Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland Sunday Guide
Sachsenring, 15 July 2018:
MotoGP
Marc Márquez starts from pole for the ninth successive year at the Sachsenring, including six successive years in the premier class. He is aiming to take his ninth successive win at this track, the sixth in MotoGP, and equal his record at any one track in the premier class from Austin earlier this year.
This is the 48th pole position for Marc Márquez on what is his 99th start in the premier class (48.5%), and the 76th of his Grand Prix career.
Danilo Petrucci starts from second on the grid for the second successive time at the Sachsenring circuit, equalling his best qualifying result in the MotoGP™ class.
Jorge Lorenzo has qualified in third, which is his best qualifying result at the Sachsenring since he was also third back in 2015. He will be aiming to take his first ever Grand Prix win at this track.
The highest-placed Yamaha rider on the grid is Maverick Viñales in fourth, which is the best qualifying result for a Yamaha rider at this track since Valentino Rossi was third two years ago. Last year, he finished fourth from 11th on the grid. He will be aiming to become the first non-Honda rider to win at the Sachsenring in the premier class since Valentino Rossi in 2009.
Yamaha riders have not won since Assen last season with Valentino Rossi (18 successive races), equalling their longest sequence without a win since the 18-race sequence that included the last two races of 2002 and the 16 races of 2003. The last time Yamaha had a winless streak of more than 18 races was the 22-race sequence including the 15 races of 1997 and the opening seven races of 1998.
After passing through Q1, Andrea Dovizioso has qualified fifth, which is his best qualifying result at the Sachsenring since he was fourth back in 2010.
Valentino Rossi, who crossed the line in fifth last year at the Sachsenring, starts from sixth on the grid and will be aiming to stand on the podium for fifth time this year.
Cal Crutchlow, who has finished on the podium at the Sachsenring twice in the premier class, in 2013 and 2016, has qualified seventh and is the second Independent Team rider.
Andrea Iannone starts from the middle of the third row, which is the best qualifying result for Suzuki at the Sachsenring since Maverick Viñales was sixth fastest two years ago.
Álvaro Bautista has qualified in ninth place, which is his best qualifying result since he was also ninth in Aragón last year.
Dani Pedrosa, who has won four times at the Sachsenring in the premier class, starts from tenth on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since Le Mans.
Takaaki Nakagami, who has qualified 12th, equalling his best qualifying result in the MotoGP™ class, is now the first of the five rookies this year to reach Q2 more than once.
Heading the fifth row on the grid is Johann Zarco, who was in Q1 for the second successive time. He failed to go to Q2 for the first time since the German GP last year, when he qualified in 19th place on the grid, and the fourth time overall.
Moto2
Mattia Pasini starts from pole position for the seventh time in the Moto2™ class, becoming the Italian rider with most pole positions in the class ahead of Franco Morbidelli. He will be aiming to win for the second time at the Sachsenring, along with 2006 (125cc).
Mattia Pasini (32 years 335 days old) is the oldest rider to qualify on pole position in the Moto2™ class, beating his previous record from Italy earlier this year.
Luca Marini starts from second on the grid, which is his best ever qualifying result and his second successive front row start. He will be aiming to stand on the podium for the first time in what is his 45th Grand Prix race.
Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia, who crossed the line third place last year in Germany, has qualified in third place making three Italian riders on the front row for the first time in the Moto2™ class.
Heading the second row on the grid as the highest-place KTM rider is Sam Lowes, which is his best qualifying result since he was second in Austin earlier this year.
Lorenzo Baldassarri starts from the middle of the second row, which is his best qualifying result since he was third fastest qualifier at Le Mans this season.
Xavi Vierge starts from sixth on the grid, which is the second successive time he has qualified on the first two rows.
Álex Márquez, who crashed out of the race last year (breaking two vertebras), heads the third row on the grid ahead of his teammate Joan Mir, winner of the 2017 Moto3™ race in Germany. This is the second time this year that Márquez failed to qualify on the first two rows on the grid.
Second across the line last year at the Sachsenring, Miguel Oliveira starts from 15th, which is the fourth time this year he has failed to qualify within the four front rows.
Moto3
Jorge Martín has qualified on pole position for the sixth time this year and the 15thtime in the Moto3™ class. He missed the race at the Sachsenring circuit last year after breaking his right leg in FP2.
This is the 12th successive pole for a Honda rider, which is the longest run of successive pole positions in the Moto3™ class by the Japanese manufacturer since the introduction of the class in 2012.
Marcos Ramírez, who stood on the podium for the first time in his Grand Prix career last year in Germany, starts from second on the gird as the highest-placed KTM rider, which is his best qualifying result – and his first front-row start – on what is his 36thstart in the Moto3™ class.
Enea Bastianini completes the front row of the grid, which is second front row start at the Sachsenring circuit after his pole position in 2016. Along with Marcos Ramírez, he is the only rider of the current field who has stood on the podium at this track, both in 2015 and 2016.
Heading the second row is Jaume Masiá, despite a big crash in FP3, which is his best qualifying result on what is his 12th start in the Moto3™ class.
Arón Canet, who qualified on his most recent pole at the Sachsenring last year, has qualified fifth, which is the fourth successive time he has qualified on the first two rows on the grid. He crashed out of the race in Germany last season.
Tony Arbolino starts from sixth on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since he was on pole position in Argentina earlier this year.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi has qualified seventh, which is the fourth time this year he has failed to qualify on the first two rows on the grid.
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