The press conference following the Grand Prix MotoGP from Germany on the Sachsenring circuit brought together Marc Marquez, Ai Ogura et Raul fernandez, the three Saxon drivers who made it onto the podium.
All three are the big winners of the weekend with significant progress in the championship, but if the first one mentioned, Marc Marquez, fully confirms his title as King of the Sachsenring, Ai Ogura Nevertheless, he continues his superb season, which now sees him in 2nd position in the overall standings…
As usualWe reproduce his words here in their entirety without any formatting, even though they are translated from English.
🎤 Ladies and gentlemen, good morning everyone. Welcome to the official post-race press conference for the Liqui Moly German Grand Prix, held here at the Sachsenring. The top three finishers are gathered before you. Leading the pack is Ducati Lenovo Team rider and reigning world champion, Marc Márquez, who had a perfect weekend at the Sachsenring. This is Marc's 13th victory at this circuit, his 10th in MotoGP, and this success moves him up to third place in the World Championship. Once again, SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP secured a one-two finish on the podium with Ai Ogura, second in the Grand Prix, and his teammate Raúl Fernández, third. Before we begin this press conference, gentlemen, we will observe a well-established tradition here at the Sachsenring. At the conclusion of the German Grand Prix, a special trophy is awarded to the rider who sets the fastest lap during Sunday's race. We are honored to welcome back Lars Kluger, Mayor of Hohenstein-Ernstthal, who will present the famous Sachsenring Ring. And once again, Marc Márquez receives this distinction, having set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1'21"088 on lap three. Congratulations, Marc! Another ring has been added to your collection. A big thank you to Lars. And once again, congratulations to Marc Márquez, who wins the prestigious Sachsenring Ring for the seventh time.
🎤 That's a third consecutive podium finish on Sunday for Ai Ogura and the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP. Ai, on Thursday, in this very room, you told us you'd be very happy to leave Japan with two top-six finishes. In the end, it went much better than expected, both in the Sprint and in today's Grand Prix. This second place was hard-earned. When you finish second behind Marc Márquez at the Sachsenring, you know you've delivered a truly great performance. So you must be extremely pleased with your weekend…
Ai Ogura: “Yes, as you said, the results we achieved this weekend are far above what we expected. So we can be really, really very satisfied, especially with today’s race. Honestly, I wasn’t sure the medium rear tire would be the right choice, but in the end it worked very well for us. I was able to maintain a good pace right to the finish. There was nothing I could do against Marc, but, as you said, finishing second behind him is still an excellent result. So I’m very happy.”
Tell us a bit about this race. Tire management seemed complicated in the first few laps. Álex unfortunately crashed. Fabio Di Giannantonio also fell while riding in front of you. How did you manage your bike during this first part of the Grand Prix?
“Today, I mainly focused on preserving the front tire. With the rear tire, there wasn't much I could do. So my attention was primarily on the front. I then saw that Raúl was starting to have some difficulties, while I maintained a better feeling with my front tire. I think we did a good job. We managed the situation, the overtaking, and the race as a whole very well. It was a very good performance.”
We've reached the halfway point of the season. You're now only 14 points behind the championship leader and currently sit second in the overall standings after eleven outstanding Grands Prix. Do you feel you're under less pressure in this title fight than Jorge Martín, Marco Bezzecchi, or Marc Márquez? And do you now consider yourself a genuine contender for the world championship?
“Even when I’m driving in last position, I feel the pressure (laughs). I don’t know… I just want to keep doing my job and see what happens in the next races.”
🎤 A question for the three of you. You now have three weeks of summer break. How will you use this time? And when the season resumes, what will your approach be in the fight for the championship?
"I don't really know. Riding my motorcycle... and going fishing, probably. My only goal will be to come back as calm and relaxed as possible."
🎤 A question for the three of you. If you had to give yourselves a rating for this first part of the season, what would it be?
"Ten out of ten (smile)!"
Results of the German MotoGP Grand Prix at the Sachsenring :
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
