German Grand Prix Sachsenring MotoGP Race: Márquez without rival and Quartararo on the ground

This 2019 version of the German Grand Prix opens under the reign of Marc Márquez who made the Sachsenring a truly private property. Judge for yourself: He won his 10th consecutive pole on this track, his seventh in the premier category. He is now aiming for his 10th victory in a row, his seventh in MotoGP. He would thus equal the record of Valentino Rossi who also had seven triumphs in the premier category at Mugello.

Marc Marquez, who will make his 117th start this Sunday, now has 57 poles in MotoGP, 85 in all categories combined. That is to say, success rates in qualifications amounting to 48.7% and 43.5% respectively.

Will the championship leader continue his infernal series or will it end like in Austin, another garden of the Honda official? Before answering this question, here is the table which summarizes the facts…

Sachsenring MotoGP™	2018	2019
FP1	1'21.442 Andrea Iannone (See here)	1'21.390 Fabio Quartararo (See here)
FP2	1'20.885 Jorge Lorenzo (See here)	1'20.705 Marc Márquez (See here)
FP3	1'20.438 Andrea Iannone (See here)	1'20.347 Marc Márquez (See here)
FP4	1'21.318 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)	1'21.153 Maverick Viñales (See here)
Q1	1'20.751 Andrea Dovizioso (See here)	1'20.933 Valentino Rossi (See here)
Q2	1'20.270 Marc Márquez (See here)	1'20.195 Marc Márquez
warm up	1'21.230 Pol Espargaró (See here)	1'23.116 Marc Márquez
Course	Marquez, Rossi, Vinales (See here)
All time lap record	1'20.270 Marc Márquez (2018)	1'20.195 Marc Márquez

fabio quartararo, credited with the second time in Q2, will be the first Yamaha representative on the grid. Here are four races that he starts from the front row. Note that he was also on the front row at Jerez.

Maverick Vinales, who came third last year in Germany, completes the first row. This is the fourth time this year that he has achieved it. Jack Miller hoists the first Ducati into fifth position.  Cal Crutchlow will start from sixth place for the fifth time this year. Moreover, the Briton had achieved exactly the same performance in qualifying just a week ago in the Netherlands.

Pol Espargaro will be eighth on the grid. Never has a KTM performed so well on the grid since Austin. Valentino Rossi, who was drafted into Q1 despite a fall at the end, will start 11th in this HJC Helmets GP of Germany. The last time he started from this far at the Sachsenring was when he was racing for Ducati in 2011 (16th).

Unlike the last two days spent in Saxony, temperatures fell this Sunday, due to an overnight shower. A change which will not fail to influence the choice of tires for this 30-lap race.

19° in the air and 31° on the track, the conditions are dry and very different from Friday and Saturday. The new temperatures will radically change thinking about tires. Hard medium for Márquez, full medium for Quarterly, medium hard for Casa Particular in Viñales, medium soft for Miller and hard medium for  Crutchlow. Dovi is in medium hard and Rossi full medium. zarco in medium hard.

Quarterly takes the lead in front Márquez et Casa Particular in Viñales. But he is touched by Miller and he then slipped to sixth at the exit of the first turn. Márquez is already in charge ahead Casa Particular in Viñales and Miller. Quarterly fall at turn 3 while attacking Petrucci. This is his first crash in the race and his second of the season. The Frenchman was trying to make up for his deficit in the first lap. He had dropped to seventh. Olive tree crash at turn 3 a lap later. zarco also, at turn 3 as well.

Two KTMs remain on the track and the best is that of Pol Espargaro 12th. After three rounds, Marquez, Vinales, Rins et Crutchlow lead. Miller closes the top 5. Petrucci in medium hard suit. Dovizioso is seventh. Red ninth. After 5 laps, the official Ducatis are already more than 3 seconds behind the leader Márquez .

Márquez gradually raises the tone and moves away from Kidneys which contains Vinales. Crutchlow leads the rest of the pack. The heroic Nakagami is fifteenth.

After seven laps, Márquez is 1s5 ahead of Kidneys who has so much on Casa Particular in Viñales who should monitor Crutchlow. The battle lies behind with Miller which serves as a lip Dovizioso while Petrucci , injured in the hand, stands in the way of the rest of the peloton.

bagnaia pulls straight into turn 1 and leaves. Olive tree also joined the race and he made a time at the level of that of Miller fifth… Aleix Espargaró puts the Aprilia in the top 10. Casa Particular in Viñales is still third after 11 laps but he has let go and feels the threat Crutchlow. In front Márquez keeps orders and Kidneys a second place which could also be that of the championship at the finish... Here is a reminder of the tires chosen.

Red remains stuck ninth behind Morbidely. Dovizioso went through Petrucci but the best Ducati remains that of Miller fifth. After 14 rounds, Marquez is the only driver still driving under the 1'22 per lap mark. He is 3s ahead of Kidneys which has 4 out of Casa Particular in Viñales et Crutchlow.

The halfway point passes and the tenth victory in a row Marc Márquez on the Sachsenring there is no doubt about the regularity. During this time, Miller is passed through the two official GP19s, led by Petrucci. The Australian's soft tire seems to be weakening. Red in full medium is tenth and drives a second slower than Casa Particular in Viñales third in medium hard.  Kidneys see Casa Particular in Viñales return to 1s.

11 laps from the goal, Kidneys crash at turn 11, his second in two weekends. The second Suzuki, driven by Mir is seventh. A battle rages for fourth place as Red, ninth, can hope. We are more than 13 seconds behind the leader…

In this group, Mir seems most comfortable. With 9 laps to go, he is fifth. Márquez leads with more than 5s on the duo Viñales/Crutchlow in a duel.

There are 5 rounds left and it's Petrucci who holds this disputed fourth position ahead Dovi, Miller et Mir which has slowed down. which did not escape Rossi, Morbidelli et Alex Espargaror…

Three laps from the goal, the two official Ducatis clash which benefits Miller but Dovizioso replica. the GP19s play with fire, under the eyes of Red and Mir. Aleix Espargaró crash at turn 1. He was ninth.

What will the last turn give? Márquez win without worry, Casa Particular in Viñales follows, Crutchlow completes the podium and this famous fourth place goes to Petrucci before Dovizioso, Miller et Red. Marquez is 58 points ahead of Dovizioso who sees Petrucci return to 6 points. Kidneys is 20 points behind the Italian

German Grand Prix Sachsenring MotoGP Race: Standings