The MotoGP caravan now pitches it’s tents in the Sachsenring for the 2024 German Motorcycle Grand Prix. With drama in Assen winding down long after the chequered flag had been flown, Germany is set to be highly entertaining. DRC now previews the upcoming weekend, what to expect, possible contenders and much more.
About the Sachsenring
The Sachsenring race track located about 8 kilometers west of the town of Chemnitz, in the Saxony province of Germany. Numerous tight corners make it one of the slower tracks on the calendar, however the second part of the lap is all but slow.
A long start-finish straight provides opportunities to overtake into the first corner. The lap continues into a complex of challenging corners called “the Castrol Omega”. Out of turn 6 is a series of long winding lefts into turn 10, which leads to the long straight to 12. Turn 12 then leads to 13 through a short straight which feeds back into the start-finish line.
The track is one of the slower ones of MotoGP, with the first two sectors crucial for any good lap. The exit out of turn 6 is very important, because you carry the speed all the way to turn 10 and down the straights.
Bagnaia cuts down on Martin’s lead
Flawless was the word for Francesco Bagnaia, the world champion winning lights to flag in both the races in Assen. Furthermore, he has now chipped away Martin’s lead to just 10 points in his third championship charge. With Pecco having two impeccable weekends back to back, Martin undoubtedly needs to have a good weekend here.
With this win, Bagnaia winning in Assen, he has tied with Australian legend Casey Stoner for the most wins atop a Ducati Desmosedici with 23 wins each.
Pecco and Martin to fight it out as The King of the Ring looks to reclaim his throne
Talking about potential winners, the probability of another Bagnaia win is very high. However it will not be surprising to see Jorge Martin on the top step of the podium as well considering Martin and Bagnaia finished 1-2 here last year. But come the Sachsenring, another potential winner is added to the list.
Marc Marquez takes particular liking to Sachsenring, with 11 wins in Sachsenring over his career. He has only missed two wins here, in 2022 and 2023, when he was riding a struggling Repsol Honda.
The Spaniard has always liked anti-clock wise circuits and consequently his domination in places such as the CotA, Aragon and Valencia stand testament to his skill on such configurations.
Now riding the Ducati GP23, he looks to re-establish himself as the true King of the Ring. A first win as a Ducati rider will be the perfect rebound especially after the horrid weekend in Assen, a post race penalty dropping him down to P10 . A good weekend here will help solidify his chances for the title fight while also keep him motivated for the summer break which will follow. Marc Marquez cannot be ignored as a potential winner here.
From the rumor mill: Lewis Hamilton to buy Gresini
Yep, you heard it right here folks. Lewis Hamilton is planning to buy Gresini racing from it’s owner Nadia Padovani, right after Liberty Media acquired MotoGP.
This also comes right after Prima Pramac racing announced that they will go with Yamaha 2025 onwards. In any case, a tactful partnership with Hamilton will bring influence, money and the chance to get factory support from Ducati. Gresini aim to have a strong weekend here in a bid to impress a potential buyer, a very influential one at that.
Temporary Rides and the Rider’s Market
Former Moto2 champion Remy Gardner will stand in for the injured Alex Rins at the German Grand Prix for Yamaha. Rins suffered a massive highside going into the first corner in Assen, which was serious enough to require surgery. Gardner will look to impress Yamaha officials to secure an open ride in either Pramac or the factory team.
Meanwhile neither Aprilia nor Aleix Espargaro have issued any statements regarding his participation. Aleix suffered a massive crash on the final lap of the Sprint and took sunday off to aid his recovery. Should he be unable to compete, there is a real chance Aprilia may have to make do with a single rider as their test rider Lorenzo Savadori suffered a small vertebrae fractures in a crash in Assen.
In terms of Rider moves, a lot has occurred. Aprilia announced the arrival of Jorge Martin after Mugello and then they announced Marco Bezzecchi as his partner. Tech 3 KTM announced the arrival of Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vineales as they welcome in factory support for 2025.
Championship Standings
The championship looks like this heading into the weekend:
Weekend Schedule
All sessions are available to watch at Eurosport India and Jio Cinema in India. The detailed schedule and timings in IST can be found below.
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