Marc Márquez topped the timesheets in Friday’s opening practice session at the 2025 German MotoGP held at the Sachsenring circuit. Riding for the Ducati Lenovo Team, Márquez set the fastest lap of 1 minute, 20.372 seconds, securing the early advantage as Jack Miller also advanced directly to Q2, officials said.
Miller’s performance positioned him well within the top ten combined times for the day, ensuring his direct advancement to Q2 for Saturday’s qualifying round, according to Box Repsol and other team sources. This contrasts with Márquez’s standing, who, despite topping the FP1 timesheets, ranked 14th in the combined Friday practice times and will need to compete in Q1 to attempt to reach Q2.
Jack Miller secured second place in Friday’s opening practice session, riding a Prima Pramac Yamaha YZR-M1 with a best lap time of 1 minute, 20.481 seconds, just 0.109 seconds behind Márquez, officials confirmed.
The Sachsenring circuit, measuring 3.67 kilometers (2.28 miles) in Germany, hosted the seventh round of the 2025 MotoGP season on June 21. Friday’s schedule comprised two practice sessions for the premier class, with the first session (FP1) running for 45 minutes under dry conditions, although dark clouds and a threat of rain loomed throughout, according to official reports and local weather observations. The combined times from Friday’s sessions determine which riders advance directly to Q2, with the top ten riders bypassing Q1, as outlined in the MotoGP weekend format.
Márquez, riding a Ducati Lenovo Team Desmosedici GP25, set the fastest lap of FP1 at 1:20.372, a time that remained unbeaten throughout the session, according to official timing data. Multiple sources, including Roadracing World and Motorsport Week, noted that Márquez was the first rider to break into the 1:20 range during FP1 and maintained the lead until the session’s conclusion. He held a margin of 0.109 seconds over Miller, with Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia completing the top three, as confirmed by Crash.net and official classification sheets.
However, Márquez’s position slipped in the combined times after the second practice session (FP2), where he recorded a best lap of 1:20.854, placing him 14th overall. Box Repsol reported that a crash at Turn 1 late in FP2 prevented Márquez from improving his lap time, contributing to his fall outside the top ten combined rankings. This incident means Márquez must participate in Q1 on Saturday to secure a place in Q2, according to official team communications.
Jack Miller’s consistent pace throughout Friday’s sessions secured his place in the top ten combined times, placing him fifth overall behind riders Marco Bezzecchi, Jorge Martín, Aleix Espargaró, and Pecco Bagnaia, as detailed in Box Repsol’s combined practice table. Johann Zarco rounded out the top ten, completing the group of riders who automatically proceed to Q2. Miller’s performance underscores his strong position heading into qualifying, with sources confirming his direct advancement to the second qualifying session.
The FP1 session featured a competitive field of 20 riders representing five manufacturers: Ducati, Yamaha, Aprilia, Honda, and KTM. The top five positions were occupied by riders from each of these brands, reflecting a diverse competitive landscape. Other notable riders in the top ten of FP1 included Johann Zarco, Maverick Viñales, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Joan Mir, Fabio Quartararo, Pecco Bagnaia, and Miguel Oliveira, according to official timing sheets.
Friday’s practice sessions also saw the progression of lap times beyond FP1. Fabio Di Giannantonio set an all-time Sachsenring lap record of 1:19.071 later in the day, surpassing Jorge Martín’s 2024 record of 1:19.423, as reported by multiple sources including The Race and Paddock GP. Maverick Viñales also posted a benchmark time of 1:19.622 during subsequent practice runs, indicating the evolving pace as teams optimized their setups.
Marc Márquez entered the weekend with a strong history at Sachsenring, aiming for his ninth German MotoGP victory and tenth overall at the circuit, according to pre-event coverage. Despite his FP1 dominance, his combined practice ranking and crash in FP2 have complicated his path to direct Q2 qualification. Meanwhile, Miller’s consistent pace and top-five combined placing position him advantageously for Saturday’s qualifying sessions.
The riders will resume competition on Saturday with FP3 and qualifying sessions, where the final grid positions for Sunday’s race will be determined. The Sachsenring event continues to attract significant attention as the seventh round of the 2025 MotoGP season unfolds.
