Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) pulled a fast one in qualifying at the Liqui Moly Motorrrad Grand Prix Deutschland, the Frenchman just pipping compatriot Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to pole position by 0.011 - and that despite a late crash. Quartararo is therefore denied a record six in a row for a Yamaha rider but will start second, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) stealing a few headlines in third as he gave Aprilia their best qualifying in the MotoGP™ era and since 2000.
Q1
A frantic Q1 full of superstars eventually saw Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) progress through to Q2 in Germany, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) marginally missing out and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) both some way off moving through. For Mir it's his worst qualifying of the season after he was P17, now moving up one after a penalty for another rider, and for Viñales it's 21st and penultimate on the grid after his worst qualifying in MotoGP™.
The penalty, meanwhile, was a three-place grid drop for Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) after he was found to be riding slowly on the racing line, creating some drama for an angry Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing). In addition, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) crashed at the final corner, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) crashed at Turn 12 and Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 1.
Q2
As the Q2 session got underway, it was immediately clear that Quartararo had strong speed, as he dropped the best lap to a 1:20.4. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was initially second, ahead of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), but that would shuffle after the final push.
As the closing stages of the session came onto the horizon, it looked like Quartararo had done enough, but it would prove to not be the case as Zarco sliced round the Sachsenring with the lap of his life to hustle his Ducati to the top - by just 0.011. The double Moto2™ World Champion then went in pursuit of another hot laptime too but as Zarco tipped into Turn 5, he tucked the front and crashed out of contention, bringing out the yellow flags.
That was also true after a crash late on at Turn 1 for Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) - the last man on a push - was forced to settle for fourth as he rolled out.
The Grid
Zarco starts ahead of Quartararo after Ducati's first pole at the Sachsenring since 2008 with Casey Stoner, and it's the first French 1-2 since Brno 2020 too. Completing the front row is Aleix Espargaro, taking his first front row since Assen in 2015 and giving Aprilia their first front row since MotoGP™ was introduced in 2002, a historic landmark for the Noale manufacturer. Espargaro is the fourth different rider to give Aprilia a front row in Grand Prix racing’s premier class.
Miller heads up Row 2, just ahead of the King of the Sachsenring: Marc Marquez. Having been eyeing up a front row place for the majority of the session, Marquez dropped to the middle of the second row by the end but it is his best qualifying position since his return. After some time looking for the ideal track position, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) ultimately completed the second row in sixth.
Jorge Martin took P7 and makes it three Ducatis inside the top seven, whilst eighth place went to Pol Espargaro after he made it through from Q1. The number 44 was tracking Quartararo for the majority of the second half of the session. He’s joined by fellow Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami, and rounding out the top ten is Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), just over half a second from Zarco’s pole time.
Rins could only take 11th come the chequered flag, whilst 12th place went to Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol). Binder and Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) are next up, with Bastianini then shuffled back and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) gaining 15th instead.
MotoGP™ front row
1 Johann Zarco* - Pramac Racing - Ducati - 1:20.236
2 Fabio Quartararo - Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP - Yamaha - +0.011
3 Aleix Espargaro* - Aprilia Racing Team Gresini - Aprilia - +0.211
*Independent Team rider
Johann Zarco: "High emotion and adrenaline with this pretty good lap, I was happy to use the tyre on the first lap and you can feel there's extra performance but I wasn't able at the beginning to do it well. But on the second tyre I could and I'm pretty happy, I was surprised by the time. And then I tried to give a bit more for the remaining lap, but I think too much lean at Turn 5 and I closed the front. Fortunately it's not a fast corner and at full lean I was already on the floor so just a slide. But high adrenaline - the emotion of the good lap, the emotion and confidence on the bike, then the crash!"
Fernandez fights back for third pole of the season at the Sachsenring
The rookie pounces when it counts to head the grid in Germany, ahead of Di Giannantonio and Gardner
Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is back on top in Moto2™ as the rookie sensation put in a new lap record in qualifying for the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, taking over at the top from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), who was forced to settle for second. Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completes the front row.
Q1
Moving up from Q1, Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) led Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), the man third in the standings making it through, with Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) and teammate Albert Arenas the final two graduates. One surprise was Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as Arenas' fellow rookie saw some tables turned, and the Italian will be looking to move forward on race day.
Q2
As the session got underway, it was Di Giannantonio who took the initial honours and led the way, with Raul Fernandez lying second and Gardner third. Diggia also had a brush with track limits and had a fast one deleted, but bounced back to go back onto provisional pole. The Italian wasn’t able to hold on to it though as Raul Fernandez stormed to the head of the grid with a new all-time lap record, a 1:23.397 seeing him sail clear by 0.347s at the front. Despite being fast in Free Practice, Gardner wasn’t able to respond... but he will line up third, and just two hundredths off Diggia.
The Grid
Behind that front row, there was a bigger gap back to Marco Bezzecchi as the Italian pulled a nice fourth out the bag after having earlier headed through Q1, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Jorge Navarro (+Ego Speed Up) completing Row 2.
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) heads up the third row in seventh, the Brit crashing at Turn 1 but rejoining. He was 0.023s ahead of Japanese rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with Bendsneyder graduating from Q1 to take ninth on the grid. Completing the top ten is another Q1 graduate in Aron Canet. Two riders who would have hoped for a considerable amount more were Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who will start 14th, and home hero Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), who is down in 17th.
That's it from Saturday, with Raul Fernandez turning the tables in qualifying. Over race distance can the rookie hit back against his teammate - and the rest? We'll find out at 12:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Moto2™ front row:
1 Raul Fernandez - Red Bull KTM Ajo - Kalex - 1:23.397
2 Fabio Di Giannantonio - Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 - Kalex - +0.347
3 Remy Gardner - Red Bull KTM Ajo - Kalex - +0.372
Moto2™ front row L-R: Gardner, Fernandez and Di Giannantonio
Raul Fernandez: "I'm really happy to get another pole, before qualifying the goal was the first row. The team gave me the experience in a difficult moment, they said that in qualifying we could use two sets of tyres, this was the key to get pole position. We'll see tomorrow what happens because Remy is really strong but in the end we will see!"
Salač snatches first pole at the Sachsenring
The Czech rider heads the grid for the first time in his career, with Foggia and Suzuki alongside as the top three in the Championship are left with some work to do on Sunday
Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) will start a Grand Prix from pole position for the first time at the Sachsenring, with the Czech rider topping Q2 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland by nearly two tenths. Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) takes another front row to equal his best 2021 qualifying in second, with Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing the front row.
Q1
Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) topped Q1, but the South African stole more headlines after his quickest lap. Towards the end of the session, he collided with Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) and then crashed - something that would soon also have ramifications in Q2. But he was fastest, joined by Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia).
Q2
One of the biggest headlines came quickly, and it wasn't on the timesheets. For irresponsible riding, Darryn Binder was black-flagged and would take no further part in Q2 - relegating him to P18 on the grid. The South African also has a ride through for the race. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) also crashed early, rider ok, but putting a dent in his Saturday.
Meanwhile at the front, it was Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) leading the way after the few minutes, but Foggia came through to quash that not long after. Salač was on a charge though, and the Czech rider shot to the top with the first 1:26 of the session... and it would turn out to be the only 1:26 of the session. After taking a first podium at Le Mans, he now takes his first pole position ahead of Foggia and Suzuki as some late yellow flags put paid to some laps for the rest.
The Grid
Salač heads away from pole for the first time ahead of Foggia and Suzuki, with John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) missing out on the front row but heading up the second in fourth. Alongside him, Toba starts fifth as the top KTM despite his crash. Sixth place goes to an incredible performance from Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse), with the French rookie taking his best grid position by a mile - and the best for a French rider in Moto3™ since 2017.
A deficit of just 0.006 keeps Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) in seventh, and he's joined by Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) alongside him. Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) completes Row 3.
Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), Öncü and rookie Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) - who has never ridden the Sachsenring before - are next up, with Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) down in P13... and his closest challenger in the standings, Barcelona winner Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) right next to him. Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) locks out Row 5.
Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia) takes P16, ahead of a tough 17th for Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The number 5 is third in the standings, but those just ahead of him are only just ahead on the grid in Germany, too. Can they charge through?
The Sachsenring is ready for another Moto3™ showdown, and this time the slipstream might not quite be the decider compared to Catalunya. Will it be another group battle or can anyone escape? We'll find out from 11:00 (GMT +2) local time on Sunday!
Moto3™ top three
1 Filip Salač - Rivacold Snipers Team - Honda - 1:26.913
2 Dennis Foggia - Leopard Racing - Honda - +0.183
3 Tatsuki Suzuki - SIC58 Squadra Corse - Honda - +0.214
Filip Salač: "I'm really happy that I'm here with these guys, another dream came true for me and I'm happy about it. I didn't expect it because yesterday in FP2 in hot conditions like qualifying I was struggling a lot, unable to do my rhythm and go fast. I just wanted to go through to Q2, I did that and was fifth and the feeling was good, then on new tyres in qualifying I gave 100% from the beginning, setting my fastest laptime and there were some yellow flags, I was a bit lucky but I'm so happy about pole and it's a good position for tomorrow's race."
DORNA