The 2026 MotoGP season reaches its halfway point this weekend as the paddock arrives at the Sachsenring for the German Grand Prix, the final round before the summer break. Friday’s Practice session delivered an early statement from Marc Márquez, who lived up to his pre-weekend billing by setting a new all-time lap record to comfortably secure top spot.
Jorge Martín arrives in Germany holding a slender championship advantage after finishing third at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix. Team-mate Marco Bezzecchi is aiming to bounce back following a difficult run of form. A heavy crash at Assen resulted in his third consecutive Sunday without points, costing him the championship lead.
The spotlight, however, remained firmly on Márquez. A nine-time German Grand Prix winner and the overwhelming favourite heading into the Sachsenring weekend, the Ducati rider recovered from an early crash in FP1 to finish second fastest before stamping his authority on Practice later in the day.
Bezzecchi Impresses Before the Pace Escalates
Several riders elected to begin their sessions on the soft rear tyre, combining an early time attack with preparation for Saturday’s Sprint. Pedro Acosta briefly topped the order for KTM while most of the leading riders opted for the medium rear compound.
Bezzecchi soon moved to the top with a lap of 1m20.605s before improving further to a 1m20.535s after switching to a soft rear tyre. Considering his physical condition following the Assen crash, the Aprilia rider’s pace was among the standout performances of the opening half of the session.
Cal Crutchlow also produced an encouraging display. The LCR Honda stand-in climbed into the top ten on a fresh soft rear tyre, showing flashes of the speed that made him a MotoGP race winner despite his extended spell away from full-time competition.
Stewards Investigate Morbidelli as Bastianini Crashes
Attention briefly shifted away from outright pace when Franco Morbidelli slowed on the racing line with Acosta arriving rapidly behind. Having received a penalty for a similar incident at Assen, the Italian was once again placed under investigation by the FIM stewards.
Elsewhere, Enea Bastianini’s session came to an abrupt halt after crashing at Turn 8, although the Italian was able to walk away from the incident.
Márquez Delivers Another Sachsenring Masterclass
As the final runs began, Márquez fitted fresh soft tyres front and rear before delivering the lap everyone had been anticipating.
On his first flying lap of the closing run, the Ducati rider produced a stunning 1m19.394s, establishing a new all-time lap record at the Sachsenring and finishing 0.166 seconds clear of Raúl Fernández at the top of the Practice classification.
The session also brought disappointment for Márquez’s Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, who failed to secure an automatic place in Q2 for the fourth time this season after missing out on the top ten.
Having arrived as the clear favourite, the Spaniard has already laid down an early marker as he targets a tenth MotoGP victory at one of the most successful circuits of his career.