Метка: German GP

Vinales on record pace in FP2 as Marquez suffers huge crash

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Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales topped second practice for the MotoGP German Grand Prix with a new lap record, as a massive crash left Marc Marquez out of Q2 in 13th.

Cooler conditions than expected for the time of year at the Sachsenring coupled with its unique layout led to a crash-strewn hour of practice that was red-flagged briefly.

Gresini Ducati rider Marquez, who fell off his GP23 in FP1, suffered a monster accident through the downhill right-hander at Turn 11 just seven minutes into the second session.

Marquez tucked the front going through the corner, before the rear gripped as he tried to save the accident that spat him into a highside.

He would return to the circuit soon after on a second bike that had encountered issues all day to go fastest with a 1m20.384s with just over half an hour remaining.

Completing just six laps, Marquez then went to the medical centre for checks. Although the Spaniard was declared fit by the doctors, he is understood to have fractured a finger on his left hand while also reporting some pain in his ribs and right hand.

But he wouldn’t return to the session and found himself knocked out of the direct Q2 qualifying places in 11th.

 

The session was red-flagged with just under 40 minutes remaining after VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio popped the air fence in a crash at Turn 1.

Di Giannantonio initially looked to have injured a collarbone in the incident, but medical centre checks revealed no fractures and he was able to return to finish ninth.

VR46 team-mate Marco Bezzecchi was the first faller in the session, coming off at Turn 11 where Marquez crashed.

Ducati’s Enea Bastianini was the next to go down at that corner late in the session, while there were also tumbles for Takaaki Nakagami (LCR), Joan Mir (Honda), Pedro Acosta (Tech3), Augusto Fernandez (Tech3), Remy Gardner (Yamaha) and Johann Zarco (LCR).

Having had a strong FP1 session, Vinales on the factory Aprilia produced a lap record of 1m19.622s with just under 10 minutes to go.

Nobody got close to Vinales come the chequered flag, with championship leader Jorge Martin second on his Pramac Ducati – albeit 0.340 seconds adrift.

Miguel Oliveira was third on the Trackhouse Racing Aprilia, while Alex Marquez was fourth on the Gresini Ducati.

Francesco Bagnaia led his factory Ducati team-mate Bastianini in fifth, with Franco Morbidelli seventh on the Pramac-run GP24 ahead of Acosta.

Di Giannantonio grabbed a Q2 place despite his early crash, while the final direct Q2 spot went to KTM’s Brad Binder.

Marc Marquez will join a tough Q1 battle on Saturday morning, with KTM’s Jack Miller only 0.001s outside of the top 10 on Friday afternoon in 11th.

Fabio Quartararo was the top Yamaha in 14th, with Zarco the best of the Hondas in 16th. 

MotoGP German GP — Second practice results:



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Martin leads Marquez; Espargaro withdraws due to injury

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MotoGP championship leader Jorge Martin led FP1 for the German Grand Prix from Marc Marquez, who later crashed, while Aleix Espargaro withdrew from the weekend due to injury.

Aprilia’s Espargaro suffered two heavy falls last weekend at the Dutch GP, with the second on the last lap of the sprint leaving him with a fracture in his right hand.

Attempting to ride in first practice at the Sachsenring, Espargaro only completed three laps before determining the pain in his hand was too great for him to continue with the rest of the weekend.

Meanwhile, Pramac Ducati rider Martin led the way with a 1m20.584s having been the only one to fit fresh soft rubber for a time attack at the end of the session.

Martin set the early pace in FP1 with a 1m22.442s, improving to a 1m21.307s with just over five minutes of the session gone.

With eight minutes remaining, Martin lit up the timing screens on a fresh soft rear tyre and produced a 1m20.584s to take over top spot.

He would not be bettered as the session came to a close.

Gresini Ducati rider Marquez was second, 0.150s off Martin’s pace, but remained on the same medium rear tyre he started the session on.

Last year’s German GP marked the beginning of the end of Marquez’s time with Honda, after he suffered five crashes at a venue he has dominated at for much of his grand prix career.

While Marquez was on much better form in FP1 in 2024 at the Sachsenring, he crashed at Turn 1 late on.

Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales completed the top three, a further 0.144s adrift, while Miguel Oliveira leapt up to fourth on the Trackhouse Racing Aprilia.

Pedro Acosta was the top KTM runner in fifth but crashed late on at the last corner, while Tech3 team-mate Augusto Fernandez was sixth with an identical 1m21.151s.

Enea Bastianini was seventh on the factory Ducati, while Alex Marquez (Gresini), reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse) rounded out the top 10.

Fabio Quartararo was the leading Yamaha runner in 14th, with Takaaki Nakagami the top Honda rider in 17th.

Alex Rins’ injury stand-in Remy Gardner, who hasn’t started a grand prix since Valencia 2022, was 22nd at the end of his first session on the factory Yamaha.

The Australian posted a 1m22.969s having completed 27 laps on the M1, with his best effort being 2.385s off the pace.

MotoGP German GP — FP1 results:



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F1 champion Hamilton “interested” in MotoGP amid Gresini buyout links

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Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton says he is “interested” in a business venture in MotoGP, amid links to a buyout of the Gresini Racing team.

Earlier this week, rumours emerged that Hamilton was in talks to take over the Gresini Racing team that currently fields MotoGP legend Marc Marquez.

Motorsport.com understands that this is not on the cards, but reports in Motorsport.com’s Italian edition claim Hamilton has interest in potentially partnering with a number of teams in MotoGP.

Hamilton has already ventured into team ownership, becoming a part-owner of the Denver Broncos NFL team in 2022 and founding Team X44 in Extreme E.

Ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Hamilton said on the matter: “I’ve always loved MotoGP.

“I’m interested in the potential growth of the sport, but I haven’t looked that far into it just yet .

“But anything is possible. I’m definitely interested, as I said before, about equity and the Broncos was already a first step into team ownership.

“And so, I think over the next five to ten years there will be a little bit more. We’ll see.”

Lewis Hamilton, Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1, Valentino Rossi, MotoGP YZR-M1

Lewis Hamilton, Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1, Valentino Rossi, MotoGP YZR-M1

Photo by: Monster Energy

Hamilton has been a lifelong MotoGP fan and in 2019 took part in a ride swap with series legend Valentino Rossi at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia.

In 2015, Hamilton collaborated with Italian brand MV Agusta to design a limited-edition motorcycle.

On Hamilton being linked with MotoGP, series’ points leader Jorge Martin said: “For sure it’s interesting, I saw it. But always in the press they speak and nothing happens.

“Even if it happens, I think it will be interesting. This is because the sport is growing, this is just the beginning.

“I think the future years that are coming will be really interesting for MotoGP and I hope that if somebody like Hamilton, who is a really iconic person, wants to buy a team in MotoGP it’s because something is changing. So, I’m really pleased with that.”

Marquez added: “For me, if it’s real – because you never know – it’s good for our sport. And even if it’s not real it’s good for our sport, because in the end MotoGP needs people talking about it.

“Let’s see. Maybe I’m thinking to buy an F1 team. I don’t have enough cash.”

Additional reporting by Ben Hunt and Roberto Chinchero

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Quartararo outlines his preference for Pramac’s 2025 MotoGP line-up

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Fabio Quartararo wants Pramac to prioritise signing one-time MotoGP race winner Fabio Di Giannantonio for 2025 when it becomes a Yamaha satellite team.

During last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Yamaha announced it had signed a long-term deal with Pramac for it to become its factory-backed satellite partner from 2025.

Since that announcement, the list of riders linked to the two Pramac Yamahas has grown.

But on Thursday ahead of the German Grand Prix, 2021 world champion Quartararo made it clear who he thinks Pramac should be aiming for.

“This guy on my right [Di Giannantonio],” he said in the pre-event press conference at the Sachsenring.

“I think Fabio can be the one that can make a really good job for Yamaha.

“I’m pushing him on the way to Yamaha because, of course, the last 10 months he has been doing a really great job. We need a rider like him to really improve on our project.

“A rookie can be also a good idea. I think [Sergio] Garcia, [Alonso] Lopez are names that are really fast in Moto2 and they can earn their place into a team like Pramac that in the end it will not a be a satellite team – it’s an extension of the factory.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Di Giannantonio only had his 2024 ride confirmed after last season finished, with VR46 Ducati offering the 2023 Qatar GP winner a lifeline following Gresini’s decision to replace him with Marc Marquez.

On the 2023-spec Ducati at VR46, Di Giannantonio has scored double the points of his three-time GP-winning team-mate Marco Bezzecchi and is second-best GP23 rider in the standings behind Marquez.

The Italian confirmed he is in talks with Yamaha and VR46, which is set to get one factory Ducati in 2025 – and will “define” his “plan A” this weekend.

“I’m grateful of this situation and also to Fabio honestly, because to have these words from a colleague – a rival but also a friend – is always so good,” he said.

“It’s not a secret that we are talking with Yamaha, but also my team, and the plan C that I cannot say. I was talking with Fabio last week about how the project is.

“As I said, I’m in a good situation where I can decide my future and this weekend I will define, more or less, the way for my plan A.”

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The ‘unexpected’ MotoGP job interview facing a KTM outcast

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Remy Gardner faced a lot of scrutiny through his grand prix career as he worked his way up the MotoGP ladder, as being the son of 1987 500cc world champion Wayne Gardner created expectation.

Joining Aki Ajo’s king-making KTM-backed Moto2 squad for 2021 elevated Gardner to a new competitive level that would see him fend off highly-rated team-mate Raul Fernandez for the title.

Both riders were promoted to MotoGP in 2022 with the Tech3 KTM squad. And it was a disaster. The RC16 was a difficult bike for the rookies to get to grips with, the pair scoring 14 and 13 points in 22nd and 23rd in the standings – Fernandez edging ahead in that battle.

Fernandez was able to extricate himself from his KTM deal to join Aprilia with the RNF squad for 2023. Gardner, however, was told mid-season he would not be continuing with KTM beyond 2022.

At the time, he told Autosport: “What I was told is that I’m not professional enough. No explanation [from KTM]. I have done a lot of the hard yards, I’ve had some pretty tough years, injuries and everything coming back. But yeah, it’s just kind of never seems like it was enough.”

This was denied by KTM publicly, but it seems that his manager Paco Sanchez was told by the company’s road racing vice president Jens Haibach that Gardner’s unprofessionalism was to blame. There were some suggestions that both rider and manager’s open criticism of the RC16 played a factor. Wayne Gardner took to social media to blame Sanchez, while Remy defended him.

Remy Gardner, GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team

Remy Gardner, GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

It was a bitter episode that ended with Gardner moving to World Superbikes with Yamaha. Finding top eight consistency in the second half of his first campaign, Gardner scored a maiden podium at Assen this year and is just 22 points behind top Yamaha runner Andrea Locatelli in a tight battle for fifth in the WSBK standings.

This was enough for Yamaha to give the Australian a call last Sunday while he was out riding motorcross about replacing the injured Alex Rins in this weekend’s German Grand Prix.

“I mean, honestly, I was never expecting to come back riding a GP bike again,” Gardner said on Thursday at the Sachsenring. “But it’s always nice to come back, riding these amazing machines.

«For sure it’s not going to be easy, that’s understandable. I only get one day on the bike before going into the first race on Saturday. It’s not going to be easy, but hopefully I can make the most of it and every lap, every session learn and improve.

«I think just enjoy it more than anything. I’m just curious to see how far the bikes have come over the last few years because they seem to be going faster every time.”

Remy Gardner, GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team

Remy Gardner, GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Gardner revealed that acting as a MotoGP injury replacement was never discussed with him before.

And it is perfectly timed. While not much is expected of the 26-year-old, his MotoGP return comes just a week after Yamaha announced it would be partnering with Pramac from the 2025 season.

This has created two factory Yamaha rides on the grid, with Gardner’s Germany outing potentially a surprise job interview – not that he’s focusing much on this for now.

“I guess you could say that the stars are kind of aligning,” he replied when asked if the Pramac news is something that was on his mind when he agreed to race this weekend.

“But, honestly, I’m not thinking about it. There is no offer there at the moment. I’m not even thinking about it, just get the job done here and enjoy it. The main focus is having a strong Superbike championship and see where it goes from there.”

Pramac and Yamaha have a number of good options on the table for the two satellite M1s next year, so Gardner is not likely to be top of the list. But an opportunity has presented itself and the Australian may find his career suddenly veering towards an unlikely MotoGP return.

Given no time to prove himself in his brutal sole campaign with KTM in 2022, a second chance with Yamaha at Pramac in 2025 would be a well-deserved reprieve for a quality rider who deserved better.

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Alex Rins set to remain with Yamaha until 2026 MotoGP season

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Alex Rins will remain with Yamaha until the end of the current MotoGP rules cycle after agreeing terms for the next two seasons, Motorsport.com understands.

Rins will continue to partner Fabio Quartararo at Yamaha until 2026, having completed negotiations with the Iwata-based marque just before last Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix at Assen.

Only a signature is required for the deal to be officially closed and announced to the public.

«For us it was important to give continuity to Alex, and he wanted to continue with us, so we have reached a total agreement for him to continue in the team,» a source at Yamaha told Motorsport.com.

«We just need the signature so we can announce it, which will be one of these days.»

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Rins joined Yamaha at the start of the current season to replace the underperforming Franco Morbidelli and has since done a formidable job on the M1, which still remains the second-slowest bike on the grid.

A race winner with both Suzuki and Honda, the Spaniard has so far bagged four points finishes in the eight grands prix so far, with his best results being a pair of 13th-place results at Portimao and Jerez.

Ironically, Rins agreed a new deal with Yamaha on the eve of the Assen race, where he suffered a big highside at Turn 1 that left him two small fractures in his right hand and one in his leg. 

He will be replaced at this weekend’s German Grand Prix by Remy Gardner, but is hoping to take advantage of the summer break that follows the Sachsenring event in order to make a full recovery in time for the British Grand Prix in early August.

The agreement with Rins marks the final piece in the puzzle for Yamaha, which has already signed a new multi-year contract with 2021 champion Quartararo and expanded its presence on next year’s grid by recruiting Pramac as its satellite team.



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How to watch & schedule

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MotoGP is gearing up for the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring in Hohenstein-Ernstthal – around 54 miles outside of Leipzig. It is the last race of the first half of the season, before the teams and riders take a summer break until the 4th of August.  

Alex Rins is set to miss the race after he was injured at last weekend’s Dutch GP. The Yamaha rider was thrown from his bike on the opening corner, resulting in two small fractures in his right hand and one in his left leg.  

Rins underwent surgery on his right hand on Monday morning, as well as having a pin removed from his right leg, which had been placed after a bad break at the 2023 Italian GP. It is hoped that he will return for the British GP in August. 

Last year’s 30-lap race was won by Jorge Martin, who claimed his first victory in almost two years. The Spanish rider claimed the top spot on the podium in both the Sprint race and grand prix, closing his gap to the drivers’ championship leader Francesco Bagnaia. 

Martin is currently leading the 2024 championship standings by just 10 points from Bagnaia, after claiming two wins and a further four podiums. 

When is the MotoGP German Grand Prix?  

  • Date: Sunday  7 July 2024
  • Start time: 1pm BST (2pm local time) 

The MotoGP German Grand Prix will take place between 5-7 July 2024. The race will start at 1pm BST on Sunday 7 July and will last 30 laps 

Saturday’s Sprint race will start at 2pm BST and will be a 15-lap race. 

Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

How to watch MotoGP German Grand Prix

In the UK, MotoGP can be watched via its own streaming service — MotoGP Videopass. This platform offers viewers the ability to watch live races, practices, qualifying and sprint events, as well as highlights and exclusive content.

A subscription to MotoGP Videopass costs an annual fee of €199.99 (£170.97) or a monthly fee of €29.99 (£25.64).

The full 2024 MotoGP season is also available to watch on TNT Sports in the UK and the United States. Customers can subscribe to TNT Sports for £30.99 per month, which includes all four sport channels and Discovery+. This also allows viewers to watch via mobile, tablet or console devices.

Free to watch highlights will be available on ITVX, and MotoGP’s website and YouTube channel.

What are the timings for the German Grand Prix?  

Here are the full timings for the MotoGP German Grand Prix:  

Session   

Date  

Start time (BST)  

Free Practice 1  

Friday 5 July 

9.45am — 10.30am 

Free Practice 2  

Friday 5 July 

2pm — 3pm 

Free Practice 3   

Saturday 6 July 

9.10am — 9.40am 

Qualifying 1  

Saturday 6 July 

9.50am — 10.05am 

Qualifying 2  

Saturday 6 July  

10.15am — 10.30am 

Sprint Race – 15 laps  

Saturday 6 July 

2pm  

Warm Up  

Sunday 7 July 

8.40am — 8.50am 

Race – 30 laps  

Sunday 7 July 

1pm 

What are the timings for Moto2 and Moto3 races at the German Grand Prix? 

KTM celebrated double victories at the 2023 German GP in both the Moto2 and Moto3 with their riders Pedro Acosta and Deniz Oncu. 

Acosta claimed his fourth win of the 2023 season after pulling away from the rest of the field during the 25-lap Moto2 race. 

 In Moto3, Oncu had a tight battle with Ayumu Sasaki in the final lap, where the Turkish rider dived down the inside on the final corner, finishing just 0.095 seconds ahead and claiming his maiden victory. 

Here is the weekend schedule for the Moto2 and Moto3 German Grand Prix: 

Moto2 German Grand Prix schedule:  

Session   

Date  

Start time (BST)  

Free Practice 1  

Friday 5 July 

8.50am — 9.30am 

Free Practice 2  

Friday 5 July 

1.05pm — 1.45pm 

Free Practice 3   

Saturday 6 July 

8.25am — 8.55am 

Qualifying 1  

Saturday 6 July  

12.45pm — 1pm 

Qualifying 2  

Saturday 6 July 

1.10pm — 1.25pm 

Race – 25 laps  

Sunday 7 July 

11.15am 

Moto3 German Grand Prix schedule:  

Session   

Date  

Start time (BST)  

Free Practice 1  

Friday 5 July 

8am — 8.35am 

Free Practice 2  

Friday 5 July 

12.15pm — 12.50pm 

Free Practice 3   

Saturday 6 July 

7.40am — 8.10am 

Qualifying 1  

Saturday 6 July 

11.50am — 12.05pm 

Qualifying 2  

Saturday 6 July 

12.15pm — 12.30pm 

Race – 23 laps  

Sunday 7 July 

10am 

 

What are the timings for MotoE at the German Grand Prix? 

Here is the full MotoE schedule for the German Grand Prix: 

Session   

Date  

Start time (BST)  

Free Practice 1  

Friday 5 July 

7.30am — 7.45am 

Free Practice 2  

Friday 5 July 

11.25am — 11.40am 

Qualifying 1  

Friday 5 July 

4.05pm — 4.15pm 

Qualifying 2  

Friday 5 July 

4.25pm — 4.35pm 

Race 1 – 11 laps 

Saturday 6 July 

11.15am 

Race 2 — 11 laps 

Saturday 6 July 

3.10pm 

Where is the German Grand Prix being held?  

The MotoGP German Grand Prix will take place at the Sachsenring in Hohenstein-Ernstthal. The track has hosted the race since 1998 when it took over from the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, who had exchanged hosting responsibilities annually since the mid-1960s. 

Improvements were made to the circuit between 2001-2003 to introduce longer straights, making the track faster. Sachsenring now sits at 2.281 miles (3.671km) long and hosts multiple events across the year including MotoGP and DTM. 

Marc Marquez has the most wins on the track with consecutive victories between 2010 and 2019 and then again in 2021. The event was cancelled in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The lap record was set at the German Grand Prix in 2023, when Johann Zarco set a time of 1:21.225 

Remaining 2024 MotoGP schedule 

Date 

Event 

Circuit  

UK Time 

Local Time 

5 — 7 July 

German GP 

Sachsenring 

1pm  

2pm 

2 — 4 August 

British GP 

Silverstone Circuit 

1pm 

1pm 

16 — 18 August 

Austrian GP 

Red Bull Ring 

1pm  

2pm 

30 August — 1 September 

Aragon GP 

MotorLand Aragon 

1pm  

2pm 

6 — 8 September 

San Marino and Rimini Riviera GP 

Misano World Circuit 

1pm  

2pm 

20 — 22 September 

Indian GP 

Buddh International Circuit 

11am  

3.30pm 

27 — 29 September 

Indonesian GP 

Mandalika International Street Circuit 

8am  

3pm 

4 — 6 October 

Japanese GP 

Twin Ring Motegi 

6am  

2pm 

18 — 20 October 

Australian GP 

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit 

4am  

2pm 

25 — 27 October 

Thailand GP 

Chang International Circuit 

8am  

3pm 

1 — 3 November 

Malaysian GP 

Sepang International Circuit 

7am  

3pm 

15 — 17  November 

Valencian Community GP 

Circuit Ricardo Tormo  

1pm  

2pm 

 



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