Last year, Sachsenring king Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) had little chance of retaining his crown, but he retained it and made history. Now, number 93 is on the sidelines again after another big setback to his racing future, but this presents a huge opportunity for those looking to take over from him, especially for fabio quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) although he is far from the only one: there is an empty throne up for grabs, with many contenders ready to take up the challenge!
There is taking up the challenge and there is the Catalan GP of fabio quartararo ! The reigning Champion now has a 22-point lead after the tragedies that struck his main rivals, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), plus this heartbreak at the end of the race for Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia Racing) which made him give up more points than he thought…
But now it's time for a new name to take the top step in Germany, and for the first time since 2012.
The Frenchman's form at the Catalan GP has been impressive, and he is probably at the top of the list of candidates for the Sachsenring throne. With the tight, twisty circuit offering a bit of a respite from the long straights and power contests of some recent tracks, Yamaha should be in a strong position. Fabio Quartararo can he increase his lead this weekend?
Last year, however, the resistance was led by KTM. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was just 1,7 seconds behind Marc Márquez and took second place, which was no small feat, especially since Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) came fourth to take fabio quartararo in an Austrian sandwich. Overall, the Mattighofen brand was the best performing factory. What can they do this season? Barcelona saw more solid points, Brad Binder taking eighth place and Miguel Oliveira ninth… but it is not for such positions that KTM is fighting, and the work continues to return to the front of the leading group.
At Ducati, despite the huge leaps forward made to offer the best bike on the grid, the Sachsenring has still proven to be a challenge in 2021. The venue is perhaps the only one still worth talking about. track suitable for a factory, or not depending on the case. Francis Bagnaia led the charge last season, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) in close company, and it was a fight for a place in the top 5, which is far from recent history. Francesco Bagnaia can he bounce back? Without a doubt. Jack Miller can he get his mojo back? We doubt...
The Prima Pramac Racing team could have a say in the top lines of the timesheet, with both drivers on the podium in Barcelona. Johann zarco has regained its regularity and George Martin came back strongly in the fight for the podium, not to mention that the Spaniard underwent the surgery he needed to resolve his hand problem. And at Gresini Racing, Enea Bastianini will he be able to forget his fall in Catalonia?
Then, of course, there is Aprilia. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) had a good result in Germany last year for the Noale factory, but that was then and this is now, and the quote “probably the best motorcycle” can also be argued in this paragraph in 2022 too. Aleix I will espargaro had a series of extraordinary podiums and he almost continued his momentum in Barcelona, but all observers hope that his blunder will give even more energy to the number 41 in order to come back strong. How will the new RS-GP perform in Germany?
For Suzuki, the venue was more difficult last year and the Hamamatsu factory will look to use track time from post Catalunya GP testing to rectify the situation in 2022. Joan mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) put in a strong performance on Sunday in fifteen starting from 17th on the starting grid to finish fourth in Barcelona, and he will look to continue this momentum. Alex Rins, meanwhile, was caught in the Turn 1 incident with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and suffers from a small fracture in his wrist... So he will probably be ready to try but will first have to be declared fit.
At Honda, the weekend will be important for Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team), who arrives at home with a major challenge to overcome. The German had a difficult weekend in Barcelona and will want more at the Sachsenring, just like his teammate Pol I will espargaro after a very difficult Sunday. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), meanwhile, came back from last to tenth place after his crash on Saturday which prevented him from participating in qualifying. The number 73 also completed the most laps during Monday's practice, but that will probably not be enough to take over from its famous brother...
Results MotoGP German Grand Prix 2021 at the Sachsenring circuit:
