Another exciting MotoGP double header is just around the corner, with the Grand Prix of Germany on the menu this week ahead of the short trip over the Czech border to Brno the following weekend. But first up, we have Sachsenring, the shortest (3.67 km) and slowest track on the calendar.
Seven consecutive left-handers, rising up hills to drop down the other side, it’s relentless, and there’s no rest to grab a breath. Over the years, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) has made it his kingdom; this is truly his happiest hunting ground.
Eight MotoGP wins in a row from 2013 to 2021 – the latter of which marked his comeback to the top step after injury – there’s a reason why he’s the favourite this weekend.
Magic at Mugello, awesomeness at Assen and a stellar performance at the Sachsenring? That’s the plan: Marc Marquez has a 68-point advantage over brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). Marc’s form at the Sachsenring is spectacular, and with his brother injured after his Assen fall, he could do some serious work to extend the Championship lead. Alex himself will need to pass a medical check on Thursday if he’s to participate; a podium finish last year in Germany is his highlight.
Marc Márquez
“It will be a decidedly more attacking weekend. Mugello and Assen, at least on paper, were not tracks that were extremely favorable to my style. We managed everything as best we could, gradually, without overdoing and we brought home the maximum points available. Here at the Sachsenring, however, the story is a bit different: this track is congenial to my riding style and this is a point that I have to fully exploit. Compared to the previous GPs, we will be more attacking”.
As for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), the Italian was victorious at the Sachsenring last year, and he’ll be desperate to try and claw points back on the second-place battle.
Francesco Bagnaia
“In Assen we made further steps forward both in qualifying and in the long race. In the Sprint I struggled a bit more but also on this occasion, like in Mugello, I started very strong and did a good first part of the race. Then in the battle, I started to lose confidence on the front and I had to raise the pace. Sachsenring is a very particular track, we need to understand where we can be compared to the fastest”.
Not in the top three, but right there across the weekend, Fabio Quartararo’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) speed is undeniable. Still, perhaps luck is something he’s missing come the Sprint and Grand Prix. Four poles in 2025, will Sachsenring be where he can take that qualifying form through to the flag…?
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Yamaha Team Director
“Although we had a one-week break between two intense double-header weekends, Yamaha has remained fully engaged. Álex participated in a productive private test in Brno, while the Yamaha engineers continued their dedicated work behind the scenes, analysing data. Fabio has also maintained his relentless training regimen throughout the week. As we head into the final stretch before the summer break, our motivation to give an extra push is high. Sachsenring presents unique challenges – its layout makes overtaking particularly difficult, so progressing into Q2 and securing a strong qualifying position will be even more critical than usual. We anticipate a demanding weekend, but we are entering it with determination to get the best results possible.”
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) wrote plenty of headlines at Assen for a superb performance. Pushing Marc Marquez all the way until the end, ‘Bez’ took P2 and closed in on the top four overall. Never on the podium in Germany in MotoGP, there’s a first time for everything.
Marco Bezzecchi
“I’m really happy to be racing at Sachsenring. It’s a unique track, but one I’ve always liked and always had fun on. It will be very interesting to experience it on the Aprilia. We’re coming off a good run, and we need to keep working this way and keep improving”.
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team) was another one who was strong at Assen, his seventh top-eight in a row. P7 was the order of the day in 2024, can he be in the podium fight again and leapfrog Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) in the standings, the latter of which aims for a top ten return. In front of all of them, the forever-tied together Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducatis of Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio: just three points split them in P4 and P5.
Fabio Di Giannantonio
“I like Sachsenring track, because we ride on the left side mostly. I feel better, while on the right side I struggle more. It’s a track where you need to manage the tyres and we’re good at it. We are in a good moment, we are strong, and I enjoy being on the bike. After a bit underwhelming Assen race, I can’t wait to be back on track to have a good feeling again.”
Franco Morbidelli
“I can’t wait to race at Sachsenring, it has always been a good track for us. Last year I did a very good race. The track is very peculiar and we will have to try to be as much prepared as possible. For sure, the setup is very particular because of the unique characteristics of this track, but we are ready. I have many great memories of this circuit and I hope to write some new ones this year with the team.”
Acosta wasn’t the only KTM on the charge last time out; Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) once again raced up the order and clinched fifth at the chequered flag. A first podium with the Austrian brand eludes him but he’s knocking on the door.
Maverick Viñales
“We had another really good weekend in Assen, so our target is to keep the momentum going and keep building and getting stronger round after round. However, the main target is to improve qualifying, and start from the first two rows. It is going to be even more important at the Sachsenring, which is a very technical track, with a lot of tight corners, so you can get stuck easily if you are in the middle of the pack. I am sure that we will learn a lot this week, because this track is quite different to the others, so I’m excited to see what our potential will be there! Anyway, I’m super excited and motivated, let’s go!”
Three KTMs were in the top ten at Assen, courtesy of Acosta, Vinales and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Bastia still lacks one-lap pace but could a short and sharp Sachsenring work in his favour?
Nicolas Goyon – Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager
“After a very good weekend in Assen where we saw both our Red Bull KTM Tech3 riders finish in the top 10, we are now moving to the shortest and most atypical circuit of the calendar, Sachsenring. This small anticlockwise circuit is well-known to be a real challenge on a MotoGP machine, but Maverick Viñales is currently in one of his best career-forms, he has integrated the top 10 in the championship standing, so we know that he is ready to take on this challenge. In Assen, we saw that the bike made a step in terms of turning and stability, which are two crucial and technical skills required to be fast in Germany. If Maverick manages a good qualifying, one of our main targets, we can expect a strong weekend from him. Enea Bastianini has shown better performances lately, especially in the last two rounds, and he will aim to carry on this momentum and hopefully reach Q2 for the first time this season. With four KTMs in the top 11 in Assen, our bike has clearly made a step, and I am sure that Enea will take advantage of it to continue his adaptation and improve his results.”
Fermin Aldeguer crashed out at Assen but should be good to go for the Sachsenring.
A tricky run of bad luck for Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) after a DNF last time out in the Netherlands has coincided with his teammate Raul Fernandez’s upturn in performance. A solid fixture in the top ten since Le Mans, Fernandez hopes to improve on his P10 from the Sachsenring 12 months ago.
Davide Brivio – Trackhouse Aprilia Team Principal
“This is an important part of the Championship for us because it’s the last two races before the summer break and we arrive in Sachsenring again with a good momentum for Raul. From here, we’re looking for more information. Also, Ai is getting better and better after his injury, so it will be an important weekend to check and verify our performance. Also, we have some good memories from Sachsenring last year where we have been on the front row with both riders and had Miguel on the podium of the Sprint. Our bike is working well there, so we hope it’s going to be a good weekend for us again.”
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has high hopes for the German circuit, a track he enjoys, as he looks to climb back to form after a difficult 2025 season so far for the South African.
Having completed two days of private testing in Brno, Luca Marini is now ready to remount his Honda RC213V in competition for the first time since the British GP. Finishing in the points in all of his race starts so far in 2025, the #10 has been the most consistent rider of the year. Still recovering from his injuries, Marini heads into the weekend in Germany looking for bike time and aiming to build his fitness further. In 2024, the Italian scored his first point as a factory Honda HRC rider at the Sachsenring.
Luca Marini
“I am really happy to be back, to be able to ride my bike again, see everyone in the team and keep working on this project. The test we had in Brno last week was good, and I was able to understand my physical condition well, I am not perfect at the moment but the best way to improve further is to ride. Of course, it would be great to go straight back fighting where we were, but this weekend is mostly about getting back into the rhythm to end the season well.”
Recent rounds have continued to highlight Joan Mir’s grit, as he steadily works away with the Honda HRC Castrol team to improve his fortunes in challenging situations. In terms of layout, the Sachsenring’s tight and technical nature is a world apart from the fast and flowing Assen and Mugello, and this change will give Mir and Honda HRC’s engineers a great opportunity to understand the full breadth of the 2025 Honda RC213V’s performance.
Joan Mir
“I’m fully recovered from the fall in Assen and spent the week training in the gym, on the bicycle and on the motocross bike. Now we put the fall in Assen behind us and focus on the weekends in Germany and Brno, especially Germany is a really different track to Mugello and Assen. From high speed to focusing more on technical riding and grip on the side of the tyre. Let’s check how our performance is and if we can get back into fighting for the top ten in each session.”
Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP duo Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira will hope to improve Yamaha’s race results for Germany. Fast over one lap, they continue to seek a translation of the potential and strong points in low-grip conditions.
The Ring holds special significance for Jack Miller, the venue where he made his World Championship debut back in 2011. Despite retiring in his first outing, the Australian has scored points in every subsequent appearance, highlighted by his Moto3 victory in 2014 and two third-place finishes in MotoGP (2019 and 2023). His record also includes a pole position, a third-place qualifying effort, and five additional second-row starts, reflecting his strong connection with the German track.
Jack Miller
“I‘m really curious to see what we can do this weekend. The Sachsenring, with all its long corners, should suit us well. Power isn‘t the real issue — the issue is managing usable power and keeping the bike in that grip window, which is always tricky. But this track flows nicely, is plenty of long corners, the bike turns quite well, so let‘s see what happens. Qualifying will be crucial. We‘ve seen in Assen how hard it is to overtake when you‘re stuck behind someone — getting frustrated and trying not to make silly mistakes to pass.”
Lorenzo Savadori will continue the development work on the RS-GP25, in the continuing absence of Jorge Martin.
Lorenzo Savadori
“I’m a bit less familiar with the Sachsenring track than I am with Mugello and Assen. I’ve only raced there once in MotoGP, back in 2021. I’m really looking forward to getting back on track in Germany and continuing the development of the RS-GP25, which is making great progress”.
Taking his and Thailand’s first MotoGP points last time out, Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) will be on the sidelines for this GP and next after a training accident, and will not be replaced for the German round.
“Along with Phillip Island in Australia, I consider the Sachsenring to be one of the two most difficult circuits of the season for tyres,” explains Piero Taramasso, Michelin Two-Wheel Motorsport Manager. “Apart from the fact that the riders drive it in an anti-clockwise direction, it is mainly the layout of the track that presents a challenge. Between turns 4 and 10, the Grand Prix bikes only turn to the left, which means that the right side of the tyre loses temperature before entering turn 11, which is a sharp right-hand turn on a downhill section! This is a particularly tricky spot, where only tyres designed for this specific task can deliver the required level of performance. We have a good knowledge of the track, which has enabled us to come up with a relevant technical solution for this type of situation, because it is precisely at this point that riders need to have a lot of confidence. As we do three times a season, the front tyres will be asymmetrical, with reinforced rubber on the left side to compensate for the higher number of corners on that side. Conversely, the right side of the tyre will feature a softer compound, capable of warming up quickly and maintaining stable performance over time. This consistency, and this ‘à la carte’ compound between the left and right sides, is the signature of Michelin Motorsport, which has always been able to provide our partners with the best tyres in all circumstances.”
Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) vs Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) has been a real treat in the last two rounds, and at Assen, the Brazilian got the better of the Spaniard to become Brazil’s first Moto2 winner. It means the top trio in the standings are split by 31 points ahead of a date with the Sachsenring.
Title chase leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) limited the damage by collecting a seventh podium of the year at Assen. Gonzalez leads Canet by five points, and he’ll be wanting to extend that at his team’s home round. Last year, Moreira’s P4 was by far the best result out of the three, and that was the Brazilian’s first top five Moto2 result as well – so it’s a circuit he clearly likes.
A really intriguing battle is unfolding between Gonzalez, Canet and Moreira, and it’s one Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) will be wanting to claw his way into. A much-needed return to form was enjoyed by the Briton at Assen after he came from P11 on the grid to pocket P4, meaning the front quartet in the Netherlands were the current top four in the championship.
Dixon rose above Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) after the Belgian had a weekend to forget last time out, as British GP winner Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) – who sits sixth in the standings – goes podium hunting alongside teammate Gonzalez to try and give the team a home weekend to remember.
We’ve had four different Moto2 winners in the last four with Agius, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Gonzalez and Moreira, so will another name extend that streak?
After a two-race podium absence, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) bounced back in style at the Dutch GP to clinch his sixth victory of the season. That means, as the field gears up to attack the Sachsenring, Rueda sits 69 points clear at the summit – and now, his chief chaser is the rider who sits alongside him in the box.
Alvaro Carpe’s P4 saw him rise above fifth place Assen finisher Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI), with just one point separating 2025’s lead rookie and 2024’s Rookie of the Year. Carpe now has five top-four finishes in a row, while Piqueras is without a rostrum finish since Jerez. It goes without saying that both will want to beat Rueda and claim that top step at the Sachsenring, and they’ll need to start beating their fellow Spaniard soon before it’s too late.
David Muñoz (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) now has three podiums in his last five outings, a run that has seen Munoz climb to P6 in the championship ahead of his team’s home round. Muñoz sits behind Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) and Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) in the standings, with the Australian and the Spaniard both out to put disappointing Assen results behind them in Germany.
Disappointing isn’t the word to describe Valentin Perrone’s (Red Bull KTM Tech3) brilliant debut Grand Prix podium finish last time out, so can the Argentine rookie add to that rostrum tally in Germany?
Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) is in the same boat as Kelso and Quiles after he was caught up in Luca Lunetta’s (SIC58 Squadra Corse) penultimate lap crash. The Italian will miss the German GP after sustaining a fractured right leg, and we wish Lunetta a speedy recovery. For Furusato, who remains the lead Honda rider in the championship, matching his second-place Sachsenring result from last season would be a great way to bounce back.
