Thoughts by Kate Adams
The Sachsenking has been dethroned in a stunning German Grand Prix. Everything that could go wrong did seem to go wrong for Marc Marquez, from a huge highside in practice resulting in bruised ribs and a fractured finger to having Stefan Bradl ruin his qualifying lap, leaving him P13 on the grid. This weekend was an uphill battle for the 8-time world champion. On Saturday, he managed to salvage a P6, but it was Sunday where he shone, securing second place. He’s not the only Gresini Ducati rider to shine on Sunday, with brother and teammate Alex Marquez stepping onto the podium alongside him with a P3, which followed a P9 in the Sprint.
@Michelin
Prima Pramac Racing had a sensational Saturday, with Jorge Martin continuing his Sprint success by taking the top spot. Franco Morbidelli also shone with a P5, continuing his run of improving form on the Factory Ducati machine. Sunday started in a similar fashion, with part of the race seeing Martin in P1 and Morbidelli in P2. Unfortunately, the weekend unraveled with Morbidelli dropping down; he ended up taking the flag in P5. The real disaster for Pramac came just two laps before the finish when Martin crashed out of the lead, losing not only the race lead to Pecco Bagnaia but also the championship lead.
Factory Ducati will go into the summer break with a spring in their step, with their rider taking a double podium. His P1 in the Grand Prix followed a P3 in the Sprint, marking a strong weekend for the reigning world champion. Enea Bastianini also had a strong weekend. While "The Beast" still suffers in qualifying, he fought back for a pair of P4 finishes this weekend.
@VR46
VR46 had a mixed weekend for their riders. Rumors have emerged that Fabio Di Giannantonio has signed a 2-year contract to stay with the team. He suffered a technical issue in Sunday's race, forcing him to retire. On Saturday, he only managed to pick up a P12, marking his worst weekend of the season. Teammate Marco Bezzecchi also struggled on Saturday with a P10, but Sunday was more successful for the factory Aprilia-bound Bezzecchi with a P8.
Factory Aprilia had a weekend to forget. The Capitano, Aleix Espargaro, retired from the weekend to focus on his recovery after his Assen injuries. Maverick Vinales started the weekend strong but only ended up with a P7 in the Sprint and a P12 in the Grand Prix. It was Aprilia’s satellite team, Trackhouse Racing, that stole the show with both Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez on the front row of the grid for the first time. Miguel managed to translate the front row into a silver spot on the podium in the Sprint with a P2 and a P6 in the race. Raul Fernandez wasn't as fortunate, with a tire issue on Saturday landing him in P14 and a P10 in the race.
GasGas KTM saw Augusto Fernandez show some good form, but a post-race tire pressure penalty put him outside the points. Pedro Acosta took a trip through the gravel in the Sprint, putting him in last place. Sunday was more successful with a P7, but overall, it was far from their best weekend. Factory KTM saw both Jack Miller and Brad Binder pick up points on Sunday with a P13 and a P9, respectively. Saturday saw only Binder in the points with a P8, while Miller finished in a VR46 sandwich with a P11.
@Honda
The Japanese manufacturers continue their progress back to the front. Repsol Honda rider Luca Marini benefited from the tire pressure penalty given to Augusto Fernandez and picked up his first point of the season with a P15 in the Grand Prix. Takaaki Nakagami was the only other Honda rider to pick up points with a P14 in the Grand Prix.
Factory Yamaha saw Remy Gardner sub in for an injured Alex Rins. Running old aero and machinery, he put in a comfortable performance this weekend. Fabio Quartararo continues his run as the highest-placed rider on Japanese machinery with a P11 in the Grand Prix.
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