GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Sachsenring, Germany

July 1, 2017

Qualifying Results (all on Michelin tires):

From Qualifying Knockout Session Two (wet conditions):

1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 1:27.302

2. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), 1:27.462

3. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), 1:27.949

4. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), 1:28.089

5. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (YAMAHA), 1:28.210

6. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (DUCATI), 1:28.383

7. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (KTM), 1:28.402

8. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (APRILIA), 1:28.526

9. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), 1:28.669

10. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), 1:28.703

11. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (YAMAHA), 1:28.823

12. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:28.968

From Qualifying Knockout Session One (wet conditions):

13. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), 1:27.967

14. Loris BAZ, France (DUCATI), 1:27.979

15. Bradley SMITH, UK (KTM), 1:28.015

16. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (SUZUKI), 1:28.103

17. Mika KALLIO, Finland (KTM), 1:28.285

18. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), 1:28.404

19. Johann ZARCO, France (YAMAHA), 1:28.444

20. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (DUCATI), 1:28.625

21. Sam LOWES, UK (APRILIA), 1:28.659

22. Alex RINS, Spain (SUZUKI), 1:29.504

23. Scott REDDING, UK (DUCATI), 1:29.578

24. Tito RABAT, Spain (HONDA), 1:30.028

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

Miller in confident mood ahead of German Grand Prix

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Jack Miller has splashed his way to 13th position on the gird for tomorrow’s German Grand Prix.

The rollercoaster Sachsenring was awash with constant and at times heavy rain during the Q1 session with Miller posting the third fastest time of 1’27.967.

The Aussie rain master missed progressing through to the Q2 session by 0.272s in cold, wet and slippery conditions on the 3.67km circuit.

Despite missing a Q2 spot Miller is unfazed and is confident he has a strong pace for what will be his 40th MotoGP race start.

Miller was impressively fast in the difficult conditions and looked in control of Q1 when he went to the top of the timesheets midway through the 15-minute session.

But Miller was a spectator in the garage in the crucial final minutes when Pol Espargaro posted a fast time to bump him out of the top two for a spot in Q2.

Spanish rider Tito Rabat will start from 24th position on the grid for the 30-lap ninth round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Rabat again lacked confidence in wet conditions aboard his Honda RC213V with the weather not allowing him to capitalize on his strong pace in a dry FP3 session when he was 11th fastest.

The new asphalt on the recently resurfaced Sachsenring is producing high levels of grip in wet conditions even with track temperatures struggling to climb above 20 degrees.

Jack Miller: 13th – 1’27.967

“The session was good all the way until I got bumped out of Q2 but I have had good pace all weekend and the bike is working well in all conditions. It was a shame not to make Q2 but I feel really comfortable and confident going into the race, it is always a long, hard slog at this track. No one knows what the conditions will be for the race but we are ready. I came in early because there was really heavy rain in the final sector and I thought I had done enough for Q2 with a 1.27.9 lap.”

Tito Rabat: 24th – 1’30.028

“I did a very good FP3 session in the morning but then the rain came for qualifying and in the rain I simply cannot go faster when the bike is sliding. It is difficult to find a set-up that gives me confidence and it is very easy to crash in these conditions so if it is wet for the race we need to find some solutions. But I’m happy because in the dry I showed I can be fast.”

Michael Bartholemy – Team Principal

“In this type of weather on wet tyres you need to stay out until the last moment because you never know how the conditions will change. So for Jack coming in three minutes before the end of the session was not the best decision and that is why he was bumped by Pol Espargaro for the Q2 session. Ever since Tito came to MotoGP we know that wet conditions are very difficult for him and so it proved again today in qualifying. A shame because Tito was impressive in the dry in FP3.”

More, from a press release issued by Pull&Bear Aspar Team:

Bautista at the sharp end for the fourth straight race

Fourth row start for the Pull&Bear Aspar rider in Germany with his team-mate Karel Abraham on row seven

Marc Márquez today extended a remarkable run of pole positions at the Sachsenring circuit to eight from the last eight seasons, the Spaniard clocking the fastest time in qualifying this afternoon to secure top spot on the grid for tomorrow’s race. Márquez was the only rider able to dislodge Danilo Petrucci from a provisional pole position that the Italian held for most of the session, with a time of 1’27.302 proving enough to complete the job. Dani Pedrosa was six tenths off his team-mate on pole but completes the front row in third position.

Álvaro Bautista contested Q2 four the fourth successive Grand Prix, having also done so at Mugello, Barcelona and Assen. The Pull&Bear Aspar rider will line up twelfth on tomorrow’s grid after a Q2 session that started damp and then gradually dried, affording precious little rear grip. Bautista and his crew are clear on their front tyre choice for the race but still need to run through the options on offer from Michelin for the rear. Karel Abraham will start from the seventh row despite lapping faster in Q1 than a number of riders managed in Q2. The Czech rider is happy with the work done today and is hoping to maximise his points potential in a wet race tomorrow.

12th Álvaro Bautista 1:28.698:“This morning we were able to do some work with the race in mind but the plan didn’t go totally as we’d hoped because we had some problems with the clutch and steering damper. We had to change our strategy during the session but we were able to go through directly to Q2. We tried to spend the whole of FP4 on the same tyres to see how they responded for the race tomorrow but we only managed twelve laps. It was fine and I felt comfortable but what happens after lap sixteen tomorrow will be a mystery that we will only find out at the time. We will go for the medium front and on the rear we have a choice between the medium and the new hard that Michelin have brought, but we are still unsure so we have to look at the data. The conditions were the worst for qualifying because the track was drying and I was losing the rear and almost stopping on the exit from corners. If it was dry we might have qualified better but we’ll have to wait now and see what the conditions are tomorrow.”

20th Karel Abraham 1:28.625: “It looks like history is repeating itself from Assen because looking at the times from Q2, if it was just one qualifying session I would be much higher up the grid but the reality is I was not in Q2, I was in Q1, and that’s the way it is. We also had some problems with the throttle on the exit from the fast corners, where the bike felt a little lazy, so that’s a shame because I feel we could have been a couple of positions higher. Anyway, I think we did a good job and our pace in the wet is a real positive. I never usually say this but I think tomorrow I would be happy with a wet race.”

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

WITH EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE IN FREE PRACTICE ALEIX ESPARGARÓ GOES THROUGH TO Q2 AND RIDES HIS APRILIA TO THE THIRD ROW

SEVENTH ROW FOR SAM LOWES

Aleix Espargaró and his Aprilia were key players in the Saturday qualifiers for the German GP that will be held tomorrow on the Sachsenring circuit.

Fully confirming his positive trend from Friday, when he stayed consistently with the leaders in all weather conditions, Espargaró finished the morning free practice, held in dry conditions, with an excellent fourth place time of 1’21.209 that opened the doors for him to go straight through to Q2, the qualifying sessions with the twelve best riders.

The rain, always looming over the Saxon circuit, arrived before the qualifiers which were therefore held in wet conditions. Even in this situation, Aleix confirmed his potential by staying with the leaders, finishing with the eighth best time (1’28.526) which places him on the third row of the starting grid tomorrow. This is a good position that confirms the level reached by the RS-GP and leaves the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini rider’s ambitions intact of bringing home an important result in the race after the good placements achieved in practice here and in the previous rounds.

Sam Lowes did not benefit as hoped in the wet conditions which had enhanced his riding style in Le Mans and Assen. He finished Q1 in eleventh place which earns him 21st place overall and therefore a spot on the seventh row after a crash at the end of the session.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“Eighth place is not bad but I was aiming to do better, given how competitive I was in all the sessions. Tomorrow I am hoping for a dry race. We have the best pace of the season, but I stopped watching the weather forecast because it is basically useless here. Analysing the situation well and choosing the right tyre will be essential. The asphalt dries out very quickly here, so we will need to be smart in deciding the best strategy.”

SAM LOWES

“I am a bit disappointed with the qualifiers. I have always been fast in the wet and I expected to be able to go through to Q2. The crash was rather violent and I have a bit of pain in my back, but fortunately nothing serious. In FP4 we did a really good job. Before it started raining I did a long run at a competitive pace. In terms of settings, we are fairly well dialled in for any conditions. Maybe on the front we can still make some changes, but in general I am feeling positive about the race tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Fantastic Folger qualifies as top Yamaha at Home GP

Jonas Folger produced a superb display today to clinch his best qualifying result in the premier class as he delighted his home crowd. The young gun kicked off the day by storming to 3rd in the dry morning practice session and then showed his speed in the wet by finishing FP4 in 4th. He launched into action when Q2 commenced and built up his pace before powering across the finish line to impressively seize 5th position on the grid for tomorrow’s highly anticipated race.

Meanwhile, Johann Zarco will begin the German Grand Prix from the 7th row after a challenging qualifying campaign today. The French star endured an eventful FP3 session, whereby he fell at the high-speed 11th turn in the closing stages of the practice. He raced back to the pits and heroically jumped on his second bike, but time ran out and he finished 17th. The rookie got straight to work in the ultra-competitive QP1 shootout as the rain lashed down before he eventually qualified in 19th. Nevertheless, he still determinedly eyes up the race, which begins at 14:00 local time.

Jonas Folger

Position: 5th – Time: 1’28.210 – Laps: 10

“I’m delighted about my qualifying position for tomorrow, but the situation was very tough due to the weather and it was similar to Assen. Anyway, we did a really good job in both the dry and the wet conditions and FP3 went well, so as a result, I went straight through to QP2. There, I was able to ride a solid lap time behind Marc Marquez and I felt confident in a lot of corners. We have done everything right so far and I am really looking forward to tomorrow where I am sure I will have a great time at my home Grand Prix.”

Johann Zarco

Position: 19 th – Time: 1’28.444 – Laps: 9

“We did not expect today’s result at Sachsenring and we wouldn’t at any race. 19th is far back and not what we want when I said that I could be on the podium and fighting for a good position. My feeling was quite good, but this track is difficult, everyone is so close with the lap times and the other riders were able to be really fast with the new tyres. Anyway, I am happy about the race pace that we were working on, but it’s a shame that I crashed this morning because I know that I was able to improve, but turn 11 is a corner that can catch everyone out. Getting into Q2 is what makes the biggest difference, yet I was not so lucky and a lot of things didn’t go our way today. However, for my first season in the premier class, I need to experience these kind of situations in order to learn so that I can be stronger in the future.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

SOGGY SACHSENRING PUTS A STRAIN ON MOVISTAR YAMAHA QUALIFYING

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales will start tomorrow’s GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland from the third and fourth row of the grid, having taken ninth and eleventh place respectively in today’s qualifying session.

Sachsenring (Germany), 1st July 2017

Grey skies and wet asphalt at the Sachsenring set the scene at the start of today‘s Q2 shoot-out that saw Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales secure ninth and eleventh place on the grid for tomorrow‘s GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.

After a brilliant FP3 from Rossi, during which he advanced straight into Q2, the Italian was eager to continue making strides in the afternoon qualifying session. He was one of the first riders out of the pit box and left a competitive impression as his first try initially lifted him to fifth place. He was quick to better his time on his next flying lap, but it didn‘t improve his ranking.

Unable to significantly climb the ranks also on his next three attempts, the Doctor decided it was time to change tactics. He returned to the pit box with less than four minutes to go for a tyre swap, opting for the soft front / medium rear combination. A quick minute later he headed back out for his second run and his tyre choice proved to be the right decision for the drying track conditions. He had time for one lap and stepped up his pace on his final try. He set a 1’28.669s to claim ninth position on the grid, 1.367s from first.

Teammate Viñales displayed his confidence in today‘s dry morning free practice session but struggled to reproduce the results in the afternoon in the wet Q2 session. He went straight into action as soon as the green light signalled the start of the 15-minute time attack and slotted into fourth place. He improved his time but not his position on his next lap and was looking to keep the momentum going, but lost valuable seconds as he got involved in a small collision with Marc Marquez.

Despite the incident, the Yamaha rider tried to quickly get back into a good rhythm and, though he continued to struggle to get a feel for the wet conditions, he dug deep and climbed back up from twelfth to ninth, dipping under the 1’29 mark with a 1’28.823s. He had three more attempts at beating his personal best time, but was unable to improve and ended the day in 11th place, 1.521s from the front.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

The day started off very positive with the FP3 session, when Vale and Maverick both had a good feeling. We already noticed in FP4 that the feeling in the wet was not as good as it was in the dry. Valentino started the qualifying session well, but was unable to really get the feeling he was looking for in the wet conditions. When the track started to dry towards the end, he made the right call to change tyres and climbed to ninth place. It was unfortunate there wasn‘t enough time for him to have another go, because his potential is higher than his grid position. The same goes for Maverick. The pace he showed in FP3 this morning clearly indicates he is one of the fastest men on track in dry conditions. We will work overnight to try to find a solution to give both of the riders a better feeling in the wet. We have to try to capitalise on the information we collected in today‘s practice sessions as much as possible.

VALENTINO ROSSI

It‘s been a difficult weekend so far. It happened a lot of times this year: the feeling with the bike and especially with the tyres changed a lot from one track to the other. This makes it always a big surprise, sometimes positive, sometimes negative. In the dry I’m not so bad, it’s nothing fantastic, but my pace is not so far from the front, but unfortunately in the wet I suffer more. It looks like all the Yamahas, except Folger who isn’t so bad, suffer in the wet. We didn’t expect it, because last week in Assen I was competitive in the wet, but it looks like this time it’s more difficult, so we need to try some modification for tomorrow and try to be stronger.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

I‘m feeling quite confident on the dry, but unfortunately we couldn‘t improve the wet setting in the afternoon. I was feeling quite strong on the brakes and carrying corner speed, but I suffered from not having enough traction whilst accelerating out of the corner. If it‘s dry tomorrow, I hope for a good start and I will push myself to be on the limit on every lap and I will try to be on the podium, that will be very important. Either being on the podium or even trying to win: we have to stay open-minded. If it‘s wet tomorrow, we will continue to try to improve the bike and manage the situation as best we can.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Row 2 start for Jorge Lorenzo, sixth in qualifying for German GP. Tenth quickest time for Andrea Dovizioso on row 4

Jorge Lorenzo will start tomorrow’s German GP at the Sachsenring from the second row of the grid. The Ducati Team’s rider from Mallorca was sixth quickest in the Q2 session, which was held in the pouring rain, with a time of 1’28.383. In this morning’s FP3 in cloudy but dry conditions, Lorenzo was seventh quickest and as a result went through directly into the afternoon’s second qualifying session.

It will be a fourth row start on the other hand for Andrea Dovizioso, who after going eighth fastest in FP3, had to settle for tenth in the qualifying timesheets with a best lap of 1’28.703.

The 30-lap German GP, round 9 of the 2017 MotoGP World Championship, gets underway tomorrow afternoon at 14.00 CET.

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1’28.383 (6th)

“Today was a positive day because this morning we found something in the set-up that allowed me to go quicker, and I also got a better idea of how to ride the bike in these conditions, as well as getting into the top ten. In Q2, on a wet track, I was able to ride quite smoothly and I got up to sixth place and row 2, which is not bad. If we make a balance of these two days, I have to say that I’m happy, because we have continued to improve, both in the dry and the wet. Tomorrow we’ll see what the weather conditions are like for the race, but in any case tyre choice will be crucial, as well as being able to manage tyre wear for the most number of laps.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’28.703 (10th)

“I’m not satisfied with my qualifying at all and starting from tenth place at the Sachsenring is not ideal to say the least. Strange to say, but we weren’t able to manage the situation in the best possible way; today was completely the opposite of yesterday, when we did 25 laps in the wet without any drop in tyre performance, but it was just a question of feeling at the front. Instead after four laps in Q2 we finished the rear tyre and when I decided to push I didn’t have any grip and was unable to do a good time. Pity, but Rossi and Viñales are also close to me on the grid and so I hope we’ll be able to recover positions in the race.”

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

P16 AND P22 FOR IANNONE AND RINS IN GERMANY QUALIFYING

Andrea Iannone: P16 – 1’28.103 (Q2)

Alex Rins: P22 – 1’29.504 (Q2)

Mixed weather again affected the Sachsenring circuit in Germany on the second day of the German GP; however Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders were able to make clear-cut progress on the day. The qualifying session, raced in wet conditions, saw Andrea Iannone finish in 16th place, while Alex Rins ended in 22nd.

In the morning, in dry conditions, both riders improved their lap times, with more confidence due to new setups. Iannone’s 1’22.018 was nearly 1.3 seconds faster than yesterday’s FP1 time, and Rins’ 1’21.925 was better by 0.7s.

When rain started to fall at the end of FP4, the riders only had time to make a couple of laps with the wet configuration before starting the Q1.

Their improvements were also solid in rainy conditions, compared to yesterday’s FP2, but not enough so to get through the qualification and gain their direct entry to the Q2. They had to settle for 16th and 22nd place, for Iannone and Rins respectively.

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“Weather conditions made our job very difficult today. With Andrea in FP4 we were able to improve, we took some steps forward. He felt better with the bike and was also improving in Q1. Unfortunately he encountered some traffic then a small mistake in the last lap and couldn’t pull off a proper time attack. Nonetheless, he had the potential to get into the Q2 today, which is a positive thing. Alex continues to do a good job. For him it’s been hard to ride the Q1 on wet surfaces after dry sessions, but he managed to have a constructive and favourable performance. For tomorrow we are a little more confident, especially if the racetrack is dry.”

Andrea Iannone

“Finally today I got a positive feeling with the GSX-RR, both on wet and on dry, but especially on dry. In wet conditions, in Q1, I was doing well. It’s a shame at the end I didn’t stop to change the rear tyre for a new one, since I thought it wouldn’t be necessary. Quite possibly it could have given me those three or four tenths I needed to stay in front. Anyway I’m satisfied by the pace when we tested in FP4, on a dry track with used tyres; my lap time is not far from the top. We have changed many things, and finally I found a good feel with the bike, which gives me new enthusiasm for tomorrow.”

Alex Rins

“This is proving to be a tricky weekend, similar to Assen in terms of the mixed conditions. However it’s going pretty well, especially on the dry track. We were able to make lots of progress. I’m enjoying the wet conditions a little more than I did in Holland, but I still struggle under the rain and we still have some work to do. If it’s dry tomorrow, I think we can have a good race. If it’s raining, we will struggle a little more, but it won’t be so terrible either.”

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

MotoGP 2017 Round 9

Sachsenring pole number eight for Marquez, Pedrosa third for a Repsol Honda Team double front-row start

Marc Marquez took his sixty-eight pole position in career and his eighth in a row at the Sachsenring today (his fifth there in MotoGP), with Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa joining him on the front row in third place.

Qualifying day at the German GP dawned without rain, but FP3 was the only MotoGP session today to be completed in totally dry conditions. Marc was fastest in that session with Dani ninth, both securing spots in Q2.

FP4 saw the Repsol Honda pair displaying an impressive pace before rain started falling 10 minutes from the end, when Marc was leading the way in first and Dani just behind in second.

Marc Marquez 93

POLE POSITION

“When I saw that it was going to be a wet qualifying session, I set a front-row position as my target. Anyway, I’ve felt very good on the bike since the beginning and I saw that the rain was easing off, so I tried to find a good rhythm as I prepared to attack in the final stages. Halfway into the session there was a bit of confusion with Maverick. In qualifying everyone pushes a lot and there was some contact, but luckily nothing happened. In the end I was able to do a very good lap and I’m quite happy with that, as it’s always very difficult to manage in the rain. Now we just need to focus on the race, which will be tough as there are many fast riders with a good pace, starting with my teammate! It seems that it won’t rain, but whatever conditions we find, it will be okay, as we have a really good pace both in the dry and in the wet.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

3RD

“I’m very happy with this front-row position, as the start is very important at this track since the first corners are very tight. So I’m happy with the result and also to have found my feeling in the wet again, which I had lost in Assen last week. It was a very interesting qualifying session because the asphalt was so “grippy” with the rain. Watching Q1, it was amazing to see how fast they went and how tight the lap times were. When our session started, the track began to dry and the temperature also began to rise. The conditions were tricky but ultimately we got a good result. We lapped well enough in the dry as well, so we’re ready to try and get a good result tomorrow. We’ll try to do a good start, be aggressive in the first corners, and quickly set a good rhythm.”

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

Baz and Barbera on fifth and sixth row for the German Grand Prix

Reale Avintia Racing rider Loris Baz missed progressing through to the Q2 session by 0.284s and he will start tomorrow’s German Grand Prix in 14th place from the fifth row of the grid. It started to rain in the final minutes of FP4 and the qualifying practice sessions took place in wet conditions, but despite the rain, the Q1 and Q2 session were impressively fast. The grip levels of the Sachsenring’s new tarmac are incredibly high and it was difficult for the riders to find the limits. But anyway, the 24-year-old French rider was happy with his performance in the dry this morning, in one of the most difficult circuits for him in the calendar.

Following his domination in Friday’s wet session, Hector Barbera was confident for today’s qualifying session. But the Spanish Reale Avintia Racing rider made some mistakes during the 15 minutes qualifying session and will start the race from 18th place of the grid. Barbera is confident and if it rains, he is confident about his chances to recover in the race and score some valuable championship points.

Loris Baz | 1’27.979 | P14

“It was really close and I missed Q2 for a little margin. It was the same in Assen. But here it is quite tricky in wet conditions because there is so much grip that it is difficult for me to find the limit and perhaps I should have tried to follow someone from the beginning. But overall, the day was good and I am happy because we have been closer in wet conditions and on a dry track we have improved a lot in FP4. This is positive on a circuit that has always been very complicated for me. Today we made a step forward and we have closed in on the pace of the fastest riders. Let’s see if we can finish in the points tomorrow if it’s dry. It it rains, we will take some risks to try to score some good points.”

Hector Barbera | 1’28.404 | P18

“It was a shame because I didn’t play my cards well in qualifying. Maybe I was so eager after yesterday’s performance in the wet that I made a lot of mistakes. I feel really good in these conditions and today I lost my chance. But the bike is working really well and if it rains in the race everything is possible, because a race distance over 30 laps is not the same than a 15 minutes session. Everything is very tight and I have to recover in the race. I want to finish the first half of the season with a good taste. But we have to wait and see what the weather will bring tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:

CRUTCHLOW TO START FROM THE SECOND ROW AT SACHSENRING

LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow will start the German Grand Prix from fourth place on the grid after a fine performance in qualifying at a soaking wet Sachsenring. The Briton narrowly missed out on a spot on the front row, but will now be targeting a place on the podium in Sunday’s race after making a big leap forwards from his overnight position of 13th.

Crutchlow made rapid improvements during FP3 and FP4 to ensure he went straight through to Q2 which took place on a drying track. In the end he finished just over a tenth behind Dani Pedrosa in third, while the Spaniard’s HRC factory team-mate Marc Marquez took pole for the eighth straight year in Germany.

Cal Crutchlow – 4th

(1’28.089 – lap 7 of 10)

“I’m a little frustrated as I made a couple of mistakes in the last sector, but the tyres were destroyed and had too much heat in them and when I went back to the wet I was not turning the bike too well and lost two and half tenths just on the exit to the last corner. But I’m happy to be in the top four and it gives us a chance to get away with them tomorrow and battle”

“I’m not too disappointed, yesterday I was 13th with the dodgy conditions and I said I was going to give everything to make sure I didn’t have to go to the Q1. I’d like to make it a Honda 1-2-3 tomorrow, but Dani Pedrosa is like a rocket round here. We’ll have to see what we can do in the early part of the race, try to get away with them and then just do our job.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez wins shootout for Sachsenring pole number eight

Márquez collects his 8th consecutive pole at the German track

The ‘King of the Sachsenring’ takes his eighth successive pole at the venue in a washed out Q2 – with Petrucci hot on the chase

Reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) has taken his eighth consecutive pole position at the Sachsenring, but it was anything but easy for the number 93 as he dueled Q1 graduate Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) for the honour under the Saturday afternoon rain. Only a tenth and a half back despite the conditions, ‘Petrux’ will start second to split the Repsol Hondas – with Dani Pedrosa completing the front row after a weekend of impressive pace.

In a late rush for pole as the sun began to peek out, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) was a key protagonist in the session and will start fourth, ahead of home hero and rookie Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3). Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) completes the second row, putting in a solid performance as he gets to grips with the Desmosedici in the rain.

Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the second man to move through from Q1, and the Spaniard took the Austrian factory’s best ever qualifying result in seventh to continue the incredible form into Q2. Older brother Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) complete the third row.

Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was another of those to have a slightly more difficult session to take tenth, but starts ahead of key rival in the points standings Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who was eleventh fastest in the wet. Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) completes the top twelve on the grid from Q2.

Jack Miller (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) just missed the cut in Q1 and will start P13, with Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) and Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the top fifteen.

One big name further down the grid for the German GP is Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) after a more difficult weekend for the French rookie superstar, with Zarco readying himself to line up in P19.

Race time is 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday – and it’s sure to be a stunner.

MotoGP Qualifying Results

1 – Marc Márquez (SPA – Honda) 1’27.302

1st Independent Team Rider:

2 – Danilo Petrucci (ITA – Ducati ) +0.160

–

3- Dani Pedrosa (SPA – Honda) +0.647

Morbidelli steals pole as Cortese flies the flag at home

Championship leader Morbidelli up top once more

EG 0,0 Marc VDS 1-2 after last minute fight for pole in drying German GP qualifying

Championship leader Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) just pushed teammate Alex Marquez off the top spot on his final run in Moto2™ qualifying, after the session took some heavy rain before conditions began to improve. Just behind the EG 0,0 Marc VDS duo’s continued domination of 2017 was a sandrissimo performance from home hero Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) as the German looked set for pole before the final laps, with the 2012 Moto3™ World Champion nevertheless completing the front row.

Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) heads the second row to bounce back from a more difficult Friday, with a stunning performance from Hector Garzo – replacing injured Xavi Vierge – putting the Tech 3 Racing team into fifth in his one-off appearance. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was sixth after proving the fastest man before the conditions began to improve.

Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) lost out the most in the final dash, threatening for pole before eventually gearing up to start seventh. Simone Corsi (Speed Up Racing) is P8, with rookie duo Fabio Quartararo (Pons HP40) and Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) completing the top ten.

Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia) had a solid showing in the wet to take P11, ahead of Axel Pons (RW Racing GP) and second home hero Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP). Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) and Luca Marini (Forward Racing Team) completed the fastest fifteen in qualifying.

Moto2™ head out for battle at 12:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday.

Moto2 Qualifying Results

1 – Franco Morbidelli (ITA – Kalex) 1’32.159

2 – Alex Márquez (SPA – Kalex) +0.253

3 – Sandro Cortese (GER – Suter) + 0.377

Canet conquers the Sachsenring for last dash pole

Judgment call: Canet bested the conditions to take pole from rival Mir

Championship contender snatches pole position despite late rain in qualifying

Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) took to the top of Moto3™ qualifying despite a light rain shower towards the end of the session, pushing hard in the final minutes when it looked like improving laptimes would prove impossible. Joining him on the front row are Championship leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) and Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) after another solid session for the 2015 Moto3™ Junior World Champion.

Marcos Ramirez again showed some impressive pace to take P4 for Platinum Bay Real Estate, just pushed off the front row by Canet’s final effort. Tony Arbolino (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was another to impress in P5, with the rookie just edging veteran compatriot Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers).

Home hero Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) heads up row three for a push towards the front at his home round, ahead of Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and a solid session for Enea Bastianini (Estrella Galicia 0,0) despite a fall for the Italian in FP3.

John McPhee (British Talent Team) was another big mover after the shower, shooting up from P19 to P10 to set himself up for another podium charge ahead of Juanfran Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki, who completed a good day for SIC58 Squadra Corse in twelfth.

After an improved weekend and top three pace in FP3, Leopard Racing’s Livio Loi was thirteenth fastest, ahead of Malaysian Adam Norrodin (SIC Racing Team) and Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Racing Team), who completed the top fifteen.

Replacement rider and 2015 Moto3™ World Champion Danny Kent (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was sixteenth fastest, but has also received a 12 place grid penalty due to slow riding in FP3.

Moto3 Qualifying Results

1 – Aron Canet (SPA – Honda) 1’26.688

2 – Joan Mir (SPA – Honda) + 0.245

3 – Nicolo Bulega (ITA – KTM) + 0.293

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

GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland – Sachsenring – Qualifying

Petrux celebrates in front-row at the #GermanGP the renewal with Octo Pramac Racing. Hard day for Scott.

Danilo Petrucci gives the Octo Pramac Racing another joy, this time in the Sachsenring’s parc fermeè. For Scott Redding a very difficult day and a bad qualify.

Petrux is in great shape and goes strong in the FP3 under dry conditions after the good sensations of Friday. However, in the time attack that would allow him to gain direct access to Q2, a crash in the last sector forces him to go back to the box. The attempt with the second bike did not bring the hoping results. Petrucci remained focused and after winning the Q1 he play a wonderful Q2 under wet conditions. Only Marc Marquez, at the last available lap takes away the satisfaction of his first career pole. However, Petrux celebrates once again at the parc fermeè with his team, on the day of the renewal with Octo Pramac Racing.

For Scott Redding a very difficult Saturday at the Sachsenring. The English rider is not able to find the right feeling with his bike and after closing the FP3 in 15th place, his not able in Q1 to make a step forward that would allow him to take some positions on the starting grid of the #German GP.

2nd – Danilo Petrucci – 1’27.462

“I am very happy to be here because it was a real fight. I was coming from Q1 and I had good feelings. I knew I could be there. It was a beautiful battle with Marquez, I also pulled it a bit but he was better. However, I am happy to start in the first row. Since last year, I was looking for this result in this circuit. For tomorrow, we will see what the weather will be, however I feel I have great confidence on both wet and dry conditions”.

23th – Scott Redding – 1’29.578

“It was a very difficult day for me. I have never been competitive in dry and wet conditions. I honestly don’ know what to say. It is my worst qualify since I am in Pramac. Danilo and his team went from Q1 to almost pole position while we were unable to find solutions in order to improve. The problem was mainly on the grip. I felt as I could not follow anyone rhythm. I am very sorry. Tomorrow I will try to give the maximum”.

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