Marc Marquez arrives into an emblematic venue in Germany – can he be halted against the odds?
Quirky, unique and entertaining – the track layout at the Sachsenring makes it a place like no other on the calendar; seven consecutive left-handers, rising up hills to drop down the other side, it’s fast, relentless and there’s no rest to grab a breath. Over the years, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) has made it his kingdom, this really is his happiest of hunting grounds. 8 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.
TARGET #93: going for nine on Germany soil
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). The #93’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 Thursday medical check if he’s to participate; a podium last year is his highlight in Germany.
As for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), the #63 was victorious at the Sachsenring last year and he’ll be desperate to try and claw points back on the second place battle. Not in the top three but right there across the weekend, Fabio Quartararo’s (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) speed is undoubted but perhaps luck is something he’s missing come the Sprint and Grand Prix. Four poles in 2025, will the Sachsenring reward his efforts?
BEZZECCHI AND ACOSTA: a Sachsenring surprise?
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) wrote plenty of headlines at Assen for a superb performance. Pushing the #93 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... 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.
ON THE CHARGE: Viñales in form, Fernandez improving
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, just 12 points behind Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) in the standings. 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, he hopes to improve on his P10 from the Sachsenring 12 months ago. Both are split by Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who has high hopes coming to Germany and a circuit he enjoys.
ATTACK FROM BEHIND: Yamaha seek race-pace gains
Three KTMs were in the top ten at Assen, courtesy of Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3). The #23 still lacks one-lap pace but could a short and sharp Sachsenring work in his favour? He’s just ahead of Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) but the Italian likely returns this weekend after being out injured. Teammate Joan Mir crashed at Assen and his best result at the Sachsenring dates back to a P7 in his rookie 2019 campaign. 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. Taking his and Thailand’s first MotoGP points last time out, Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) will sadly be on the sidelines for this GP and next after a training accident, and any possible replacements aren't confirmed yet, so we wait and see.
The Sachsenring is the home of MotoGP in Germany; last lap classics and flag-to-flag showstoppers have all occurred around this 3.671km venue. Track position more key than ever, qualifying will shape everyone’s weekend. In front of a huge German crowd and at the halfway point of 2025, make sure you watch the stories unfold for Round 11!
Moto2™: Four winners in four, will a fifth emerge in Germany?
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. The #18 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.
That saw the #96 rise above Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) after the Belgian had a weekend to forget, as British GP winner Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) – who sits P6 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? We’ll find out soon enough.
Moto3™: Rueda in control ahead of Sachsenring date
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, the #99 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 the #64 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 P2 Sachsenring result from last season would be a great way to bounce back.
Will Rueda’s lead be cut in Germany, or is the current runaway championship leader going to continue his mighty form at Round 11?