Sachsenring MotoGP: Marc Marquez extends pole position streak
Marc Marquez claimed pole position for MotoGP's German Grand Prix as Danilo Petrucci and Jorge Lorenzo both ended up less than a tenth away
Marquez was only third after the first set of flyers as Maverick Vinales led the way, his 1m20.441s two thousandths of a second better than Lorenzo's effort in second.
During the mid-session lull, Marquez stayed out for an extra flyer and while he managed to slightly improve, he was still third, 0.089s adrift.
When the second runs began, Lorenzo and Danilo Petrucci were first to improve as they moved up to first and second, the Pramac Ducati rider taking the lead with a new lap record of 1m20.295s.
Marquez's first attempt was good enough to slot between the Ducati duo, but his effort was thwarted by an impressive save at the Turn 3 right-hander.
The Honda rider had time for one last lap and he improved just enough to steal first place from Petrucci, beating him by 0.025s with a 1m20.270s.
It meant Marquez secured pole position at the Sachsenring for the sixth straight premier class season, extending his own personal record to nine years, when he competed in 125cc category in 2010.
Lorenzo was third, 0.057s adrift Marquez, while Vinales did not improve on his second run and had to settle for fourth, as the leading Yamaha rider.
He will share the second row with Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso, who had to fight his way through Q1, and Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi.
LCR Honda's Cal Crutchlow was four tenths slower than Marquez in seventh as Andrea Iannone led Suzuki's efforts in eighth.
Alvaro Bautista and Dani Pedrosa completed the top 10 as Alex Rins and Takaaki Nakagami rounded out the order in Q2.
Dovizioso and Johann Zarco were the biggest names to take part in Q1 but it was Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro leading the way before the mid-session pitstops.
But Dovizioso, who was only 0.02s slower than Espargaro at that stage, went three tenths quicker and topped Q1 with a 1m20.751s.
Espargaro couldn't improve his time and in the end had to settle for third as he was outpaced by the second LCR bike of Nakagami by 0.009s.
The Aprilia rider will only start the German GP from 19th as he received a six-place grid penalty for impeding Marquez in FP3.
Zarco was only fourth in Q2 and will start 13th, ahead of Pramac Ducati's Jack Miller and KTM duo Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith.
Local rider Stefan Bradl, who is standing in for the injured Franco Morbidelli, was 11th and will line up on the grid in 21st, one place ahead of Marc VDS team-mate Tom Luthi.
Starting grid
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Marquez | Honda | Honda | 1m20.270s | - |
| 2 | Danilo Petrucci | Pramac Ducati | Ducati | 1m20.295s | 0.025s |
| 3 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | Ducati | 1m20.327s | 0.057s |
| 4 | Maverick Vinales | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m20.441s | 0.171s |
| 5 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Ducati | 1m20.444s | 0.174s |
| 6 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m20.532s | 0.262s |
| 7 | Cal Crutchlow | LCR Honda | Honda | 1m20.675s | 0.405s |
| 8 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m20.682s | 0.412s |
| 9 | Alvaro Bautista | Aspar Ducati | Ducati | 1m20.700s | 0.430s |
| 10 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda | Honda | 1m20.831s | 0.561s |
| 11 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | Suzuki | 1m20.847s | 0.577s |
| 12 | Takaaki Nakagami | LCR Honda | Honda | 1m20.938s | 0.668s |
| 13 | Johann Zarco | Tech3 Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m21.059s | 0.789s |
| 14 | Jack Miller | Pramac Ducati | Ducati | 1m21.183s | 0.913s |
| 15 | Pol Espargaro | KTM | KTM | 1m21.242s | 0.972s |
| 16 | Bradley Smith | KTM | KTM | 1m21.287s | 1.017s |
| 17 | Hafizh Syahrin | Tech3 Yamaha | Yamaha | 1m21.460s | 1.190s |
| 18 | Tito Rabat | Avintia Ducati | Ducati | 1m21.546s | 1.276s |
| 19 | Scott Redding | Aprilia | Aprilia | 1m21.749s | 1.479s |
| 20 | Stefan Bradl | MVDS Honda | Honda | 1m21.802s | 1.532s |
| 21 | Thomas Luthi | MVDS Honda | Honda | 1m22.012s | 1.742s |
| 22 | Karel Abraham | Aspar Ducati | Ducati | 1m22.159s | 1.889s |
| 23 | Xavier Simeon | Avintia Ducati | Ducati | 1m22.709s | 2.439s |
| 1001 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | Aprilia | 1m20.972s | 0.702s |
Long-time Yamaha MotoGP sponsor to exit, Monster Energy to step in
Sachsenring MotoGP: Marquez prioritising title over preserving record
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022