The Sachsenring brought wet weather and the potential for a mixed up grid in qualifying. With a damp track and slower times catching some riders out, Marc Márquez pulled a lap together and put it on pole.
Bad News for Bastianini
Ahead of the weekend, Enea Bastianini was hospitalised due to appendicitis and it was announced he’d miss Friday but return for the weekend.
Unfortunately, ahead of today’s sessions, it was reported that Bastianini would not be partaking in this weekend’s German Grand Prix, nor would he be replaced.
Whilst feeling better, the Italian rider is still unwell and will be focusing on recovery ahead of the Czech GP.
Zarco Tops Q1
The first qualifying session saw Maverick Viñales and Johann Zarco lead the pack and fight to advance.
Viñales started the session strong but Zarco quickly topped his time, showing his skill and pace in wet conditions.
As the time ticked down, other riders tried to bring the fight to them, but all fell short.
The French rider demonstrated his pace in the wet back in France, and he continued to show this in Germany today.
Being 0.222 tenths up on the grid, Zarco was untouchable in the first session and he looked to continue the momentum in Q2.
Márquez Seemed Untouchable in Q1
The rain started to fall harder as riders started the final qualifying session.
It was early heartbreak for Q1 advancer Viñales as he crashed on his outlap.
Jack Miller also crashed, and consequently, both riders were at a disadvantage for the rest of the session.
‘King of the Ring’ Márquez set an early lead, setting the pace ahead of the field.
He looked unbeatable as the session progressed, whereas his teammate, Francesco Bagnaia, struggled to find pace.
In the final minutes of the session, Zarco was matching Márquez and there was a fight for pole.
Ultimately, it was Márquez who won out, taking pole position over the French rider.
Márquez is joined on the front row by Zarco and Marco Bezzecchi.
Title rival Álex Márquez will start 6th on the second row of the grid, whereas Bagnaia could only manage 11th and will start on the fourth row.
With his rivals further down than expected, and a mixed grid lining up for the races, can Marc Márquez take a 8th win at the Sachsenring?