Marc Marquez cemented his dominance at the Sachsenring with a commanding lights-to-flag victory in a dramatic and crash-filled German MotoGP, extending his legacy at the circuit with a ninth win. The race, held under testing conditions, saw only 10 of the 18 riders reach the finish line, highlighting the level of attrition and chaos that unfolded across the 30-lap contest.
Riding for Ducati, Marquez celebrated his 200th MotoGP start in style, extending his championship lead over his younger brother, Alex Marquez, to 83 points. Alex, competing in his 100th race, delivered a courageous ride to second place despite still recovering from a fractured hand sustained two weeks earlier at the Dutch Grand Prix. Reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia completed the podium, now trailing Marc by 147 points in the standings.
The opening laps of the race quickly turned into a test of resilience, with several riders crashing out, particularly at the treacherous turn one. Lorenzo Savadori and Miguel Oliveira were the first to fall, followed by Pedro Acosta, who gestured in frustration after his early exit. The corner continued to claim victims throughout the race, including Johann Zarco, Fabio Di Giannantonio, and Marco Bezzecchi—each crashing out after running in podium contention.
Di Giannantonio, who had broken the lap record during Friday’s practice sessions, had posed an early threat to Marquez during the sprint race on Saturday. However, in the main race, the Italian lost control under braking and slid out, ending his pursuit. Moments later, Zarco crashed at the same corner, and Bezzecchi, having moved into second, lost the front and fell, promoting Alex Marquez into the runner-up spot.
Despite the numerous incidents, Marquez remained unshaken. With a strong launch from pole, he built a comfortable lead early on, displaying masterful tyre management by backing off the throttle strategically mid-race before rebuilding his advantage. At one point, his lead exceeded three seconds, and he cruised to the finish line with a celebratory jig atop his bike as he passed the chequered flag—his fourth consecutive weekend winning both the sprint and the main event.
Behind the top three, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo secured a solid fourth-place finish, while Fermin Aldeguer brought home fifth for Gresini Racing. The high number of retirements also gave lower-placed teams rare points, with Trackhouse Racing and Honda among those to benefit, despite a late incident involving Ai Ogura and Joan Mir that further thinned the field.
Marquez reflected on his victory with pride, acknowledging both the momentum he has built over the past month and the special nature of another Sachsenring triumph. With the season now at its halfway point, the focus shifts to maintaining consistency and focus for the title run-in.
As the dust settled in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, the message was clear—Marc Marquez remains the master of the Sachsenring, and his pursuit of another world championship is gaining unstoppable momentum.
