Marc Marquez Wins 'Attritional' German MotoGP To Extend World Championship Lead

News18

5 days ago

Last Updated:
Marc Marquez won the German MotoGP, marking his 200th premier class start and extending his lead. Alex Marquez finished second, Francesco Bagnaia third.
Marc Marquez triumphed in a grueling German MotoGP on Sunday, celebrating his 200th premier class start with style and extending his lead in the world championship.
His brother, Alex Marquez, secured second place, while Francesco Bagnaia finished third, with only 10 riders completing the race, marking the lowest number of finishers in a MotoGP since 2011.
While the rest of the grid struggled to stay upright on the notoriously challenging Sachsenring track, Marc Marquez enjoyed a flawless afternoon. Starting from pole position, he remained unchallenged, crossing the finish line over six seconds ahead, achieving his seventh perfect weekend of 2025 after also winning Saturday's sprint.
At the halfway point of the 22-race season, Marquez leads brother Alex by 83 points in the riders' standings, with his Ducati factory teammate Bagnaia trailing by 147 points.
'My confidence is super high now, coming here with three wins in a row and now it's four," Marquez beamed. 'I have to be really concentrated for the second half of the season," he added.
What Happened In German MotoGP?
Alex Marquez competed despite fracturing his left hand at the Dutch MotoGP two weeks ago. 'It's unbelievable, thanks to the doctors and everyone that I'm here," he said after his 100th MotoGP start.
This victory marked Marc Marquez's seventh race win of the year and fourth consecutive triumph, tightening his grip on a seventh MotoGP world title – his first since 2019 – drawing level with the legendary Valentino Rossi.
Despite the sunny weather replacing Saturday's rain, the race proved one of the most attritional in years, with eight riders crashing and two unable to participate after incidents on Saturday. The last time only 10 riders finished a MotoGP was in Australia, 14 years ago.
Pole-sitter Marquez had an electric start from the front of the grid, unlike 24 hours earlier when a first-turn mistake dropped him down the pack. He secured his 10th sprint out of 11 on the last lap by overtaking Marco Bezzecchi.
On a dry track, Marquez quickly pulled ahead of the chasing pack, led by Fabio Di Giannantonio, who set a new lap record in practice on Friday.
With Marquez nearly two seconds ahead by lap 10 of 30, his main challenge was maintaining focus around the demanding circuit with its short straights and tight bends in former East Germany. Others struggled, notably Pedro Acosta and Miguel Oliveira, who both crashed out.
On lap 18, Di Giannantonio and Johann Zarco independently crashed at turn one, leaving Bezzecchi's Aprilia chasing Marquez four-and-a-half seconds ahead. However, Bezzecchi also fell victim to turn one the following lap.
The DNF tally increased with the exits of Lorenzo Savadori, Ai Ogura, and former champion Joan Mir.
Two riders unable to race on Sunday were KTM-Tech 3 duo Maverick Vinales, out with a fractured shoulder after a heavy fall in qualifying, and his appendicitis-hit teammate Enea Bastianini. Also missing was Franco Morbidelli after his bone-crunching crash in Saturday's sprint.
The MotoGP season continues in Czechia next Sunday, with defending champion Jorge Martin in the spotlight. The unfortunate Spaniard has not finished a race this season due to a series of heavy crashes but aims to return to action in Brno.
(With inputs from AFP)
view comments
First Published:
July 13, 2025, 19:35 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.