MotoGP Sachsenring

[KUCIAR666]

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Gear Up for German GP

After a three-week resting period between the Dutch and the German GP, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are eager to start the ninth round of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship this weekend at the GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.

Lorenzo arrives at Sachsenring with the objective to close down the 24-point gap to the championship leader by delivering a top result before the summer break starts. The Mallorcan is familiar with the German rostrum; he produced an impressive premier class podium streak from 2009 until 2012, securing four consecutive second places and a third place in the MotoGP class in 2014.

Feeling in great shape after enjoying some rest over the last few weeks, he made it his goal this year to conquer first place at Sachsenring for the first time in his career.

Teammate Rossi is more focused than ever on gaining some points in the championship standings and has made it his mission to finish ahead of his closest rivals. Having shown a competitive pace throughout the season, he is feeling confident that he will be able to produce a strong race this weekend. Despite the Sachsenring circuit being quite narrow, he likes the track and his fondness shows in his previous results.

The Doctor has scored four MotoGP race wins at the German circuit, as well as three second places and two third positions in the premier class, and hopes to add another victory this year.

Chemnitz hosted car and motorcycle races on the roads around the town in the 1920s before Sachsenring was built in 1996 for safety reasons. Just two years later the track hosted its first MotoGP event and has continuously been updated since. The just 12m wide asphalt and a majority of slow left corners make this circuit one of the slowest tracks on the calendar, but there will still be plenty of action at the twisty circuit.

Massimo Meregalli
"After a three-week break between the race in Assen and Sachsenring we've all had a chance to recharge our batteries for the upcoming weekend and we can't wait to get started. Both Vale and Jorge have been able to get some rest, but after such a long period off the track they look forward to stepping onboard their bikes again this weekend for the last race before the summer break. This track is not one of the most suitable circuits on the MotoGP calendar for our bike, but as always we will put in a 100% effort and we'll try to get our first win here since 2009. Our riders are focused and motivated, so we intend to hit the ground running on Friday and look forward to putting on a great show."
Jorge Lorenzo
Championship: 2nd, 121 points

"We are facing the last round of the first part of the season and we are eager to have a great result before summer holiday. I didn't expect such a difficult race in Assen but ultimately we were able to get some valuable points for the championship. Now we are visiting Sachsenring, a circuit where I've never won. It's always a challenging track for both me and the YZR-M1, but this year - with different electronics and tyres - you never know. Every race is a question mark so let's see if this time we can be more competitive in Germany!"
Valentino Rossi
Championship: 3rd, 103 points

"I really want to get back on track. Over these last few days I've rested at home, but now I want to leave for the race at Sachsenring. In Assen we worked well throughout the weekend and we were really fast, both in wet and dry conditions, but the race was not very lucky for us. At the Sachsenring circuit we will have to work well as we have been doing during all weekends this season. We are fast and I'm comfortable with the YZR-M1 and with the Michelin tyres. I like this track and Sunday I will do my best to make it a good race."
Tech3 pair ready for twisting Sachsenring challenge

Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith confidently eye up the forthcoming GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland where they will aim to seize two top tier results aboard their Yamaha YZR-M1 bikes. The round nine battle marks the mid-point of the 2016 season and both riders intend to complete the race as close as possible to the factory bikes in order to conclude the first half of the year positively.

Pol Espargaro will seek to follow up his 4th place at Assen, which equalled his best performance in the premier class, with another impressive finish in Germany. The consistent 25-year-old is currently 6th in the World Championship standings and will look to get straight up to speed at the tight and meandering Saxony circuit.

Meanwhile, Bradley Smith optimistically has his sights set on fighting to a top placement ahead of the summer break after what has been a tricky 2016 campaign so far. The young British rider suffered ill fortunate at the soaking wet Dutch GP after falling whilst pursuing a notable result, however, he remains resolute and fully intends to undertake a strong performance in Germany.
Pol Espargaro
Championship: 6th, 72 points

"As usual, I am looking forward to racing this weekend and I am positive about the team and I doing a good job in Germany. The track is certainly unique and when I ride, it feels a little bit like karting on a MotoGP bike! It is really tight and twisty, plus as there is no long straight, we don't get much of a rest so it's very physically demanding. Having said that, we are upbeat because the nature of the Sachsenring suits the Yamaha so I think we can push for a strong showing again. However, I believe that we may see some unexpected results but I'll try hard to be one of those who have a notable performance. We are ready and prepared so I am sure that we can tick off part one of the season in a positive fashion before I fly to Japan to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours race for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team."
Bradley Smith
Championship: 15th, 32 points

"The next stop for us is the German Grand Prix, which is definitely a special one, due to the location of the circuit. This racetrack stands alone because of its tight corners like the Omega and also because we do not really open the throttle fully until the waterfall, which I must say is awesome to ride. Last year I managed to get 6th, and honestly, I feel that we have a solid chance of obtaining a good result again with the capabilities of the YZR-M1. After Assen, I went to the legendary Spa - Francorchamps circuit with the Tech3 team and Guy Coulon to ride a two-stroke 500cc Yamaha. I really enjoyed the experience and I have to say thanks to the guys for making it happen. Yet, this weekend we are back our usual business with the goal being to score the top independent position."

 

[KUCIAR666]

TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR READY FOR THE GERMAN MotoGP?

After the two-week break that followed the GP of Assen, Team SUZUKI ECSTAR is heading to Germany for the ninth round of the MotoGP? season this weekend, on the same Sachsenring circuit that last year saw Maverick Vi?ales and Aleix Espargar? race with a special livery dedicated to the GSX-R?s 30th Anniversary.

The German circuit is a very unique one, with many corners on the left that will require a special attention to the set-up, and for a wise management of the tyres. Last year?s race was a fun one for the Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders; the two GSX-RRs fought with each other in a spectacular duel until the very end of the race, finally scoring 10th and 11th places.

The history of the Sachsenring circuit is a recent one; initially born as a natural evolution of an open-road race track, it was completely renewed in 2001 to be capable to host bigger events. With a total length of 3.7 km (2.28 miles) and a 700 metre-long straight it is one of the slowest tracks of the championship, comprising only three right-hand corners and 10 left-hand corners.

Maverick Vi?ales:

?The race in Assen was not so positive for us in terms of the result, but we took advantage from the lessons we?ve learned there. It was the first time for me and the GSX-RR in such a heavy rain and the experience we got will be very useful for us in case of another rainy race. This is the positive we can take out of it. The German round will be interesting as well; the Sachsenring is very peculiar, last year?s battle with Aleix was fierce and we had a lot of fun, but our global performance has improved a lot since 2015, therefore I expect to be more competitive than the 11th place of last year. This year we have already proved to be capable of fighting with the leaders, it?s not an easy thing, it never is, but it?s something achievable and we must find a better consistency to be always close to the top.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?The German race will be very peculiar, the track layout will be very demanding for the tyres as it has many left corners and also the rider is required to be wise in order to manage the tyre performance in any conditions, and also on the few right corners. It?s a nice challenge, last year was emotional for the special livery we had and was fun because we had two Suzuki?s fighting with each other. Many things have changed since last year, we are performing better, although we still miss consistency. We need to work hard to find a better way to finalise the machine and be fast in any conditions, we are getting more and more into the machine?s workings, but I believe we still can do better and this is our primary objective.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

A good start for Octo Pramac Yakhnich at Sachsering: Petrux 8th, Scott 9th after FP2

The week end of Octo Pramac Yakhnich at Sachsering starts with a convincing double TOP 10 finish. A valuable result by virtue of the unstable weather conditions that could, in case of rain tomorrow, ensuring direct access to Q2 to Danilo Petrucci (8th) and Scott Redding (9th).
The first day of activities in the ninth round of the 2016 MotoGP season has been characterized by light rain that after a few minutes into the Fp1 forced riders to stop without having the chance to get back on track. Petrux managed to notch up the 3rd quickest lap-time, while a crash in the third lap prevented Scott to get back on the circuit.

In the afternoon, however, things went well for both Octo Pramac Yakhnich riders.
Petrux confirmed the good feeling with his Ducati Desmosedici GP finishing with the eighth fastest time (1'23.053) two tenths of a second from the hypothetical front row.
Scott has forgotten his morning mistake and managed to set the ninth fastest time (1'23.061), just 8 thousandths of a second behind his teammate, but with an ideal time that would have screened him in seventh position.

9th - Scott Redding
1'23.061

I made a mistake in FP1 because the tire was still cold as the tarmac temperature and in that condition I may have pushed too much. But in the afternoon we were able to do a good job. I found consistency even if the conditions were not the best. We have to see what the weather does tomorrow but I think we can still improve a lot and I'm very confident for the qualifying.

8th - Danilo Petrucci
1'23.053

I'm happy: we started the week end in a good way. We were fast since the morning. Unfortunately the weather did not help us with a very light rain which takes away confidence. Tomorrow we have room to improve and be closer to the front but this is already a positive day. Maybe we need a little more grip on the rear because I can not take advantage of the new tire. But at the same time I do not want to lose the confidence I feel on the front.

 

[KUCIAR666]

VI?ALES & SUZUKI TOP SACHSENRING MotoGP? TIMES

Maverick Vi?ales put his Team SUZUKI ECSTAR GSX-RR into a provisional Pole Position after topping the timesheets in this afternoon?s FP2 at Sachsenring in Germany ahead of this weekend?s ninth round of the MotoGP? World Championship, as team-mate Aleix Espargar? put-in a solid sixth position.

The 21-year-old Spaniard mastered the cold weather conditions to score a 1'22.161 lap-time on his penultimate of 17 laps in the closely-fought session, 0.220 clear of his nearest rival. His performance is even more positive as he recovered after suffering a crash at turn 11 at the beginning of the session and fought back to put-in his fastest-laps aboard his second machine.

Espargar? was also strong throughout, lapping at 1'22.953 on his 15th of 19 laps, which was just 0.792-seconds behind Vi?ales, as less-than one second separated the top-10 riders. He still needs to find a proper feeling with the front end of his GSX-RR, but his progress throughout the session left him with a positive feeling.

The variable weather at the Sachsenring saw the morning session pretty useless for the team as light rain made it extremely difficult to determine a proper set-up and ride in safe conditions, so most of the riders decided not to take to the track. The cold temperature was also stressing the tyres, as it was hard to keep the right side at the correct operating temperature due to the few right-hand corners that make-up the circuit.

Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:

?Today Maverick was very good, he was already very fast before he had the crash, but then he recovered very quickly and got back lapping fast almost immediately. It was very important to get back in the saddle being fast, and he also got the fastest time; and this means he has a good feeling with the track and that we are improving the machine?s performance. Not bad for Aleix also, although we still have some room for improvement and he doesn?t feel completely satisfied. His position is not bad and if we manage to improve a little we can perform well with both riders. The day was hard because this morning was very cold and the weather was uncertain, with rain sometimes and dry other times. It was a difficult day but we finished in a positive way.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?Honestly I can?t explain the crash; I just lost the front without any evidence of the cause. Corner 11 here is always very tricky, I need to check the data to verify if maybe I was a little wider than normal, or there was something else different from the previous lap; but it may also be a matter of temperature: In corner 1 and 3 - the other right-handers - I was ok, but then corner 11 is very far away and it?s very hard to keep the right-shoulder of the tyre at the proper temperature. Anyway, the start has been good, the position is positive; but we still have some work to do. This track is very tight so we started from a set-up that guaranteed good agility, but now we have to find a good balance having a little more stability in some parts. It?s not ?gonna be easy because as always, when you improve in one direction, you lose something in the other.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?We improved a lot and found a good balance, but I still lack some confidence with the front end. The asymmetric tyre works well, but the problem here is that the circuit is tricky, especially on right-hand corners because there aren?t many, so we need to work to improve the set-up and help the tyre work. Our machine is very agile here, the chassis is giving me a good hand, but we still miss some finalisation of the settings. The cold hasn?t helped us, we hoped for some warmer temperatures, but we already have some ideas to try tomorrow that could help us to manage the conditions and find some more efficiency.?

GoPro MOTORRAD GRAND PRIX DEUTSCHLAND FP2 Results:

1 Maverick VI?ALES - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'22.161
2 Andrea IANNONE - Ducati Team - 1'22.381 + 0.220
3 Marc MARQUEZ - Repsol Honda Team - 1'22.775 + 0.614
4 Cal CRUTCHLOW - LCR Honda - 1'22.817 + 0.656
5 Andrea DOVIZIOSO - Ducati Team - 1'22.930 + 0.769
6 Aleix ESPARGARO - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'22.953 + 0.792
7 Hector BARBERA - Avintia Racing - 1'23.015 + 0.854
8 Danilo PETRUCCI - OCTO Pramac Yakhnich - 1'23.053 + 0.892
9 Scott REDDING - OCTO Pramac Yakhnich - 1'23.061 + 0.900
10 Yonny HERNANDEZ - Pull & Bear Aspar Ducati Team - 1'23.123 + 0.962

 

[KUCIAR666]

Petrux-show in #GermanGP qualifying at Sachsenring. Scott finishes 15 ?

Una giornata fantastica per Danilo Petrucci che si rende protagonista del sabato di qualifica sul circuito del Sachsenring. Prima la Q1 dominata battendo anche il campione del Mondo in carica Jorge Lorenzo, poi il terzo tempo in Q2.
Per Scott invece un sabato difficile chiuso al 15? posto.
A fantastic day for Danilo Petrucci, great protagonist of Saturday?s qualifying at Sachsenring. Following a Q1 dominated beating the World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, Petrux notched up the third quickest lap-time in Q2.
For Scott a difficult saturday ended in 15th place.

The day had not started in the best way with both drivers Octo Pramac Yakhnich, forced to play in the Q1 after FP3 finished in 12th (Petrux) and 17th place (Scott).
Danilo immediately found confidence in FP4 marking a very interesting race pace. Scott managed to improve in the first three sectors of the track but failed to be incisive in the last part of Sachsenring.

In Q1 Petrux literally dominated by beating the competition of Jorge Lorenzo and Cal Crutchlow with a fantastic last lap. Scott was able to lower by half a second his FP3 lap-time but his crono of 1'22.236 was not enough to pass into Q2 and will force the British rider starting from the fifth row tomorrow.

In Q2 another masterpiece of Danilo. Exploiting a stellar T1 (second fastest time), the rider from Terni completed a fantastic lap with the third quickest lap-time (1'21.666). Unfortunately Valentino Rossi set the exact same time a few laps before denying the Octo Pramac Yakhnich rider the joy of starting from the first row for the first time in his career.

15th - Scott Redding
1'22.236

It has been a very difficult day in which I could not find confidence. The feeling was particularly low on the front. I had the feeling that it could close more than once each lap, and this hasn?t allowed me to push. It is a problem we will try to solve for the race. But I know thant anything can happen tomorrow. It is important to stay focused as the race is a different story.

4th - Danilo Petrucci
1'21.666

It is a great result even if I would like to be the first Independent. Then when I got back to the garage I discovered to have the same Valentino time. It was a shame because it was my first first-row. But it is also true that this morning Valentino made a little driving school to me so all things considered it is ok. The bike is working well. I hope that tomorrow will be a dry race. I hope to stay a few laps with the front group and are very confident for the race pace.

 

[KUCIAR666]

First and Fourth Row for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP after Eventful German

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Valentino Rossi showed superb speed in the second qualifying session today at the Sachsenring circuit, securing third place. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo successfully came through Q1 despite a late crash. He was on a hot lap in the second 15-minute qualifying heat when another fall prohibited him from setting a fast time. Unable to rejoin the session, he settled for eleventh on the grid for tomorrow's GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.

In Q2 Rossi waited for the first group of riders to get out on track before he left pit lane. He consistently upped his speed to hold third place after three flying laps before returning to the pits with less than seven minutes on the clock.

Rossi was eager to improve his time on his second stint, but got stuck in traffic, which prevented him from bettering his time and placement in the rankings. However, thanks to his solid third hot lap, a 1'21.666s, he held his spot on the first row of the grid for tomorrow's race.

Lorenzo had a relatively easy pass through Q1 in order to promote to Q2. He immediately moved up to second on his first flying lap, but when the pace picked up he was pushed back to third. That didn't last long, however, as on a next fast lap the current World Champion set a 1'21.737s for first place and held on to it for most of the session. When he was relegated to second place, the Factory Yamaha rider headed out to put the hammer down once more. Despite suffering an unlucky fall at the end of the session, he was through to Q2.

The Mallorcan had a late start to the second qualification session on his second bike in order to get a flying lap in without any traffic. With a little more than eleven minutes to go he joined the time attack and showed his consistency as he rode a set of laps in the 1.22's and clocked a 1'22.088s for seventh place.

With more than four and a half minutes left of the session he came in for a short pit stop before having another go at putting his name at the top of the leader board. However, a few minutes later drama struck once more when he suffered a second small crash. The rider was unhurt, but was unable to rejoin the session and ultimately finished eleventh in the qualifying time sheets.

Untitled Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"Valentino did a good job today. As I've said before, the Sachsenring circuit is not easy for us, but Vale and his team worked in the right direction in today's Free Practice sessions and we saw the results during Q2. It was a pity that he got stuck in traffic, because he could have set an even faster time, but regardless, a front row start is a really good position for the race, especially because Sachsenring is a difficult track to overtake at. Jorge was very unlucky today to suffer two more crashes. Fortunately neither of them had serious consequences. We are going to have a long night to get his bikes ready for tomorrow and will try to make another step forward for the Warm Up. The weather forecast for tomorrow is not looking too good, which will likely play a big part in what we expect will be a challenging race."
Valentino Rossi
3rd / 1'21.666 / 9 laps

"I was lucky to stay on the first row, because unfortunately with the second tyre I got stuck in traffic and I feel that I could have done two or three-tenths better because I did a 1'21.6 on the first tyre. I feel good on the bike. We have made a small modification since the Free Practice sessions and I was faster, so it's a shame I wasn't able to take second place, but third is OK."
Jorge Lorenzo
11th / 1'22.088 / 5 laps

"During the second crash I entered the corner not breaking so hard or deep, but on the previous lap I didn't warm up my tyres enough. I was completely straight and not breaking very strongly when I lost the front. Three mistakes on my part are not normal for me, but this weekend it happened. I'm disappointed about the crashes and the position, but ultimately I could see a big improvement. During every practice session we improved the bike and finally we were very competitive with the new tyre, especially in Q1. On the lap that I crashed I maybe could have done a 1'21.5 or 1'21.4. After I crashed we made another modification for Q2 but I didn't have enough new tyres, I only had one more, so we exited with a nine-laps old tyre and I was impressed about the lap time, a 1'22.0, which was good. I imagined that if I put on a new tyre I could be on the first or second row, but unfortunately I wasn't able to finish the lap. Eleventh on the grid is a bad position, but that's where I finished."
Espargaro to launch from 5th after strong qualifying

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 team rider Pol Espargaro will lunge forward from the middle of the second row of the grid after delivering a spirited qualifying performance today in Germany. The young Spaniard started the day by notably finishing FP3 in 5th after setting a rapid time on his penultimate lap out of 23, which was under a tenth of a second from third. The result confirmed his appearance in the all-important Q2 session and when it began, Espargaro continued his form. By the time the chequered flag fell, he had produced a personal best that saw him only 0.072 from the front row and tomorrow the 25-year-old will seek to undertake a rocket start and then win the top independent rider battle.

Meanwhile, Bradley Smith pulled off a determined showing in Saxony today and will begin his quest to complete the first part of the year with a strong finish from 14th on the grid. This morning, Smith got straight to work and built up his speed but in the final moments of the practice, he was running at a hot pace, which was only 0.3 from the top time, but he unfortunately made a mistake in the last sector. This cancelled his lap, meaning that he had to compete in Q1. Here, the Briton gave his all in what was an ultra competitive 15-minute shootout, but despite his best efforts, he just missed out on the qualifying 2 session and will commence the 30-lap sprint from the 5th row.
Pol Espargaro
5th / 1'21.738 / 7 laps

"Qualifying today went really well and the result is close to our season's best, plus it definitely helps to start from the second row at this track, because it's not easy to overtake at the Sachsenring due to it being so tight. Therefore, this grid position hopefully gives us the chance to create a small gap to the pursuing satellite riders and my aim is to battle with the Ducati's, which are strong here. Our pace today has been consistent and I feel quite comfortable on the bike, so I'm really looking forward to the race, even though it will be long and demanding. I aim to deliver a performance and score the top satellite position again to close what has been a positive opening half of the 2016 season. We will wait and see what happens with the weather, but I am ready and excited for the challenge."
Bradley Smith
14th / 1'21.994 / 10 laps

"Unfortunately, today didn't quite go to plan and even though I have made it a bit more challenging for myself by qualifying in 14th, I will do my absolute best in the race. At the end of FP3, I made a small mistake in the last sector, which cost me entrance into Q2. Looking back, we can see that we had the pace to do a good job in Qualifying 2, because, with the 1'21.9 lap time that I rode in QP1, I would have been just outside of the top ten. We all know that this year the class is super competitive and it's vital to find every tenth possible, as this amount of time can equal three or four positions on the grid. Tomorrow we still need to work on the bike because, even though I'm feeling quite comfortable with the setup, we had a few small issues with the hotter conditions this afternoon. The team and I also need to improve our entry speed a bit more, and in the warm-up we will experiment with a few different settings so that we can have more confidence in that area. I feel content with riding the bike on a full fuel load and also when the tyres have completed race distance. Yet, it will be important to get a strong start from 14th because it's tricky to pass at this track. We know that some riders will be unable to match their race pace with their qualifying performance and 30 laps is a long race, so I will push hard to regain some valuable positions and try not to make any mistakes."

 

[KUCIAR666]

VI?ALES & SUZUKI ON SACHSENRING MotoGP? 2ND ROW

Team SUZUKI ECSTAR will start from the second row of the grid at tomorrow?s ninth round of the MotoGP? World Championship at Sachsenring in Germany after yesterday?s pole-setter Maverick Vi?ales put his GSX-RR into sixth position.

Team-mate Aleix Espargar? will start from the middle of the third row in eighth place after significantly-improving his lap-time in the hot and dry conditions this afternoon; a complete contrast to yesterday?s mixed cool and, at times, wet conditions.

Both Suzuki GSX-RR riders have been in the mix for the front positions from the start today; both qualifying directly to Q2 with Vi?ales third with a time of 1?21.820 and Espargar? seventh on 1?22.593.

In the final Q2 ? to determine the top four-rows of the grid ? their progress continued with both of them in, or around, the top four-or-five positions, but Vi?ales didn?t quite make the front row, although his and Espargar??s lap-times were their best of the weekend: Vi?ales lapped at 1?21.784 on his final ninth lap and Espargar? 1?21.883 on the same lap.

Davide Brivio ? Team Manager:

?Honestly we were expecting to gather better results today, after the positive day yesterday. Maverick was very fast on Friday and this morning we tried several things with him, but finally we found a good set-up, and also, Aleix was fast this morning, improving on some weaknesses. The qualifying is not bad because we are in the second and third rows, but maybe we could have done better. Anyway, if we manage to make some little steps forward analysing data for tomorrow, then it could be a race where we could be performing well. The weather tomorrow will be variable, it could rain and be colder, so it?s ?gonna be a challenge and we will need to be good in adapting to the changing conditions.?

Maverick Vi?ales:

?I?m not really satisfied, honestly, as I was expecting much more. It?s still one problem we have to find a solution for: Very fast on Friday, then slower on Saturday; and finally struggling in Sunday?s race. Here, the weather conditions changed a lot also, yesterday was colder and rainy, while today there was sunshine. When temperatures get higher we always struggle, the traction is our main issue and also here we suffer. We did many tests, the improvements are solid, but we still need more competitiveness. Anyway, we are working on the info we collected, we just need to stay calm and focused and try to finalise a good machine for the warm-up. Hopefully tomorrow is going to be a little colder and this could help us.?

Aleix Espargar?:

?The truth is that I am very happy, especially in FP4 we made a great step forward, we tested the tyre performance over the race length and the lap-time was not affected so much, so this means we did a good job with the set-up. Unfortunately, in qualifying I couldn?t find even a clean single lap, every lap I made a little mistake in ?Sector 3? and couldn?t find an effective solution, but we are very close; with a couple-of-tenths I would be P2. For tomorrow I am feeling positive, there?s only one rider much faster than the others and I think it?s ?gonna be a group race; I think we made solid improvements and we can have a good race performance. The start will be very important, as well, as to stay close with the leading group.?

GoPro MOTORRAD GRAND PRIX DEUTSCHLAND Q2 RESULT:

1 Marc MARQUEZ - Repsol Honda Team - 1'21.160
2 Hector BARBERA - Avintia Racing - 1'21.572 + 0.412
3 Valentino ROSSI - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - 1'21.666 + 0.506
4 Danilo PETRUCCI - OCTO Pramac Yakhnich - 1'21.666 + 0.506
5 Pol ESPARGARO - Monster Yamaha Tech 3 - 1'21.738 + 0.578
6 Maverick VI?ALES - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'21.784 + 0.624
7 Andrea DOVIZIOSO - Ducati Team - 1'21.858 + 0.698
8 Aleix ESPARGARO - Team SUZUKI ECSTAR - 1'21.883 + 0.723
9 Andrea IANNONE - Ducati Team - 1'21.890 + 0.730
10 Dani PEDROSA - Repsol Honda Team - 1'21.892 + 0.732

 

[andyBeaker]

Who needs TV?

:-0)

 

[KUCIAR666]

Scott ends up 4th after a stunning race. Petrux dominates 10 laps before crashing.

Octo Pramac Yakhnich once again creates great emotions.
Scott Redding is the protagonist of a stunning comeback after a bad start. Danilo Petrucci dominates for 10 laps leading the #GermanGP before a crash.

These are the high lights of Octo Pramac Yakhnich on a Sunday characterized by unstable weather conditions that forced the riders starting with wet tires and then change their bikes as the track started to dry.
Scott misses the start turning the first corner in twentieth but quickly realizes to have a great feeling with his Ducati Desmosedici GP. The British rider recovers positions lap by lap entering the pits in seventh place with 10 laps remaining. Back on track with intermediate tires, Scott managed to continue his comeback starting the last lap in second position. Unfortunately Crutchlow and Dovizioso (later returned to the pits and out again with slick tires) were faster in the last lap. For Scott the disappointment of a missed podium but also the satisfaction of an extraordinary race after his third place in Assen.

Petrux was awesome from the start. Started in fourth place, after a good battle with Marquez he can easily overcome before Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso and lead easily the race. On the tenth lap, unfortunately, he lost the front and the dream of a first MotoGP victory vanishes.

4th - Scott Redding

If someone had told me yesterday that I could finish fourth I would not have believed. It is clear: I'm sorry for not being on the podium for the second time in a row but I am happy for this race. I made a mistake at the beginning but I felt good on the bike and started to recover position. Tyre choice? This was the best option. There is no communication with the team during the race and this makes it difficult. And then when I left the pits the track was still too wet for slicks. I thank the whole team for the great job done.


DNF - Danilo Petrucci

It was great to be in front. We had chosen to use the front hard tire ?and it was the right choice because after a few laps the track began to dry. I was the only one in the group ahead with that rubber and Marquez and Redding who had done the same choice were struggling. I was trying to handle even though I had already taken a big risk. Then the front closed without any warnings. I'm very sorry for the team who did an awesome job. We were fast even in the dry and I would have liked to run in these conditions. However, I must say that we come out of this weekend with great confidence. We are on track and we have to continue like this.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Rossi Takes Eighth after Sachsenring Bike Swap

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Valentino Rossi fought hard today to take eighth place in what started as a wet race but saw rapidly changing conditions at the Sachsenring circuit. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo also increased his points total after a challenging GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland race weekend, finishing in fifteenth place.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi fought tooth and nail today during the GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland and was in contention for the race win, until the gamble to swap bikes with nine laps to go held him back. He kept his head down and brought his YZR-M1 over the line in eighth place. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo took fifteenth place at the tricky Sachsenring race weekend.

Starting from third on the grid Valentino had a flying start off the line, quickly passing Hector Barbera to take over the lead from Marc Marquez going into the second sector. He put the hammer down and tried to clear off at the front but wasn't able to shake off his rivals Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, who he had to let through in lap three, with Marquez following closely behind.

The Doctor kept his compatriots in front of him firmly in his sight and bided his time until, with twenty laps to go, Petrucci crashed out of the lead. Rossi made use of his experience and utilised every piece of wet tarmac available to cool his wet tyres as a dry line was starting to form.

What happened next was a flurry of activity with various riders coming in to change bikes over the second half of the race. In the midst of the chaos, Hector Barbera briefly overtook Rossi for second place, but the Italian fought back with 13 laps to go, while Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller joined the group. Rossi was closing in on leader Dovizioso and with eight laps left the Doctor dived into the pits together with Crutchlow, Dovizioso and Barbera.

The Factory Yamaha rider rejoined the track in sixth place but gave up a spot to Barbera as he cautiously warmed up his tyres. His lap times dropped considerably over the last seven laps, but he was unable to defend his position and finished in eighth place, 26.449s from the front.

Teammate Lorenzo had a decent start from eleventh on the grid and tucked in behind Maverick Vi?ales keeping his position. He took tenth from his Spanish rival, and held this position until with 26 laps to go he was overtaken by Alvaro Bautista and Crutchlow while he was getting a feel for the quickly drying track.

As the wet tyres were heating on the drying tarmac, threats started to come from behind. Pol Espargaro, Aleix Espargaro and Vi?ales were on a charge and passed Lorenzo. He bided his time and as various riders came in and clawed his way up to seventh position, but had to give back four places as the slick and intermediate tyres came up to temperature.

The Yamaha rider came in to change bike six laps from the end, and reentered the track in 13th place. He had to let Aleix Espargaro and Bradley Smith through whilst trying to heat his tyres before picking up the pace and held 15th place over the line, 1'17.694s behind the leader.

With eighth place Rossi gained eight championship points, leaving him third in the standings, 11 points behind his teammate in second place. Lorenzo scored one point, increasing his total to 122. The gap to the championship leader is now 48 points.

MotoGP will be taking a four week summer break before continuing the season at the Red Bull Ring - Spielberg circuit in Austria on the 14th of August.

Massimo Meregalli - Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
"It's a shame that, much like the Dutch Grand Prix, the weather again influenced today's race results. Valentino's side made the right tyre choice at the start of the race, but the track conditions changed so rapidly during the second half of the race that it made the strategy to change bikes a bit of a lottery. Vale rode a really strong race on his wet tyres, but lost some time when he reentered the track and it's unfortunate that his result for today doesn't reflect how strong he was during the majority of this weekend. Jorge struggled to find a good feeling in today's mixed conditions and gave all he had to increase his points total in the championship standings. We will regroup and look forward to coming back stronger at the next race in Austria."
Valentino Rossi
8th / +26.449 / 30 laps

"It's a great shame for us, because I was competitive on the dry and under normal conditions I could have done a good race. I was also competitive in the wet, so also in a normal wet race I could have fought for the victory, but unfortunately it was a half-and-half race. If I had stopped two or three laps earlier it would have been a bit better and I could have arrived in sixth place instead of eighth, but the bigger problem was when I restarted I was very slow. I had no feeling with the bike and I wasn't strong enough. Dovizioso and Crutchlow were with me and we stopped on the same lap, but they were able to arrive on the podium. It's a very big question mark if it would have been better if I had ridden on slicks. I had a very bad feeling on the intermediates, but nobody knows if I could have been faster with slicks, it also could have been worse. Maybe our bike in those conditions, when the track is really damp, is a little bit more difficult and gives less feeling."
Jorge Lorenzo
15th / +1'17.694 / 30 laps

"After the warm up it was clear that we wouldn't be able to fight with the top guys in this race but at least I was better and faster than during the warm up. When the track started to dry I was losing positions because I didn't feel safe or had confidence in the front tyre, neither on braking or in the corners, and then I changed bikes when the team wrote on the pit board to come in. Maybe it was a bit too late this time for the best strategy to finish a bit more at the front in the classification."
Smith perseveres at challenging German Grand Prix

Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Bradley Smith produced a determined performance at the gruelling ninth round of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship to finish in 13th position in front of 93,000 passionate fans. The young Briton kicked off his campaign from the fifth row of the grid and undertook a solid start as he set about climbing through the pack. However, during the opening lap, Hernandez ran into Smith which caused the Briton to lose his left knee slider and therefore drop to the back of the field. Yet, Smith remained resolute and eventually pitted just after halfway through the GP. Here, he changed to his second bike with intermediate tyres and replaced the knee slider before commencing his recovery charge. The 25-year-old rode at an impressive pace on the drying line, but despite his best efforts and due to the distance lost in the first part of the race, he eventually crossed the finish line in 13th.

On the other side of the garage, Pol Espargaro suffered cruel misfortune in the tough German Grand Prix, after falling on lap 18 after pitting whilst pursuing a potential podium finish. The young Spaniard leapt forward from 5th on the grid, before completing the opening lap in 8th. He quickly stuck into his rhythm as he fought in a fiercely competitive group as a dry line began to appear on the track and Espargaro opted to pit on lap seventeen and switch to his second bike. Yet, shortly after re-joining the race, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion fell at the second corner, which marks a disappointing close to a promising weekend.

Bradley Smith
13th / +1'03.129 / 30 laps

"It goes without saying that it was a tough GP, but I did the best that I could in what was a tricky day of racing for me. On the opening lap, Hernandez hit me and knocked off my left knee slider. This would have been an issue in the dry, but in the wet, where the sliders are thicker, it was even more of a challenge. I made the call to pit and change to the bike with the intermediate tyres at the correct moment. Yet, we also had to put a new knee slider on in the pit lane and this had a knock-on effect. When I returned to the track, we had already lost a lot of time so it was damage limitation and I recovered a couple of places. It was a frustrating end to the weekend because the team deserve more than three points and of course I want to be fighting for the top independent position. However, one positive that we can take away from this weekend is that I had good pace on the intermediate tyres and I was one of the faster guys for a period. At the moment, we can't seem to catch a lucky break, but I am fit and healthy as we go into the summer break so I will stay positive. I will work hard in the next three weeks in order to come back much stronger and therefore, be ready for the second half of the season."
Pol Espargaro
DNC / -13 laps

"It's easy to admit that I am very disappointed about the race after the performance we have shown over the whole weekend. Unfortunately at the beginning of the Grand Prix, I didn't feel as comfortable as I did this morning because the conditions had changed quite a lot and the track was dryer. Therefore, I struggled a bit and lost a few positions in the opening part of the race. I was behind Marquez when we both decided to change bikes and I'm convinced this was the best strategy today, so in terms of tactics, I think we could have clinched second because Marc won the race with a huge gap. However, sometimes when you risk a lot and you are one of the first to do so, you take more of a chance than other people and mistakes can be made. Of course, it is a pity to close the first half of the season with our first DNF of the year, but at least we could keep 6th and the best satellite rider position in the Championship standings, which is our goal for the year. Now the calendar has three weeks off, but I won't have as much rest as the other riders because I am heading to Japan to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours race."