Marc Marquez Crowned The King Of The Sachsenring In 2021!
Author: Myanna Wedes
A record 11th win at the Sachsenring for Marc Marquez has been achieved at the German Grand Prix yesterday in a truly superhuman display of talent, courage, and passion. To critics out there, they thought the career of Marquez was finished, yet look at what he was able to achieve yesterday at a circuit he loves and at a point of his recovery mission that enabled him to lead with strength and put his body to the ultimate physical test. The win has made up for his suffering in particular, the emotional side. The nightmare of the injury was real and haunted the Spanish World Champion week after week, until a conversation with Mick Doohan changed the direction of how Marquez was going to approach the upcoming events. With that said, Marquez is not the old rider where it is all risk and reward. He must be careful and calculated because the injury he suffered was almost career ending. It is a slow process to adapt and become the person he was, if ever. As we watched the race unfold, it was magical to see the Repsol Honda rider pushing the bike even when the tyres were sliding, rain droplets falling and even with no traction left as the tyres were cooked. As the laps counted down, we were anxious as the riders behind him were trying to find the pace to push him and it was tears of joy as he crossed the finish line from head team personnel and the Spanish rider himself who is normally quite reserved from an emotional perspective. With this victory, Pol Espargaro wants more, and he is convinced his changes need to be more Marquez based and this comes down to how he rides the Honda, the data and truly believing that he is capable of being able to be fast on board the two-wheel machine.
Marc Marquez:
"This is one of the most important, and hardest, moments of my career. Today I knew there was a great opportunity to do something. When I crossed the line I just enjoyed it and then arriving with my whole team there, emotional, it helps a lot after such a difficult situation. It’s impossible to come back alone, you need people, you need a good team, a good team of doctors, a physio, Honda, Honda respect me a lot. Alberto Puig, Emilio Alzamora, my family, they helped me a lot. Now it’s time to enjoy this weekend, we were looking for a petrol station but now we found one and the fuel tank is full again. It’s extra motivation for me, for Honda, for the engineers, for the team and let’s see what the future brings. When I saw some drops of rain on lap four of five, I said; it’s my race. I started pushing at this point and then when it started to rain harder, I pushed even more and then the second race with Oliveira began. He pushed so hard and was very fast, it was hard to keep concentrated because all the memories, everything I have lived over the last year, came into my mind. But we did it. We will do it again."
Pol Espargaro:
"Honestly, today was not good. I did not get a good start and we struggled a lot, I got overtaken a lot and here is not the easiest place to pass. Then when the rain came, I was stuck behind too many people and I couldn’t get past them fast enough. If you can’t overtake quickly at the Sachsenring this is what happens. My race isn’t what I wanted, it’s not what I expected. But we have seen what Marc has done, I am really happy for him and the whole Repsol Honda Team. It shows that the bike is working well here but also highlights that we could have done more since I have been close to Marc all weekend. It’s a boost to improve, to work harder and better."
KTM have progressed and with a podium result for Miguel Oliveira and fourth place finish for Brad Binder, the team are ecstatic with how the season is progressing. Oliveira is fast becoming a title contender in a way because his consistency is a key element to winning. Oliveira thinks the entire package, hard work and behind the scenes dedication are the reasons why he has improved, not just from one change in a chassis. No doubt it has been a combined effort with all involved and Dani Pedrosa. We must remember Pedrosa came to the Austrian team with intel from Honda to enable the team to grow and enhance the overall package. Combined with Pedrosa, Mike Leitner, is dedicated to winning and constantly listening to the riders, obtaining new ways to improve with data research, analysis and being there for his riders when its great and when it’s tough. Brad Binder did a fabulous job to finish in fourth place, regaining confidence and feeling with his KTM. The confidence level grew especially at a circuit where the speed, change in direction and steep hill decline can be quite intimidating. Overall, the KTM outfit is proving to be a strong manufacturer in all classes.
Miguel Oliveira:
“It was a little bit cat-and-mouse today. Marc was faster in some sectors and I was faster in the last part of the track. Visually though. I felt like I was gaining nothing! It was an interesting race and we battled at a distance. I will take a second any day at the Sachsenring to him. I’m happy to continue this run of podiums. I hope we can carry on this way. Thanks to the team, and everyone at home for their support.”
Brad Binder:
“I’m really happy with 4th in the end because we started the Grand Prix by being stone-last in FP1! I slowly worked my way forward through the weekend. It wasn’t easy for me to adapt to this place on the bigger bike. I gave it my absolute ‘all’ out there today. I tried as hard as I could. I wanted the podium - and I could see Fabio - but ran out of time to get close enough. In general, I’m happy with the job we did and the team worked fantastically because when I was struggling they continued to make the bike better and better and that brought my level up. We made a big step. Thanks guys, let’s see what we can do in Assen.”
Mike Leitner, Red Bull KTM Race Manager:
“An incredible feeling to see some of the results today and it shows the potential of this project and the skill and hard work of everyone that has been working on it since 2015. It’s fantastic to get three podiums in a row and Miguel’s performance was amazing as well as Brad’s today, especially around a track that is so difficult for overtaking. Miguel’s race was conditioned a bit by that one lap where the rain showed up and he was stuck in some traffic. He was equal on lap-times to Marc. We are super-happy to be able to battle with someone like him here and with his special record at this circuit. I want to say a big thanks to the race team who have pushed and pushed since the start of the season. The group is very strong and to bring these two riders to this level has been a big and great effort.”
In terms of the World Championship leader, Fabio Quartararo managed to increase his title lead with a podium finish even though they struggled at the German circuit. Right now, Yamaha have a rider leading the title, another frustrated with poor performance, a multiple World Champion suffering and a Rossi groomed rider wanting to be on the same level as others. It is clear, there are some serious politics taking place in addition to Rossi deciding on his future or PETRONAS SRT deciding for him in time. The team is known for having younger riders to bring through the ranks, charge, and chase with confidence. As the technical issues and tyre problems continue, we are becoming used to Rossi being at the back of the grid and rarely on television. The constant lack of rear grip, tyre spinning, and slow pace is an ongoing issue for the Yamaha riders and safe to say, Vinales out of everyone is nowhere to be seen. One minute, he is qualifying 21st and the next, he has the pace and then is arguing with internal politics. Unfortunately, his teammate is faster than he is, bringing in the results, leading the title and every reason why Yamaha must pick and choose their battles with two riders going head-to-head.
Fabio Quartararo:
“I’m happy with this podium. Honestly, it's like gold. We’ve been struggling all week. We were quite clear about this in our team. This morning we saw that our pace was good, but not good enough for the victory. That's why I feel that this podium is really like gold, because I fought until the very end. I gave it my all, and I think that’s so important for the team because we have been struggling so much. This GP was so tough for us. Now I’m just looking forward to Assen, one of my favourite tracks. The bike will be fantastic there, so I can’t wait for Friday because we will enjoy it a lot.”
Maverick Vinales:
“I don’t really know what happened with the bike at the beginning. I had a highside going into the corner. I looked to see if the tyre was flat or not, because I didn’t understand what happened. But then I did two or three good laps, 22-highs and 23-lows on my dashboard. After that I got stuck behind the Ducatis, and it was impossible to pass them. I didn’t know what more I could do, and that was it, my race was over. I had a good rhythm but couldn’t do more than this.”
Overall, it was an up and down weekend for the Ducati riders. Jack Miller was amazing in the first two sectors and the third sector struggling to turn the bike and carry the speed. Whilst, Pecco Bagnia had a poor qualifying which dented his chances of a top finish. With that said, Johann Zarco although still second in the title fight, did feel the pressure and went backwards rather than forwards after qualifying on pole position. Feeling with the bike has been a key element that enables the Ducati riders to charge with confidence. We are very proud of the maturity of Miller and the fact he is focusing his energy on results, proving to be a quality asset to the Ducati brand. The next race will be an intriguing one to watch as we have a close title right on our hands! We must clap our hands and take our hats off to Jorge Martin for a great race weekend considering how bad his injury was with the leg and the fact he really pushed regardless of being exhausted and not up to scratch with his level of fitness in comparison to the remainder of the grid. A job well done by the Pramac MotoGP rider.
Francesco Bagnaia:
"Despite the comeback, I'm not happy with today's result because I know I could have fought for the podium. Unfortunately, during the first few laps, I had a different feeling than the last few days and I struggled to find my rhythm. However, in the second half of the race, I felt more comfortable, and I started to push. I managed the tyres well and was consistent right to the end, moving up to fifth place. Now we have to stay focused as in a few days we'll be in Assen for another race weekend."
Jack Miller:
"Compared to the previous days, today in the race, we suffered a bit more. I had a good bike to try and fight for the top positions, but I didn't have enough grip, and in the final laps, I tried not to stress the rear tyre too much to avoid losing more positions. I was hoping to get a bit more, but anyway, we bring home important points for the championship. Now we'll analyze the data to try to understand what we missed today and work to be more competitive next weekend in Holland".
Johann Zarco:
“It was a very difficult race and I gave it my all, but the eighth place will do, we took home important points. I didn’t push more than I did because I wasn’t feeling secure; I preferred to not risk and not make any mistakes.”
Jorge Martin:
“I am satisfied, I had a good race and I was able to remain in the top ten for almost all of the 30 laps. Naturally, still not being completely fit meant that towards the end I struggled a lot. I now can see the improvements being made day after day, and I feel confident for Assen.”
Finally, out of everyone on the grid who could be the most frustrated, it is Aleix Espargaro. The Spanish rider is working so tirelessly with Aprilia Gresini and continually plagued by issues that deter a top result. The limitations in the mid of the corners are something Aprilia need to improve on because Espargaro is putting his bike in places it normally would not be and this is like how Suzuki arrived at their success and eventual World Championship. We are not saying, Aprilia Gresini are ready for a title chase, instead they are ready for podiums and potential wins with their lead rider. It appears, a younger rider will be required to partner Espargaro to continue the growth. At present, his teammate Lorenzo Salvadori crashes too often and is not fast enough to keep up with the pace of the leading riders. Time for Aprilia Gresini to figure out how to step up to the top square on the podium!
Aleix Espargaro:
“I am pleased with the level we have reached but I am also angry because I expected to be able to achieve something more today. The reality of the situation is that we are undoubtedly in the leading group, both in qualifying and in the race, on tracks that are vastly different from one another, but we need to keep working to find that final step. I was extremely strong at the start today and then I was able to maintain the pace rather well behind Marc. In the stage of the race when a few drops of rain fell, he managed to pull away. He began building his victory at that moment. Compared to the others, I had some limitations mid corner, a question of a few tenths per lap, but that’s all it takes in this MotoGP championship.”
Next up is Assen and we cannot wait! As Marquez emulates a sporting comeback, the Motul TT Assen is guaranteed to bring a show that fans will enjoy watching across the globe. Who do you think will be strong at this race?
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