Let us go now, to the middleweight category. The 600cc bikes of Moto2 are ready to race, in Germany, at the Sachsenring. We've got rain for this race and the air temperatures are just one to two degrees apart. 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature. 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature. The speedway itself, is wet. Buckets of rain fell before the Moto3 race, which we will also cover for you. Who will reign supreme at the Sachsenring? Takaaki Nakagami is on pole. He's run well for the last three rounds, but fell in the morning warmup. It's misty and muggy here in Germany. The riders are on their sighting laps. The rain has nearly totally stopped.
Johann Zarco also fell in the warmup. Correction. More rain is now falling. Zarco, and Sam Lowes have both done extra sighting laps. Last year's winner of this race, Xavier Simeon, has looked really good during preliminary sessions. We know Zarco is good in the rain, and has won when the skies have opened before. Riders do not like to be classified as wet weather specialists. A good number of riders will fancy their chances of winning here in Germany. Johann Zarco rolls off second. Tom Luthi will be 12th. Luthi trails Zarco by 33 points after wrecking at Assen. Johann Zarco will be in MotoGP in 2017 with Tech 3. Alex Marquez has extended his contract, to stay in Moto2 for another year, with Marc VDS. We are missing a single rider from the grid for today's action. Danny Kent will not start this race.
Kent injured his ribs in a karting incident. He went to put his leathers on, heard cracking, and his ribs are injured. Lorenzo Baldassarri was not supposed to ride after a major wreck. He has dislocated his shoulder, but will race. Simone Corsi rolls off fourth. Fifth will be Franco Morbidelli. Sandro Cortese rolls off sixth. Sam Lowes fell in the morning warmup. Alex Rins, meanwhile, is third, on the outside of row one. Zarco and Rins are tied for the championship lead right now. This is the final race before the summer break. Again, Lorenzo Baldassari is seventh, nursing that shoulder injury. 29 laps scheduled for this event, one less than MotoGP raced.
Alex Marquez is eighth. Next to him, Marcel Schrotter. This is a home race for the 23 year old racer. Five riders had their best qualifying efforts of the season, to date, here in Germany. Takaaki Nakagami, on pole, along with Sandro Cortese (equaling his best effort), Hafizh Syahrin rolls off 11th. Jesko Raffin and Remy Gardner both had great qualifying runs, too. Jonas Folger also did well, but is 13th. Four riders actually are on their worst efforts of 2016 so far. Sam Lowes, Tom Luthi, Dominique Aegerter, and Ratthapark Willairot.
Sam Lowers qualified 10th. He had a couple crashes, and we have not seen him on the podium since Mugello in Italy. Once again, Jonas Folger is in 13th. He has not raced too well here at the Sachsenring. We will return to the Sachsenring in the future. But now, it is time, to race. Front row then, is Rins, third, Zarco second, and Nakagami on pole. Again, 29 laps the distance. 27 riders will take the start of this Moto2 race. So many riders could possibly win this race. It's going to be a barn burner. Everyone is on full wet tires. Updated weather shows air temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit), and track temps of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
Tom Luthi made his Grand Prix motorcycle racing debut, here at the Sachsenring, in 2002, at age 15. Points in Moto2 right now see a 126 point tie between Zarco and Rins, with Sam Lowes five points back on 121 markers. Fourth, 33 markers behind (on 93), is the aforementioned, Tom Luthi. Can Johann Zarco get to the top step of the podium and have a major lead by the end of this race? We're about to find out. A wet Sachsenring awaits. Red lights, on. Red lights, out! Away we go! Nakagami and Corsi get good starts. Zarco could lead into turn one, unless Nakagami comes across and slams the door in his face.
Alex Rins is also on the move, going inside Nakagami into turn one. Rins goes inside Nakagami for second. They climb up into turn four. Sam Lowes has dropped four spots, from tenth to 14th. But, Takaaki Nakagami wastes no time, shooting from third, to first! Despite his dislocated shoulder, Lorenzo Baldassari is also making a good start out of this race. Jonas Folger is also on the move, from 13th to fourth. Franco Morbidelli leads Simone Corsi, as those two battle. The rain has stopped and the track here at the Sachsenring will begin to dry out. Sandro Cortese has Hafizh Syahrin to contend with. Ratthapark Willairot has jumped the start and needs to serve a penalty for that.
Nakagami is increasing his advantage over Alex Rins right now. Marcel Schrotter is trying to get by Jonas Folger as well. Corsi gets by Baldassari. Franco Morbidelli has also gone around Corsi, as Julian Simon is stuck at the moment, not making progress. Jonas Folger dives inside Johann Zarco. Marcel Schrotter does likewise. Nakagami is the quickest rider on the speedway running a 1:38.285. Zarco moves in on Schrotter, making the pass under braking into turn one. Rins closes on Nakagami. Heavy rain has begun to fall once more. Xavier Simeon is only 15th. He, and also, Tom Luthi, are having a hard time trying to find pace in the wet. After running fourth, Sandro Cortese has fallen behind, too.
Ratthapark Willairot has been given the sign board for his penalty. He has a few laps to obey the stewards, or, he will be disqualified and stop being scored. Simeon passes Luthi for 14th. Oh dear! Miguel Oliveira has crashed. Game over. A terrible weekend for Leopard Racing here in Germany. Oliveira was thrown off the bike, after gaining 17th place ahead of Mattia Pasini. He was literally thrown off the bike, and into a nasty tumble. Takaaki Nakagami leads over Alex Rins and Jonas Folger right now. Marcel Schrotter is fourth, having passed Johann Zarco. Sam Lowes is now back up into ninth place. Alex Marquez resets fastest lap, quite unexpectedly. 1:37.902. Willairot is in the lane for his ride through penalty.
Marquez on bike #73 runs sixth. Hafizh Syahrin has dropped down to 12th. Oh no! Another fall. Marcel Schrotter has ditched his motorcycle, which tumbles through the gravel trap. Poor old Marcel Schrotter, is understandably upset. He could have been on the podium, crashing out of fourth place. Turn eight is calamity corner, as Luca Marini is also having a good showing. Marini, a Moto2 rookie, had never seen the Sachsenring track before. Johann Zarco is under pressure from Alex Marquez. Nakagami lowers fastest lap down to 1:37.677. Points as they run, sees Rins take the lead over Zarco 146-139. So, a seven point spread. Sam Lowes is 17 points back on 129. Takaaki Nakagami gains a spot, moving to fourth, 43 markers down, on 103 points.
Sandro Cortese has dropped back behind Xavier Simeon. Jesko Raffin is up to 17th. Another crash. Xavi Vierge has fallen out of 18th, sliding off the bike in turn three. Simone Corsi has also wrecked at turn eight. What did yours truly say earlier? Calamity corner. Too much speed into the turn, and down he goes. Rins, Folger, and Zarco are volleying fast laps around. Zarco cuts a 1:37.435. Oh no! Another wreck. Takaaki Nakagami, down and out, as the front end washes away and the bike swaps ends. Nakagami will stay in the race, but he's way down the order now. The track is still really wet and some of these blokes have pushed it over the edge, which is why we're seeing so many spills.
When the rain stops, overconfidence kicks in, which will make it difficult for the riders to manage this race if they are at the front. Jonas Folger and Alex Marquez are improving their spots. Check that. Marquez had a huge wobble, and the rear of the bike almost unloaded. Speaking of the bike being unloaded, Alex Rins just barely saves his motorcycle from doom! Rins has backed himself into Folger's clutches. Folger's fans here in his native Germany, are sure to go bonkers. Only one German rider has won here since the German round of the World Championship, first appeared at the Sachsenring in 1998. Sandro Cortese was the German rider to win, back in 2012. Look out, though. Johann Zarco is coming in a hurry.
Oh man. Another fall. Sam Lowes has gone down. Lowes' championship hopes take a massive hit. Folger, Rins, and Zarco are the top three as we reached 1/3rd distance. Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez, on the Estrella Galicia bikes are closing in, and we could see a five way scrap for the lead, soon. Rins passes Folger for the lead. Rins runs out on the damp and fortunately comes back, maintaining P1. Morbidelli is gaining on Zarco. Meanwhile, Luca Marini has made it to sixth place. With 20 laps to go, we look at the top ten.
1. Alex Rins
2. Jonas Folger
3. Johann Zarco
4. Franco Morbidelli
5. Alex Marquez
6. Xavier Simeon
7. Luca Marini
8. Hafizh Syahrin
9. Julian Simon
10. Mattia Pasini
Zarco is taking time out of Folger. Lorenzo Baldassari, with the dislocated shoulder, has dropped to 13th. Morbidelli is chasing down Zarco, and is into his slipstream. Xavier Simeon resets fastest lap of the race at 1:37.096. Morbidelli is out of shape, nudging the back of Johann Zarco's bike! Axel Pons has wrecked and is out. Morbidelli saw a gap, went for it, got too close to Zarco,. and had to ease off the throttle. Poor old Xavier Simeon has also crashed out. Simeon had just put in the best lap of the race, to add insult to injury. Julian Simon, Luca Marini, and Mattia Pasini, pick up the scrum for sixth.
Zarco dives past Jonas Folger. Simeon won this race in Moto2 last year. Morbidelli is still sliding his bike around. Folger runs wide in turn eight, allowing Alex Marquez to make the pass. Alex Marquez may be in contention for his first ever world championship podium. Marini wobbles and slides out of the seat momentarily. Takaaki Nakagami has rejoined the action after his wreck, but is down in 19th spot. Sam Lowes, who also crashed, remounted his bike and is 20th. Xavier Simeon also managed to get back on his bike, and runs 21st. Rins has won here at the Sachsenring before, having taken victory from pole in Moto3 in 2013.
Simeon smashed the fairing on his bike, and he has no tail section. The marshals will give him a black and orange "meatball" flag for that one. 15 laps left with Rins and Zarco (tied for the points lead), running 1-2. Oh dear! Alex Marquez has crashed! He continues, but in replay we see the front end of the bike, washed away. Morbidelli resets fast lap at 1:37 dead. 1:37.092. Marquez is back into the race, but outside the points paying positions. Folger is third, and has dropped two seconds behind Morbidelli. Morbidelli gets by Zarco, and now, chases Rins. He brings fast lap down to 1:36.959.
Morbidelli nudges Rins, forcing him to sit up! Close racing! Zarco slides off his bike, as Rins flies by him! Morbidelli is trying to check out, but wobbles as he squeezes power on too hard. Tom Luthi is down and out. Turn eight bites another one. Julian Simon runs fifth. Mattia Pasini and Sandro Cortese fight for sixth. Isaac Vinales has made it to 12th spot. Jesko Raffin is 13th, followed by Remy Gardner. Gardner runs ahead of both Edgar Pons and Robin Mulhauser. We complete lap 19. Ten laps left. Franco Morbidelli is a former champion in the FIM European Superstock 600 series. Xavier Simeon puts in the fastest lap of the race, on his mangled Speed Up. Alex Rins' helmet visor is steaming up.
These riders are right on the limit, as Takaaki Nakagami will move back into the points, just 7/10ths of a second behind Remy Gardner. Rins runs wide and allows Zarco to pass. With eight laps left, Jonas Folger is finding a rhythm again. Jesko Raffin moves past Isaac Vinales for 12th. Folger passes Rins, and the hometown fans go crazy! Folger's glory is short lived, as he runs wide. Folger is having none of it. Johann Zarco cuts 3/10ths of a second out of Franco Morbidelli's lead. Oh no! Not another one! Franco Morbidelli, is down! He crashed out of the lead in the first turn! Johann Zarco, leading the championship, inherits first.
Folger is second. Rins is third. He back it into turn one, is in too hot, tucks the front end, and slides off the motorcycle. Morbidelli continues, remounting and getting back behind his Marc VDS team mate, Alex Marquez. With seven laps left, Johann Zarco has a one second lead on Jonas Folger. Folger isn't in the championship fight, and wants to win his home Grand Prix. We look again, at points. Zarco leads Rins by nine, 151-142. Sam Lowes is 30 points adrift on 121. In fourth, is Tom Luthi, 58 points behind, on 93. Folger is going to throw caution to the wind here. Six laps left now. Alex Rins is losing time.
Franco Morbidelli has remounted, and is 11th. Xavier Simeon crashes out for the second time. His secondhand Speed Up frame, has slowed down, and stopped. Folger is closing on Zarco. Zarco is managing this race well, and Julian Simon is riding well, too. Sandro Cortese crashed and then rejoined the race. Cortese had a low side on his bike. Alex Marquez crashes, again. Swiss rider, Jesko Raffin has moved into the top ten. Franco Morbidelli is eighth now, and ahead of him is Lorenzo Baldassari, in seventh, dislocated shoulder and all. Sam Lowes just entered 15th and is down and out again! Backing into the corner, the bike snapped on him and threw him down.
Rins puts in his best lap, but it's all for naught as he's crashed, hard! Johann Zarco has the lead of this motorcycle race, and he's going to be in complete control of the championship as well. That was a nasty wreck for Rins! His legs were caught under the bike! Zarco could win his third race in four outings. Now, another wreck, for Sandro Cortese, and yet another crash, too. It is Morbidelli, again! Egad! Julian Simon is now on the podium. Does anyone want to finish this race? Mattia Pasini is on for his best Moto2 finish, having won here in Germany in 125cc racing a decade ago. We are on the final lap of Moto2, here in Germany!
Folger wipes his visor. He has to go, now! Zarco is icy cool under pressure. Jonas Folger closes in. He wants to win, at home. It's win or bin, now, for Zarco. Zarco knows Folger is there. Folger's front end is pushing. What does he have left in the locker, to try and move in on Zarco? Folger will indeed have a go at Zarco just at the finish. Folger into the lead up the inside! Can he make it stick? He tries to, but no! He runs wide! It's a drag race! Zarco wins it!
#5 Johann Zarco FRA. Kalex
Zarco wins by five hundredths of a second! Julian Simon gets his first podium since Valencia 2012. Pasini and Baldassari finish fourth and fifth. Luca Marini is sixth. Wow! Zarco is amazing. Next up for Moto2, is the race in Austria at the Red Bull Ring. Will cover that one, soon. Stay tuned.
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