Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Sachsenring, Germany

July 13, 2018

Free Practice Two Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Ducati), 1:20.885

2. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), 1:21.142

3. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), 1:21.204

4. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), 1:21.309

5. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 1:21.349

6. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 1:21.384

7. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), 1:21.447

8. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), 1:21.497

9. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 1:21.540

10. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Ducati), 1:21.568

11. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), 1:21.616

12. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), 1:21.680

13. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), 1:21.718

14. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), 1:21.743

15. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), 1:21.777

16. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (Yamaha), 1:21.777

17. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), 1:21.784

18. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), 1:21.787

19. Scott Redding, UK (Aprilia), 1:22.003

20. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), 1:22.305

21. Stefan Bradl, Germany (Honda), 1:22.457

22. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), 1:22.555

23. Thomas Luthi, Switzerland (Honda), 1:22.767

24. Mika Kallio, Finland (KTM), 1:23.194

25. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Ducati), 1:23.437

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech3:

Busy opening day for Syahrin and Zarco in Germany

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 pair started their German Grand Prix campaigns today in good conditions. While MotoGP rookie Hafizh Syahrin had to learn the demanding Sachsenring circuit aboard the big machine, he improved steadily in the course of the day to eventually conclude Friday just 0.892 seconds behind the top of the ultra-competitive premier class field. Meanwhile, Johann Zarco began the weekend with a top 10 result in FP1 this morning and lowered his lap time by seven tenths during the second session today working towards the race on Sunday. Yet, the fast Frenchman needs to find some more time at the unique venue and bounce back in the standings tomorrow, starting with FP3 at 9.55 local time.

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 16th – Time: 1’21.777 – Laps: 44

“The first day here I felt really good. I’m here for the first time with the GP bike and especially in turn 11 we have to be really carefully as it’s the first right corner after many left ones. I wanted to try to understand everything on the first run. On my second run, I felt really good with the medium tyre. Afterwards I changed to soft, but I felt that I’m losing the front, especially when braking hard. We are very close, just 0.8 seconds. I try to give my best for tomorrow. I’m really happy with the first day and hope that we can improve a bit more on Saturday.”

Johann Zarco

Position: 18th – Time: 1’21.787 – Laps: 45

“The first day at Sachsenring started well and also finished quite well. We are working hard, because we do so many laps during the race and therefore, it’s truly important to feel comfortable. It’s a complicate track and I want to feel good on it. This morning the lap time was coming while riding easy, which made me happy. In the afternoon, we could improve and we didn’t put the new tyre in at the end, because we wanted to keep working for the race, so it’s necessary in FP3 tomorrow to push hard in order to go directly to Q2. What we did today, I think, brought us on a good way to have a successful race.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

FIRST DAY OF MOTOGP PRACTICE AT THE SACHSENRING

ALEIX JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN, SCOTT IMPROVES AFTER A POSITIVE MORNING

First day of practice on the German Sachsenring circuit in view of the MotoGP race on Sunday. Despite some threatening clouds, the two sessions were held on dry asphalt. Both of the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders focused their work on the right tyre combination choice, a critical issue on the short and twisty Saxony track, both for the race and for qualifiers on Saturday.

Scott Redding had a positive morning practice session, finishing in ninth place. In the afternoon, all the riders improved and the fastest on the Italian team was Aleix, finishing thirteenth just 15 tenths outside the top ten. Getting into the top ten remains the top objective for Aleix who will have the FP3 session tomorrow to try to skip the first qualifying session and go straight through to Q2 with the best 12 riders.

Scott, although improving his time, finished 19th but had positive sensations in the second session as well.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“I am satisfied with the way we worked today. We focused on race pace. In the afternoon I did a 15 lap long run at a pace in the high 1’21s that I am happy about. Tomorrow morning the goal is to place the RS-GP in the top 10 to go straight through to the second qualifying session and I am confident that it is within our potential. On this track, starting from the front three rows is fundamental, given the difficulty overtaking here.”

SCOTT REDDING

“It’s nice to be in certain positions, like in FP1 today. At the beginning, I didn’t have the right tyres, but I expected that so it didn’t worry me. In fact, once I had changed them, I took a significant step forward straight away. In both sessions we worked mainly on the right tyre combination choice, which makes the difference here. Overall, I felt good. I feel at ease on the bike and in the afternoon I could even have improved the time more.”

More, from a press release issued by Angel Nieto Team:

TEN OUT OF TEN START FOR BAUTISTA IN SACHSENRING

Ángel Nieto Team rider kicks off in Germany with his best Friday of the season

A circuit that in theory doesn’t suit the Ducati saw three of the Italian factory bikes in the top four on day one of the German Grand Prix, where Jorge Lorenzo, Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso – as well as Andrea Iannone – outdid the ‘King of the Sachsenring” Marc Márquez, who was fifth. The shortest lap of the year saw eighteen riders within the same second, factory riders such as Álex Rins, Pol and Aleix Espargaró, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa outside the top ten.

Álvaro Bautista made a ten out of ten start to his weekend, enjoying his best Friday so far this season. The Ángel Nieto Team rider was equally satisfied with the position and the lap time today, as well as the feeling with his bike, although he hopes to make further progress and find more speed tomorrow. On the other side of the garage Karel Abraham already equalled his best from 2017 at this track and feels he is close to the limit of performance of the Ducati GP16 here, but will work with his team to push that limit and enjoy a strong weekend at Sachsenring.

10th Álvaro Bautista 1:21.568 (31 laps): “Today I felt good on the bike and it shows in the lap time and the position. This morning the track was a little slippery but we were still quite competitive. We tried some different tyre options to see which works best for us and after ruling out the hard option for the race we are left to decide between the medium and the soft. Tomorrow we will try to stay on this upward curve. Today is the first Friday we have finished in the top 10, so let’s see tomorrow if we can find some more tenths. My pace is good but I feel that in some points of the track I could have pushed more for a better lap. I had a crash this morning in turn one when I lost the front with the change of lean. I was on the soft tyre, which was a little unstable, but I wasn’t hurt.”

22nd Karel Abraham 1:22.555 (42 laps): “Today was not a disaster, I’ve already matched my best lap time from here last year, but we are still missing around seven tenths to be where we want to be this weekend. The team did a great job from the morning to the afternoon but again I feel like we are on the limit with the bike. I am struggling in a couple of corners with turning performance, which is costing me speed, as well as some other more normal little problems like front locks and rear slides. I need to talk with my crew chief Frankie to work everything out. It might be a case of adapting my riding to get more out of the bike but at the moment I don’t feel I can push any more. We will work hard to increase our limit and improve the lap time and the position tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Alma Pramac Racing:

 Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

#GermanGP FP. Thank God it’s Friday. Stunning start Petrux (2nd), great job Jack (8th)

Alma Pramac Racing starts the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland in the best possible way. Danilo Petrucci finished the first day of free practices with an amazing P2 and Jack Miller completed the superb Friday with a precious P8.

Petrux is incisive since the morning and in Fp1 is steady with the leading group. In FP2 the rider from Terni works a lot on the setup and in the time attack, he manages to notch up a great crono conquering the second position behind Jorge Lorenzo.

Jack also started the weekend with great confidence and is in seventh place behind his teammate after FP1. The Australian has some problems with the hard rear tyre in the middle of the FP2 but reacts well with a fast lap that allows him to finish 8th, less than two tenths from Andrea Dovizioso’s P4.

P2 – Danilo Petrucci 1’21.142

“I am very satisfied with this first day of free practice. We started off well in the morning and then worked hard to reduce rear tyre consumption. Maybe we are not yet at the top of the race pace but the feeling is really positive”.

P8 – Jack Miller 1’21.497

“I couldn’t find a good feeling with the hard rear tyre. Things went much better with the medium one. In the time attack I pushed to the maximum but I think we have room to do better. Tomorrow it will be important to enter Q2 directly”.

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

CRUTCHLOW TARGETS IMPROVEMENT IN GERMANY

LCR Honda CASTROL rider Cal Crutchlow endured a demanding opening day of free practice at the German Grand Prix finishing the day in ninth position on the timesheets and ending up as the third fastest Honda in the field.

Although arriving in Germany on a consistent run of form, Crutchlow could find no rhythm during FP1 as he was only 19th fastest. The LCR man was not totally satisfied with his tyre options, but did make significant strides in FP2 as he moved up several places to claim a spot inside the top 10. But Cal remains confident there is considerable improvement to come on Saturday as he targets a place in the top five this weekend.

Cal Crutchlow – 9th

(1’21.540 – lap 22 of 23)

“I didn’t feel great today, we struggled to be honest. It’s Friday 13th, I never push on Friday 13th! The reality is that we weren’t going well, I didn’t really find a great set-up with the bike and (didn’t find) a very good rear grip. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t improve by tomorrow and we’re quietly confident that we have a trick up our sleeve to improve the bike”.

“I didn’t have a good feeling with the tyres and tomorrow we will have to select our race tyre from the allocation we have but also we have to improve our bike as a team. The last races have gone quite well and we’ve been pleased with our progress in the top six every week. But we need to make the podium. At the minute the podium doesn’t look great for this weekend, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try tomorrow and Sunday. Honestly speaking, I still think we can be in the top five.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Repsol Honda begin action at Sachsenring with mixed results

Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa put in their first laps on the opening day of the German GP with mixed results.

The Championship leader showed a very consistent pace in both free-practice sessions, focusing on the race setup of his RC213V. Marc finished fifth in the combined classification after a lengthy stint at the top of the FP2 session.

Dani, on the other hand, was unable to sort out some issues he had with his bike’s suspension setting and ended the day only 20th, but he looks forward to improving tomorrow at a track that he likes very much.

Marc Marquez 93

5TH 1’21.349

“It was a good first day, even if our opponents are all closer compared to last year. The weekend will be completely dry, so things on Sunday should once again be very tight. Anyway, we started very well and were able to keep a good pace on both the soft tyre in the morning and the harder one in the afternoon, which is positive. Tomorrow we’ll try and take another little step with the setup, because I’m not yet able to make the bike slide like I want. I want to find a way to do that, as it’s important at this track. The grip isn’t the best and tyre consumption seems quite high, so we’ll have to try and manage that aspect well.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

20TH 1’22.305

“Today the lap times were very fast from the start, but I didn’t have the right feeling to stay there with the others. I struggled with the fork setting and wasn’t able to be quick enough in the corners. We didn’t manage to take a step during the two sessions, so we’ll have to try something different with the setup tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Stefan Bradl to replace Franco Morbidelli in German Grand Prix

A hand injury has forced Franco Morbidelli to withdraw from Sunday’s race with German rider Stefan Bradl taking his place in Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS alongside Tom Luthi.

In dry and warm conditions Franco Morbidelli, riding with a fractured left hand suffered in last week’s Dutch TT, completed a painful 19 laps in FP1.

But the discomfort was too much on the tight and twisty Sachsenring and the Italian rider withdrew to concentrate on his recovery for the Czech GP in three weeks.

Honda test rider and local favourite Stefan Bradl was on standby as a replacement and the German was quickly on the pace posting a best lap of 1’22.457 and 21st place.

Bradl is the son of 1991 250cc class runner-up Helmut Bradl and he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS. After winning the 2011 Moto2 title, he became a Honda rider in MotoGP between 2012 and 2014. The highlight of his spell with HRC was undoubtedly a sensational pole position and second place in the 2013 US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.

The 28-year-old was also a factory rider for Aprilia in 2015 and 2016 before rejoining the Honda family in the World Superbike World Championship last year.

On combined times Tom Luthi was 23rd overall with an improved showing in FP2 having lowered his time by 0.6s from FP1.

Tomorrow’s FP3 session will be at 9:55am and then FP4 at 1:30pm followed by qualifying for grid positions at 2:10pm.

Franco Morbidelli:

“I went out in FP1 this morning to check if it was possible to race but it was really tough to ride the bikie. My left hand is really painful especially in the change of direction. I think racing on Sunday is a risk that I prefer not to take and it is better to recover to be at maximum fitness for the next race in Brno. So for now my summer holiday will be a few days longer!”

Tom Luthi: 23rd, 1’22.767

“It was difficult day with a MotoGP bike for the first time on this track so I had to be patient and look to make some steps forward in FP2. Actually I expected to make more progress in the afternoon but we will now analyse all the data and start again in the morning to have a better feeling with the bike.”

Stefan Bradl: 21st, 1’22.457

“It has been busy day. I was here to work on the TV broadcast which I did in FP1 but then I got the call from Alberto Puig from HRC to ride in place of Franco. I must say a big thanks to the team who gave me a nice welcome and have been very professional. I know the Honda RC213V so I just tried to enjoy myself in FP2 and get ready for the race. I wish Franco all the best and hope that he can make a good recovery and be back racing as soon as possible.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

FAST START FOR TAKA IN GERMANY

LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami made an impressive start to the German Grand Prix as he finished the opening day of free practice at the Sachsenring in seventh position. The Japanese talent was on the pace throughout the day with world champion Marc Marquez the only Honda rider to eclipse him.

Taka set the tone for his superb display in FP1 as he posted the ninth fastest time in the morning session. He not only maintained that form in FP2, but improved again as he ended just two tenths behind the top three. The 26-year-old is determined to build on his excellent work on Saturday and is now hopeful of progressing into Q2 for the second time this season.

Takaaki Nakagami – 7th

(1’21.447 – lap 25 of 26)

“I’m very, very happy with the work we’ve done today. We did not really expect FP1 to go as it did, this track is quite tricky and not easy to understand, especially with MotoGP bikes. But I’m really comfortable with this bike and in FP2 we tried a completely new idea for the set-up and it worked well. So both bikes are good, our base bike and the new set-up are working really well here and the lap times are quite consistent”.

“I’m very happy about our performance today, the team also looks very happy so that is the main thing. It’s only the first day, but FP1 and FP2 are very important for us to get the starting position. Tomorrow in FP3 and qualifying we will look to keep our position inside the top 10 and hopefully get into Q2.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA SEEK GRIP IN SACHSENRING FRIDAY FREE PRACTICE SESSIONS

The Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland got underway on the Sachsenring track today with the first two free practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s race. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi enjoyed a good start to the weekend but didn‘t have the same feeling in the afternoon. They concluded the day in 6th and 17th place respectively in the combined standings.

Sachsenring (Germany), 13th July 2018

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team kicked off the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland today with mixed results. Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi showed great speed in the morning free practice session but weren‘t able to book the amount of progress they intended to make in the afternoon. They wrapped up Day 1 in 6th and 17th place respectively in the combined standings.

Viñales was quick to head out on track at the start of FP1. It wasn‘t long before he proved that the combination of the tight and mostly left-corner nature of the circuit and his smooth riding are a good match. He spurred on his Yamaha in the final stages and set a 1’22.152s for fourth place, 0.710s to first.

He again showed good form in the afternoon. Making full use of the sunny conditions at the Sachsenring circuit to test various set-up options, he secured provisional second place midway through FP2. The Spaniard held on to this spot until the times dropped in the final ten minutes. He posted a 1‘21.384s on his last lap as a response and finished in sixth place, 0.499s from the top.

Teammate Rossi was looking competitive in the morning. He maintained a quick pace throughout, holding a top-3 position for the majority of the session before the pace picked up in the final stages of FP1. He set a 1’21.964s on his final attempt, 0.522s from the front, and held on to third position after the chequered flag came out.

The Doctor continued working on his bike’s balance in the afternoon session, which ended with extremely close results. The Italian was unable to immediately reproduce the competitive feeling he had in the morning but continued to use every minute of FP2 to find a setting solution. He completed the day in 17th place, with a best lap of 1’21.784s, even though he was less than a second (0.899s) separated from the fastest time of the day.

Today’s results see Viñales secure 6th position in the combined free practice timesheets. Rossi will be looking to better his 17th place in tomorrow morning‘s FP3.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

After the positive weekend in Assen we weren’t expecting such a difficult start. Though we began the weekend well in the morning, the track became quite slippery in the afternoon and this isn’t helping us. All Yamahas suffered from the change in track conditions, losing a lot of rear grip. We have to understand what has caused it, considering the track temperatures didn‘t change much from the morning to the afternoon. We will prepare a different set-up with the aim to increase the rear grip. We’ll try this new setting in the morning, but it will also be fundamental to try it again in the afternoon, when the circumstances might be different, like we saw today. However, this change in programme makes our work more difficult, because we have less time to decide on a tyre for Sunday’s race.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

The first day was difficult. I’m really focused and pushing my hardest on every lap, but it looks like our bike changes between one track and another. Anyway, Sachsenring is a good track for me. I’m giving it my all, because I want to be at the front, but we still have a lot of things to improve. The track is slippery, so you need really good electronics. We are working really hard on that and I think that for tomorrow we have a lot of room for improvement.

VALENTINO ROSSI

We had a lot of problems here on acceleration. When we try to put power on the ground we spin the tyre a lot and we suffer, because when we lose acceleration we lose drive. We tried to do something about it this afternoon, but unfortunately we weren’t able to improve. We have to continue and try to be stronger tomorrow.

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

STRONG START FOR TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR IN SACHSENRING

Andrea Iannone: 3rd – 1:21.204 (+ 0.319)

Alex Rins: 11th – 1:21.616 (+ 0.731)

• Iannone with fast pace from the start.

•Alex Rins close to Top 10.

•Useful adjustments made.

The opening day of track action at Sachsenring was met with slightly tricky track conditions following heavy rain on Thursday. But the historical German circuit was thankfully bathed in sunshine for FP1. Andrea Iannone made a very positive start to the weekend as he topped the session with a 1:21.442, 0.390 seconds faster than the other riders. The Italian was also quickest through three out of the four track sectors. Meanwhile, Alex Rins had a small crash at Omega (Turn 3) but was able to rejoin the session and place himself in 12th with a 1:22.554.

In the afternoon’s FP2 session the track was nice and hot, and Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s riders used their time to make adjustments, especially in the areas of rear suspension and tyre life. Andrea Iannone confirmed his good pace and ensured a provisional spot in Q2 by closing the session in 3rd (1:21.204). Despite improving his lap time by almost a second, Alex Rins narrowly missed out on provisional Q2 as he closed the session in 11th place (1:21.616).

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“In the end, the position of our riders is not bad – Andrea is in 3rd position on combined and Alex just missed the Top 10. We tried quite a few different things during the session, with both riders, we tested things like tyre wear. Andrea is still looking for a better setting to optimise the performance of the tyres, and also Alex had some small issues. Overall our race pace is not bad, but we need to improve and work more to find the best possible settings for both riders.”

Andrea Iannone

“Today hasn’t been bad. We started really well this morning, and we used this afternoon to try a few things. In the end we put new tyres in to get ourselves far into the Top 10. We’re having a few problems with rear grip, like everybody at this track, but I’m struggling quite a lot. So tomorrow we’ll try to improve this situation. We have good speed, enough to stay at the top, but it will be important to maintain it over the race distance.”

Alex Rins

“Today has been productive. We did a lot of laps with a set of tyres, in FP1 we used just one tyre. We tried the soft rear to see how the degradation would be. At the end of FP2 I put a new tyre in just to try to get into the Top 10, but finally I was 11th. All of us are so close, so tomorrow we’ll put in even more effort and try to get into Q2. Spinning has been an issue and the tyre can drop off quite quickly, so this is something we hope to solve for Sunday. We hope to continue this weekend in a good way.”

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:

 Good feelings for Rabat and Simeon on the first day at Sachsenring

MotoGP GP of Germany – Sachsenring

Tito Rabat and Xavier Simeon, the riders of Team Reale Avintia Racing, had good feelings on the first day of practice for the German Grand Prix. For the first time ever, Spaniard Rabat felt comfortable on the twisty circuit that had never ever suited him before. After a fall in the morning, from which he walked away unscathed, he dusted himself off to break into the Top 15 for a while in the afternoon, before finishing the second free practice session in 15th place, less than a second behind official Ducati factory rider Jorge Lorenzo on top of the timesheets. On Saturday, Rabat hopes to be able to make another step forward and to battle for a place in the Q2.

For team-mate Xavier Simeon, the first day of practice at Sachsenring was positive as well. The Belgian rider of Team Reale Avintia Racing had a good rhythm all day long and felt comfortable aboard his Ducati, on a circuit where we always did well in previous years in the Moto2 category. Only when it got to the point of trying to improve the lap times with soft tyres, Simeon couldn’t deliver. The goal of Simeon and his crew for Saturday is therefore to find these extra tenths of a second with new tyres in order to score a better grid position for the 30-lap-race on Sunday.

Tito Rabat | 1’21.777 | P15

“It was a bit difficult in the morning and I had a crash in turn 12. But nevertheless, things went well altogether and my feeling with the bike was much better than I expected, from the word go. In the afternoon, I went faster, I felt good on the bike. We completed lots of laps, we tried lots of things and we worked with mappings for the race. Tomorrow I expect to make another step. Together with Assen, this is usually the most difficult circuit for me, but this time, it seems that we started better. I hope we can finish better as well.”

Xavier Simeon | 1’23.437 | P25

“It was a positive day, because from the start in the morning, I was riding with a good rhythm and I felt fine and comfortable on the bike. We completed the entire session with the same set of hard tyres, and despite a crash, I went out and improved my lap time again. When we finally put the soft tyre in, I was hoping to make a leap forward, but for whatever reason, I didn’t have the grip I expected and I couldn’t improve. This is something I don’t understand. Now we have to work on this in order to improve in qualifying.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati:

Ducati Team riders get off to a good start in the German Grand Prix, with Jorge Lorenzo first and Andrea Dovizioso fourth on the opening day of practice at the Sachsenring

The German Grand Prix weekend got off to a positive start for both Ducati Team riders at the Sachsenring. After two free practice sessions at the German circuit, Jorge Lorenzo ended the day at the top of the timesheets with a fastest lap of 1’20.885 while his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was classified fourth with a time of 1’21.309.

There were five Ducati riders in the top 10 today, with Lorenzo and Dovizioso joined in the leading positions by Danilo Petrucci (second) and Jack Miller (eighth) with the Pramac Racing Desmosedici machines and Alvaro Bautista tenth for the Angel Nieto Team.

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99): 1st (1’20.885)

“I’m very pleased with the way this first day went, especially because we made a big step forward and the bike improved a lot between FP1 and FP2. To be in first place and demonstrate that you are competitive is important, but we know that Marquez looks as if he has something a bit extra and he is the favourite for Sunday. Tomorrow we’ll try and continue this progress with the aim of getting a front row start for the race. In any case at the moment we’re much better off than last year and this is good news.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04): 4th (1’21.309)

“It has been a positive first day: we were quick both in the morning and this afternoon, and this is vital to be able to focus on the details during the weekend. I’m still not entirely satisfied with a few little things, but I think that we can improve them tomorrow. At the moment Marquez is the quickest man out there for pace, but there are a few Ducati riders who have good speed and so our base is a good one. Even though we are quick, we’ll continue to work on our pace because on Sunday the race will be held over 30 laps. At any rate, we went very well today for the first day.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Lorenzo leads a Ducati armada on Day 1

The number 99 heads the Friday timesheets, and on what’s traditionally been Honda turf

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) ripped up the Honda-drenched formbook on Day 1 at the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, taking Ducati to the top of the timesheets near the end of FP2 to set a 1:20.885 – only half a second outside the best pole position at the track, set by ‘King of the Ring’ Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) in 2015. Lorenzo left it late to top the provisional Q2 graduates, and was joined in the upper echelons by Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), who was two and a half tenths back, and Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who was another 0.062 in arrears. Iannone was the fastest man in FP1, too, on a close day that saw 18 riders within a second.

It was a first day characterised by surprisingly pleasant weather and some surprises on the timesheets – some key headlines from which saw Marquez, winner and polesitter for the last eight years, in fifth and teammate Pedrosa just inside the top twenty. Pedrosa, who announced his retirement at the end of 2018 on Thursday, is the man who won three in a row at the venue before Marquez’ roll began – making Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) the last non-Repsol Honda rider to take to the top step at the venue in 2009 and Rossi was another headline, ending Friday in P17.

Back at the top behind Lorenzo, Petrucci and Iannone, it was another Ducati machine in fourth as Borgo Panigale dominated the day, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in close company, and only 0.040 ahead of Marquez as it tightened up. The gaps didn’t get any bigger going further down the timesheets either, with top Yamaha Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) taking sixth and by only 0.035 – no mean feat given the position of his fellow Iwata marque machinery: Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was in P16 and 0.007 ahead of Rossi, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) 0.003 off the Italian in P18.

Takaaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was another headline on Day 1 as the Japanese rider took P7 after a slew of impressive laps. Traditionally a Honda hunting ground, the LCR rider was the fastest rookie by a long shot on Friday, impressing to gain provisional entry to Q2. He was just ahead of Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), riding a Ducati at the venue for the first time, and LCR Honda Castrol’s Cal Crutchlow, a former podium finisher at the Sachsenring.

Alvaro Bautista completed the top ten on combined times for the Angel Nieto Team, with the Spaniard’s recent run of form remaining with him in Germany. He beat Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) to provisional Q2 entry, with Rins looking to move forward in FP3.¡ after his best ever MotoGP™ finish last time out at Assen.

Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took P12 as top KTM, ahead of his brother and top Aprilia Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). Bradley Smith on the second KTM took P14, with the top fifteen completed by Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing), who was a crasher in FP1. Mika Kallio was another who crashed on Day 1, but this time in FP2 as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing wildcard took a tumble.

Speaking of wildcards, one man on to make an appearance as one after the summer break in Brno is Stefan Bradl, but the German is back on track earlier than expected after getting a call up to ride for EG 0,0 Marc VDS this weekend. The HRC test rider took over for FP2 in place of the injured Franco Morbidelli, who damaged his hand in a crash at Assen, and Bradl’s best put him only a tenth and a half off Pedrosa.

Come back for more on Saturday for FP3 from 9:55 (GMT +2) and qualifying from 14:10.

Spanish rider, German team: Vierge took to the top

The Spaniard sets the benchmark on the opening day but the times are tight, with Marquez and Schroetter rounding out the top three

Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) topped the Moto2™ timesheets after the opening day’s track action at the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland in what was an incredibly tight FP2 session. The Spaniard beat second quickest Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) by a slender 0.025 seconds, with fellow Dynavolt Intact GP rider and home favourite Marcel Schroetter 0.004 back from Marquez in third.

Vierge ended FP1 down in 20th position, but improved his time by over a second in the afternoon to head into qualifying day as the fastest man in the intermediate class. Marquez was sixth this morning, with Schroetter also vastly improving from FP1 – the German jumps from P16 to P3 in FP2.

Another rider to improve his time from the morning session was Khairul Idham Pawi (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), who ends the day a fantastic fourth after finishing FP1 down in 26th place. And despite a crash at Turn 3 during the afternoon session, Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) was fifth quickest on the opening day – a 20 place leap from his P25 in FP1 and just 0.086 back from Vierge.

Behind him was FP1’s third fastest rider Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40), who ends the day sixth quickest despite being only 0.093 back from the top spot. Compatriot Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) ends Friday in seventh, improving from P15 in the morning, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finishing as the leading KTM rider on the opening day at the Sachsenring in eighth.

0.051 back from the South African was Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors), dropping two spots from his FP1 position despite leading FP2 for a considerable amount of time, with Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) rounding out a top ten that was split by just 0.202 seconds.

Second in the Championship Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ended Friday in 13th on a track he claimed P2 at last season, with double podium finisher Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up Racing) down in P17 – 0.407 off the pace.

The Red Flag had to be shown with 11 minutes remaining as Federico Fuligni (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) crashed at Turn 2 after contact with Stefano Manzi (Forward Racing Team). The Italian’s Kalex machine damaged the air fence, which forced the session to be halted for a short while as it was being re-deployed – rider ok.

Manzi himself then crashed at Turn 1 as the riders went back out on track for the final ten minutes, with Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) also crashing during the session – riders ok.

It’s advantage Vierge in Moto2™ but with the top 28 riders covered by less than a second, the fight for pole looks set to be an incredible battle. Tune in for the intermediate class qualifying at 15:05 local time (GMT +2).

Hometown hero: Oettl ousts Arbolino and Martin from the top

German ends Friday at his home GP as the quickest rider in the Moto3™ class

Home rider Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) went quickest in FP2 to end Friday at the Pramac Motorrad Deutschland Grand Prix at the top of the timesheets, beating second fastest Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) by 0.042 seconds, with Championship leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) in third.

Despite the threat of rain mid-way through the second Free Practice session, all but three of the lightweight class field set their fastest laps of the day in the afternoon. German Oettl started his weekend off by setting the third fastest time in FP1, with the Jerez race winner then going over half a second quicker in the afternoon to give the Sachsenring faithful something to cheer about. Arbolino was P11 in the morning, with the Italian improving his time by over a second to jump up to second quickest, with FP1’s quickest man Martin having his final lap time cancelled for exceeding track limits in FP2 – he ends the day 0.046 off Oettl.

John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) continued his solid start to the German GP, the Scotsman ends the opening day fourth fastest after finishing second in FP1 – 0.136 back. Rounding out the top five on the opening day was Bester Capital Dubai’s Marcos Ramirez, the Spaniard climbing one place from his P6 this morning to end the day fifth on combined times.

Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was sixth on the combined timesheets, cementing a top ten place at the end of day one in Germany – 0.239 back, with Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) in seventh after finishing FP1 in ninth.

Eighth after the first two Free Practice sessions was Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team Moto3), who improved from 13th in the morning despite a crash at Turn 1 at the end of the day. Ninth quickest was Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PrustelGP), finishing 0.068 ahead of tenth place Fabio Di Giananntonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) – the Italian improving from P14 in FP1 as he hunts down the points leaders in the title fight.

Ai Ogura (Asia Talent Team) and Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (Honda Team Asia) crashed in FP2 – both riders ok.

Can Oettl continue his fantastic home GP form when the Moto3™ riders head out for FP3 and qualifying on Saturday? The final Free Practice session starts at 09:00 local time (GMT +2), with qualifying kicking off at 12:35 local time.

More, from a press release issued by KTM:

MIKA KALLIO RULED OUT OF GERMAN MOTOGP AFTER FREE PRACTICE CRASH

MotoGP Announcement

Red Bull KTM test rider Mika Kallio damaged ligaments in his right knee after a fast crash during Free Practice 2 at Sachsenring today for the Grand Prix of Germany and will not participate in the rest of the ninth round of the MotoGP season this weekend.

The Fin was competing for the third time this year as part of the testing and development programme with the KTM RC16. After five laps of FP2 he lost control around Turn 8 of the winding, twisty and challenging Sachsenring layout and entered the gravel trap. The former Grand Prix winner tried to lose as much speed as possible before arriving to the air fence but tumbled dramatically into the padding followed by his #36 race bike.

Mika Kallio was taken for medical examinations on a painful right knee where a scan revealed significant damage to the ligaments. The injury will necessitate corrective surgery.

Kallio: “I was tipping into the corner on the front brake and the rear lost contact. I had to pick up the bike and I knew I was into the gravel. I saw I had quite a lot of speed and unfortunately I could not turn enough and the barriers came closer and closer. Everything happened in one or two seconds and I had to make a decision really quick. I tried to put it down and avoid the big impact but I flew into the wall. Somehow the bike hit me because we went into the fence together and maybe it caused the problem with the knee. Anyway, considering the speed, I think we had a lot of luck with that crash. It could have been much worse. I felt that something wasn’t right with the knee but at the same time a bit relieved. Anyway this is definitely not the way we wanted the weekend to go. I’ve had broken ligaments before but not quite as bad as it feels right now. To move it means a lot of pain. I initially hoped it might just be a big impact but when they made the MRI the doctor said I need surgery. We need to make a plan now and hopefully come back when everything is fine. Racing in Austria this season would have been a highlight for me and it is four weeks away. I cannot say what will happen but I hope there is some way I can be on the grid.”