MotoGP races
MotoGP points
More from a press release from Dorna:
#KingOfTheRing: Marquez returns to claim his throne
11 in a row, eight in MotoGP ™, 30 laps, 25 points and 581 days: an emotional return to the top allows the eight-time world champion to remain unbeaten in Germany
Marc Marquez (93), after the checkered flag at the Sachsenring. Photo courtesy of Dorna.
Sunday June 20th 2021
581 days ago, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was at the top of the MotoGP ™ podium in Valencia. It was a completely normal Sunday for the eight-time world champion, a further step in an ever-increasing appeal to history and victories. Covid-19 did not exist, the grandstands were and always have been full, and number 93 was at the top of the world. Three surgeries, almost a season on the sidelines and a whole different world later, Marquez is back on top of the podium – and with style. The number 93 took the lead early and knocked down the hammer when rain threatened. The starting number 93 withstood the increasing pressure from Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and took its eleventh victory in a row at the Sachsenring and also his eighth in a row at the venue in the premier class. 30 rounds lead to 25 points, 581 days ahead.
Oliveira did everything he could, but he takes three podiums in a row as he is closer than most who have or will ever be to take the throne from the King of the Ring, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) increased its championship lead to third place.
However, it was Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) who took the holeshot from the start. Marquez stormed into second place and introduced Quartararo when the number 93 immediately made it clear that he would race for victory in Germany. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) then struck Quartararo when El Diablo initially lost something, with one doing the opposite: Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The South African stormed from P13 on lap 1 to seventh place.
At the end of said first lap, there was one step further when Marquez took the lead in the last corner. Passing Aleix Espargaro’s Aprilia and staying in front at Turn 1, it was a declaration of intent, but the number 93 couldn’t shake it off yet. The next time the two went up against each other again, but Marquez kept that lead … and then began building it when the white flag came out.
Rain showers are no stranger to the Sachsenring, and when some began to fall, the flag showed that riders could come to change bikes if they wanted. Marquez’s reaction to Aleix Espargaro falling behind was to push harder – and indeed the courage paid off with a nice pillow that gave him some air to breathe in the front.
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Oliveira had meanwhile passed Quartararo and then Zarco before they also prevailed on Aleix Espargaro. After a third of the race, Oliveira also beat Miller, the Portuguese took second place and inherited the job of chasing Marc Marquez at the Sachsenring. But boy did he try.
Two seconds turned 1.9 to 1.8, with the KTM rider on track as he tried to catch every possible meter with an attack for the front. With a tenth here and a tenth there, it certainly seemed a matter of time before the Portuguese caught up? The gap ran steadily in one direction: down.
With only a handful of laps to go, it looked like a game. From hovering at 1.2 to suddenly only nine tenths, Oliveira presented more great racing cars to underpin his madness in Barcelona. But Marquez was not impressed. When the eight-time world champion reacted, it went up again for over a second and then suddenly it seemed as if the time had come: another tenth, then a few more, and suddenly the Honda had another one and a half seconds in its hand. Now it just had to be brought home.
Marquez did so, with a nod to the Repsol Honda team that was waiting by the pit wall as he secured his incredible eighth premier class win in a row at the Sachsenring. An achievement that alone would have made headlines, if not 581 days and a career-threatening injury between his rides on the top step of the MotoGP ™ podium. Tears, cheers and some serious emotions poured out as the eight-time world champion clinched another premier class win at one of the really great comebacks.
Oliveira, after calling the time on his defendant, came home second for another podium – his third in a row – ahead of Quartararo as the French made up previously lost ground to round out the podium. Brad Binder finished fourth right behind him to make the day even better for KTM.
Fifth place went to a Ducati, but not to the early scene stealers. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was almost at the end of the points on lap 1, the Italian seemed to be out of the fight for the lead. But he made steady and impressive progress to finally push his teammate Jack Miller to last place in the top 5, the Aussie had to be content with sixth place. Aleix Espargaro on P7 and in the end Zarco in eighth also lost some ground in the overall standings against Quartararo.
Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also made an early jump into the top ten, but the reigning champions’ challenge bottomed out before they could attack any further forward. The number 36 took ninth place, although it was only two tenths behind Zarco. A little further away from this duel, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) completed the top ten.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) crossed the finish line in 11th place despite his injury battles and only barely fought the attention of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) who had also returned. The number 89 was a top rookie at the ring and picked up some solid points after having fought further forward. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemutsu) was 13th ahead of Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), the doctor scored two points. Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) completed these points when he beat his rookie and team-mate Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) by a tenth to P15.
A few common frontrunners are missing from this list. After a difficult qualifying session, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had a bad day at the start when they last ran. From then on it didn’t get any better either, they both stayed at it, but came home when the last two finishers were separated by a few tenths. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) also failed to score after crashing together, and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) slipped.
That’s it from the Sachsenring and a Sunday steeped in history. Only Marc Marquez will likely ever know what it feels like, what it costs, or the real work behind getting back to the top step of a Grand Prix podium. 30 laps probably felt like a long time this afternoon, but 581 days will have felt like a lifetime to us.
Be back next weekend for another showdown as TT Circuit Assen welcomes MotoGP ™ back to the Netherlands.
Marc Marquez: “It is one of the most important and toughest moments of my career, today I knew it was a great opportunity, the mentality was not easy because I was getting out of a difficult situation with three 0s in a row, but I said today is the day . Before this weekend, I thought I’d fight for the podium and try to get close to the top guys. The win was a slim chance but I said if the conditions are perfect I will try. When I saw a few raindrops on lap 4 or 5, I said ‘this is my race’. At this point I pushed and kept the same pace as before when the second stop started, I pushed even more and said, ‘Ok, it’s time to take a chance’. I drove it on those laps, then the second race started with Miguel. He pushed a lot but it was really hard to concentrate, all the memories from last year were in my head. But we did it and we will do it again. “