Tissot Sprint Race
Bagnaia got a dream launch from P2 to grab the holeshot into Turn 1 as Martin also got away well. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) immediately bit back at Turn 2 with a late lunge on Pecco though as Binder nearly slipped up the inside of Martin.

Lap 1, Turn 11 was where Martin made his move on Pecco. Binder, on the cutback, managed to squeeze up the inside of the pair of them and heading into Turn 12, so did the fast-starting Marc Marquez. Suddenly, Bagnaia went from P2 to P5 in the space of two corners.

Martin soon got back past Marquez as we watched Bagnaia drop into the clutches of the group behind that included Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – the Frenchman making a phenomenal start. With nine to go though, Quartararo’s Sprint was over as he attempted to overtake Pecco at Turn 6. The front of his Yamaha let go and that was all she wrote for El Diablo on Saturday.

Up front, the top four were locked together – Viñales, Binder, Martin and Marc Marquez. Binder and Viñales were getting very busy with eight laps left and lurking just behind was Martin. At this stage, Bagnaia was 1.6s off the fight – and the Italian had Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) climbing all over his tailpipes.

Seven to go. Now, Binder was leading. Marquez showed a wheel to Martin at Turn 6 as the two made slight contact. Unfazed, Martin then carved his way past Viñales for P2 at Turn 1 with six laps to go and as expected, Marquez wasted little time in following Binder and Martin through. With five and a half laps to go, a huge moment occurred – Martin was P1. Binder went wide at Turn 10 and left the door wide open, with Martin walking through with ease.

Five to go. As things stood, the gap in the Championship was 14 points between Sprint leader Martin and fifth place Pecco. Di Giannantonio had passed Bezzecchi and was looking menacing behind Bagnaia, with Martin still holding Binder at bay.

Three to go. Binder wasn’t close enough to make a move on Martin but he was still too close for comfort. Marquez was half a second further back, and Viñales was being caught by Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio and Bezzecchi.

LAST LAP! Martin led Binder by 0.3s, with Bagnaia still holding Di Giannantonio behind him. Halfway around the lap, Binder still wasn’t close enough. Turn 10 passed by with Martin still leading and the KTM wasn’t close enough into the final corner either. Martin rode brilliantly to secure the most important 12 points of his career, as Binder and the impressive Marc Marquez bagged Valencia Sprint rostrums.

Viñales had to settle for P4 after setting the early pace, as Bagnaia came home P5 to collect five points. Not the result the Italian was searching for as the Championship chase goes down to the final day, but it could still yet prove to be a huge five points.

Di Giannantonio couldn’t find a way past Pecco and claimed P6, with Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) picking up the final points-paying positions in the Sprint.

Tissot Sprint Race Results…

Sunday
Following a highly dramatic Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, the 2023 MotoGP World Champion is Francesco Bagnaia  after Jorge Martin  crashed out of the race following an incident at Turn 4 with Marc Marquez. Pecco went on to claim victory as a phenomenal fight for P1 played out, with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Johann Zarco locked onto the Italian’s rear wheel. ‘Diggia’ crossed the line in 2nd with Zarco 3rd. However, a post-race sanction for Di Giannantonio due to wrong pressures demoted the Italian to P4 with Zarco being promoted to P2 and Brad Binder  inheriting the final podium position.

Because of a Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) three-place grid penalty for ignoring the black and orange flags in Warm Up, Pecco was promoted to pole position for the final showdown, with Martin still launching from P6.

For the final and most important time in 2023 it was time to race. Bagnaia got the dream getaway from pole to grab a crucial holeshot, with Martin also making a fantastic launch to grab an early P2. Pecco P1, Martin P2 – that’s how it was after the opening lap, with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pair of Binder and Jack Miller P3 and P4.

Between the title fighting duo, it was as you were after the second lap but a monumental moment then took place at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 3. Martin was right in the slipstream of Pecco and as the duo chucked the anchors on into Turn 1, Martin got sucked in and made slight contact with Pecco. Martin was wide – well wide – and dropped to P8, with Pecco unhindered by the incident. Huge drama early on. The fightback began on Lap 4 for Martin. P8 became P7 as the Spaniard got the better of Alex Marquez. Martin tried to do the same to Viñales a lap later but the latter bit straight back – and a repeat played out at Turn 11.

Up front, Binder was crawling all over the back of Pecco but focus was elsewhere. A battle was raging between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), with that enabling Viñales and Martin to close in.

What happened next ultimately decided the Championship. Martin was getting visibly frustrated and on Lap 6, having finally got through on Viñales, Marc Marquez was next in line. At Turn 4, Martin lunged up the inside of the eight-time World Champion but contact was made. So much so, the pair were tangled together. Martin ran straight into the gravel as Marquez was thrown into a vicious highside, as two of the home crowd favourites were down and out. Marquez’s final race with Honda ended in huge disappointment, with Martin’s title hopes vanishing. A painful end to a wonderful campaign for the Prima Pramac star.

With Martin out, no matter what Bagnaia did, he would be the 2023 MotoGP World Champion. ‘MARTIN OUT’ was signalled on his pit board as the two KTMs of Binder and Miller were now first and second, with Zarco and Viñales chasing Pecco. 12 laps to go though, Binder made a mistake. A big one too. Just as he did in the Tissot Sprint, the South African was wide at Turn 11, and that dropped him from P1 to P6. Miller now led Pecco by just over a second.

Binder’s comeback began with an aggressive move on Alex Marquez at Turn 4, and it was one that saw him handed a drop one position penalty. With nine laps left, Miller’s race then ended. The Aussie crashed at Turn 10 which handed the lead back to Bagnaia, who had Zarco just 0.3s behind him. A disastrous few laps for KTM.

The Championship might have been decided, but the race certainly wasn’t. Binder was just 1.5s away from the lead again and Diggia tagged himself onto the rear wheel of the KTM. Soon, the Italian was into P3 with five laps to go.

With three laps left, 0.3s was still the gap between Pecco and Zarco. But cue the jaws music – Di Giannantonio was on a mission. On Lap 25 of 27, the top trio were split by 0.3s over the line. At Turn 4, Di Giannantonio shoved his Ducati up the inside of Zarco’s and made a move stick for P2. Next: the World Champion elect.

LAST LAP OF THE SEASON: Three riders, only one could win. Would Bagnaia claim the title with a win or would it be Di Giannantonio or Zarco standing on the top step? Halfway around the lap, there was no way through. A head shake from Di Giannantonio told us frustrations were there, but Pecco rode superbly to fend off both his compatriot and Zarco to win the World Championship in the best way possible: victory. A classy ride from your top three. The podium result would later change however with Di Giannantonio’s three-second penalty demoting him to P4 and promoting Binder onto the podium. 

Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) earned his best result of the season with a fantastic P5. Alex Marquez was P6 with Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) capping off his Yamaha career with a solid P7, as Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Luca Marini in his final Mooney VR46 Racing Team appearance and Viñales rounded out the top 10.

An unwell Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) finished P11 after feeling ill, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Lorenzo Savadori (CryptoDATA RNF Team) and Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) the other finishers, as the latter ends his full-time MotoGP career – for now – in P14 after a crash and remount.

Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) were the other riders to DNF, Bezzecchi after an early race crash with Marc Marquez. And just like that, 2023 draws to a dramatic close. Bagnaia is now a three-time World Champion as Martin gets set to come back even stronger in 2024. What a season it’s been. 

MotoGP Valencia Results…

Moto2
That’s a wrap for 2023 in the FIM Moto2 World Championship and Fermin Aldeguer (CAG SpeedUp) stole the limelight yet again as he took his fifth victory of the season and fourth in a row. The Spaniard was untouchable as Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) had to settle for P2, with Alonso Lopez (CAG SpeedUp) coming out on top in the battle for the final podium spot in P3. 

The Boscoscuro rider stretched the field right from the beginning as he had Canet clinging onto his coattails in second place. With 20 laps to go they already had a substantial gap to Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing) in third as the hot pace from Aldeguer stretched out the top five. 

Ramirez was out of touch to threaten the top two and had Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) for company as the Brit was desperate to find his way through with the prospect of a third overall in the Championship still tangible.  However, at the front Canet was confidently responding to Aldeguer’s pace, and the two were Dixon’s rivals in the fight for third overall. With 17 laps to go Canet was the fastest rider on the circuit too as he set the quickest lap of the race so far and bettered it one lap later. 

The battle for 3rd then began to hot up even more as a flying Lopez caught Ramirez and Dixon as he brought Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) to join the party with him. But Lopez made his way through on Dixon with 14 laps remaining. The Spaniard was on a charge after fighting his way up from 14th on the grid to sit in fourth place with his sights set on Ramirez ahead of him. 

12 laps to go and Aldeguer was able to extend the gap to 1.5s. The Spaniard continued to put down his relentless pace and took victory in Valencia by 3.982s, with Canet bringing home second. The fight for the final place on the podium went absolutely to the wire as Lopez got through on Ramirez but the American Racing rider then went for a lunge at the final corner on the final lap. It was a well-judged one, but Lopez got the cutback and won the drag to the line.

Behind Ramirez in P4, Chantra got the better of Dixon in the end as the Thai rider capped off his 2023 season with a 5th place as he pulled eight tenths on the Brit in P6. Dixon ends 2023 fourth overall, with his compatriot Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS) completing his final Grand Prix race in seventh as he gets set for a move to the WorldSBK paddock. 

Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) took eighth ahead of his teammate Dennis Foggia, with Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completing the top 10. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) claimed P11 ahead of World Champion Acosta, who ended his season with a P12 after a fraught start and tougher race. The Spaniard’s attentions now turn to Tuesday’s Valencia Test. 

The final point scorers were Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Mastercamp), Barry Baltus (Fieten Olie Racing GP) and Jeremy Alcoba (Gresini Racing Moto2) who took 13th, 14th, and 15th respectively. 

Moto2 Race Results

Moto3
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) has done it. He is a Grand Prix victor in 2023 – and he did in style! The Japanese rider put on quite some show as he fought tooth and nail in a five-rider scrap for victory at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana. The final race of 2023 went down the wire in typical Moto3 fashion as David Alonso (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) left everything he had out on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo as he pushed Sasaki right until the final corner. Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) was very much in the mix as well. The Spaniard came home in P3 after getting his elbows firmly out on the last lap, almost snatching second from Alonso in a close drag to the line. 

The riders lined up on the grid for the final race of the 2023 Moto3 season, and with the Championship decided it promised to deliver barnstorming lightweight action. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) started from pole position but it was Sasaki who took the hole shot down in Turn 1 as the Moto3 bikes barrelled in.

The Japanese rider had Veijer and Öncü for company as the riders scrapped for position in the opening sector. We lost a couple at Turn 2 as Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) went down and out of the race. Xavi Artigas (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) was later awarded a double long lap penalty after causing the incident.

The top three remained line astern throughout the first lap as Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) and Ortola looked keen to threaten the podium spots. Veijer then took over the lead from his teammate one lap later as he dived up the inside at Turn 2. Veijer, Sasaki, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Kelso, Ortola was the order as the race began to settle with 17 laps still remaining. 

As the laps ticked away a leading group began to form as Alonso and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) put themselves in contention in a seven-bike battle for the lead – Alonso getting his elbows out as he got firmly stuck into the battle for victory.  The pace was hot as they were consistently putting times under the race lap record with Veijer leading the way lap after lap. With 10 laps to go it became it a battle of five as Kelso and Rueda began to fall off the back of the group.

A big move came from Alonso with seven to go as the Colombian chucked it up the inside of Öncü at the final corner with very little room to come through. The two made contact as they both ran wide and lost time to Sasaki and Veijer ahead.  Alonso quickly recovered the time in a matter of corners and one lap later he made his move on Sasaki to put himself into P2. Veijer, Alonso, Sasaki, Ortola, Öncü was now the order in the top five with Öncü finding himself almost a second back. 

Veijer cracked for the first time with five to go as he finally lost the lead with a small mistake seeing him run wide and drop to fourth, promoting Sasaki to the lead with Ortola and Alonso hot on his tail.  Sasaki led the way on the penultimate lap as Deniz Öncü was now back in the mix and joined onto the back of the group. The heat was turned up as Veijer shot up the inside of Ortola to take third. Ortola bit back at the beginning of the last lap and it was now or never on the final lap.

Sasaki led the way as they barrelled through the first two sectors for the final time. Alonso was all over his rearwheel with Ortola shadowing Alonso’s every move. It came down to the final corner in the end as the Colombian tried all he could to throw it up the inside but had couldn’t find his way past the Japanese rider as he took his first Grand Prix victory ahead with Alonso fending off Ortola in close drag to the line. 

It was heartbreak for Veijer after he led the majority to end up having to settle for fourth, and Öncü did recover to catch the leading group but didn’t manage to make any moves as he brought home P5. Rueda finished in a lonely sixth place with Kelso a further second back in P7. 1.5 seconds back from the Aussie was a 3-rider scrap for eighth place which was won by Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) who got the better of David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Ryusei Yamanaka (GASGAS Aspar Team) in ninth and 10th. 

Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) finished his 2023 campaign with P11 ahead of Fillipo Farioli (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing). The newly crowned Champion had a steady end to his title-winning season as he took 13th with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) taking the final point-scoring positions. 

Moto3 Race Results

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Tissot Sprint Race
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) is becoming a Tissot Sprint master in 2023, making it two wins in the last three on a Saturday afternoon after more glory at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Spaniard beat World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) by 2.4s and in doing so, Martin moves up to second overall, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the rostrum.

Miller got a rocket ship launch on the KTM RC16 once again, he had the inside line for Turn 1 but Bagnaia hung it around the outside to hit the front at Turn 2. Miller tried to make a move stick at Turn 8 but that didn’t work, and Martin then made his way through on Miller down at Turn 12.

On Lap 2 at Turn 1 though, Bagnaia and Martin were wide and that allowed Miller to move back through to the lead. Then it tightened up again, with lead group of five formed as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Racing) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) joined the party. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) wasn’t enjoying his early Sprint laps, the King of the Ring down to P9 on Lap 5, and that despite having made a good start.

Back at the front, it had become a top seven as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) joined the breathless action, and Martin was on the move back into the lead too as he grabbed P1 with a beautiful double overtake down the Waterfall as the two ahead shuffled.

Lap 6 ticked by and Martin was asking big questions – a 1:20.990 saw the Spaniard sit eight tenths clear of Bagnaia, who had also now overtaken Miller. Another fastest lap of the Sprint came in from Martin with nine laps to go, and the gap was up to 1.1s. A lap later it was 1.3s. it seemed Bagnaia didn’t have an answer and barring any drama, the top three looked like they were set for the Sprint: Martin led Bagnaia by 1.4s, and the latter 0.8s clear of Miller.

The Aussie was, in turn, 1.4s ahead of Marini, but the battle for P4 was alive and kicking as Marini had Binder and Zarco right on his coattails. The three-way tussle was fascinating as twice Binder tried to find a way through on Marini at Turn 1, but both times the South African was slightly wide. 

As Martin crossed the line for another stunning Sprint win and Bagnaia and Miller secured their visits to the rostrum, the battle was hotting up. At Turn 11, the rapid right-hander, Zarco pounced on Binder and the South African was sent wide, losing some ground as the Frenchman disappeared up the road to take that fifth place. It was investigated but no further action taken…

Marini held onto P4 ahead of Zarco and Binder as Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) completed the points scorers in P7, P8 and P9. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) rounded out the top 10, with Marc Marquez dropping from P7 to P11 in a disappointing Sprint on a circuit he’s been unbeatable at. He said after the race that risk vs reward saw him roll off.

Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) crashed unhurt at Turn 1, with Jonas Folger (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) retiring from his home GP Sprint.

MotoGP Sachsenring Sprint Race (Full Results Here)

1 Jorge Martin – Prima Pramac Racing
2 Francesco – Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo Team (+2.468)
3 Jack Miller – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (+3.287)

Sunday
What do you get when you add the two riders at the top of the standings to a record crowd at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland? One hell of a show! In one of the closest ever finishes at the Sachsenring, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) came out on top against reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in a duel that went right to the wire, ultimately decided by just 0.064 seconds as the two crossed the line almost in tandem. It’s Martin’s first win since Styria 2021 and consolidates his second place in the standings, now just 16 behind Bagnaia, and it’s the first time the number 89 has done the double – Tissot Sprint and GP win – and taken three GP podiums in a row.

Taking three Grand Prix rostrums in a row for the first time is now also true for Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) as the Frenchman completed the podium following a crash for Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), and that shuffles the standings yet further. 

The first place to start is Warm Up, as eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) suffered another big crash and, although declared fit, decided to sit out the Grand Prix race after a difficult weekend. That left Bagnaia heading a grid that didn’t contain the 11-time winner… but there was one thing, at least, that remained increasingly predictable: Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took the holeshot.

Behind the Australian, Bagnaia and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) slotted into P2 and P3, at least until Turn 11 the Australian had a huge moment on the rear as they flicked it onto the cold side of the tyre. That allowed Bagnaia, Martin AND Marini to carve past.

Lap 3, Turn 12 – a change of the lead. Martin pounced on Pecco and with it, the Sprint victor set the fastest lap of the race. Just behind, Miller was holding teammate Binder at bay, with the latter enjoying a mini battle with the fast-starting, soft rear tyre-running Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing). But Binder grabbed P4 off Miller at the end of Lap 4 and set his sights on the top three, with Martin quickly building a 0.7s lead at the front.

Zarco was soon past Miller too – the same place he dispatched Binder at in the Sprint, Turn 11, this time with a little more space – and on Lap 7 the Frenchman set the fastest lap of the race too. Soon, Martin’s gap was down to 0.5s with the top five just two seconds apart. Lap 10 saw Binder pounce past Marini for P3 too, and soon Zarco was also past the Italian. By then, the gap between Binder and Bagnaia was up to 1.7s as the top five began to spread out.. and the top two to get closer together. 

Martin and Bagnaia looked like they were out of reach for the chasing pack. Binder was 2.9s adrift with 17 laps to go, and Bagnaia starting to put pressure on the shoulders of Martin. With 12 to go, it looked like Martin was starting to respond though. Bagnaia had been right on Martin’s coattails but the gap edged back to half a second.

In the podium battle, drama then unfolded. Binder lost the rear heading into Turn 8 and that forced him to run wide and into the gravel, and the South African crashed out of third. That promoted Zarco to P3, and the Frenchman had some breathing space as Marini had teammate Marco Bezzecchi to contend with in a VR46-friendly fire duel.

Did the decisive moment of the Grand Prix come with 10 laps to go? Bagnaia decided it was time to take the lead at Turn 12, and did so, but how would Martin respond? If Bagnaia had been planning to put the hammer down and thought he could escape, after two laps that plan was gone as the #1 couldn’t shake off the #89. Then, at the same corner with six to go, Martin returned the favour. The top two in the title chase were embroiled in a fascinating fight in the Ring, now it was Bagnaia’s turn to show what punches he had left.

Two more tense laps later and it remained as you were, but close as ever with Martin leading Bagnaia by 0.2s. On Lap 27 of 30, it literally couldn’t get any closer between the pair at points on the track. Martin defended well down the hill to not allow Bagnaia through into Turn 12, and as they entered Lap 28 they were absolutely locked together.

Penultimate lap time. Martin vs Bagnaia. A King of the Ring crown up for grabs. Martin went defensive into Turn 1 as Bagnaia nearly ran into the back of Martin at Turn 3, with millimetres in it. And round the final corner for the penultimate time, those millimetres evaporated. Contact! Bagnaia tagged the back of the Pramac ahead, with no harm done but some metres lost for the reigning Champion. The race was really, really on now.

By halfway around the lap, the impossible looked plausible once more as Bagnaia got within 0.3. The climb up the hill was crucial but the #1 wasn’t close enough into Turn 12. And so, just 80 seconds after the contact last time around, it was down to Turn 13. Martin went defensive. Bagnaia opted for a wider, sweeping line up the hill. For the final time, it was Martin vs Bagnaia on the run to the line.

Martin edged it by a slender 0.064s as a wonderful battle lit up the Sachsenring, with the Spaniard cutting Bagnaia’s title advantage to 16 points. It’s the closest finish at the track since the 0.060 margin in 2003. 6.9s away from the victory scrap, Zarco claimed P3 for the third race in succession, and the #5 nearly crashed at Turn 1 on the final lap, too, pushing for his best run of rostrums.

Bezzecchi picked his way through the pack to a solid P4 after a tricky weekend, the Italian finishing 3.4s ahead of teammate Marini after the two went head-to-head earlier in the race. Miller was 0.2s him to finish P6, as Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) rounded out the top 10, the Portuguese.

P11 went the way of Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) who finished ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP duo Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo, all three of whom remain the only three riders to score in every GP race so far this season. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team) picked up the final points in P14 and P15. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was forced to retire after his RS-GP encountered an issue in the early stages of the Grand Prix, and teammate Aleix Espargaro faded to 17 after struggling for grip late on.

MotoGP Sachsenring Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jorge Martin – Prima Pramac Racing
2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team (+0.064)
3 Johann Zarco – Prima Pramac Racing (+7.013)

Moto2
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed a stunning victory at the Sachsenring to close the gap in the Championship standings at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. Key rival and World Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was forced to settle for second but the Italian limited the damage by fending off Jake Dixon (Polarcube GASGAS Aspar Team) as the Brit hunted down Arbolino in the second half of the 25-lap encounter.

Arbolino got the holeshot at the start but his lead did not last long as Acosta responded on the opening lap at Turn 12. The pair then immediately broke away from the chasing pack but were rarely separated by more than a few tenths in the first three laps. However, a series of fastest laps by Acosta, in the 1:23s, allowed him to pull out a half-a-second gap over his title rival by the end of Lap 4. By Lap 6, the gap between Acosta and Arbolino was over a second for the first time and the Spaniard’s pace showed no signs of letting up.

While Acosta checked out at the front with a 2.6s gap at the halfway stage, Arbolino had to start looking over his shoulder as Dixon charged towards him. The Brit reduced the gap to under a second on Lap 14 as he set his sights on second place after having to battle back from fifth after losing out in the early stages. Having started from third, Dixon found himself behind Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) and Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) on Lap 2. He re-passed Lopez for fourth on Lap 3 before being promoted back to the podium places on Lap 6 when Canet crashed at Turn 13, rider ok.

Dixon was able to catch the World Championship leader but Arbolino started to extend the gap over the Brit during the final five laps. Dixon responded on Lap 22, however, and it was back down to just a few tenths. The battle raged on during the final lap but Arbolino was able to hold on over the line, taking second and those 20 points by only 0.095. Dixon narrowly missed out on second but still claimed another podium in Germany as he hunts a better finish than P3.

Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) claimed a somewhat lonely fourth place for his best result of the season. The Thai rider was six seconds away from the podium, but he was also three seconds clear of the group behind him. That group was led by Lopez who finished fifth as he pulled out a gap of over a second on Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 MasterCamp) in sixth. Gonzalez started from 12th but repeated his strong showing from Friday to secure a top-six finish.

Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS) was part of the battle for fifth place but he had to settle for seventh, ahead of Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) in eighth. Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took ninth and Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) rounded out the top ten, but it could have been different after the trio had a fierce fight in the closing stages. Aldeguer moved into eighth when he went up the inside of Arenas at Turn 1 on Lap 19, before Vietti followed him through in the first sector to demote Arenas to tenth. However, Arenas and Vietti switched positions again to give the Spaniard ninth.

Moto2 Sachsenring Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Pedro Acosta – Red Bull KTM Ajo
2 Tony Arbolino – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team(+2.730)
3 Jake Dixon – Polar Cube GASGAS Aspar Team (+2.825)

Moto3
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is now a Grand Prix winner! The Turk has been close before but the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland finally saw him take to the top step and in some style after a last lap, last corner dive up the inside on race-long leader Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). Sasaki was forced to settle for second but put in another stellar podium for another podium, with a duel also deciding third as Dani Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) held off Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team).

Sasaki didn’t get the best launch as rookie teammate Collin Veijer shot off the line, but the number 71 was soon through into the lead despite the best efforts of an aggressive Öncü. As the first few laps ticked down, the Japanese rider, who was more than a second clear in qualifying, started to make a gap at the front too, leaving Öncü vs Holgado vs Ortola as the fight for the rest of the podium places.

Lap by lap, Öncü was able to pull away from the fight and start to home in on Sasaki. And so it became a duel, and a chess match to the finish. Massaging his cramping leg as Öncü tucked in behind the Husqvarna and then closing back in for the last lap, everyone – including Sasaki – knew it was coming. But when? It went right down to the final corner as the Turkish rider dived up the inside and somehow got it stopped, able to pin it to the line and take his first Grand Prix win after getting so, so close on a good few occasions.

Sasaki was forced to settle for second after a race-long stint at the front, with the duel for third also going to the wire. In the end, Holgado had just enough to hold off Ortola, the Championship leader increasing that lead once again after nearly the whole race spent looking in his metaphorical mirrors.

Behind the fight right at the front, it was a group battle to the line and rookie David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) came out on top. Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) took sixth ahead of Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), with Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) taking his first top ten in P10.  Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) is classified P11 after a one-position penalty for exceeding track limits on the last lap.

David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) sliced up to P12 despite his back of the grid and Long Lap penalty, finishing a little distance ahead of a group comprising Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Andrea Migno (CIP Green Power) as they completed the points. There was early heartbreak for Veijer he crashed out early on despite that great start, and Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) also crashed out of top ten contention in the latter stages. 

Moto3 Sachsenring Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Deniz Öncü – Red Bull KTM Ajo
2 Ayumu Sasaki – Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (+0.095)
3 Daniel Holgado – Red Bull KTM Tech3 (+12.074)

The post MotoGP Sachsenring: Martin Puts On A Show Stopper! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) claimed P3 to make it a Ducati triple threat on the front row and, just behind, two more Ducatis line up P4 and P5… making it the first ever front five lockout for the factory, and the first for a single manufacturer since Honda in 2003 at Motegi.

Q1
Q1 was – as we’re used to seeing given the sheer competitiveness of the class – a star-studded affair. World Championship leader Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia Racing teammate Maverick Viñales fancied their chances of progressing, but so did Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Martin and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).

Rins was the early pacesetter, the Suzuki rider putting in a 2:02.723 as the benchmark. Martin soon took over at the summit with eight minutes to go though, which saw Aleix Espargaro kicked out of the all-important top two. Then, chasing a time on his second run, the number 41 was down. Hopes of a Q2 place were gone for the Spaniard and the best he could hope for was a P13 grid slot. Luckily, P3 in the session and P13 on the grid was where he stayed, as Martin and Rins progressed and no one else could leapfrog. Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team), chasing big brother Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), crashed at Turn 3 unhurt in the early stages.

Q2
Q2 then got underway and it was Miller who was the early pacesetter, with fellow Ducati rider Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) off to a tougher start as he crashed at Turn 15. The Italian was able to pick his GP21 straight back up though, and immediately set off chasing a pole position lap time – no damage done.

Then, another crash. This time it was Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) at the penultimate corner. Rider ok and 100m Olympic sprint mode activated, but it was now a race against time for the Frenchman who was provisional P7. After that and at the end of the first set of runs, Miller was leading Bagnaia by 0.008s, with Martin and Bastianini making it a Ducati 1-2-3-4. Quartararo managed to make his way back to the garage with just over four minutes to go though and straight away, the number 20 was back on track on his second YZR-M1.

Pecco came out of the blocks flying on his second fresh soft rear tyre. 0.140s was his advantage through the third split and by the line, the number 63 went top by 0.160s over teammate Miller. The latter, though, was also setting red sector times. Through the third split, Miller was 0.236s up on Pecco’s effort and sure enough, the Australian returned to P1.

Then, there was another Ducati rider lighting up the timing screens – Martin. The qualifying specialist lost time in the third split but a wonderful fourth sector saw Martin pip Miller by the slimmest of margins: just 0.003s. Was there anyone else challenging? Not by the looks of it. Quartararo was struggling to respond, seven-time Texas winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had a quiet session pushed down to P9 and Rins and 2020 Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) jumped up to P7 and P8.

In the end, Martin’s 0.003s advantage was enough to take it, with Miler and Pecco joining him on the front row. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Bastianini, in P4 and P5, made it a historic Ducati demolition on Saturday in Texas.

The Grid
Behind the five Ducatis is Quartararo lining up in P6. How much did that crash affect the reigning World Champion’s pole position hunt? He’ll want more on Sunday. Rins and Mir head up the third row ahead of Marc Marquez, the eight-time World Champion under the radar so far. Fellow Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) rounded out the top 10 to equal his best of the season so far, with Argentina front row hero Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and an under the weather Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) just behind, set to launch from P11 and P12 respectively.

It was a frantic and ferocious pair of qualifying sessions in Austin, and we now turn our attention to race day. Can anyone stop Ducati from claiming victory in Texas? And what can the World Championship leader muster up from P13? Time will tell. So tune in at 13:00 local time (GMT-5) to find out!

MotoGP Qualifying Results (Full Results Here)

1 Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 2’02.239
2 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.003
3 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.128

Moto2
An American, riding for an American team, in America, on pole! That sounds good for the home crowd, doesn’t it? It certainly does for Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) who bagged a dream debut Moto2 pole position at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, taking the honour by over 0.3s from Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). Vietti came through Q1 to start on the front row, however, and it’s a familiar sparring partner in P3: Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40), despite a late crash, starts from third.

Q1
After finishing Free Practice down in P15, Vietti had to battle it out in Q1. The Italian didn’t top the first part of qualifying either, that accolade went to Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), but he safely made it into the pole position shootout alongside the Dutchman, Marcos Ramirez (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP).

Q2
After the first set of laps were thrown into the hat in Q2, it was none other than Vietti leading the way, the Italian putting in a 2:09.091. Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) then crashed unhurt at Turn 17 though, bringing out the red flags, as Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) then went down unhurt at Turn 8. Neither rider had set a lap time. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), who was P3, was then the third rider who crashed, rider also ok. The Japanese rider went down on the exit of Turn 11 and that meant more yellow flags were shown, which meant more laps would be chalked off.

After the drama had settled, all eyes turned to Beaubier. Three red splits went the way of the home hero and crossing the line, the American went provisional pole by 0.3s. Canet was on a flyer though, over four tenths up in the first sector, but Turn 17 caught the Spaniard out. The front end washed away, bringing out the yellow flags once more, but it wasn’t quite done and dusted yet with a couple of minutes to go…

Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) and Arbolino were out on track and threatening, but ultimately neither would get close to Beaubier’s time. That was that – the American sophomore is on pole for the Grand Prix of the Americas!

The Grid
Behind Beaubier, Vietti and Canet, Arbolino managed to recover from that early crash to claim P4 on his last lap. The Italian will start alongside Shimoko GASGAS Aspar Team pairing Albert Arenas and Jake Dixon. Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) faces a Long Lap Penalty in Sunday’s race for crashing under yellow flags in FP3 but the Spaniard starts P7, ahead of Aldeguer, Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

Moto2 Qualifying Results (Full Results Here)

1 Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) – Kalex – 2’08.751
2 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – +0.340
3 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +0.532

Moto3
A final flying lap effort from Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) saw the Italian edge out compatriot Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) in the battle for pole position in Moto3 Q2 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. Just 0.067s split the duo as Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) comes through Q1 to claim a fantastic first ever front row, with World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) taking P15 and left with work to do on Sunday.

Q1
Joining the fray in the Q2 shootout from Q1 were Artigas, who took over late on and denied Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) the honours of topping the session. They were joined by Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) and Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) as the fight for pole got underway.

FIM MotoGP Stewards: For riding slow on line and interfering with other riders in Q1, Bartolini was subsequently given a back of the grid start for the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas Moto3 race. He also has to complete a Long Lap Penalty.

Q2
Guevara set the early pace with a 2:16.609 as Foggia sat P9 after his first effort, but the times would tumble on the next set of flying times. Migno then took over by 0.127s from Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with Foggia climbing to P4 with six and a half minutes to go. As he always tries to do, the 2021 runner-up was lapping alone…

On his fifth flying lap, having not pitted for fresh rubber, Foggia pulled a phenomenal final sector out the hat and took provisional pole by 0.058s with just under two minutes to go. That was then 0.086s as Foggia improved again, but on their final laps, Migno and Artigas bettered the Italian. With one last shot at it, Foggia did improve once again but his last attempt wasn’t quite enough – Migno bagged pole by 0.067s ahead of the Leopard Racing rider.

The Grid
Behind Migno, Foggia and Artigas, Öncü will start from P4 in Austin with Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and rookie Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) joining the Turkish rider on the second row. Moreira is once again the top rookie.

Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was once again close to the Brazilian however, with veteran Japanese duo Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) locking out Row 3 alongside the 2021 FIM Moto3 Junior World Champion. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), last year’s winner in Texas, completed the top 10, and teammate Garcia, the title leader and Argentina GP winner, has a mountain to climb from P15 on Sunday.

Moto3 Qualifying Results (Full Results Here)

1 Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) – Honda – 2’15.814
2 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – +0.067
3 Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) – CFMoto – +0.252

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