Marc Marquez claimed pole position for the Germany MotoGP on Saturday, setting a new all-time lap record of 1 minute 19.041 seconds at the Sachsenring. The reigning world champion, riding for Ducati, became the first rider in history to secure nine premier-class poles at the German circuit.
Record-Breaking Performance
The 33-year-old Spaniard, nicknamed 'The King of the Ring', will aim for his 13th victory at the Sachsenring on Sunday, which would be his 10th in MotoGP. Victory would see him equal two records held by Italian legend Giacomo Agostini: most wins at a single event (13) and most victories at the same circuit in the premier class (10).
"Front row was the target but pole position and especially the lap record here in Sachsenring... is something really good," Marquez said.
Qualifying Results
Marquez finished ahead of his brother Alex Marquez, who rides for the Ducati satellite team Gresini, and Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio of the VR46 outfit. Alex Marquez initially expressed disappointment at missing pole but later said, "I was upset in the moment to not get the pole. But happy to see Marc and me again at the top."
Spaniard Raul Fernandez (Aprilia-Trackhouse) took fourth place, ahead of his Japanese teammate Ai Ogura and France's Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha).
Bezzecchi's Crash
The qualifying session was marred by a heavy crash involving Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian lost his rear wheel at over 130 km/h and was thrown over his handlebars, bouncing several times in the gravel. Two weeks earlier, Bezzecchi had crashed at nearly 200 km/h in the Netherlands without injury, but this time he suffered a broken left collarbone.
"The 27-year-old will return to Italy for surgery," his team announced. Bezzecchi, who was second in the championship, had set the eighth-fastest time before the crash.
Aprilia's Difficult Morning
It was a challenging session for Aprilia, as their championship leader Jorge Martin of Spain managed only the ninth-fastest time in qualifying.
