Will Marc Marquez continue to be unbeatable at the Sachsenring? He managed it at the end of a hectic qualifying session, taking his ninth successive pole position at the German track.
The Repsol Honda rider even survived a couple of mistakes on his final laps to set a new pole record of 1.20.272, some six hundredths quicker than his own 2015 record. But he was just two-and-a-half hundredths quicker than Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati), who until then had been set for his first pole position.
Petrucci had set his time following factory Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo, who topped the time sheets for a fraction of a second, and ended up third.
Marquez set his time by exploiting the short track and lap time, stopping twice to take three runs rather than the usual two. “The team did a perfect strategy,” he said, adding: “I didn’t really expect pole because I made a few mistakes … but 20 milliseconds are good enough!”
Zarco, German MotoGP 2018
Petrucci was philosophical at losing pole, and admitted: “I was behind Jorge and that helped me a lot. But I have been fast all weekend. The difficulty tomorrow will be rear tyre wear.”
Lorenzo thought he too might have had a chance at a first pole, “but on my last tyre I made a small mistake – I opened the throttle a little late in the last corner, and lost acceleration. But the front row here is very important.” He missed pole by 0.057 of a second, but was a relatively yawning 0.114 ahead of third-fastest Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha).
Rossi, German MotoGP 2018
Andre Dovizioso (Ducati) came through from Q1, and was sandwiched between the factory Yamahas on row three, with Valentino Rossi sixth.
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) heads the third row from Andrea Iannone (Ecstar Suzuki) and Angel Nieto Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista. Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was tenth, then second Suzuki rider Alex Rins and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda), also through from Q1.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) was best of the rest, but a six-place grid penalty (see News) will hand 13th to Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha), leading row five from Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Ducati) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM).
Records tumbled also in Moto2, with veteran Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Kalex) setting the pace early in the session, and staying there throughout; hailing his team having solved a problem that spoiled the last two races. “Now I can ride good again,” he said.
Times were very close, with 24 riders within a second of pole, but only two others inside the record.
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- Petrucci, German MotoGP 2018
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- Lorenzo, German MotoGP 2018
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- Marquez, German MotoGP 2018
Moto2
Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Kalex) was second, a career best for Rossi’s half-brother, and his second successive front row. Third fastest, two thousandths slower, was his team-mate, points leader Pecco Bagnaia, confident of a strong race.
All three train together at Valentino Rossi’s ranch outside Tavullia.
Sam Lowes (SII KTM) was third, among a bunch of Kalexes, with HP40 teamster Lorenzo Baldassarri fifth, and Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Kalex) next.
Alex Marquez (EG-VDS Kalex) had a heavy crash in the morning free session, but came back to place seventh, heading team-mate Joan Mir and second Dynavolt rider Marce Schrotter on row three.
Title challenger Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) was 15th to team-mate Brad Binder’s tenth; Catalunya winner Fabio Quartararo (Speed Up) 18th after an early tumble.
Australian Remy Gardner (Tech 3) placed 20th; American Joe Roberts (NTS) 30th.
Moto3
Jorge Martin, leader on points, reinforced his reputation as King of Qualifying in Germany. The Del Conca Honda rider claimed his sixth of the season and 15th in his career, taking control early in the sunny session, then reinforcing it with a time of 1’26.434, inside the lap record, but only six hundredths faster than Marcos Ramirez (Bester KTM), in a career-best second.
The final flurry put title challenger Enea Bastianini (Leopard Honda) up into third, with times at the short track desperately close, and the Italian just five thousandths away from second.
The top 21 were all within one second.
Second Bester KTM rider Jaume Masia was fourth to lead row two, also a career best; with Aron Canet (EG Honda) and Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Honda) alongside.
Former points leader Marco Bezzecchi (Redox KTM) leads row three, after crashing early in the session. John McPhee (Green Power KTM) and Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Honda) complete the row, with Fabio di Giannantonio (Del Conca Honda) rounding out the top ten.
Luthi, German MotoGP 2018
By Michael Scott