Marquez takes 10th Sachsenring MotoGP win
Marc Marquez won from pole in Germany, matching Giacomo Agostini’s single-circuit premier-class record and cutting Jorge Martin’s title lead to 18 points.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Marc Marquez won the German MotoGP on Sunday at the Sachsenring, giving the Ducati rider a record-equalling 10th premier-class victory at the same circuit, AFP reported. The result tightened the MotoGP title race, with Marquez moving to within 18 points of championship leader Jorge Martin, according to AFP.
Marquez started from pole and finished 1.996 seconds ahead of Ai Ogura of Aprilia-Trackhouse, AFP reported. Ogura’s teammate Raul Fernandez took third place, giving Aprilia-Trackhouse two riders on the podium.
The win matched Giacomo Agostini’s mark of 10 premier-class victories at one venue, according to AFP. Marquez, described by AFP as a seven-time MotoGP world champion, also won Saturday’s sprint race at the German round.
Title race narrows before the break
AFP reported that Marquez has strengthened his challenge before MotoGP’s summer break. Martin, also Spanish, finished fifth on Sunday, allowing Marquez to cut the deficit in the standings to 18 points.
Marquez said the weekend carried extra importance for his championship hopes. “I was super concentrated because… if I want to have any chance to win the championship, I need to attack here,” he said, according to AFP.
He said the recent races had reflected that approach. “It’s what we did these last races. And yes, super happy to achieve 10 victories in MotoGP class here in the Sachsenring,” Marquez said, according to AFP.
Early fight with Alex Marquez ends
The race began with Marquez under pressure from his brother Alex Marquez, who had started second for Ducati-Gresini, AFP reported. Their fight ended after 10 laps when Alex Marquez slid off his bike.
From there, Marc Marquez controlled the race and added another Sachsenring win to a record that has made the circuit one of his strongest venues, according to AFP. The German Grand Prix was round 11 on the MotoGP calendar.
Marquez called it “a special weekend” after completing the sprint-and-Grand Prix sweep, AFP reported. His victory keeps him in the championship fight as the season pauses, while Martin remains ahead after limiting the damage with a fifth-place finish.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.