Marc Márquez topped the MotoGP Free Practice 2 session at the Sachsenring on Saturday, setting a fastest lap of 1:28.277 to edge Pedro Acosta, who finished third. Márquez secured the benchmark time on a wet track by finding a late lap on a soft rear tire, officials said.
The track was rain-affected throughout the MotoGP Free Practice 2 (FP2) session on Saturday, which resulted in slower lap times compared to dry conditions, officials said. Márquez achieved his benchmark time riding the Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25 equipped with a soft rear Michelin tire, sources confirmed.
Márquez’s fastest lap of 1:28.277 came late in the session under wet conditions at the Sachsenring circuit during the German Grand Prix weekend, according to Roadracing World and Speedweek reports.
Pedro Acosta secured third place with a lap time of 1:28.680, finishing 0.403 seconds behind Márquez, according to the official FP2 classification published by Speedweek. Acosta rode the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 and was the top KTM rider in the session. Maverick Viñales, riding a Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16, was second fastest with a 1:28.474 lap, placing him between Márquez and Acosta on the timesheet. Jack Miller completed the top four, followed by Alex Márquez in fifth. Franco Morbidelli and Brad Binder rounded out the top seven positions, the classification showed.
The wet FP2 session produced a tightly packed field, with the top 16 riders covered by less than a second according to Speedweek’s timing data. One report noted a gap of just 0.851 seconds separating the top 16 riders, illustrating the competitive nature of the session despite the challenging track conditions. Riders were running on Michelin tires specified for wet conditions, which influenced lap times and grip levels throughout the session, officials noted.
The lap times from this wet FP2 session differ significantly from dry practice benchmarks recorded at Sachsenring in previous years and sessions. For example, a separate report from Motorsport.com referenced a dry FP2 session where Francesco Bagnaia set a benchmark lap of 1:20.018, while another source listed Márquez at 1:20.705 on a different occasion. These discrepancies are attributed to varying weather conditions and different race weekends, as confirmed by multiple sources including MotoGP.com and Honda Racing Corporation materials.
The Sachsenring circuit, located in Germany, has historically favored Márquez, who has demonstrated strong performances at the venue in past seasons. The wet conditions on Saturday added an extra variable for riders to manage during FP2, with officials emphasizing the importance of tire selection and timing of laps to maximize grip and speed. Márquez’s late lap on the soft rear tire was decisive in securing the top position in the session, according to Roadracing World.
Next steps for the riders include Free Practice 3 and qualifying sessions, where track conditions and tire strategies will continue to play a crucial role. The weather forecast for the remainder of the German Grand Prix weekend remains variable, which may impact the pace and outcomes of upcoming sessions. Teams and riders will analyze data from FP2 to adjust setups and approaches ahead of qualifying and the race.
