The Sachsenring in Saxony, Germany, is the venue marking the halfway point in the 2014 MotoGP World Championship. Marc Marquez has won all the races so far. But, he had a nasty highside in free practice number one. But, he's got his seventh pole, breaking Casey Stoner's record on a Ducati in 2008. Back then there were special tires. Choose the right tire compound, start strong, and keep cool down the waterfall which is one of the most important corners on the Sachsenring course.
The Sachsenring is the shortest track on MotoGP's calendar. It was built in 1996 after racing on streets since the 1920s. Ten left hand corners, and only three right hand corners are on this course. There's a possibility of rain, too. This race has been declared a wet race. Marc Marquez has a perfect 200 points, and a 72 point lead over his competition from Valentino Rossi. Lots has gone on lately. The setup is different, because there are a couple of paddocks. On the other side of the pit lane, is where the Moto 2 and Moto 3 teams are.
Contracts have been signed for Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi. Jorge Lorenzo is still negotiating for another year with Yamaha and might move to Ducati in 2016. Four riders are hoping to race for Suzuki. But, they could be a wildcard entry at the last race in Valencia, Spain, in November, with Randy de Puniet at the controls of the new motorcycle. Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa both had big crashes in Friday practice. Marquez was winded. But, otherwise, he was fine.
There's more to come about qualifying. Andrea Dovizioso came through in qualifying, but was beaten by Nicky Hayden. Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith both crashed. Aleix Espargaro outqualified the factory Yamaha's on his Forward Racing machine, while Dani Pedrosa crashed and will start second. Stefan Bradl will be third. Marc Marquez beats Casey Stoner's lap record, and takes pole position. Marquez wants his fifth straight win at the Sachsenring track.
Andrea Ianonne is the top qualified Ducati, but Andrea Dovizioso is the best of the factory Ducati's. Colin Edwards makes his last start at the Sachsenring, and Danilo Petrucci, returns to racing, after breaking his wrist. We're ready to race.
The riders are on their warmup lap and the track is beginning to dry. The top 14 riders were covered by just eight tenths of a second. We're on a drying track. Stefan Bradl has gambled with slick tires. Everyone is diving into the pits! 30 laps scheduled. We're swiutching fromt wets to slicks. Watch out. Everyone changes to their spare bikes. Oh no. It's a traffic jam getting on the gird. We've started the race. Here we go! They make their way to turn one. Watch out. All these blokes are on slicks.
Stefan Bradl leads this race. The track dries in front of our eyes. Stefan Bradl could really upset Marc Marquez's record here. Marquez is tenth. They plunge downhill. It's not tally dry in some spots. Wow. The wet tires will get burned up. I've never seen a start like this for a motorcycle race. Bradl, Hiroshi Aoyama, and Karel Abraham were the three riders to start on slicks. It's damp in turn twelve. Marc Marquez is going to havee to push hard. Stefan Bradl could win his home race.
But, the pack is after him. Bradl is the rabbit, with the hounds chasing him. Michael Laverty passes Danilo Petrucci for second. Colin Edwards is there. Marc Marquez is making his way past the lower bikes. He's going past Colin Edwards, Mike Demeglio and others. Stefan Bradl is flying right now. Marquez slices past Hiroshi Aoyama. Bradl leads working lap four, of 30 scheduled. Marc Marquez s coming. Bradl wiggles through the Waterfall.
Oh no! Bradley Smith has crashed! He's had five wrecks this weekend! If the rain gets heavier, it's going to really turn this race into a lottery. Watch the skies. Will the blokes on wet tires have the last laugh? Michael Laverty, Karel Abraham, and others, battle for the bottom half of the top ten. Nicky Hayden is not at all where he wants to be, in 22nd spot. Marc Marquez has his team mate Dani Pedrosa all over him. But, Pedrosa uses his team mate as a reference. Now, the two Yamaha's of Rossi and Lorenzo are running sixth and seventh.
Stefan Bradl is setting the pace right now. But, the Repsol Honda's are coming. Bradl will have to be on his toes. He knows those guys are there. Now, it's a fair fight. Stefan Bradl is going to be overtaken. Marquez takes the lead. Pedrosa wants by. Hiroshi Aoyama loses a spot to Valentino Rossi. Pedorsa passes Bradl. Marquez begins to move. He's right at the top. A brave move by Stefan Bradl. But, Marc Marquez is indeed our new leader here in Germany.
More rain could come. The two factory Yamaha's are going for it. But, also, Dani Pedrosa sets fast lap, and he's reeling in Marc Marquez. Andrea Ianonne is up to sixth. Lorenzo makes a move into fourth spot. This is a fair race. Marquez runs fast lap and extends his lead. But now, Lorenzo sets fast lap at 1:23.6. The weather should be OK. The spurts of rain are virtually nothing. Lorenzo and Rossi want by Bradl. Bradl is fighting, but it won't be enough to get away from the Yamaha's wrath.
Down the waterfall, into the Sachsen Kurve. Rossi is right behind Bradl. Valentino Rossi moves to fourth. Now, Andrea Ianonne is going to be closing on Bradl, too. But, the track conditions are at their best. Marc Marquez has fast lap at 1:22.872. Track conditions are spot on at the moment. Poor old Stefan Bradl, though. He's being passed everywhere. He's now sixth. The spare bikes are still in pit lanee. Hiroshi Aoyama and Scott Redding battle. Hiroshi Aoyama has won at the Sachsenring before, in the 250cc division.
Pedrosa resets fast lap. The gap between the Honda's and Yamaha's is growing. There's still some damp spots in turn 12. Marquez runs fastest lap. Pedrosa runs his personal best lap. Many other riders do, too. We see Scott Redding pass Hiroshi Aoyama as Stefan Bradl is being pressured by Andrea Dovizioso, Aleix Espargaro, and others. Spare a thought for Stefan Bradl, as his confidence has been shaken a little bit. Aleix Espargaro passes Bradl. Dani Pedrosa now sets fast lap.
One theory is that Bradl's bike doesn't have the performance because the other bikes were set for a dry race. Bradl's bike was only set up for a wet race. Crutchlow passes Bradl. Dani Pedrosa is not letting Marc Marquez get away. Pedrosa has a new two-year contract for Honda. Valentino Rossi also has a contract with Yamaha. We'll watch the last 13 laps. The modern Sachsenring configuration has been used since 1998 and Dani Pedrosa has won six races on this course.
Stefan Bradl's crew admits they made a mistake. Scott Redding is up to ninth, passing Stefan Bradl. Marc Marquez increases his lead to 6/10ths of a second. The two Repsol Honda's are in their own race. Has the resistance been broken? Will Marc Marquez win his ninth straight race? Here we see a battle between Scott Redding and Pol Espargaro. These blokes battled in Moto 2 throughout last year. The lead is up to one and a half seconds for Marc Marquez. Alvaro Bautista qualified tenth and he wants by his team mate, Redding.
Where will Bautista be next year? We'll have to find out. Eight laps left. Dani Pedrosa is being told to speed it up. Jorge Lorenzo wants a podium. If he gets it, it will only be his third podium of 2014. Cal Crutchlow battles his Ducati team mate Andrea Dovizioso. Pol Espargaro is back there, too. He replaced Crutchlow at Tech 3 Yamaha. 23 riders started this race. 14 did so from pit lane. We've got just six laps left. Can anyone stop this young man? We're looking at the next race on the calendar already. But, we'll talk about it after this race is over.
Cal Crutchlow passes Andrea Dovizioso into the waterfall turn again. Cal Crutchlow is yet to finish ahead of Andrea Dovizioso as long as they've been team mates at Ducati. Remember, though, just a couple years ago, these chaps were team mates at Tech 3 Yamaha. Marc Marquez is controlling the race. But Pedrosa is coming. Alvaro Bautista passes Scott Redding. So, the two Gressini bikes have swapped spots. Pedrosa runs wide and Pol Espargaro has split the Ducati's. Now, Marc Marquez has an even bigger gap. 1.4 seconds.
There will be just three laps left now. Marc Marquez was right on the limit into turns nine and ten. If Marquez makes a mistake, that will be the only chance for Pedrosa to pounce. Pol Espargaro passes Cal Crutchlow. Hiroshi Aoyama and Karel Abraham run 12th and 13th. Two laps to go now. Marquez has a full house. He's going to win his ninth straight race of the season. Marquez is unstoppable. He's pulling away.
Andrea Dovizioso passes Cal Crutchlow in turn one as Alvaro Bautista closes in. This is the final lap of the German Grand Prix on this two and a quarter mile circuit. Factory Honda's 1-2, and factory Yamaha's 3-4. Dani Pedrosa is second. But, he won't catch his team mate down the waterfull in turn eleven. Two bends to go. Marc Marquez is going to win this race. He wins five in a row at the Sachsenring, and wins nine races in a row.
#93 Marc Marquez ESP. Honda
The next race is in less than a month. It's the only event in the United States, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. But now, it's the summer break for the riders. Amazing. Indianapolis, could see Marquez tie Giacomo Agostini's record of ten straight wins which he had in 1970. See you in Indianapolis, folks.
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