sprint came in from Martin with nine laps to go, and the gap was up to 1.1s. A lap later it was 1.3s. it seemed Bagnaia didn’t have an answer and barring any drama, the top three looked like they were set for the Sprint: Martin led Bagnaia by 1.4s, and the latter 0.8s clear of Miller.
The Aussie was, in turn, 1.4s ahead of Marini, but the battle for P4 was alive and kicking as Marini had Binder and Zarco right on his coattails. The three-way tussle was fascinating as twice Binder tried to find a way through on Marini at Turn 1, but both times the South African was slightly wide.
Bastianini bought the second factory Ducati home in 10th.
As Martin crossed the line for another stunning Sprint win and Bagnaia and Miller secured their visits to the rostrum, the battle was hotting up. At Turn 11, the rapid right-hander, Zarco pounced on Binder and the South African was sent wide, losing some ground as the Frenchman disappeared up the road to take that fifth place. It was investigated but no further action taken…
Marini held onto P4 ahead of Zarco and Binder as Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) completed the points scorers in P7, P8 and P9. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounded out the top 10, with Marc Marquez dropping from P7 to P11 in a disappointing Sprint on a circuit he’s been unbeatable at. He said after the race that risk vs reward saw him roll off.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) crashed unhurt at Turn 1, with Jonas Folger (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) retiring from his home GP Sprint.
2023 German MotoGP Results—MotoGP Sprint Race
| 1 |
Jorge Martin |
(Duc) |
|
| 2 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
+ 2.468 |
| 3 |
Jack Miller |
(KTM) |
+ 3.287 |
| 4 |
Luca Marini |
(Duc) |
+ 5.487 |
| 5 |
Johann Zarco |
(Duc) |
+ 5.538 |
| 6 |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
+ 6.289 |
| 7 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Duc) |
+ 6.956 |
| 8 |
Alex Marquez |
(Duc) |
+ 9.261 |
| 9 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 9.691 |
| 10 |
Enea Bastianini |
(Duc) |
+ 9.715 |
MotoGP Qualifying
Pecco was perfect for the pole in Germany.
It will be Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) starting from pole position as the Italian’s 1:21.409 saw him beat Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) by 0.078s, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing a front row split by just 0.083s. Elsewhere, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) claimed a third row start despite three crashes across Q1 and Q2, the number 93 going all in against quite a mountain to climb.
2023 German MotoGP Results—MotoGP Qualifying
| 1 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
1:21.409 |
| 2 |
Luca Marini |
(Duc) |
+ 0.078 |
| 3 |
Jack Miller |
(KTM) |
+ 0.083 |
| 4 |
Johann Zarco |
(Duc) |
+ 0.356 |
| 5 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Duc) |
+ 0.527 |
| 6 |
Jorge Martin |
(Duc) |
+ 0.586 |
| 7 |
Marc Marquez |
(Hon) |
+ 0.604 |
| 8 |
Alex Marquez |
(Duc) |
+ 0.635 |
| 9 |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
+ 0.638 |
| 10 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 0.813 |
Moto2 Qualifying
Pole number one of 2023 for Acosta.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) secured his first Moto2 pole position of the 2023 season by almost three tenths of a second in Qualifying for the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Spanish rider will lead the front row away in tomorrow’s Grand Prix with World Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) leader alongside his title rival in second place, while Jake Dixon (Polar Cube GASGAS Aspar Team) took third.
2023 German Moto2 Results—Moto2 Qualifying
| 1 |
Pedro Acosta |
(Kal) |
1:23.858 |
| 2 |
Tony Arbolino |
(Kal) |
+ 0.269 |
| 3 |
Jake Dixon |
(Kal) |
+ 0.300 |
| 4 |
Aron Canet |
(Kal) |
+ 0.346 |
| 5 |
Alonso Lopez |
(Bos) |
+ 0.406 |
Moto3 Qualifying
Sasaki smoked ’em in Moto3 qualifying.
As qualifying laps go, that was unbelievably special from Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). The Japanese star smashed the Moto3™ Sachsenring lap record by setting a 1:25.130 to beat second place Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by a staggering 1.092s. Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) rounds out the front row, the Spaniard 1.1s adrift of polesitter Sasaki in qualifying at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.
2023 German Moto3 Results—Moto3 Qualifying
| 1 |
Ayumu Sasaki |
(Hus) |
1:25.130 |
| 2 |
Deniz Öncü |
(KTM) |
+ 1.092 |
| 3 |
Ivan Ortola |
(KTM) |
+ 1.155 |
| 4 |
Collin Veijer |
(Hus) |
+ 1.511 |
| 5 |
David Muñoz |
(KTM) |
+ 1.518 |
2023 German MotoGP News—Friday
Morbidelli future
The future of Franco Morbidelli was the subject of much debate in the days following the Italian MotoGP after stating, ‘Who says I want to stay with Yamaha?’ when asked if current performances could help him maintain his seat.
But on Friday Morbidelli’s personal manager Gianluca Falcioni moved to qualm whispers he could be on his way out. “Our priority is to try to find a way to continue together, we think this is also what Yamaha thinks. We are both looking for a continuation, of course there are elements to consider, but this is the goal for everybody. By Assen we will definitely have more information.”
Questions linger over Franco’s future.
On whether there is a possibility he could switch to VR46 Ducati, Falcioni said, “VR46 is like a big family so if Franky is an option I think they would love it, but the team at the moment has two great riders and I think they will continue with both. And Franky wants to be with Yamaha so I don’t think it’s an option, honestly speaking.”
Marquez v Zarco
Disaster was narrowly avoided on Friday afternoon when Marc Marquez crashed out at Turn 1, his stricken bike collection Johann Zarco, then exiting pit lane. The two bikes were destroyed in the collision, but the Frenchman narrowly avoided a serious leg injury by anticipating the contact.
This was a big one.
Eyebrows were raised after when Marquez pointed the finger at Zarco for the collision. “I’m angry because if somebody can avoid the situation it was Johann,” reasoned the eight-time champ. “I mean, the guy that is coming out of the pit lane is the guy that needs to watch behind and if somebody is coming, especially in the last minute, you need to stop in the pit exit.”
Zarco was incredulous when learning he had been blamed. “First thing, when I was on the floor, he could at least come to see if all was OK. “He is this champion, but he is losing a bit of control now when he speaks. Just to have the idea that this is my fault is not acceptable.”
Marquez on the edge
It was an eventful day for Marquez. Along with the Zarco collision, he had several huge slides, the most spectacular coming through Turn 11 in P2. His reaction to that was telling. Immediately after a tank-slapper, he showed a raised middle finger to his bike, which was picked up by his onboard camera.
Marquez’s patience is running thin on the Honda.
“The camera recorded it well,” he said of the reaction. “And it was about the situation. I mean, the adrenaline was super high. I saved a crash in a very fast corner. And then as you imagine the adrenaline was very, very high and the reaction of the body was that because I had many, many warnings already this weekend. So yeah, we need to understand how to ride smoother or just a bit slower and we will not have the moments.”
Friday
MotoGP
Two red flags, a massive save, a dramatic Turn 1 crash and a late flurry of times – they’re just a few notes from Day 1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, and they don’t tell the whole story. Talking times it’s Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) who ends Friday fastest with a 1:20.271 as the Italian is chased close by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), but plenty of the headlines will go the way of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) after he was at the heart of the talking points.
Despite wet weather making its presence known in the Moto3™ and Moto2™ Practice 2 sessions, the premier class ventured straight out on slick tires for their one-hour Friday afternoon stint. Some early time improvers were Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) as the Portuguese rider rose to P3, and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) as he moved forward.
Bez blasted to P1 on Friday in Germany.
There were just over 20 minutes left on the clock when we saw some fresh soft rear rubber laid on the Sachsenring, and the push for laptimes began in earnest. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) popped up to P2 to get the Practice 2 time attack ball rolling, and Aleix Espargaro then quickly returned to P3.
He’d been close to the top in P1, but while pushing for an improvement in the afternoon, Marc Marquez had a huge moment at Turn 11. The eight-time World Champion did very well to stay on board – and in the aftermath, the #93 made his feelings towards the moment clear.
In the meantime, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) were chipping away at their personal best times, before Augusto Fernandez propelled himself to P4 with 11 minutes to go. But in the blink of an eye that was soon P9 as the rapid times started to be slung in, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) going P1 ahead of former teammate Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Then, huge drama unfolded at Turn 1. First, Viñales was down but ok. Then, moments later, Marc Marquez’s front end washed away at the start of a lap at Turn 1 as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was coming out the pitlane. Subsequently, Marquez’s stricken Honda clattered into Zarco’s Ducati in a crash that brought out the red flags. Riders ok and able to get back out on track once the session was restarted, but talking point most definitely made. Marquez wasn’t able to get out in time to complete a lap, however, and that saw him finish outside the top 10, facing Q1 in Germany.
Back at the top, Aleix Espargaro went P1 near the end of the session, before Bezzecchi produced some late magic to pinch top spot away from the Spaniard, and Martin then pinched second from the Aprilia.
At the end of a breathless final 10 minutes, it’s Bagnaia who claims P4 behind the fastest trio, with Miller completing the top five. Quartararo will be into Q2 for the first time since the Americas GP, the Frenchman bagging P6, as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Zarco pocket automatic spots in Q2.
2023 German MotoGP Results—Friday
| 1 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Duc) |
1:20.271 |
| 2 |
Jorge Martin |
(Duc) |
+ 0.040 |
| 3 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 0.081 |
| 4 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
+ 0.100 |
| 5 |
Jack Miller |
(KTM) |
+ 0.149 |
| 6 |
Fabio Quartararo |
(Yam) |
+ 0.352 |
| 7 |
Luca Marini |
(Duc) |
+ 0.368 |
| 8 |
Enea Bastianini |
(Duc) |
+ 0.386 |
| 9 |
Alex Marquez |
(Duc) |
+ 0.400 |
| 10 |
Johann Zarco |
(Duc) |
+ 0.431 |
Friday Moto2
A wet afternoon at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland means the Moto2™ Friday classification is decided by the Practice 1 times, which sees Italian GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) end the day fastest with a 1:23.979. Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) – a late crasher in Practice 2 – is 0.237s off his compatriot in P2, while Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) heads into Saturday as the rider in P3.
Form man Acosta took top spot in Moto2 on Friday.
2023 German Moto2 Results—Friday
| 1 |
Pedro Acosta |
(Kal) |
1:23.979 |
| 2 |
Alonso Lopez |
(Bos) |
+ 0.237 |
| 3 |
Manuel Gonzalez |
(Kal) |
+ 0.301 |
| 4 |
Filip Salač |
(Kal) |
+ 0.428 |
| 5 |
Jake Dixon |
(GasGas) |
+ 0.485 |
Moto3
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) will head into qualifying day as the rider to beat after heavy rain in the afternoon saw no riders improve their times from Friday morning at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) end Friday in second and third place respectively.
Sasaki added another Friday fastest to his growing reputation.
2023 German Moto3 Results—Friday
| 1 |
Ayumu Sasaki |
(Hus) |
1:25.840 |
| 2 |
Deniz Öncü |
(KTM) |
+ 0.249 |
| 3 |
Jaume Masia |
(Hon) |
+ 0.567 |
| 4 |
Ivan Ortola |
(KTM) |
+ 0.833 |
| 5 |
Ryusei Yamanaka |
(GasGas) |
+ 1.001 |
