Even the rain couldn’t stop Marquez claiming his seventh German victory!
MotoGP Germany Race Report
The race at Sachsenring started under a dark cloud, the rain coming on and off as the riders lined up on the grid. The MotoGP Germany was declared officially wet, with soft tyres lined up on every bike. It was another chance for rookies to shine after Jack Miller’s win in Assen, and it all came down to whether the tyres would last for a full race.
Lucky seven for Marc Marquez
Marc Marquez, the current leader of the championship, started in pole for the seventh time at Sachsenring. This is another track that the young Spaniard loves, having won his last six races here in all classes of MotoGP. Now, he can make that a total of seven successive wins!
It wasn’t smooth sailing for Marquez in the quickly changing conditions. On turn 8, he rode out wide and ended up on the gravel – staying upright, he managed to get straight back on the track!
With 21 laps still to go, the rain stopped and it was clear that the track was drying out. The crucial decision became when to race for the pits and change bikes, as the wet tyres wouldn’t last long on dry tarmac.
Marquez pitted at exactly the right time on lap 17. He rapidly stormed through the pack with his brand new tyres, masterfully weaving his way to the front.
The Honda rider ended up an incredible 21 seconds ahead of the other riders in the later laps, finishing nine seconds ahead. He now has a stonking 48-point lead over Lorenzo, looking almost completely unstoppable.
Cal Crutchlow returns to the podium
Cal Crutchlow impressed after a difficult season, riding better than ever to snatch second place from the Factory Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso. After a string of DNF races this season, us British fans (and LCR Honda) really needed some good news!
Crutchlow patted himself on the back: “I was fast even in the dry, I told everyone I was the fourth fastest guy and I was correct. For those that were watching from home and not believing me I proved that.” Well done Cal!
It’s been said that that the older Ducati machines sometimes do better in the rain than their Factory counterparts. This was almost proved true in the MotoGP Germany, with Scott Redding finishing in fourth place after a consistent and skilful ride.
Redding missed out on third because Andrea Dovizioso just managed to beat him on the last lap, giving the Factory Ducati team something to celebrate after Dovi’s disappointing record this year. He had chalenged for the lead for the entire race, and well deserved his podium place.
Dovizioso commented: “I missed the best time to come in and change bikes…But we will look at the positive side of today…We go home with a deserved podium, I want to dedicate to my team that really works hard.”
What happened to the Yamaha boys?
Jorge Lorenzo finished in 15th, his worst ever MotoGP finish and a huge fall from grace for last year’s champion. He clearly couldn’t make the most of the Michelin wet tyres, and didn’t even seem to try for a higher position in the race.
Lorenzo blamed the tyres (and his team!): “I was losing positions because I didn’t feel safe or had confidence in the front tyre…I changed bikes when the team wrote on the pit board to come in. Maybe it was a bit too late this time for the best strategy to finish a bit more at the front in the classification.”
Valentino Rossi ended the race in eighth, after changing to intermediate tyres which didn’t have the pace of the other riders’ slicks. He looked competitive at the beginning of the race but admitted that “I had no feeling with the bike and I wasn‘t strong enough.”
The Doctor is now 11 points behind his Yamaha teammate in the championship table. He is a daunting 59 points below his main rival Marquez, and hopes of a 10th world title are looking slim as the riders head to the summer break. Rossi fans will have to cross their fingers and toes!
What did you think of the MotoGP Germany?
Has Marquez done some sort of deal with the man upstairs? Are Rossi’s best days behind him, and what the heck happened to Lorenzo? Tell us what you think in the comments.
The next race is 14th August at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
If that’s too long to wait (and we definitely think it is!) then relive the season so far with our Racing News section of the blog. See you back here in August for more MotoGP news!
