MotoGP hits Sachsenring this weekend – MotoGP/2/3/E previews and current state of play

2024 MotoGP World Championship
Round Nine – Sachsenring
Preview

Last year, the Sachsenring round was the second of three back-to-back Grand Prix weekends, between the very fast Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello (Italy) and the historic Assen circuit (Netherlands). This season, the German round takes place a week after Assen, and directly before a month’s respite for the riders ahead of the classic British GP at Silverstone.

Located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in the Saxony region, the Sachsenring circuit is just 3.671 km long. This length makes it the shortest of the season, but along with Phillip Island (Australia), the most difficult for tyres. It is one of the slowest, but its ten left and three right turns, as well as the fact that its longest straight does not exceed 700 metres, generates high stresses and little recovery time for the tyres.

According to Brembo technicians Sachsenring falls into the category of moderately challenging circuits for brakes. On a scale from 1 to 6, it earned a difficulty rating of 3, having 8 braking points for 22 seconds per lap when the braking system is operating. There are three hard braking points, but only one with deceleration exceeding 180 km/h.

As we head to Germany this weekend, the echoes of Francesco Bagnaia’s (Ducati Lenovo Team) masterclass at Assen still ring out. Bagnaia is now just 10 points behind Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), the closest margin between the top two since Saturday night in Portugal.

And Bagnaia hasn’t consistently been the rider on the chase – as ever, when he’s needed it he’s found that extra bit of magic to claw himself back into contention. This weekend the goal could change again: take back the lead as he arrives from two doubles on the bounce, and on the weekend his makes his 200th start across all classes.

Pecco Bagnaia

“This weekend will be the last before the summer break, and I hope to close this first part of the season in the best possible way. We are coming off three very positive weekends, where we only missed the win in the Barcelona Sprint, and in Holland, everything was perfect. Last year in Germany, Martín was really strong, but we also managed to be more competitive on Sunday. Now, we have to stay focused. We have all the potential to continue doing well, and if we work as we have done so far, I’m sure we will be able to do well this weekend, too.”

Martin, however, did his first career double at Sachsenring last year, completing it thanks to that sublime duel with Bagnaia on Sunday as the two crossed the line split by less than a tenth. He hasn’t needed to claw himself back into contention as he’s remained pretty steadfastly consistent since Day 1 of 2024, barring the standout error on Sunday his Jerez. But everyone will have at least one of those in a season – the mission is to minimise them and Martin is doing that while remaining fast. He’ll likely feel this is a venue where he has the chance to turn the tables of momentum on Bagnaia.

That said, there’s one rider on the grid who has simply never been defeated in MotoGP at the Sachsenring. Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) won the German GP in 2013, won it in 2014, and then he won it in 2015. In 2016, he won it. He followed that up with a win in 2017. 2018 was a win. Can you guess what happened in 2019? He won it. Even when we returned to the venue in 2021 before his second, major surgery on his arm… he won. That’s eight victories at Sachsenring in MotoGP.

Then there were his 2010 125cc win, followed by a pair of wins in Moto2 in 2011 and 2012… In 2022 he didn’t race as he recovered from that second surgery, and in 2023 he withdrew on Sunday morning after a tough weekend of crashes. Potentially a turning point in other ways, that decision also ensures the stats of starts vs wins fro Marc remain absolutely staggering in Germany. He’s never been beaten, and that means two things. One, he must – now on arguably the bike to be on at the venue – head in as the clear, clear favourite. Two, if Bagnaia or Martin can beat him, it’s the kind of scalp you take once or twice in a career and they are itching to do just that.

Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) remains consistently the fastest rider in the world in the last five or six laps of a Grand Prix, so this time round the ‘Beast’ will want to make a potential journey to the podium less of a grind and qualify further forward.

Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), after a solid Assen, has had some good form at the Sachsenring so could be a dark horse to try and take the fight to Ducati. Team-mate Aleix Espargaro, meanwhile, arrives from a tough Assen and needs to be passed fit after sustaining a fracture in his finger. But he could make his 329th GP start in all classes and become the rider with the third most starts on Sunday, behind Valentino Rossi (432) and Andrea Dovizioso (345).

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) impressed in Assen and is now a key focus in the silly season rumours for 2025, so he’ll be interesting to watch.

Fabio Di Giannantonio

“We’re coming from a great weekend at Assen and we’re stopping on what is perhaps the shortest track on the entire calendar. It will be very important to have a precise bike, an aspect that we are taking great care of with the Team. We’re doing a great job, I’m happy, and we’re coming from a great momentum. We have two races in two weeks, let’s not lose our rhythm and try to do another super race to confirm our potential.”

Team-mate Marco Bezzecchi has his future sewn up but is looking for a more positive weekend as 2024 rolls on, and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) now likewise after the #73 was confirmed at Gresini for two more seasons.

Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) had a solid Assen but will be looking for more glittering adjectives from the next few races.

At KTM, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has calmed down the out-of-character errors that had blighted a few rounds, but the South African goes racing to win and will be aiming higher than Assen, where the podium fight remained a little further up the road.

Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) had a more muted Dutch GP although he was in the mix with the podium battle on Sunday before a last lap crash out. He’ll also want more.

Pedro Acosta

“We are heading to Sachsenring, a track where I have a bit more luck in general, and I think that it will suit our bike better. Our weekend in Assen was not bad overall, we were able to do a good race and be competitive until the crash, on a track that is normally not one of my best. Our approach in Germany will be the same as usual, step by step on a new track, so let’s see how we feel on Friday first! I am looking forward to it, let’s have a good one before the summer break!”

Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) both need to find their groove in Germany after a difficult run for the pairing so far in 2024.

At Trackhouse Racing the team rivalry also remains in the hands of Raul Fernandez at the moment as he more often that not has been in the top ten, with Miguel Oliveira looking to hit back. With neither seat confirmed for 2025 yet either, the American team are very much in the spotlight for that too.

Raul Fernandez

“I’m happy because we come off a good result in Assen. We did a good job there and first of all, I want to feel ready and 100 per cent fit because I had this heavy crash in Assen that was quite painful. I’m sure I will feel better after a few days of rest. So, for Sachsenring, I just want to be happy, try to get to Q2, take it day by day and aim to be relaxed. This is the key because when we are doing a good job and when we are relaxed and enjoying racing, we are fast. This is the goal for Germany as well.”

The news finally dropped during the Dutch GP that Yamaha would field two more “factory” spec bikes from 2025 – and as part of a new long-term deal with Prima Pramac Racing. As they do continue to show signs of real progress, that’s another very positive sign. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) makes his 100th start in MotoGP this weekend too, at a venue he’s won at. He’ll have a “new” teammate in the box though as Alex Rins recovers from surgery following his wrist fracture and crash in Assen, with WorldSBK rider Remy Gardner joining the garage for the weekend.

At Honda, there was also some recent news: Aleix Espargaro is joining their test team when he retires from full-time racing at the end of 2024. He’ll be working with Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team), already signed up, and Johann Zarco at Castrol Honda LCR likewise. Joan Mir’s future at Repsol Honda is strongly rumoured but not confirmed, and Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda LCR) is likewise not confirmed yet. In the here and now though, the intent shown in signing Espargaro and the ongoing private testing aim to bear more fruit as 2024 rolls on. The marque also have a home hero in the field as Stefan Bradl returns to wildcard action this weekend.

Joan Mir

“No time to rest! Straight back to it as we now arrive in Germany. Sachsenring is a very different track to Assen, so let’s see what can happen there. I think the plan for the weekend will be similar to that of Assen, making the most of our package and confirming a few things before this second break.”

MotoGP Championship Standings

Moto2

A second win in three races for Ai Ogura has seen the Japanese star close the gap to his MT Helmets – MSI teammate, Sergio Garcia, in the overall standings as the Moto2 class lands at the Sachsenring, with an intriguing title race playing out as we approach the summer break.

Ogura held off Fermin Aldeguer (SpeedUp Racing) for Assen’s 25-point haul, and in doing so moved above the unlucky Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) in the Championship to act as Garcia’s closest challenger after the American was forced to miss the Dutch TT after fracturing his collarbone on Friday afternoon.

Roberts will look to get back in action at the Sachsenring as the #16 tries to pick up as many points as possible. Riding through the pain barrier, any points will be good points as Roberts hopes to limit the damage before the second half of the season begins.

Aldeguer’s return to the podium was a welcome one, but without the Long Lap penalty, it could have been more. Nevertheless, more results like that are needed as the #54 aims to claw himself back into title contention, with the gap to Garcia now sitting at 55 points.

Last year’s German GP P2 and P3 finishers, Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), enjoyed solid weekends in Assen and will be hoping a repeat of last year’s results is on the agenda.

For Australian rookie Senna Agius, the fight for victory has come a little closer over the last few Grand Prix races, as the youngster is developing noticeably in his first year in the World Championship and manages to shine every weekend with improvements and damn strong duels. This is now set to continue at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix of Germany, his team’s home race.

Moto2 Championship Standings

Moto3

Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) vs Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) couldn’t have been much tighter at the chequered flag in Assen, as the former bagged a first win of 2024 to deny the latter a dream home Grand Prix win. Now, the slate is wiped clean as a new challenge awaits in the form of the Sachsenring.

0.012s was all that stood in the way of Veijer climbing onto the top step on home turf, but it was valuable points gained for the rising Dutch star as he now sits P2 in the Championship. David Alonso’s (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) P5 sees the Colombian sit 39 points clear of the #95, with Daniel Holgado’s (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) P11 finish seeing him relinquish second overall. Moreover, Ortola’s 25-point haul sees him lie just 10 points behind Veijer, as the three chasers look to make a dent into Alonso’s lead in Germany.

Holgado’s 2023 P3 at the Sachsenring will give the #96 confidence he can respond to a low-key Assen weekend, while Ortola’s P4 at the German venue last year also stands him in good stead to enjoy another fruitful weekend.

Joel Kelso will be working hard to push further inside the championship top ten while countryman Jacob Roulstone will strive to break back into the championship top ten in what is his rookie year in Moto3.

Moto3 Championship Standings

MotoE

The FIM Enel MotoE World Championship chase was ignited in Assen as drama for Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) and Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) – the leading duo in the standings – saw the hunters close in. Now, heading to Round 6, the Sachsenring plays host as just 11 points split the aforementioned duo, Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) and Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE).

Gutierrez and Garzo enjoyed fruitful weekends at the Cathedral of Speed, with the latter picking up his first win of 2024 in Race 1 – his first since his 2023 Sachsenring triumph. That was backed up with a P3 in Race 2, while Gutierrez produced two sublime comeback rides from P11 on the grid to pocket a pair of P2s.

It would have been a P3 for the Spaniard in Race 1 but Race 2 winner, Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing), was disqualified from the opening race results following a past-race tyre pressure penalty. That promoted Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) to the Race 1 rostrum results, with Zaccone – despite the DSQ – heading to the Sachsenring brimming with confidence after securing that first win since 2021 later in the day.

After being caught up in incidents involving other riders, Zannoni’s P7 and Casadei’s P8 in Race 2 were the only points they walked away from the Cathedral with. A response will be on the cards from both in Germany, a place where Casadei claimed a podium last year. After looking back on form in Assen, Torres will also be hoping a repeat – or better – of his P1 and P3 results at the Sachsenring last year resurface.

Heading to Germany, it’s Casadei leading Zannoni by two points, with Gutierrez now just three points away from the summit. Garzo, meanwhile, is 11 points away as we get set for another spellbinding showdown.

MotoE Championship Standings

2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar (Updated)