Sachsenring, Germany: MotoGP Post-Race Report
Marc Marquez has re-written the history books with his 7th consecutive win from pole position at the Sachsenring. It was an epic race filled with drama, opportunity and riders taking risks looking for the ultimate reward of victory. On Saturday during qualifying the weather was picturesque and the sun was shining beautifully. This quickly changed on Sunday and we were blessed with another wet race that delivered an action packed charge to the finish line in all three classes! In Moto3 the rain was torrential, in Moto2 it was drizzling and during MotoGP it stopped completely. The riders and teams were on their feet continuously as they adjusted to the changing conditions. Marc Marquez took a tyre gamble, Khairul Idham Pawi as a rookie in the wet was incredibly fast and Johann Zarco managed to pull of a victory with other riders dropping like flies.
In the MotoGP class, it was Marc Marquez who made the gamble to go on to slick tyres as a result of his team’s forward thinking. This paid off in a massive way after Rossi and Lorenzo struggled leaving Marquez to bank more points for the Championship. He has a nice buffer going in to the summer break with Lorenzo and Rossi looking to have some time off to rethink their approach for the second half of the season. It was a courageous ride by Andrea Dovizioso to come back from leading the race to finish third after Cal Crutchlow was on a mission to finish second. Australian rider Jack Miller banked some serious points after he came 7th and was at one stage in podium contention. Jack probably should have trusted his team more to come in earlier as should Dovi, Crutchlow, Lorenzo and Barbera. Miller had the pace to compete with the front-runners and learned another lesson about flag to flag racing. It was a very positive weekend for the Aussie rider.
Scott Redding was the most disappointed rider on the grid after he lost his podium position due to the bike being fitted with intermediate tyres rather than slicks. He was a sitting duck and his emotions running high after losing out on second and third place. The summer break will be an important refresher for Jorge Lorenzo as he looks to regain confidence and his mojo back.
In Moto2 and Moto3, the riders had to battle with a slippery track and rain that resulted in many accidents and some heartbreak after several riders dropped their bikes and ate the gravel trap. The Malaysian rider Pawi was sensational pushing the limits even when his team was telling him to slow down. This kid has incredible composure and confidence in wet conditions and won his second Moto3 race in his rookie season. The German crowd loved his enthusiasm lap after lap even when he was fish tailing around in to certain corners. Championship leader Brad Binder lost one point to his lead and settled for eighth after weighing up the chances of chasing down the leading pack. He thought about the title rather than the risk. The same can be said in Moto2 where Johann Zarco managed to stay focused and win the German Grand Prix. He even did two backflips to celebrate. Very impressive form by the French rider! As the riders look to enjoy some quality time off, the next race will be in Austria on 12-14 August.
