Scott Ogden earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship wet qualifying Saturday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his CIP Green Power KTM on Pirelli control tires, the Brit topped the 25-rider field with a lap time of 1:35.001.
David Almansa was the best of the rest with a 1:35.043 on his Leopard Racing Honda, and Guido Pini claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:35.135 on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP KTM.
Ogden takes career-first pole in wet Sachsenring qualifying. A first British pole in Moto3 since 2020, Ogden leads the charge after bagging his first pole in the class.
Turn 11 may well be dubbed the waterfall – today, it was. Moto3™ qualifying took place in rainy conditions at the Sachsenring, meaning a whole host of shocks and surprises were possible. A red flag during Q1 meant time was of the essence and making the most of it to bag a career-first pole was Britain’s Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), pipping David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP). Down in P12, Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) found the wet weather tricky on Saturday.
Graduating from Q1, Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE), Valentin Perrone, Eddie O’Shea (GRYD MLav Racing) and Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) all emerged through the mist and the rain to bank crucial Q2 slots and join the 14 already in. Whilst the drizzle fizzled out, the track was still too wet to think about anything but wet tyres for the all-important qualifying time attacks. On the installation lap, Guido Pini fell at Turn 8, bringing out the red flag to fix the damaged air fence that his bike had hit. He was OK and after a short pause, action resumed with 11 minutes on the clock.
There was no time to waste as the riders hit the track and steadily, lap times were improving. With five minutes to go, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) took over at the top before running on at Turn 1 whilst there were red sectors galore behind him. The rider who took over briefly was Scott Ogden, continuing his strong weekend.
David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) crashed at Turn 8, just like teammate Pini, ending his session with three minutes to go. A few minutes later, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) crashed at the same corner. With the yellow flags out and no option to improve, Ogden held on to pole, the first of his career and the first for a British rider since the European GP in 2020 and John McPhee. Almansa came good to take P2 whilst it was Pini who rounds out the front row. Teammate Muñoz clinched P4 ahead of late faller Carpe and Fernandez.
Behind the top six, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) heads up the third row ahead of Q1 graduate Buchanan and a career-best for Eddie O’Shea (GRYD Mlav Racing) in P9. The top ten is rounded out by Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI). Championship leader Rueda could only manage P12 and has work to do for Sunday, whereas Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) is just behind him in P13.
Marc Marquez mastered tricky conditions to claim pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Sachsenring, Germany. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25 on the wet 2.28-mile (3.67 km) track, Marquez turned a 1:27.811 to lead the field of 20 riders.
French sensation, Johann Zarco was the best of the rest with a 1:27.962 on his CASTROL Honda LCR RC213V, and Marco Bezzecchi claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:28.232 on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP25.
Row-two qualifiers included Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Ducati’s Franco Morbidelli (1:28.650), Pedro Acosta on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 (1:28.779) and Alex Marquez on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati (1:29.242).
Francesco Bagnaia is 11th on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25 with a lap time of 1:29.753.
Marc Marquez fends off Zarco for wet weather pole in Germany. Under 0.2s splits Ducati and Honda in Q2 as the rain plays a pivotal role in MotoGP qualifying at the Sachsenring.
The wet weather has come to play on Saturday at the Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany, but that didn’t stop Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) from clinching pole position. It was a tight affair though as Q1 graduate Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) pushed the #93 to the wire in a Saturday morning scrap that saw Marquez win by just 0.151s. That means it’s Ducati leading Honda on the front row at the Sachsenring, with Aprilia Racing also there after Marco Bezzecchi’s fine rain dance in Q2.
Q1 – ZARCO COMFORTABLE AS MORE RAIN FALLS
As anticipated, wet weather was the order of play as we entered MotoGP Q1 and after a dry line began to appear in FP2, more rain fell to see that lighter grey line on parts of the circuit start to disappear again. And it made for fascinating viewing in the opening 15-minute qualifying stint.
French GP winner Zarco was the pacesetter with just over five minutes to go, his best time was a 1:28.370, over half a second quicker than second place Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3). P2 was then Raul Fernandez’s (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), but the Spaniard’s stint in the top two was brief because Viñales went P1 with two minutes to go, before Zarco returned to the summit.
Could anyone climb into the top two? The answer was no. Zarco and Viñales sailed into Q2, with Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) missing out by a couple of tenths in P3.
Q2 – EARLY DRAMA AS POLE FIGHT GOES TO THE WIRE
And for one of those riders, there was immediate drama. Viñales, on his out-lap, was thrown off his Tech3 KTM at Turn 4. Thankfully, the Spaniard was quickly on his feet, but that was far from an ideal start to Q2. And then, at the same corner, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) was down in almost identical fashion.
The Australian was straight back on his feet too, but it was another rear-end crash as conditions were visibly trickier than Q1. The first reference lap time was a 1:31.419 set by Brad Binder (Red Bull KT Factory Racing), before the South African then dipped into the 1:29s for the first time. It was Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was jumped to P1 though, the Italian’s time was a 1:29.776.
This was all about who was prepared to push the boat out and take some added risks. The lap times were dropping every time and with eight minutes to go, Marc Marquez led Q2 for the first time. A 1:28.730 was landed by the championship leader and despite a moment at the top of the Waterfall on his next flyer, Marquez went quicker again by 0.4s.
At this stage, the #93 was 1.3s clear in the chase for German GP pole position, make that 1.5s after his latest attack. Zarco got that back to under a second shortly after, with Bezzecchi provisional P3 with five minutes left on the clock.
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was chipping away and raised himself to P6, with both Zarco and Bezzecchi now 0.8s away from Marc Marquez’s table-topping effort. That was then 0.5s for Bez, and the same could be said for Morbidelli as the Italians closed in.
Then, we lasered in on Zarco. Through split three, the Frenchman was just 0.002s off Marquez’s time and across the line, it was a slender 0.065s. Close, very close, but not enough for provisional pole position.
But this wasn’t done. Marc Marquez was improving by 0.2s through sector three, Zarco was chasing hard, but the Ducati star’s lap was good enough to beat Zarco’s final effort by a tenth and a half, and after setting a red split through the second sector, Morbidelli’s pole position attempt ended with a crash at Turn 8.
And with that, MotoGP pole position number 73 was clinched by Marc Marquez, with Zarco and Bezzecchi making it three manufacturers on the front row.
YOUR TOP FOUR ROWS FOR THE GERMAN GP
Morbidelli spearheads the second row ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the impressive Alex Marquez as the latter aims to limit the potential championship damage while nursing that fractured left hand.
P7 on the grid will be Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), he’s joined on Row 3 by Friday pacesetter Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Miller, with Binder, a disappointed Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Viñales completing the top 12.
COMING UP: THE TISSOT SPRINT
The Sachsenring King gets his Saturday off to the perfect start, but with the wet weather set to stick around, who knows what will unfold in the 15-lap Sprint later on.
Marc Marquez led MotoGP World Championship wet Free Practice Two (FP2) Saturday morning at Sachsenring, Germany. Riding his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25 on spec Michelin tires, the six-time World Champion turned a lap time of 1:28.277.
Maverick Viñales was the best of the rest with a 1:28.474 on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16.
Pedro Acosta, piloting his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16, was third at 1:28.680.
Tony Arbolino was quickest during Moto2 World Championship wet Free practice 2 Saturday morning at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Pirelli-shod BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Boscoscuro on the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) track, the Italian recorded a 1:31.613 to lead the field of 28 riders.
Daniel Holgado was the best of the rest with a 1:32.570 on his CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team Kalex.
Deniz Oncu was third-fastest with a 1:32.653 on his Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex.
American Joe Roberts finished Saturday morning’s practice session 18th with a best time of 1:33.834 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Adrian Fernandez led Moto3 World Championship wet practice Saturday morning, at Sachsenring, in Germany. Fernandez used his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda to lap the 2.28-mile track in 1:34.623, which led the field of 26 riders.
Angel Piqueras was second-best with a time of 1:34.696 on his FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI KTM.
Noah Dettwiler, piloting his CIP Green Power KTM, claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:34.972.
On Friday, three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Wayne Rainey turned his first laps at Laguna Seca since he won the US Grand Prix there in 1991. Rainey, a three-time 500cc Grand Prix winner at the circuit, was paralyzed in a 1993 crash and did not participate in that year’s US Grand Prix. (There was no Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in 1992). Yamaha put together a special XSR900 GP machine in the livery Rainey raced in, and equipped it with the Y-AMT fully automatic transmission. Rainey was pushed off, did two full laps and pulled in to pit lane, where his team caught him as he came to a halt. After the post-ride media interviews were done, Rainey spent some time talking to fellow wheelchair pilot Mario Bonfante, a former motorcycle road racer paralyzed in a bicycle accident in 2006. Bonfante has since developed a set of controls to allow him to drive high-performance racing cars.
Wayne Rainey, left, and Mario Bonfante. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Bobby Fong (50) pounded in more laps than any other Superbike rider, firing in 49 laps around Laguna Seca on Friday. Fong led the first practice session and finished second to Josh Herrin in provisional qualifying, 0.006 seconds back. The two were the only riders in the 1:23 range. Photo by Michael Gougis.
James Rispoli (43) watches on as Kyle Wyman (33) rides through the gravel outside of Turn Three at Laguna Seca. It was a good day for the pair. Wyman exactly matched Hayden Gillim’s session-topping time from morning practice to take provisional King of The Baggers pole. And Rispoli led both Super Hooligan sessions and took provisional pole. Photo by Michael Gougis.
PJ Jacobsen held off Strack Racing Yamaha teammates Mathew Scholtz and Blake Davis to top both Friday sessions on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Hank Vossberg (131) is adapting rapidly to the Twins Cup class and the Robem Engineering Aprilia RS660. Vossberg, a race winner in the Talent Cup class, stepped up to the Twins Cup bike at The Ridge and finished second in Race Two, although he was 20 seconds behind winner Alessandro Di Mario. On Friday at Laguna Seca, Vossberg was second in provisional qualifying and the only rider within a second of Di Mario. Photo by Michael Gougis.
More, from a news release issued by MotoAmerica:
Josh Herrin (1). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin cartwheeled his Ducati Panigale V4 R in turn four midway through Q1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday afternoon, but it didn’t stop him from earning provisional pole based on the 1:23.880 he set before he crashed.
It was tight at the top with the top five within a half second of each other when the 40-minute session concluded. Herrin led the way, but by just .006 of a second from an on-form Bobby Fong and his Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1. Fong, who led the morning session, turned in a 1:23.886.
Fong’s best was just .185 of a second better than Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier. Then came Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Fong’s teammate Jake Gagne, who was the last rider within half a second of Herrin.
Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach was sixth-fastest on his Stock 1000-spec Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
Richie Escalante had a scary highside on the exit of turn 11 early in the session that brought out the red flag. The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider injured his wrist, but he was back on track later in the session, and he ended up seventh. He is not expected to miss any track time this weekend due to his sore wrist.
FLO4LAW/SBU Racing’s Benjamin Smith was eighth with Real Steel Honda’s Hayden Gillim ninth, one spot better than the third Honda CBR1000RR-R SP ridden to 10th by Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates.
Motovation Supersport – Jacobsen Gets It Started
Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen fired the first shot in the battle for the 2025 Motovation Supersport Championship with last year’s double winner at Laguna Seca snatching provisional pole position on Friday afternoon.
Jacobsen ripped off a 1:26.819 on his 13th go-around to barely beat out Strack Racing’s Blake Davis by just .050 of a second. Jacobsen’s championship rival Mathew Scholtz, meanwhile, was third-fastest on his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R9. Scholtz was .247 off Jacobsen’s best.
Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen was fourth-fastest and within a half a second of Jacobsen. Ditto for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, the last rider to get within half a second of provisional pole.
Jacobsen’s teammate Kayla Yaakov ended the session in sixth – the last rider to lap in the 1:27s.
BPR Racing teammates Josh Hayes and Teagg Hobbs were seventh and eighth with Altus Motorsports’ Maxi Gerardo and MP13 Racing’s Aiden Sneed rounding out the top 10.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Rispoli!
KWR Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli put his Pan America on provisional pole position on Friday afternoon at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with his 1:29.103 topping defending class champion Cory West and his Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson by .213 of a second.
Andy DiBrino was the last of the riders in the 1:29s as he broke up the Harley-Davidson party by putting his Competition Werkes Racing Triumph 765RS third on the provisional front row with a 1:29.725.
KWR Harley-Davidson’s Cody Wyman and Edge Racing’s Jason Waters, who like DiBrino was Triumph-mounted, rounded out the top five.
The session was red-flagged with a scary incident on the front straight when Saddlemen Race Development’s Jake Lewis ran into the back of KWR Harley-Davidson’s Cody Wyman on his first lap of Q1. Lewis, the championship points leader, was transported to hospital to get an MRI on his shoulder, and he also suffered a concussion in the crash. He will miss the remainder of the weekend.
SC-Project Twins – A Robem One-Two
Runaway championship leader Alessandro Di Mario led a Robem Engineering one-two by topping teammate Hank Vossberg with the two teenagers taking the top two spots in Q1.
Di Mario bested his teammate by .793 of a second with Vossberg continuing to impress in just his second weekend on the team’s Aprilia RS 660.
Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher and Speeddemon Racing’s Logan Cunnison rounded out the top four with all four riding Aprilia RS 660s.
The first non-Aprilia was the Suzuki GSX-8R ridden to the fifth-fastest time by RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman Over Gillim
Championship points leader Kyle Wyman and his Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing Road Glide earned provisional pole position in Mission King Of The Baggers Q1 action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday, narrowly beating out RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim by just .100 of a second.
Wyman’s best was a 1:28.057 that left him hungry for a 1:27 lap that he believes will be obtainable tomorrow. Wyman was one of seven riders in the 1:28s with Gillim the best of the rest on his Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
The first of the Indians was third with S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Loris Baz’s best lap .385 of a second off Wyman’s provisional pole.
SDI Racing’s Cameron Petersen was fourth-fastest in his best qualifying effort to date, but his session ended early with a crash in the Corkscrew that brought out the red flag with just a few minutes remaining in the session.
S&S/Indian Motorcycle teammates Tyler O’Hara and Troy Herfoss were fifth and sixth, respectively. Gillim’s teammate Rocco Landers ended the day seventh with Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s James Rispoli and Bradley Smith eighth and ninth.
Lyndall Brakes/M3’s Max Flinders rounded out the top 10.
Kyle Wyman took provisional pole in the MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers class at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday on his Harley-Davidson x Dynojet machine. Hayden Gillim backed up his session-topping practice performance with second on the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, ahead of Loris Baz on an S&S Indian, Cameron Petersen on an SDI Racing Indian, and Tyler O’Hara on another S&S machine.
Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Josh Herrin crashed but was still fast enough to land the MotoAmerica Superbike provisional pole at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday. Attack Performance Progressive Insurance Yamaha’s Bobby Fong was second, ahead of Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Attack’s Jake Gagne.
Alessandro Di Mario topped Robem Engineering Aprilia teammate Hank Vossberg in MotoAmerica SC-Project Twins Cup provisional qualifying at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday. Avery Dreher on the Bad Boys Racing Aprilia led Logan Cunnison on the Speeddemon Racing Aprilia, with Matthew Chapin on the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki in fifth.
Rahal Ducati Moto/XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen took provisional MotoAmerica Motovation Supersport pole position at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday over Strack Racing’s Blake Davis. Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was third, ahead of Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. The front five were covered by less than half a second.
Scott Ogden earned pole position in Germany. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Scott Ogden earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship wet qualifying Saturday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his CIP Green Power KTM on Pirelli control tires, the Brit topped the 25-rider field with a lap time of 1:35.001.
David Almansa was the best of the rest with a 1:35.043 on his Leopard Racing Honda, and Guido Pini claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:35.135 on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP KTM.
Ogden takes career-first pole in wet Sachsenring qualifying. A first British pole in Moto3 since 2020, Ogden leads the charge after bagging his first pole in the class.
Turn 11 may well be dubbed the waterfall – today, it was. Moto3™ qualifying took place in rainy conditions at the Sachsenring, meaning a whole host of shocks and surprises were possible. A red flag during Q1 meant time was of the essence and making the most of it to bag a career-first pole was Britain’s Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power), pipping David Almansa (Leopard Racing) and Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP). Down in P12, Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) found the wet weather tricky on Saturday.
Graduating from Q1, Cormac Buchanan (DENSSI Racing – BOE), Valentin Perrone, Eddie O’Shea (GRYD MLav Racing) and Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) all emerged through the mist and the rain to bank crucial Q2 slots and join the 14 already in. Whilst the drizzle fizzled out, the track was still too wet to think about anything but wet tyres for the all-important qualifying time attacks. On the installation lap, Guido Pini fell at Turn 8, bringing out the red flag to fix the damaged air fence that his bike had hit. He was OK and after a short pause, action resumed with 11 minutes on the clock.
There was no time to waste as the riders hit the track and steadily, lap times were improving. With five minutes to go, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) took over at the top before running on at Turn 1 whilst there were red sectors galore behind him. The rider who took over briefly was Scott Ogden, continuing his strong weekend.
David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) crashed at Turn 8, just like teammate Pini, ending his session with three minutes to go. A few minutes later, Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) crashed at the same corner. With the yellow flags out and no option to improve, Ogden held on to pole, the first of his career and the first for a British rider since the European GP in 2020 and John McPhee. Almansa came good to take P2 whilst it was Pini who rounds out the front row. Teammate Muñoz clinched P4 ahead of late faller Carpe and Fernandez.
Behind the top six, Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) heads up the third row ahead of Q1 graduate Buchanan and a career-best for Eddie O’Shea (GRYD Mlav Racing) in P9. The top ten is rounded out by Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI). Championship leader Rueda could only manage P12 and has work to do for Sunday, whereas Joel Kelso (LEVELUP-MTA) is just behind him in P13.
Marc Marquez claimed Pole Position in Germany. Photo courtesy Ducati Corse Team.
Marc Marquez mastered tricky conditions to claim pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Sachsenring, Germany. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25 on the wet 2.28-mile (3.67 km) track, Marquez turned a 1:27.811 to lead the field of 20 riders.
French sensation, Johann Zarco was the best of the rest with a 1:27.962 on his CASTROL Honda LCR RC213V, and Marco Bezzecchi claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:28.232 on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP25.
Row-two qualifiers included Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Ducati’s Franco Morbidelli (1:28.650), Pedro Acosta on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 (1:28.779) and Alex Marquez on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati (1:29.242).
Francesco Bagnaia is 11th on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25 with a lap time of 1:29.753.
Marc Marquez fends off Zarco for wet weather pole in Germany. Under 0.2s splits Ducati and Honda in Q2 as the rain plays a pivotal role in MotoGP qualifying at the Sachsenring.
The wet weather has come to play on Saturday at the Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany, but that didn’t stop Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) from clinching pole position. It was a tight affair though as Q1 graduate Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) pushed the #93 to the wire in a Saturday morning scrap that saw Marquez win by just 0.151s. That means it’s Ducati leading Honda on the front row at the Sachsenring, with Aprilia Racing also there after Marco Bezzecchi’s fine rain dance in Q2.
Q1 – ZARCO COMFORTABLE AS MORE RAIN FALLS
As anticipated, wet weather was the order of play as we entered MotoGP Q1 and after a dry line began to appear in FP2, more rain fell to see that lighter grey line on parts of the circuit start to disappear again. And it made for fascinating viewing in the opening 15-minute qualifying stint.
French GP winner Zarco was the pacesetter with just over five minutes to go, his best time was a 1:28.370, over half a second quicker than second place Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3). P2 was then Raul Fernandez’s (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), but the Spaniard’s stint in the top two was brief because Viñales went P1 with two minutes to go, before Zarco returned to the summit.
Could anyone climb into the top two? The answer was no. Zarco and Viñales sailed into Q2, with Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) missing out by a couple of tenths in P3.
Q2 – EARLY DRAMA AS POLE FIGHT GOES TO THE WIRE
And for one of those riders, there was immediate drama. Viñales, on his out-lap, was thrown off his Tech3 KTM at Turn 4. Thankfully, the Spaniard was quickly on his feet, but that was far from an ideal start to Q2. And then, at the same corner, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) was down in almost identical fashion.
The Australian was straight back on his feet too, but it was another rear-end crash as conditions were visibly trickier than Q1. The first reference lap time was a 1:31.419 set by Brad Binder (Red Bull KT Factory Racing), before the South African then dipped into the 1:29s for the first time. It was Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) was jumped to P1 though, the Italian’s time was a 1:29.776.
This was all about who was prepared to push the boat out and take some added risks. The lap times were dropping every time and with eight minutes to go, Marc Marquez led Q2 for the first time. A 1:28.730 was landed by the championship leader and despite a moment at the top of the Waterfall on his next flyer, Marquez went quicker again by 0.4s.
At this stage, the #93 was 1.3s clear in the chase for German GP pole position, make that 1.5s after his latest attack. Zarco got that back to under a second shortly after, with Bezzecchi provisional P3 with five minutes left on the clock.
Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was chipping away and raised himself to P6, with both Zarco and Bezzecchi now 0.8s away from Marc Marquez’s table-topping effort. That was then 0.5s for Bez, and the same could be said for Morbidelli as the Italians closed in.
Then, we lasered in on Zarco. Through split three, the Frenchman was just 0.002s off Marquez’s time and across the line, it was a slender 0.065s. Close, very close, but not enough for provisional pole position.
But this wasn’t done. Marc Marquez was improving by 0.2s through sector three, Zarco was chasing hard, but the Ducati star’s lap was good enough to beat Zarco’s final effort by a tenth and a half, and after setting a red split through the second sector, Morbidelli’s pole position attempt ended with a crash at Turn 8.
And with that, MotoGP pole position number 73 was clinched by Marc Marquez, with Zarco and Bezzecchi making it three manufacturers on the front row.
YOUR TOP FOUR ROWS FOR THE GERMAN GP
Morbidelli spearheads the second row ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the impressive Alex Marquez as the latter aims to limit the potential championship damage while nursing that fractured left hand.
P7 on the grid will be Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), he’s joined on Row 3 by Friday pacesetter Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Miller, with Binder, a disappointed Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Viñales completing the top 12.
COMING UP: THE TISSOT SPRINT
The Sachsenring King gets his Saturday off to the perfect start, but with the wet weather set to stick around, who knows what will unfold in the 15-lap Sprint later on.
Marc Marquez during MotoGP wet FP2 in Germany. Photo courtesy Ducati Corse Team.
Marc Marquez led MotoGP World Championship wet Free Practice Two (FP2) Saturday morning at Sachsenring, Germany. Riding his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25 on spec Michelin tires, the six-time World Champion turned a lap time of 1:28.277.
Maverick Viñales was the best of the rest with a 1:28.474 on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16.
Pedro Acosta, piloting his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16, was third at 1:28.680.
Tony Arbolino was fastest this morning during FP2 in Germany. Photo courtesy BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Team.
Tony Arbolino was quickest during Moto2 World Championship wet Free practice 2 Saturday morning at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Pirelli-shod BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Boscoscuro on the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) track, the Italian recorded a 1:31.613 to lead the field of 28 riders.
Daniel Holgado was the best of the rest with a 1:32.570 on his CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team Kalex.
Deniz Oncu was third-fastest with a 1:32.653 on his Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex.
American Joe Roberts finished Saturday morning’s practice session 18th with a best time of 1:33.834 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Adrian Fernandez during FP2 at Sachsenring. Photo courtesy Leopard Racing Team..
Adrian Fernandez led Moto3 World Championship wet practice Saturday morning, at Sachsenring, in Germany. Fernandez used his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda to lap the 2.28-mile track in 1:34.623, which led the field of 26 riders.
Angel Piqueras was second-best with a time of 1:34.696 on his FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI KTM.
Noah Dettwiler, piloting his CIP Green Power KTM, claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:34.972.
Wayne Rainey powers out of Turn 11 at Laguna Seca, followed by three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Kenny Roberts, with grandson Logan Roberts riding pillion. Photo by Michael Gougis.
KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.
On Friday, three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Wayne Rainey turned his first laps at Laguna Seca since he won the US Grand Prix there in 1991. Rainey, a three-time 500cc Grand Prix winner at the circuit, was paralyzed in a 1993 crash and did not participate in that year’s US Grand Prix. (There was no Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in 1992). Yamaha put together a special XSR900 GP machine in the livery Rainey raced in, and equipped it with the Y-AMT fully automatic transmission. Rainey was pushed off, did two full laps and pulled in to pit lane, where his team caught him as he came to a halt. After the post-ride media interviews were done, Rainey spent some time talking to fellow wheelchair pilot Mario Bonfante, a former motorcycle road racer paralyzed in a bicycle accident in 2006. Bonfante has since developed a set of controls to allow him to drive high-performance racing cars.
Wayne Rainey, left, and Mario Bonfante. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Bobby Fong (50) pounded in more laps than any other Superbike rider, firing in 49 laps around Laguna Seca on Friday. Fong led the first practice session and finished second to Josh Herrin in provisional qualifying, 0.006 seconds back. The two were the only riders in the 1:23 range. Photo by Michael Gougis.
James Rispoli (43) watches on as Kyle Wyman (33) rides through the gravel outside of Turn Three at Laguna Seca. It was a good day for the pair. Wyman exactly matched Hayden Gillim’s session-topping time from morning practice to take provisional King of The Baggers pole. And Rispoli led both Super Hooligan sessions and took provisional pole. Photo by Michael Gougis.
PJ Jacobsen held off Strack Racing Yamaha teammates Mathew Scholtz and Blake Davis to top both Friday sessions on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Hank Vossberg (131) is adapting rapidly to the Twins Cup class and the Robem Engineering Aprilia RS660. Vossberg, a race winner in the Talent Cup class, stepped up to the Twins Cup bike at The Ridge and finished second in Race Two, although he was 20 seconds behind winner Alessandro Di Mario. On Friday at Laguna Seca, Vossberg was second in provisional qualifying and the only rider within a second of Di Mario. Photo by Michael Gougis.
More, from a news release issued by MotoAmerica:
Josh Herrin (1). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin cartwheeled his Ducati Panigale V4 R in turn four midway through Q1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday afternoon, but it didn’t stop him from earning provisional pole based on the 1:23.880 he set before he crashed.
It was tight at the top with the top five within a half second of each other when the 40-minute session concluded. Herrin led the way, but by just .006 of a second from an on-form Bobby Fong and his Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1. Fong, who led the morning session, turned in a 1:23.886.
Fong’s best was just .185 of a second better than Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier. Then came Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Fong’s teammate Jake Gagne, who was the last rider within half a second of Herrin.
Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach was sixth-fastest on his Stock 1000-spec Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
Richie Escalante had a scary highside on the exit of turn 11 early in the session that brought out the red flag. The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider injured his wrist, but he was back on track later in the session, and he ended up seventh. He is not expected to miss any track time this weekend due to his sore wrist.
FLO4LAW/SBU Racing’s Benjamin Smith was eighth with Real Steel Honda’s Hayden Gillim ninth, one spot better than the third Honda CBR1000RR-R SP ridden to 10th by Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates.
Motovation Supersport – Jacobsen Gets It Started
Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen fired the first shot in the battle for the 2025 Motovation Supersport Championship with last year’s double winner at Laguna Seca snatching provisional pole position on Friday afternoon.
Jacobsen ripped off a 1:26.819 on his 13th go-around to barely beat out Strack Racing’s Blake Davis by just .050 of a second. Jacobsen’s championship rival Mathew Scholtz, meanwhile, was third-fastest on his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R9. Scholtz was .247 off Jacobsen’s best.
Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen was fourth-fastest and within a half a second of Jacobsen. Ditto for Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, the last rider to get within half a second of provisional pole.
Jacobsen’s teammate Kayla Yaakov ended the session in sixth – the last rider to lap in the 1:27s.
BPR Racing teammates Josh Hayes and Teagg Hobbs were seventh and eighth with Altus Motorsports’ Maxi Gerardo and MP13 Racing’s Aiden Sneed rounding out the top 10.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Rispoli!
KWR Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli put his Pan America on provisional pole position on Friday afternoon at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with his 1:29.103 topping defending class champion Cory West and his Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson by .213 of a second.
Andy DiBrino was the last of the riders in the 1:29s as he broke up the Harley-Davidson party by putting his Competition Werkes Racing Triumph 765RS third on the provisional front row with a 1:29.725.
KWR Harley-Davidson’s Cody Wyman and Edge Racing’s Jason Waters, who like DiBrino was Triumph-mounted, rounded out the top five.
The session was red-flagged with a scary incident on the front straight when Saddlemen Race Development’s Jake Lewis ran into the back of KWR Harley-Davidson’s Cody Wyman on his first lap of Q1. Lewis, the championship points leader, was transported to hospital to get an MRI on his shoulder, and he also suffered a concussion in the crash. He will miss the remainder of the weekend.
SC-Project Twins – A Robem One-Two
Runaway championship leader Alessandro Di Mario led a Robem Engineering one-two by topping teammate Hank Vossberg with the two teenagers taking the top two spots in Q1.
Di Mario bested his teammate by .793 of a second with Vossberg continuing to impress in just his second weekend on the team’s Aprilia RS 660.
Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher and Speeddemon Racing’s Logan Cunnison rounded out the top four with all four riding Aprilia RS 660s.
The first non-Aprilia was the Suzuki GSX-8R ridden to the fifth-fastest time by RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman Over Gillim
Championship points leader Kyle Wyman and his Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing Road Glide earned provisional pole position in Mission King Of The Baggers Q1 action at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday, narrowly beating out RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim by just .100 of a second.
Wyman’s best was a 1:28.057 that left him hungry for a 1:27 lap that he believes will be obtainable tomorrow. Wyman was one of seven riders in the 1:28s with Gillim the best of the rest on his Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
The first of the Indians was third with S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Loris Baz’s best lap .385 of a second off Wyman’s provisional pole.
SDI Racing’s Cameron Petersen was fourth-fastest in his best qualifying effort to date, but his session ended early with a crash in the Corkscrew that brought out the red flag with just a few minutes remaining in the session.
S&S/Indian Motorcycle teammates Tyler O’Hara and Troy Herfoss were fifth and sixth, respectively. Gillim’s teammate Rocco Landers ended the day seventh with Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s James Rispoli and Bradley Smith eighth and ninth.
Lyndall Brakes/M3’s Max Flinders rounded out the top 10.
Kyle Wyman took provisional pole in the MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers class at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday on his Harley-Davidson x Dynojet machine. Hayden Gillim backed up his session-topping practice performance with second on the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, ahead of Loris Baz on an S&S Indian, Cameron Petersen on an SDI Racing Indian, and Tyler O’Hara on another S&S machine.
Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Josh Herrin crashed but was still fast enough to land the MotoAmerica Superbike provisional pole at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday. Attack Performance Progressive Insurance Yamaha’s Bobby Fong was second, ahead of Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW’s Cameron Beaubier, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Attack’s Jake Gagne.
Alessandro Di Mario topped Robem Engineering Aprilia teammate Hank Vossberg in MotoAmerica SC-Project Twins Cup provisional qualifying at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday. Avery Dreher on the Bad Boys Racing Aprilia led Logan Cunnison on the Speeddemon Racing Aprilia, with Matthew Chapin on the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki in fifth.
Rahal Ducati Moto/XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen took provisional MotoAmerica Motovation Supersport pole position at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday over Strack Racing’s Blake Davis. Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was third, ahead of Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. The front five were covered by less than half a second.
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