Sachsenring MotoGP: Espargaro quickest as Marquez crashes in FP1
Aleix Espargaro topped the opening MotoGP practice session at the Sachsenring, as Marc Marquez was left battered by a violent crash
Runaway championship leader Marquez - unbeaten so far in the 2014 season - crashed his Honda as he accelerated out of Turn 2 into Turn 3 early in the session.
The heavy landing left him winded and after initially jumping straight back up, Marquez crouched for some time in the gravel trap in clear discomfort.
He did not visit the medical centre and was back on track on his spare bike after 15 minutes.
Marquez then worked his way back up to speed and was second for a while, before ending the session sixth.
Forward rider Espargaro deposed factory rider Jorge Lorenzo from the top spot in the closing minutes, as Yamaha filled the leading four positions with Valentino Rossi and Pol Espargaro in third and fourth.
Espargaro's Tech 3 team-mate Bradley Smith had two crashes, escaping unhurt from both.
Alvaro Bautista was top Honda in fifth for Gresini, although local hero Stefan Bradl had led the session for a long spell before slipping back to seventh, one place ahead of factory rider Dani Pedrosa.
Both Pramac Ducatis made it into the top 10, but neither works Desmosedici did.
Nicky Hayden had a wild high-speed run through the gravel in the middle of the downhill left-hand sweeps, staying upright partly thanks to tapping the barriers, and rejoining unscathed.
Pos Rider Bike Time Gap Laps 1. Aleix Espargaro Forward Yamaha 1m22.170s 21 2. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1m22.423s +0.253s 21 3. Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1m22.466s +0.296s 25 4. Pol Espargaro Tech 3 Yamaha 1m22.599s +0.429s 25 5. Alvaro Bautista Gresini Honda 1m22.631s +0.461s 21 6. Marc Marquez Honda 1m22.767s +0.597s 17 7. Stefan Bradl LCR Honda 1m22.802s +0.632s 24 8. Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m22.848s +0.678s 22 9. Andrea Iannone Pramac Ducati 1m22.874s +0.704s 23 10. Yonny Hernandez Pramac Ducati 1m22.896s +0.726s 23 11. Andrea Dovizioso Ducati 1m22.908s +0.738s 20 12. Bradley Smith Tech 3 Yamaha 1m23.150s +0.980s 14 13. Cal Crutchlow Ducati 1m23.229s +1.059s 21 14. Nicky Hayden Aspar Honda 1m23.372s +1.202s 21 15. Scott Redding Gresini Honda 1m23.420s +1.250s 19 16. Hector Barbera Avintia FTR-Kawasaki 1m23.428s +1.258s 22 17. Karel Abraham Cardion Honda 1m23.432s +1.262s 19 18. Colin Edwards Forward Yamaha 1m23.699s +1.529s 21 19. Hiroshi Aoyama Aspar Honda 1m23.825s +1.655s 23 20. Michael Laverty PBM Aprilia 1m23.925s +1.755s 22 21. Mike di Meglio Avintia FTR-Kawasaki 1m24.131s +1.961s 23 22. Broc Parkes PBM Aprilia 1m24.974s +2.804s 19 23. Danilo Petrucci Ioda Aprilia 1m25.219s +3.049s 18
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