2021 MotoGP Round Eight Sachsenring

Friday MotoGP Rider Quotes

Miguel Oliveira – P1

“It was a good day. We did many laps with used tyres and the pace was nice. We hoped and expected to have a good time attack at the end and we managed to do it. There was no pressure at all to be super-fast today but you know it just kind of happened. So that means we are on a good direction and I feel comfortable with the bike. We need to be sharp and still pay a lot of attention to the small details because our rivals are also quite fast so I hope to do a good FP3 and hopefully go straight through to Q2 and qualify well for Sunday.”

Fabio Quartararo – P2

“I didn‘t feel great with the front tyre this morning and we saw that quite clearly. I crashed straight away. But anyway, I feel good and I‘m on the pace. We had more than 30 laps in total on the tyre in FP2, so that was mentally challenging. I was counting to myself, ‘17, 18, 19‘. I thought, ’Okay, I know that I have old tyres.‘ The time attack after that was a little strange, because you switch from a medium with 30 laps to a brand new soft. That‘s totally different. I didn‘t use all the potential of the soft, but in general I feel happy. I don‘t feel as good with the bike as I usually do, but we are working on it for tomorrow. I would really like to get pole, but first I need to stay calm and work on the pace. Then qualifying for me is like a game. It‘s an important part to prepare for the race, but the most important part for me is to have fun in tomorrow‘s Q2.”

Maverick Vinales – P3

“It‘s been a positive Friday. I‘m happy because the work done in Montmeló is now paying off. I have such a good feeling with the front, which was something that we were looking for. Normally we struggle a bit in this area, and then I lose confidence. With Silvano we worked a lot with the front, and it‘s starting to get much better. But, you know, when you focus a lot on improving one specific area you can lose out a bit in another. So, right now we are trying to find a good balance on the bike and try to build it up. I think it was important to be inside the top 3 today. That‘s always nice, also for the team. We will try to keep going with a lot of motivation.”

Alex Rins – P4

“This is a track that I like, and I’m not feeling bad with my arm. I’m pleased with my position today, even if I lack a bit of consistency in lap times I am quite fast. I have a bit of pain in Turn 3 because it’s a long right-handed corner then there’s a quick change of direction. I also feel it on the brakes in Turn 1 and Turn 12, but in general this track has a lot of left-handed corners which maybe helps me a bit, although in MotoGP we’re always using our right hand for the throttle and brakes! I’m happy because I’ve completed my programme today, and tomorrow will be a similar plan. I’m satisfied with fourth, and tonight I will take some painkillers and try to rest a bit to be ready for tomorrow.”

Pol Espargaro – P5

“Crashing was not part of the plan, but I am trying to find the limit now, rather than in the race. We are figuring it out but Turn 3 is causing some problems at the moment and this is why I fell there. Over one lap we are quite good, but the crashes meant we couldn’t really do as long a run today as we had hoped. It was a bit of a messy day honestly, but we have the speed here. Tomorrow we need a smoother day, less crashes and more in control. The bike is working well here this weekend.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P6

“Today was a really good start to the German GP and a good day for us. We were P3 in FP1 and this afternoon we were able to be in the top six. We have a good feeling on the bike and good pace already. In sector one I need to improve as that’s the only place I’m not able to make a good speed, but in all the rest we’re in good shape. Tomorrow I’ll be focusing on improving in sector one and, if we can do that, we have a chance of maybe staying in the top three. That’s the target for tomorrow and I’m looking forward to the qualifying session.”

Aleix Espargaro – P7

“I know it may seem strange, given the final position, but I think this was the best Friday of the season so far. I felt good straight away. I’m able to be fast without taking excessive risks and the grip helps us, significantly higher than it was in Barcelona. I didn’t put together a perfect performance on my flying lap, but I’m competitive in terms of pace. This will be a track where the tyres will be highly stressed, also because of the weather conditions, so working well on that aspect is important.”

Johann Zarco – P8

“I am happy to be riding at this circuit again. My style is not ideal for this track, but I will try to adapt myself as much as possible. Together with the team, I am working a lot to find the best solution for us. I am happy with my last run where we were able to find important information.”

Jack Miller – P9

“My feeling with the bike is good, and I’m pretty satisfied with the work done today. We tried all the available tyres except for the soft and made a time attack with the medium in the final minutes of FP2. I think I already have a clear idea of what we will use in the race on Sunday. We are working mainly on the setup to make the bike more stable in the last two sectors, where we are not yet as strong as in the first two. Overall, I’m positive and happy with how the weekend is going so far.”

Franco Morbidelli – P10

“It has been a good first day and we managed to get into the top-ten, which is an important thing. Although I think the lap time will need to be a bit faster to get into Q2. Today we were fast enough to do it and I felt good with the bike, we didn’t have any problems, so I’m happy about that. Of course there are things that could be better here and there, which we will do our best to try to improve, but it’s only the first day here. We are looking at some combinations of settings at the moment, to give ourselves the best bike setup that we possibly can. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

Danilo Petrucci – P11

“I’m really happy about the feeling I have with the bike here. It was maybe the first session, in which I felt strong and I was always very confident. We did some steps and it works, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I think if we do everything in a perfect way, we can make it to the top 10, which would be a very good target for us.”

Marc Marquez – P12

“Here I feel less physical limitations, honestly I was expecting zero problems but I still don’t think I am riding at my best. I can manage it and we have a good pace at the moment but for sure a focus for tomorrow is working on riding style. I didn’t put a new tyre at the end, I spoke with the team as I didn’t feel like I had the energy to do it. We are working to understand many things with the bike when it’s working well here. Our pace is looking good but it’s not the best on track at the moment.”

Álex Márquez – P13

“The end of the first day and I can honestly say I’m happy. It’s my first time here with a MotoGP bike and I enjoyed it, that’s the most important thing. I was able to play with the bike to try to improve things, we need to improve with the used tyre especially and make a step forward, but we are not bad and we can be happy with our day. There’s still a lot of work to do and things that we need to understand better, but we introduced today the new aerodynamic and among other things that were working quite well. The bike is working well. The problem of the grip is still there, but it’s something that we can manage a bit better than at Montmelo. This weekend, it will be important to be in Q2 directly, and also difficult because everyone is so close, but it’s definitely possible at this track.”

Jorge Martín – P14

“Physically I feel much better compared to how I was In Barcelona and that is a good starting point. I am not far off from the top ten and I feel satisfied with this first day even though this is my first time riding a Ducati on this track. I remain positive.”

Joan Mir – P16

“I’m not happy about today, we still have a lot of work to do because my feelings with the bike weren’t good, especially in FP2. We have a margin to improve and we need to figure it out overnight, but I feel quite calm anyway because I know we can be stronger. I didn’t have a good feeling with the bike overall, but especially with the grip – these hot temperatures make everything slippery and I felt better in the cooler conditions. I did my time attack with a medium front tyre, and I think I should’ve used the hard because I feel better with that. I didn’t have much confidence with the front so I couldn’t really push. Once we’ve checked everything we can try to piece it all together in FP3 so that we’re prepared for qualifying.”

Iker Lecuona – P17

“Finally, it was a quite ok day. We have been working well with the team and improved from FP1 to FP2. We are still far from the top, but in some places of the track I feel really good. We need to check the data now and we are aware of the way we need to follow, so I feel we have the potential to recover the gap tomorrow morning and to fight for the Q2.”

Luca Marini – P18

“It was not an easy day, we had some problems, but the feeling was not bad at all. What we did in the Barcelona test worked here, I felt good on the bike and I rode as I like. In FP2 I had a problem shortly after the start, which made me lose feeling with the rear. I went back out on the soft tire, but I couldn’t get the most out of it because I had the medium tire in front, whereas I prefer the hard one. I tried to push anyway because the top 10 was possible, but I crashed. The soft held out for about three laps, so I tried to make the most of it on my fifth attempt. I’m really sorry for the team because they’ll have a lot of work to do tonight.”

Enea Bastianini – P19

“It was a difficult day, however, we got some positive things out of it and we have a good pace. This morning I was able to try different tires, but I didn’t feel comfortable with the hard one. My fast lap wasn’t very good and also some other riders bothered me and didn’t allow me to give 100%. I am sure that tomorrow we will achieve better times and we will try to give our best.”

Lorenzo Savadori – P20

“I liked coming back to this track. The last time I raced here was in 2019 with the MotoE bike. Clearly, everything changes with a MotoGP bike. The track gets a lot smaller, but I must say that I had fun. We worked a lot with used tyres. We need to improve the second stage of the race because in Barcelona that was a limiting factor for us again. When I put on the new tyre, I did two decent laps, but I think that our potential is higher. We are still lacking a bit, especially on T2, but I continue to improve and, for now, that is still the main objective.”

Valentino Rossi – P21

“It’s been difficult today because it’s been very hot. In FP2 this afternoon we also tried the harder tyre to try to understand what it’s like. My second run was not too bad because my pace was quite good but in the end I unfortunately had a small crash, and it made me lose some confidence. This also meant that I had to change bike for the time attack, so my fast lap was not fantastic – plus I also made a mistake in the fourth sector. I am losing some time in sector three, so we need to look at this to find the best setting for tomorrow. It’s difficult to predict what will happen this weekend, as it is only Friday, but we will try our best.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P22

“It was a productive day. We focused mainly on finding the right set-up for the bike to limit tyre wear and get a good pace for the race. I am pretty satisfied with the work we have done in the two sessions today. For sure, it will be important to take another step forward ahead of tomorrow morning’s FP3, where we will also try our time attack to secure a spot directly into Q2″.

Friday Practice Reports

New week, same speed: Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) remains the fastest man in MotoGP only a few days after his Catalan GP win, with the Portuguese rider topping the timesheets on Day 1 of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.  Around half-a-second off the outright lap record, Oliveira escaped Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) by a couple of tenths to take to the top, with Maverick Viñales making it two Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP machines in the top three on Friday as he ended FP2 within a tenth of his team-mate.

FP1

The day started with a very familiar name at the top of the Sachsenring timesheets: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The Spaniard is undefeated at the venue in the premier class plus a few years before that, and he was quick out the blocks before also stringing together a longer run of laps. Second was Quartararo, who also took a fast tumble – rider ok – at Turn 12 before moving back to within 0.168 off Marquez.

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) started the event a tenth further back in third, ahead of another Honda: Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team). The number 44 also crashed at Turn 2, rider ok. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the top five, less than half a tenth in further arrears.

The other crasher in FP1 was the first: Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing). The Spaniard went down at Turn 12, rider ok.

FP2

In the afternoon, everyone improved and Miguel Oliveira took over at the top. The Catalan GP winner went more than 1.6 seconds quicker than his morning best, and just under a second quicker than Marc Marquez’ FP1 fastest lap, to head the timesheets in the session. He had two-tenths in hand over Quartararo, who was second once again, with Viñales moving up from tenth in FP1 to complete the top three.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) stole some headlines in fourth, the Spaniard impressing despite his wrist injury sustained ahead of Barcelona, ending the day top Suzuki and just under four tenths off the top. Pol Espargaro, Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro also impressed again, taking fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, was shuffled down to outside the top ten.

Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) crashed first at Turn 13 and then at Turn 7, rider ok, and Pol Espargaro had his second crash of the day at Turn 4. Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) also slid out; the ‘Doctor’ at Turn 1.

Friday Combined Times

FP2 timesheets are the combined timesheets, so it’s Oliveira, Quartararo, Viñales, Rins, Pol Espargaro, Nakagami and Aleix Espargaro in the top seven. Next up is a Ducati duo as Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) pipped Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) to P8 by just 0.011, with Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completing the top ten.

Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing), who now has the updates seen on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machines of Oliveira and teammate Brad Binder, took P11 by the end of play and is the first man set to miss out on Q2 as it stands, with Marc Marquez ultimately ending the day in 12th by just 0.009. The eight-time World Champion said he’d expected to find himself in slightly better shape at the track but also didn’t push for a time attack.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) was even closer to the rider ahead – Marc Marquez – by the end of the day. Just 0.002 split the two as the younger Marquez slots into P13. With the track not featuring on the 2020 calendar, the day was the first taste of the Sachsenring in MotoGP for more than just the 2021 rookies. Alex Marquez was the fastest of those who haven’t raced the track before in the premier class.

Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) was a tenth further back in P14, with Brad Binder completing the fastest fifteen on Friday ahead of reigning Champion Joan Mir.

Rossi ended Friday in P21, with a compatriot for company just behind him: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). The number 63 was last on the timesheets and, although he didn’t push for a fast lap on soft tyres, will be looking for a lot more on Saturday morning as FP3 gets underway – as will the likes of Marc Marquez and Joan Mir.

Friday MotoGP Combined Times

MotoGP Championship Top Five

Moto2

Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was fastest in FP1 and FP2 on Day 1 of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, ending the day an impressive three tenths clear in the combined times. It was once again a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2, however, with rookie Raul Fernandez the man on the chase.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) completed the top three, pipping Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) to it by a single thousandth.

Friday Moto2 Combined Times

Moto2 Championship Top Five

Moto3

John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was the man to beat on Day 1 of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, the Brit topping the timesheets in the morning and no one able to displace him. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) starts his German GP off on good footing too as he ends Friday in second, just over a tenth off the top, with Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the top three after going quickest in the afternoon.

Aussie rookie Joel Kelso who answered a call-up from the CIP Green Power Team to replace their injured rider finished Friday 25th quickest, 2.8-seconds off the P1 pace set by McPhee.

Friday Moto3 Combined Times

Moto3 Championship Top Five

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MotoGP Round Eight Sachsenring

Following the excitement of Catalunya the MotoGP paddock has now trekked north to Germany for the next round of the world championship – the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the iconic Sachsenring circuit.

Located near to Chemnitz in Saxony, Sachsenring is a 3,671m (2.281 miles) anti-clockwise circuit, which makes it the shortest track on the calendar. However, with 10 left and only 3 right turns, and a short 700m (0.435 miles) straight, this means that it is also one which places a lot of stress on the left-hand-side of the tyre. For the first time this season the entire allocation will be asymmetric, with all front and rear tyres having a harder left side of the tread, and the right side being a much softer compound to warm up quickly and provide grip when the riders need it in one of the three right turns. Being in the eastern part of the country not far from the cities of Dresden and Leipzig, and despite the race being staged in early summer, there is always the possibility for it to be cool and damp.

All of the Sachsenring MotoGP lap records were set in 2019 by Marc Marquez, with an all-time lap record time of 1m20.195s, while the circuit top speed record of 298.2 km/h was set by Andrea Dovizioso in the same year. With this year’s race taking place one month earlier, it will be interesting to see, with the potentially different weather conditions, if these are still standing after the 2021 race.

The tight and twisty venue is a different challenge from most, and traditionally there has been a single King of the Sachsenring: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). With seven wins from seven in his time in MotoGP – and a few before that too – the number 93 has been almost unassailable at the track, but this time he arrives on the comeback from injury and the flashes of brilliance so far have been very much accompanied by some struggles for the eight-time World Champion. “Like the old Marc,” was his review of the laps he completed in Barcelona though, and on Monday in the post-race test he did more laps than anyone. So is it too soon to expect the King to return to the throne

Marc Marquez

“After the test day in Barcelona, the week between races went very well to recover. In this test we worked a lot and now we come to the Sachsenring where I have always enjoyed riding in the past. This year of course we arrive in a different position, but hopefully the layout should allow us to be more competitive from the physical side. Let’s see what the weekend brings.”

If he doesn’t, there’s a somewhat blank slate in his wake. Traditionally though, the next bike home after the winner has been a Yamaha in recent years. So will it be this time? Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) will be hoping so after a dramatic end to his race in Barcelona where race-winning pace translated into sixth in the final results after two penalties. He’ll want to gain that ground back, and team-mate Maverick Viñales will want to gain ground full stop – something also true of Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi as some tougher times continue in their garage.

Franco Morbidelli

“We have the positives from Friday and Saturday at Catalunya, and also from the test there, to take with us to Germany this weekend. I hope that we can use these and be stronger at Sachsenring, but of course we will have to see what happens when we get there. It’s a nice track, very tight in places, and I’m looking forward to being back there this weekend. In fact, I remember the first time that I rode here in Moto2. I didn’t know the circuit and I was fighting for the podium in the race! I’m looking to face these next two races before the summer break in the best way possible.”

Valentino Rossi

“We had a good test at Catalunya; we tried some settings that we wanted to look at and my pace was good. I was in the top-ten and the feeling was positive. I hope we can continue this in Germany and have a good weekend, where our race goes like we expect. It’s a very different track to the others, with a lot of the corners on the left and this makes it quite a tricky circuit, it can be very difficult sometimes – but I have had some great battles in the past there, especially in 2009! I’m looking forward to returning there after we could not race there last year.”

Also traditionally, another Honda has sometimes joined Marc Marquez on the podium. The top rider for the marque as it stands is Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and he’ll want that good form for the bike at the track to translate into a kinder weekend in Germany after a dip recently. He has, after all, already taken a fourth place in 2021, as difficult as the year has been at times. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) will likewise look to the past performance of the machine to give themselves a boost, too. And what did HRC find in the post-Catalan GP test?

Pol Espargaro

“We arrive here in Germany after a good day of testing in Spain. It has been a hard few races so it is important to keep our focus and do what we can this weekend. The Honda has been strong here in the past and with what we found in the test I hope that we can make some steps forward. Everything in MotoGP is so close so even a small improvement will help a lot, especially on Saturdays. We now have two races before the summer break, we want to head into the break on a positive.”

The more unknown quantities, in terms of track records, go for the rest. Ducati, to start with the factory equal on points with Yamaha at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, have seemed to edge closer and closer to the front in Germany as their bike has been crafted to turn better and better. And this season, it’s seemingly better than ever. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) praised the machine after his podium in Catalunya and offered a quick “we’ll see” regarding the Sachsenring, but 2021 so far says there’s more to be optimistic about than ever before. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) will have a few eyes on him too, with the Italian’s riding style and corner speed a key talking point earlier in the year, but his Barcelona weekend a little more muted.

Jack Miller

“After almost two years, we’re back racing in Germany, at the Sachsenring. It’s a very peculiar track, and it’s also one of the shortest on the calendar. Ducati isn’t one of the favourites at this circuit, but this year we’ve managed to be competitive even on tracks that should have been difficult for us. We’ve had another good weekend at Catalunya, and my feeling with the Desmosedici GP continues to be very good, so I’m confident that I can fight for another good result at this Grand Prix”.

Francesco Bagnaia

“We’re at the eighth round of the season and the penultimate race before the summer break. It’s a crucial moment for the Championship, and it will be crucial to get a good result this weekend. Sachsenring is definitely not one of the best tracks for our bike’s specifications, but I am confident that we can do well this year. As always, it will be important to be competitive right from the start of the weekend! I can’t wait to get right back to work with my team”.

Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), however, got the better of both last time out. The Frenchman was top Independent Team rider and top Ducati – as he is in the standings, although Miller especially is gaining some traction – and cut his gap to the top quite a bit after Quartararo’s two penalties. What can he do? He had a tougher time of it at the track on the Yamaha, or more so in 2017 compared to then-teammate Jonas Folger’s heroics, but Zarco won the Moto2 race at the track in 2016 and was only 0.083 off doing the same the year before. So he knows his way around… can he hook it up in the premier class?

Ahead of all the Borgo Panigale machinery in Barcelona, however, was Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Portuguese rider put in an outstanding push on Sunday – and a smart one – to leave the Catalan GP with his first victory in factory colours, and he’s another with some good stats in his past at the track, just 0.066 off the win in Moto2 in 2017 behind only Morbidelli. Teammate Brad Binder won the Moto2 race the year after. As this is a track where the Austrian factory have no 2020 data and a best result outside the top ten given the sheer speed of their ascendancy, will it be more of an uphill struggle at this particular – and in some ways peculiar – venue? Or are the riders, mileage so far and updates to the RC16 ready to carry on where they left off?

Hervé Poncharal – Tech3 KTM Team Manager

“Fresh from a week off the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing Team is now heading to Germany, where we didn’t race in 2020 due to the Covid19 situation. It will be for sure very interesting to see and understand how our KTM RC16 is behaving on that very particular circuit. We are happy to have had the chance to have a full day of test on Monday following the Catalunya GP, where both Danilo and Iker managed to test the new chassis and a few settings. That is going to not only improve the performance on track, but is also a moral boost for our two riders. We are now entering in the final straight of the first part of the season and clearly, the two upcoming back to back races prior to the summer break area going to be very important as we know the whole grid is preparing its 2022 line up. We are happy to be back in Germany. Sachsenring is always a very special event where we will for sure have fun, but clearly, we are going to miss the fans that were so many and that were so passionate about MotoGP. It will be strange to have empty grandstands when you remember how warm and noisy the German fans have been. Yet, we can’t wait to start Friday’s FP1 on that great Sachsenring circuit and hopefully we will be able to be closer to the Factory riders, Miguel and Brad, which is always our target. I have to repeat, that it was a great emotion to see Miguel winning the Catalan GP aboard his KTM RC16, so let’s try to be close to him. That’s our mission!”

Suzuki, meanwhile, have a couple of highlights that lend themselves to optimism – in addition to a bike that handles exceedingly well. First is a fourth place for Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the grid in 2019, the last time we raced at the Sachsenring, although he didn’t finish the race and arrives fighting to be fit after a cycling accident ahead of Barcelona. But the other is his team-mate – and the reigning Champion – Joan Mir’s seventh place in 2019. Looking back at the Majorcan’s record at the track in his short, sharp ascent to the top of the MotoGP world, it goes from Moto3 win on the way to the title to best Moto2 result at the time in 2018, a second place.

Joan Mir

“It will be good to ride in Germany again, I was here in my rookie season in MotoGP and I did well, but obviously we missed out on coming here last year. It’s a circuit I like, it’s quite technical with a lot of ups and downs and blind corners. There are far more left turns that right, so it’s important to make up the difference in the lefts. Tyre management is important, and you have to be very precise with your lines. There are not many good overtaking spots, but there’s the first corner and also just after the waterfall section, although in general it’s a hard track to pass at. I’m looking forward to trying for a strong result.”

Alex Rins

“I went to see Doctor Mir for some checks and I feel quite well. He took out the stitches and the bone seems almost fixed. I have some pain when moving my wrist, so I will keep working on my recovery during these days. In any case, I will try to give it my all. We didn’t race in Sachsenring last year, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on track here in Germany. I’m very pleased to be back with the team; I can’t wait to see them all and return to racing with my GSX-RR.”

Finally, for Aprilia the fight for the top five continues and will continue in Germany. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) has been close to it but ended up equalling their best result in the MotoGP era, sixth, which speaks to an impressive season but one that remains fixed on a firm goal: the top five, and the podium. Aleix Espargaro sat out the post-Catalan GP test after crashing out of the race but did get his arm, following arm pump surgery previously, checked out. All is ok, and the number 41 will be gunning for more glory in Germany… can he crack that top five this time around?

MotoGP Championship top five:

Moto2

2021 is going pretty well for Red Bull KTM Ajo. In Moto2, it’s a masterclass so far for both Championship leader Remy Gardner and his rookie sensation of a teammate Raul Fernandez, who remains a close second in the standings. The number 25 also been Gardner’s closest challenger on track as the two stamp some serious authority on the season: a 1-2 in the last three races, the latter two with Gardner out front, and the only single race in which neither have been on the podium is Jerez. That’s quite a record, and as we head into the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland the Jaws music has likely already started a faint crescendo for their rivals.

In terms of track records, Gardner has scored points on Moto2’s last four visits to Saxony, a solid CV even for a rider in the form of his life as everything comes together, so there’s no reason to expect he’ll suddenly lose any speed. There is one added challenge for Raul Fernandez though: a little less experience. That didn’t make much difference at Mugello, however, and on his Moto3 debut at the Sachsenring in 2018 as an injury replacement, the Spaniard very much showed he knew his way around. So who could challenge the duo?

So far this season it’s been a tale of five riders with the edge on the rest and the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo with a little more than that. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) have both had wins marred by a few mistakes, so can they hit back? It’s starting to get more and more vital as the summer break approaches, with both seeing big points go begging of late but both already having taken to the top step.

The opposite is true of Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), who has lacked the raw pace to take him to a first win of the season so far but put together an impeccable campaign of consistency in third overall. That’s paying dividends as he now enjoys a nice 26-point cushion ahead of Lowes on the chase. With the metronomic excellence of the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo ahead though, “points make prizes” will soon not be enough. Can the Italian find that step forward in Germany? And can Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), who denied Bezzecchi the third step in Barcelona, keep his renewed form rolling?

Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was back on song in Barcelona too, and he took a solid sixth last time Moto2 raced in Germany. Bo Bendseyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) impressed last time out to beat Lowes to sixth at Catalunya as well. On German turf though, a few eyes will also be on Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as he starts to rebuild some speed after a tougher start to 2021. The Bavarian has a good record at the Sachsenring too, including a podium the last time we raced there in 2019…

Finally, Fermin Aldeguer (+Ego Speed Up) could be one to watch for those keen on catching a rider on the ascent. The Spaniard, who has taken five wins from five in the Moto2 European Championship, including an almost offensively quick double in Barcelona on the Sunday ahead of the Sachsenring, will be in on injury replacement for Yari Montella once again. First time out on the Triumph 765, the 16-year-old took 12th and was just half a tenth off top Boscocuro Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2). And this was at Mugello, where he’d never raced before. Can he make some more magic in Saxony?

Moto2 Championship top five:

Moto3

Consistency has been hard to come by in the 2021 Moto3 season. At first, rookie sensation – and still very much Championship leader – Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had it as those around him faltered, but now the momentum has moved once again and he’s been scoring good points, but not on the podium. Instead, it’s Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) who’s scored 57 points in the last three races, two of which he’s won to emerge as the closest challenger. One in the wet, one in the dry… and now we head to a venue where a few of his rivals lack some experience. And Garcia was in the lead group last time we raced in Germany.

First things first, Acosta has ridden the Sachsenring in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, and won a race. But will that experience count for a lot? He’ll hope so, with at least some track knowledge to help him on his quest to stem the tide of points. But Garcia isn’t the only rider looking to claw back some more ground…

Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who was just bumped off the podium in Barcelona by a track limits infraction, will be out for some revenge, and the likes of Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) will want to keep finishing ahead of Acosta as they did at Catalunya. Romano Fenati (Steilgarda Max Racing Team) remains fourth overall too and of those returning to race Moto3™at the Sachsenring this year, the veteran Italian was also the top finisher in 2019 as he took fourth.

Experience is also a question for Catalan GP podium finishers Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Rookies in 2020 and therefore not racing the venue in Moto3 yet, can they stay at the front? Alcoba hasn’t had any experience of the track and will be up against the clock to get up to speed, but Öncü has an impressive record at the place in the Rookies. He took his first victory in the Cup at the track in 2017, and in 2018 he took another win and a second place. Will that, plus the added confidence from an emotional first podium in Barcelona, translate into race day pace in 2021?

While the ASBK is racing in Darwin this weekend, one of the Northern Territory’s brightest young starts will be in Germany to stand in for the injured Maximilian Kofler in the CIP-GREEN POWER team. Joel Kelso has been competing in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship and his best result in the class is a ninth place. The CIP-GREEN POWER team is pleased to give to another young rider the opportunity to race in Moto3, as Daniel Holgado did recently at the Catalan Grand Prix.

Alain Bronec (CIP-GREEN POWER Team Owner)

“Obviously, I wish Maximilian a speedy recovery, as he still needs to rest before coming back with us. For the next two races, we will rely on Joel Kelso, a promising young Australian. He will be discovering the Sachsenring and Assen, but we are very confident that he will improve throughout the two weekends. Once again, it is an Australian rider who will fly our colours after Remy Gardner who raced in the team before moving up to Moto2. Welcome Joel!”

The tight, twisty Sachsenring may deliver a slightly different Moto3 showdown to that of many tracks so far, and it’s a new challenge for a few key faces in the field, not just Joel.

Moto3 Championship top five:

Source: MCNews.com.au