Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Pedro Acosta earned pole position during Moto2 qualifying Saturday at Sachsenring, in Germany. The Spanish rider lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) road course in 1:23.858.
Elf Marc VDS Racing’s Tony Arbolino was the best of the rest at 1:24.127, and Polar Cube GASGAS Aspar Team rider Jake Dixon earned the third and final spot on the front row with a time of 1:24.158.
Americans Joe Roberts (1:24.909) and Sean Dylan Kelly (1:25.519) qualified 16th and 18th, respectively, and both will start the race from Row Six of the 29-rider grid.
Japanese rider Ayumu Sasaki claimed pole position during Moto3 qualifying at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna, Sasaki broke the All-Time Lap Record he set Friday, 1:25.840, with a 1:25.130 on Saturday. Not only was Sasaki’s lap a record and good enough for pole position, it was 1.092 seconds better than the next-fastest rider, Deniz Oncu, in the normally tight field.
Spaniard Jordi Torres won FIM MotoE World Championship Race One Saturday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Openbank Aspar Team Ducati electric racebike, Torres won the 10-lap race by just 0.778 second over Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE team’s Randy Krummenacher. HP Pons Los40 rider Nicolas Spinelli was a very close third.
The Spaniard was back on the top step, with Garzo and Granado crashing out… but a penalty promoting Ferrari to a valuable third
Jordi Torres (81) leading MotoE Race One. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 17 June 2023
Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) took a stunning victory at the Sachsenring in Race 1 after a dramatic . Polesitter Torres lost out at the start but a series of incredible overtakes and then late drama meant he took victory. Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) claimed his best MotoE™ result with second, while Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) was ultimately classified third after a penalty for rookie Nicholas Spinelli (HP Pons Los40).
The lights went out for Race 1 and rookie Spinelli took the lead into Turn 1, but he soon relinquished that on Lap 2 when Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) came past in search of his first MotoE™ win. Garzo’s pace meant he was able to set a new race lap record on the second lap, with a 1:27.914, before the race pace across the field slowed down. The Spaniard was unable to pull away from the chasing pack as polesitter Torres kept the pressure on, although he found himself dropping down the order in the early stages.
Mugello Race 2 winner Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) moved into the podium places as he passed Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40) with an unconventional but effective move at Turn 2 on Lap 5 before he set his sights on Torres up ahead. A lap later and Granado was through on the two-time World Cup winner at Turn 12; a move he repeated on Lap 7 on Garzo to move into the lead. Granado’s lead lasted just a couple of laps as Torres, who had battled back into the lead fight, came by on Lap 9 at Turn 12 to take the lead.
The drama continued at the start of the final lap. Both Granado and Garzo crashed at Turn 1, in separate incidents, with Granado attempting to re-take the lead when he lost the front of his Ducati machine while Garzo went down after contact with Spinelli. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards with Spinelli given a three-second penalty, the equivalent of a Long Lap Penalty. The incident itself saw Krummenacher take over in second and Spinelli third initially, but the Italian dropped to sixth once the penalty was applied. That puts Ferrari into third, and given the Italian had started tenth after he was disqualified from Q2 for a technical infringement, it was a first job of the day well done.
Ferrari was three tenths clear of Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-racing) in fourth, the Italian back into the front echelons as he gains experience on the new Ducati and returns from Moto2™. Zaccone had a two-second margin over Casadei in fifth. Spinelli was sixth with his penalty, finishing ahead of Tito Rabat (Prettl Pramac MotoE™) in eighth as the Spaniard made gains. Mugello Race 1 victor Andrea Mantovani (RNF MotoE Team) was ninth with Hikari Okubo (Tech3 E-racing) rounding out the top ten.
Defending World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia conquered tricky drying conditions and his competition to claim his second consecutive pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Sachsenring, in Germany.
Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici on Michelin slicks on a drying track, the Italian lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) track in 1:21.409 to edge out Mooney VR46 Racing Team Ducati’s Luca Marini (1:21.4487) and Red Bull KTM’s Jack Miller (1:21.492).
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, meanwhile, continued to struggle, crashing three times between Q1 and Q2. Marquez’s condition was not immediately known.
Bagnaia takes pole, Marc Marquez makes it a blockbuster qualifying in Germany
Bagnaia, Marini & Miller head the grid, but MM93 steals the headlines after recovering from Q1 and three crashes to take a hard-earned P7
Saturday, 17 June 2023
Crashes, pitlane sprints and serious skills were on show as MotoGP™ qualifying at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland threw up drama aplenty. It will be Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) starting from pole position as the Italian’s 1:21.409 saw him beat Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) by 0.078s, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing a front row split by just 0.083s. Elsewhere, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) claimed a third row start despite three crashes across Q1 and Q2, the number 93 going all in against quite a mountain to climb.
Slick tyre gambles pay off
After an eventful Friday, King of the Ring Marc Marquez found himself in Q1 – and after morning rainfall, conditions were damp but drying quickly at the Sachsenring. After one flying lap, the #93 led Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) by 0.9s before pulling into pitlane. There was a very noticeable dry line but Marquez ventured back out on Michelin’s rain tyres, as did Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), but Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) opted for a pair of slicks.
Then, 0.3s under his fastest lap, it was unlucky Turn 13 as Marquez tucked the front. The Spaniard had barely come to a halt before he was up and legging it back to pitlane to hop on his second RC213V – on slick tyres. Meanwhile, on rain tyres still, Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) went P2 before Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was then fastest. He too was on rain tyres but Binder moved the goalposts on his slick tyres – the South African 0.4s quicker than Viñales, with Marquez P3 heading onto his final lap.
Binder improved again on his next lap, his advantage up to nearly two seconds, as Marquez engaged attack mode. A moment out the final corner cost the HRC star time, but not enough to stop him from snatching P2 from Viñales. Binder and Marc Marquez sailed into Q2 as the slick tyre gamble paid off.
Drama, drama and a bit more drama
A few more minutes of Sachsenring sun, coupled with Binder and Marc Marquez’s Q1 exploits, saw the Q2 field head straight out on slick tyres. Bagnaia set the initial benchmark but his 1:24.285 wasn’t going to stay as the time to beat for long. Then, Turn 13 bit Marc Marquez hard – again. A highside saw the Repsol Honda rider unable to rejoin but after a few minutes, Marquez was back in pitlane. On the next lap, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) also highsided and became the second rider in qualifying to sprint up pitlane. Relentless drama.
On track, Bagnaia was leading the way from Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Marini, with KTM double act Miller and Binder in P4 and P5. With five minutes to go, Pecco hammered home his advantage – the gap to Martin was now 0.5s and the time to beat was 1:22.028.
But a lot can happen in five minutes. Especially when Marc Marquez is rumbling out of pitlane. The clock ticked down to three minutes remaining and now we had all 12 riders on track – it was time to throw caution to the wind. Miller pounced to P2 with Binder going P3 and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was up P4 before Zarco climbed to the summit.
This was going to change constantly. Miller was P1 before Marini bettered the Aussie, as Zarco crashed and for a third time, so did Marquez. This time it was Turn 1 that saw Marquez slide into the gravel and those yellow flags, coupled with the Zarco crash, meant plenty of laps were cancelled in the final minute.
THE GRID(S)
Emerging from the drama, Pecco claimed pole from VR46 Academy stablemate Marini and former Ducati teammate Miller, who continues to thrive on the KTM. Despite a late tumble, Zarco launches from P4 ahead of Bezzecchi and Martin, with Marc Marquez P7 after those three qualifying crashes.
The eight-time World Champion is joined on Row 3 by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Binder, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Quartararo completing the Q2 order.
Tyler Scott, age 17, took provisional pole position during qualifying for the $250,000 100th Loudon Classic Presented by NEMRR Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Riding his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 Next-Gen MotoAmerica Supersport bike on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks, Scott lapped the undulating and bumpy 1.6-mile road course in 1:10.673 to top the field of 48 riders.
“We came here for testing last month and did a 1:10.9,” Scott told Roadracingworld.com. “We’ve been kind of chasing that all day, and then we did a 1:10.8 in the first [Pro Practice/Qualifying] session. But Shane Narbonne did a 1:10.7. So, we made some small changes to get some more front-end grip and then we were able to do a 1:10.6. I have a good feeling with the bike, a good feeling with the team, and, even though it’s only my second time here, a good feeling with the track.”
Shane Narbonne, the 10-time and defending Loudon Classic Champion, did a 1:10.747 on his Pirelli-shod 64 Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6 in the first of two Pro Practice/Qualifying sessions late Friday evening, but he failed to improve on that time in the second session and ended up second-quickest when Friday’s provisional qualifying times were combined.
Narbonne lost some time in that final session when he pulled offline exiting Turn 10, slowed to walking speed, and kicked at two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch, who was admittedly trying to get a tow off Narbonne and had also slowed to stay behind him.
Shane Narbonne (left) kicked at Brandon Paasch during qualifying for the 100th Loudon Classic Friday when Paasch was trying to get a tow off Narbonne. Photo by David Swarts, copyright Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
“He blew Turn Two,” Narbonne told Roadracingworld.com. “He tried to hunt me down, and I tried to pull off, and he just kept following me. Childish games.”
“I think he just got a little pisssed off that I was following him,” said Paasch. “I mean, I didn’t really do nothing wrong. We do this every weekend. Somebody’s always trying to follow somebody else. That’s just part of the racing. World Superbike does it. MotoGP does it. BSB does it. MotoAmerica does it. So, he was mad that I was following him, started flipping me off, yelling ‘F*** you!’ through his helmet. Like, I could hear him.
“I was, whatever, he’s going to have to go for a lap because there’s only two minutes left. So, I just sat behind him because the dude’s fast here. You know what I mean? It’s the same thing anywhere. You want to go behind the fastest-possible guy you can get behind. I know he’s fast here. Why wouldn’t I want to follow the fastest guy?
“So, I’m sitting behind him. He’s getting all mad, waving his hands around like a child. We come down through Turn Nine, the left, then [Turn] 10, the right. And we’re in first gear by this point, literally just cruising. And I’m like, I’m not letting you not give me a tow. He kind of makes like a hard left towards the wall and then just like a hard right and about cleaned my front wheel out. Then he kicked the front of my bike at the same time. And I just gave him a thumbs up. I was like, ‘Real professional, bro.’ And that was really the end of it.”
NEMRR officials are investigating the incident between Narbonne and Paasch, according to Executive Director John Grush, but NEMRR’s Referee had not yet determined if any sanctions will be issued as of post time.
Update: According to Grush, Paasch was fined $100 for not using the correct procedure at the Turn Two escape road and $100 for inappropriate/dangerous riding and Narbonne was fined $100 for inappropriate/dangerous riding and $500 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
PJ Jacobson was third-fastest Friday with a lap time of 1:10.854 on a Dunlop-fitted Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2 he had never ridden before Friday morning.
Earning the fourth and final spot on the provisional front row was Scott’s teammate Richie Escalante, who bounced back from a big highside crash Friday morning to do a 1:10.886 on his second day ever riding at NHMS.
Final qualifying is scheduled to take place Saturday morning, but with a strong chance of rain and much cooler temperatures in the forecast, it’s possible that the grid for the 100th Loudon Classic may have already been set.
The race – with its $55,000 first-place prize up for grabs — is scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
100th Loudon Classic Presented by NEMRR
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, New Hampshire
June 16, 2023
Combined Pro Practice/Pre-Qualifying Session One & Two Results:
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Ryde turns up the heat on his rivals to top Knockhill Free Practice times
Kyle Ryde and reigning Champions LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha was back at the top of the Free Practice times following the opening Bennetts British Superbike Championship sessions at Knockhill today, edging out Yamaha rival Jason O’Halloran in the closing stages. The pace was intense with the top 22 riders covered by just 0.898s.
Ryde improved his pace in the warmer afternoon conditions to move 0.181s ahead of O’Halloran in the final stages of the second session.
The McAMS Yamaha team had a busy afternoon as a crash for the Australian meant they faced a race against time to repair the damage to get him back on track before the end of the session.
However, with two minutes to spare, he was able to return to the circuit, completing a single flying lap before the chequered flag.
Glenn Irwin was the fastest of the BeerMonster Ducatis in third place, 0.192s adrift of Ryde as he bids to regain the advantage in the standings this weekend from his teammate Tommy Bridewell.
Bridewell also had a crash in the early stages of the session, but the BeerMonster Ducati team also worked hard to repair the damage to get him back out in the second half of the session and he completed the top ten riders on combined times.
Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki were back inside the top five as Lee Jackson surged up the order to hold fourth place, narrowly ahead of the leading FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team rider Josh Brookes in fifth to make it four different manufacturers in the top five positions.
Christian Iddon was sixth fastest for Oxford Products Racing Ducati, setting the exact same lap time as Brookes, moving ahead of Danny Buchan in the afternoon with Ryan Vickers completing the top eight.
Charlie Nesbitt secured his place in eBay Q2 tomorrow for the MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing Team, with Leon Haslam and Storm Stacey completing the top 12 riders ahead of tomorrow’s eBay Qualifying and BikeSocial Sprint Race.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Free Practice combined times:
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 47.553s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.181s
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.192s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +0.205s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +0.295s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.295s
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.327s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.329s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing) +0.386s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.387s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) +0.392s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +0.533s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Kyle Ryde
LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha
“It’s nice to be able to come back to a difficult track for me in the past on the same bike as last year. I feel good with the bike, obviously its great to bring confidence from the test into the first day with the result being fastest.
“We need to keep the ball rolling now for tomorrow; the lap times were coming on stronger at the end of the session. My confidence is a lot higher than what it was here last year and I feel a lot better on the bike than what I did last year too.
“Obviously its great to be fastest today, but I have to battle hard tomorrow to get a good qualifying position and hopefully a strong race, to set us up for Sunday.
“It’s a very difficult with everyone being so close. Someone that could be in for 11th or 12th in tomorrow’s race could stick a good lap in and end up on the front row on Sunday. So it’s a mixed grid, just like it was at Silverstone and that was a big pack of riders in the group. It is going to be close tomorrow!”
Jordi Torres took pole position during wet FIM MotoE qualifying Friday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Openbank Aspar Team Ducati electric racebike, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 1:34.601 to top the 18-rider field.
Both MotoE races will take place Saturday in Germany.
MotoE™: Torres shines in the wet for Sachsenring pole
The Championship leader pips Garzo, with Granado third and Ferrari facing a fight back after a tougher qualifying in Germany
Friday, 16 June 2023
Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) shone in qualifying for Round 3 of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship, just pipping key rival Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP) to pole in wet conditions at the Sachsenring. Q2 went down to the wire and it’s Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) completing the front row as his mission to play catch up in the standings continues, with Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) set to play catch up off the line instead as the Italian starts P9.
A damp P1, a largely dry P2 and then a wet Q1 and Q2 kept the MotoE™ field on their toes on Day 1, and it was Ferrari who went into qualifying topping the combined times, the only rider to break the old lap record so far. But as rain came down ahead of qualifying, the Italian couldn’t quite find enough to move up off Row 3.
The fight for pole ultimately went down to the wire between Torres, Garzo and Granado, with Garzo crossing the line to complete his final effort first. That was enough for provisional pole but Torres still had time he managed to find, taking his first pole of the season by a tenth and a half as Granado slotted into P3.
Nicholas Spinelli (HP Pons Los40) also shone in the tougher conditions and starts P4, just ahead of fellow Q1 graduate Hikari Okubo (Tech3 E-Racing). Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40) completes Row 2, ahead of rookie Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) and Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing), the Italian and MotoE™ race winner into Q2 for the first time on his return to the electric competition in 2023. Ferrari rounds out the third row, ahead of Tito Rabat (Prettl Pramac MotoE™) also making a first appearance in Q2.
Check out the full qualifying bellow FREE on YouTube, and then make sure to tune in to our broadcast partners or VideoPass to enjoy the racing. Race 1 gets underway at 12:15 (GMT +2) before the second showdown fires up at 16:10!
Shane Narbonne, the 10-time and defending Champion, unofficially led practice for the 100th Loudon Classic Presented by NEMRR, Friday morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Riding his Pirelli-shod 64 Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6, Narbonne lapped the 1.6-mile road course in 1:10.996 to lead Group 8 and Group 8A practices, the sessions in which most of the Loudon Classic competitors are in.
“Pre-Qualifying” sessions for Loudon Classic competitors will be held Friday evening, then the top 48 riders from Friday will advance to Qualifying sessions on Saturday morning.
The 25-lap 100th Loudon Classic is scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time, rain or shine, on Saturday, June 17.
Friday Morning Notes:
Multi-time Loudon Classic Champion Scott Greenwood is not competing in the 100th Loudon Classic due to a lingering shoulder injury suffered while playing hockey in 2022. Greenwood is, however, helping his son Samuel Greenwood this weekend.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC is fielding PJ Jacobsen on a Panigale V2 that the New Yorker never saw before he threw a leg over it Friday morning. Jacobsen rode a stock Panigale V2 on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks on Thursday, but before that the 29-year-old said the last time he rode at NHMS was on a 125cc GP bike when he was 11 years old.
Richie Escalante highsided his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 coming out Turn Six during practice, but the Mexican rider was not injured. According to his team, Escalante was on pace to do a 1:10 lap time.
Marco Bezzecchi led MotoGP Free Practice Two (FP2) and overall Friday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the young Italian lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) road course in 1:20.271 to top the field of 20 riders. Just 0.851 second covered the top 16 riders in FP2.
Bezzecchi heads Martin as drama unfolds for Marc Marquez on Day 1
Bezzecchi, Martin and Aleix lock out the top three, but some huge talking points come from a dramatic day for Marc Marquez as the 11-time Sachsenring winner faces Q1
Marco Bezzecchi (72). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Friday, 16 June 2023
Two red flags, a massive save, a dramatic Turn 1 crash and a late flurry of times – they’re just a few notes from Day 1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, and they don’t tell the whole story. Talking times it’s Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) who ends Friday fastest with a 1:20.271 as the Italian is chased close by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), but plenty of the headlines will go the way of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) after he was at the heart of the talking points.
The calm before the storm
Despite wet weather making its presence known in the Moto3™ and Moto2™ Practice 2 sessions, the premier class ventured straight out on slick tyres for their one-hour Friday afternoon stint. Some early time improvers were Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) as the Portuguese rider rose to P3, and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) as he moved forward.
There were just over 20 minutes left on the clock when we saw some fresh soft rear rubber laid on the Sachsenring, and the push for laptimes began in earnest. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) popped up to P2 to get the Practice 2 time attack ball rolling, and Aleix Espargaro then quickly returned to P3.
A whirlwind end to P2
he’d been close to the top in P1, but while pushing for an improvement in the afternoon, Marc Marquez had a huge moment at Turn 11. The eight-time World Champion did very well to stay on board – and in the aftermath, the #93 made his feelings towards the moment clear.
In the meantime, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) were chipping away at their personal best times, before Augusto Fernandez propelled himself to P4 with 11 minutes to go. But in the blink of an eye that was soon P9 as the rapid times started to be slung in, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) going P1 ahead of former teammate Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Then, huge drama unfolded at Turn 1. First, Viñales was down but ok. Then, moments later, Marc Marquez’s front end washed away at the start of a lap at Turn 1 as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was coming out the pitlane. Subsequently, Marquez’s stricken Honda clattered into Zarco’s Ducati in a crash that brought out the red flags. Riders ok and able to get back out on track once the session was restarted, but talking point most definitely made. Marquez wasn’t able to get out in time to complete a lap, however, and that saw him finish outside the top 10, facing Q1 in Germany.
Johann Zarco remains lying on the ground after Marc Marquez (running out of the gravel trap) crashed and collided with him in Turn One. Both escaped injury. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Back at the top, Aleix Espargaro went P1 near the end of the session, before Bezzecchi produced some late magic to pinch top spot away from the Spaniard, and Martin then pinched second from the Aprilia roo.
At the end of a breathless final 10 minutes, it’s Bagnaia who claims P4 behind the fastest trio, with Miller completing the top five. Quartararo will be into Q2 for the first time since the Americas GP, the Frenchman bagging P6, as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Zarco pocket automatic spots in Q2.
So…11-time Sachsenring winner Marc Marquez faces Q1 in Germany, not something we thought we’d be saying. Title-chasing Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is another big name missing out on the Q2 cut, too, so there’s everything to play for on Saturday.
SHOWTIME
With some huge names in Q1, the stage is set for Qualifying and then the Tissot Sprint. Here’s when it all gets underway in GMT+2:
MotoGP™ FP: 10:10
MotoGP™ Q1: 10:50
MotoGP™ Q2: 11:15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00
Pedro Acosta (37). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Acosta on top in dry P1, Arbolino heads damp P2
A wet afternoon at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland means the Moto2™ Friday classification is decided by the Practice 1 times, which sees Italian GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) end the day fastest with a 1:23.979. Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) – a late crasher in Practice 2 – is 0.237s off his compatriot in P2, while Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) heads into Saturday as the rider in P3.
On a damp but drying Sachsenring for Practice 2, however, World Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) set the pace but the afternoon outing didn’t count for much more than getting a feel for the tricky conditions – despite slick tyres making a brief appearance in the closing stages.
Behind the leading trio, Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) and Jake Dixon (Polarcube GASGAS Aspar Team) are inside the top five after the first two Practice sessions, while Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) is P6 ahead of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team). Eighth place is where we find Arbolino on the combined times, the Italian is one place ahead of teammate Sam Lowes. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) rounds out the top Friday top 10 in the intermediate class.
Moto2™ Practice 3 starts at 09:25 local time (GMT+2), before qualifying from 13:45!
Ayumu Sasaki (71). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sasaki top with new lap record as rain slows play in P2
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) will head into qualifying day as the rider to beat after heavy rain in the afternoon saw no riders improve on their times from P1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Japanese rider set a new lap record in P1 and was two and a half tenths clear of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) completing the overall top three.
It was Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) who led the way in the wet Practice 2 conditions after Scott Ogden’s (VisionTrack Racing Team) Turn 8 crash briefly brought out the red flags in the afternoon due to the Brit’s Honda damaging the air fence, rider ok. Then, heading into the closing stages, Öncü suffered a crash at the rapid Turn 11 right-hander. The Turkish star was declared fit after a check up, however, and will be back out on Saturday.
At the conclusion of the day then, it’s the dry times that count towards the provisional Q2 places. Behind Sasaki, Öncü and Masia, Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar M3) sit inside the top five. World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was sixth in Practice 1 ahead of Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Bertelle.
Make sure you tune into Moto3™ P3 at 08:40 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday morning to see who will head straight into Q2, and then it’s qualifying from 12:50!
Tony Arbolino was quickest in damp-but-drying conditions during Moto2 Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Elf Marc VDS Racing Kalex, Arbolino turned a lap time of 1:26.859 to lead the field of 30 riders.
Americans Joe Roberts (1:28.800) and Sean Dylan Kelly (1:33.982), were seventh and 22nd, respectively, in the tricky session.
Pedro Acosta (37), as seen earlier this season. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Pedro Acosta earned pole position during Moto2 qualifying Saturday at Sachsenring, in Germany. The Spanish rider lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) road course in 1:23.858.
Elf Marc VDS Racing’s Tony Arbolino was the best of the rest at 1:24.127, and Polar Cube GASGAS Aspar Team rider Jake Dixon earned the third and final spot on the front row with a time of 1:24.158.
Americans Joe Roberts (1:24.909) and Sean Dylan Kelly (1:25.519) qualified 16th and 18th, respectively, and both will start the race from Row Six of the 29-rider grid.
Japanese rider Ayumu Sasaki claimed pole position during Moto3 qualifying at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna, Sasaki broke the All-Time Lap Record he set Friday, 1:25.840, with a 1:25.130 on Saturday. Not only was Sasaki’s lap a record and good enough for pole position, it was 1.092 seconds better than the next-fastest rider, Deniz Oncu, in the normally tight field.
Spaniard Jordi Torres won FIM MotoE World Championship Race One Saturday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Openbank Aspar Team Ducati electric racebike, Torres won the 10-lap race by just 0.778 second over Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE team’s Randy Krummenacher. HP Pons Los40 rider Nicolas Spinelli was a very close third.
The Spaniard was back on the top step, with Garzo and Granado crashing out… but a penalty promoting Ferrari to a valuable third
Jordi Torres (81) leading MotoE Race One. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 17 June 2023
Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) took a stunning victory at the Sachsenring in Race 1 after a dramatic . Polesitter Torres lost out at the start but a series of incredible overtakes and then late drama meant he took victory. Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) claimed his best MotoE™ result with second, while Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) was ultimately classified third after a penalty for rookie Nicholas Spinelli (HP Pons Los40).
The lights went out for Race 1 and rookie Spinelli took the lead into Turn 1, but he soon relinquished that on Lap 2 when Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) came past in search of his first MotoE™ win. Garzo’s pace meant he was able to set a new race lap record on the second lap, with a 1:27.914, before the race pace across the field slowed down. The Spaniard was unable to pull away from the chasing pack as polesitter Torres kept the pressure on, although he found himself dropping down the order in the early stages.
Mugello Race 2 winner Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) moved into the podium places as he passed Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40) with an unconventional but effective move at Turn 2 on Lap 5 before he set his sights on Torres up ahead. A lap later and Granado was through on the two-time World Cup winner at Turn 12; a move he repeated on Lap 7 on Garzo to move into the lead. Granado’s lead lasted just a couple of laps as Torres, who had battled back into the lead fight, came by on Lap 9 at Turn 12 to take the lead.
The drama continued at the start of the final lap. Both Granado and Garzo crashed at Turn 1, in separate incidents, with Granado attempting to re-take the lead when he lost the front of his Ducati machine while Garzo went down after contact with Spinelli. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards with Spinelli given a three-second penalty, the equivalent of a Long Lap Penalty. The incident itself saw Krummenacher take over in second and Spinelli third initially, but the Italian dropped to sixth once the penalty was applied. That puts Ferrari into third, and given the Italian had started tenth after he was disqualified from Q2 for a technical infringement, it was a first job of the day well done.
Ferrari was three tenths clear of Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-racing) in fourth, the Italian back into the front echelons as he gains experience on the new Ducati and returns from Moto2™. Zaccone had a two-second margin over Casadei in fifth. Spinelli was sixth with his penalty, finishing ahead of Tito Rabat (Prettl Pramac MotoE™) in eighth as the Spaniard made gains. Mugello Race 1 victor Andrea Mantovani (RNF MotoE Team) was ninth with Hikari Okubo (Tech3 E-racing) rounding out the top ten.
Defending World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia conquered tricky drying conditions and his competition to claim his second consecutive pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Sachsenring, in Germany.
Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici on Michelin slicks on a drying track, the Italian lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) track in 1:21.409 to edge out Mooney VR46 Racing Team Ducati’s Luca Marini (1:21.4487) and Red Bull KTM’s Jack Miller (1:21.492).
Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, meanwhile, continued to struggle, crashing three times between Q1 and Q2. Marquez’s condition was not immediately known.
Bagnaia takes pole, Marc Marquez makes it a blockbuster qualifying in Germany
Bagnaia, Marini & Miller head the grid, but MM93 steals the headlines after recovering from Q1 and three crashes to take a hard-earned P7
Saturday, 17 June 2023
Crashes, pitlane sprints and serious skills were on show as MotoGP™ qualifying at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland threw up drama aplenty. It will be Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) starting from pole position as the Italian’s 1:21.409 saw him beat Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) by 0.078s, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing a front row split by just 0.083s. Elsewhere, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) claimed a third row start despite three crashes across Q1 and Q2, the number 93 going all in against quite a mountain to climb.
Slick tyre gambles pay off
After an eventful Friday, King of the Ring Marc Marquez found himself in Q1 – and after morning rainfall, conditions were damp but drying quickly at the Sachsenring. After one flying lap, the #93 led Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) by 0.9s before pulling into pitlane. There was a very noticeable dry line but Marquez ventured back out on Michelin’s rain tyres, as did Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), but Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) opted for a pair of slicks.
Then, 0.3s under his fastest lap, it was unlucky Turn 13 as Marquez tucked the front. The Spaniard had barely come to a halt before he was up and legging it back to pitlane to hop on his second RC213V – on slick tyres. Meanwhile, on rain tyres still, Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) went P2 before Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was then fastest. He too was on rain tyres but Binder moved the goalposts on his slick tyres – the South African 0.4s quicker than Viñales, with Marquez P3 heading onto his final lap.
Binder improved again on his next lap, his advantage up to nearly two seconds, as Marquez engaged attack mode. A moment out the final corner cost the HRC star time, but not enough to stop him from snatching P2 from Viñales. Binder and Marc Marquez sailed into Q2 as the slick tyre gamble paid off.
Drama, drama and a bit more drama
A few more minutes of Sachsenring sun, coupled with Binder and Marc Marquez’s Q1 exploits, saw the Q2 field head straight out on slick tyres. Bagnaia set the initial benchmark but his 1:24.285 wasn’t going to stay as the time to beat for long. Then, Turn 13 bit Marc Marquez hard – again. A highside saw the Repsol Honda rider unable to rejoin but after a few minutes, Marquez was back in pitlane. On the next lap, Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) also highsided and became the second rider in qualifying to sprint up pitlane. Relentless drama.
On track, Bagnaia was leading the way from Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Marini, with KTM double act Miller and Binder in P4 and P5. With five minutes to go, Pecco hammered home his advantage – the gap to Martin was now 0.5s and the time to beat was 1:22.028.
But a lot can happen in five minutes. Especially when Marc Marquez is rumbling out of pitlane. The clock ticked down to three minutes remaining and now we had all 12 riders on track – it was time to throw caution to the wind. Miller pounced to P2 with Binder going P3 and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was up P4 before Zarco climbed to the summit.
This was going to change constantly. Miller was P1 before Marini bettered the Aussie, as Zarco crashed and for a third time, so did Marquez. This time it was Turn 1 that saw Marquez slide into the gravel and those yellow flags, coupled with the Zarco crash, meant plenty of laps were cancelled in the final minute.
THE GRID(S)
Emerging from the drama, Pecco claimed pole from VR46 Academy stablemate Marini and former Ducati teammate Miller, who continues to thrive on the KTM. Despite a late tumble, Zarco launches from P4 ahead of Bezzecchi and Martin, with Marc Marquez P7 after those three qualifying crashes.
The eight-time World Champion is joined on Row 3 by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Binder, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Quartararo completing the Q2 order.
Tyler Scott (70) leads Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammates Teagg Hobbs (behind Scott) and Richie Escalante (behind Hobbs) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Photo by Dylan Raduenz.
Tyler Scott, age 17, took provisional pole position during qualifying for the $250,000 100th Loudon Classic Presented by NEMRR Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Riding his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 Next-Gen MotoAmerica Supersport bike on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks, Scott lapped the undulating and bumpy 1.6-mile road course in 1:10.673 to top the field of 48 riders.
“We came here for testing last month and did a 1:10.9,” Scott told Roadracingworld.com. “We’ve been kind of chasing that all day, and then we did a 1:10.8 in the first [Pro Practice/Qualifying] session. But Shane Narbonne did a 1:10.7. So, we made some small changes to get some more front-end grip and then we were able to do a 1:10.6. I have a good feeling with the bike, a good feeling with the team, and, even though it’s only my second time here, a good feeling with the track.”
Shane Narbonne, the 10-time and defending Loudon Classic Champion, did a 1:10.747 on his Pirelli-shod 64 Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6 in the first of two Pro Practice/Qualifying sessions late Friday evening, but he failed to improve on that time in the second session and ended up second-quickest when Friday’s provisional qualifying times were combined.
Narbonne lost some time in that final session when he pulled offline exiting Turn 10, slowed to walking speed, and kicked at two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch, who was admittedly trying to get a tow off Narbonne and had also slowed to stay behind him.
Shane Narbonne (left) kicked at Brandon Paasch during qualifying for the 100th Loudon Classic Friday when Paasch was trying to get a tow off Narbonne. Photo by David Swarts, copyright Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
“He blew Turn Two,” Narbonne told Roadracingworld.com. “He tried to hunt me down, and I tried to pull off, and he just kept following me. Childish games.”
“I think he just got a little pisssed off that I was following him,” said Paasch. “I mean, I didn’t really do nothing wrong. We do this every weekend. Somebody’s always trying to follow somebody else. That’s just part of the racing. World Superbike does it. MotoGP does it. BSB does it. MotoAmerica does it. So, he was mad that I was following him, started flipping me off, yelling ‘F*** you!’ through his helmet. Like, I could hear him.
“I was, whatever, he’s going to have to go for a lap because there’s only two minutes left. So, I just sat behind him because the dude’s fast here. You know what I mean? It’s the same thing anywhere. You want to go behind the fastest-possible guy you can get behind. I know he’s fast here. Why wouldn’t I want to follow the fastest guy?
“So, I’m sitting behind him. He’s getting all mad, waving his hands around like a child. We come down through Turn Nine, the left, then [Turn] 10, the right. And we’re in first gear by this point, literally just cruising. And I’m like, I’m not letting you not give me a tow. He kind of makes like a hard left towards the wall and then just like a hard right and about cleaned my front wheel out. Then he kicked the front of my bike at the same time. And I just gave him a thumbs up. I was like, ‘Real professional, bro.’ And that was really the end of it.”
NEMRR officials are investigating the incident between Narbonne and Paasch, according to Executive Director John Grush, but NEMRR’s Referee had not yet determined if any sanctions will be issued as of post time.
Update: According to Grush, Paasch was fined $100 for not using the correct procedure at the Turn Two escape road and $100 for inappropriate/dangerous riding and Narbonne was fined $100 for inappropriate/dangerous riding and $500 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
PJ Jacobson was third-fastest Friday with a lap time of 1:10.854 on a Dunlop-fitted Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2 he had never ridden before Friday morning.
Earning the fourth and final spot on the provisional front row was Scott’s teammate Richie Escalante, who bounced back from a big highside crash Friday morning to do a 1:10.886 on his second day ever riding at NHMS.
Final qualifying is scheduled to take place Saturday morning, but with a strong chance of rain and much cooler temperatures in the forecast, it’s possible that the grid for the 100th Loudon Classic may have already been set.
The race – with its $55,000 first-place prize up for grabs — is scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
100th Loudon Classic Presented by NEMRR
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, New Hampshire
June 16, 2023
Combined Pro Practice/Pre-Qualifying Session One & Two Results:
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Ryde turns up the heat on his rivals to top Knockhill Free Practice times
Kyle Ryde and reigning Champions LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha was back at the top of the Free Practice times following the opening Bennetts British Superbike Championship sessions at Knockhill today, edging out Yamaha rival Jason O’Halloran in the closing stages. The pace was intense with the top 22 riders covered by just 0.898s.
Ryde improved his pace in the warmer afternoon conditions to move 0.181s ahead of O’Halloran in the final stages of the second session.
The McAMS Yamaha team had a busy afternoon as a crash for the Australian meant they faced a race against time to repair the damage to get him back on track before the end of the session.
However, with two minutes to spare, he was able to return to the circuit, completing a single flying lap before the chequered flag.
Glenn Irwin was the fastest of the BeerMonster Ducatis in third place, 0.192s adrift of Ryde as he bids to regain the advantage in the standings this weekend from his teammate Tommy Bridewell.
Bridewell also had a crash in the early stages of the session, but the BeerMonster Ducati team also worked hard to repair the damage to get him back out in the second half of the session and he completed the top ten riders on combined times.
Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki were back inside the top five as Lee Jackson surged up the order to hold fourth place, narrowly ahead of the leading FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team rider Josh Brookes in fifth to make it four different manufacturers in the top five positions.
Christian Iddon was sixth fastest for Oxford Products Racing Ducati, setting the exact same lap time as Brookes, moving ahead of Danny Buchan in the afternoon with Ryan Vickers completing the top eight.
Charlie Nesbitt secured his place in eBay Q2 tomorrow for the MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing Team, with Leon Haslam and Storm Stacey completing the top 12 riders ahead of tomorrow’s eBay Qualifying and BikeSocial Sprint Race.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Free Practice combined times:
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 47.553s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.181s
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.192s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +0.205s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +0.295s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.295s
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.327s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.329s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing) +0.386s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.387s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) +0.392s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +0.533s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Kyle Ryde
LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha
“It’s nice to be able to come back to a difficult track for me in the past on the same bike as last year. I feel good with the bike, obviously its great to bring confidence from the test into the first day with the result being fastest.
“We need to keep the ball rolling now for tomorrow; the lap times were coming on stronger at the end of the session. My confidence is a lot higher than what it was here last year and I feel a lot better on the bike than what I did last year too.
“Obviously its great to be fastest today, but I have to battle hard tomorrow to get a good qualifying position and hopefully a strong race, to set us up for Sunday.
“It’s a very difficult with everyone being so close. Someone that could be in for 11th or 12th in tomorrow’s race could stick a good lap in and end up on the front row on Sunday. So it’s a mixed grid, just like it was at Silverstone and that was a big pack of riders in the group. It is going to be close tomorrow!”
Jordi Torres took pole position during wet FIM MotoE qualifying Friday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Openbank Aspar Team Ducati electric racebike, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 1:34.601 to top the 18-rider field.
Both MotoE races will take place Saturday in Germany.
MotoE™: Torres shines in the wet for Sachsenring pole
The Championship leader pips Garzo, with Granado third and Ferrari facing a fight back after a tougher qualifying in Germany
Friday, 16 June 2023
Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) shone in qualifying for Round 3 of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship, just pipping key rival Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP) to pole in wet conditions at the Sachsenring. Q2 went down to the wire and it’s Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) completing the front row as his mission to play catch up in the standings continues, with Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) set to play catch up off the line instead as the Italian starts P9.
A damp P1, a largely dry P2 and then a wet Q1 and Q2 kept the MotoE™ field on their toes on Day 1, and it was Ferrari who went into qualifying topping the combined times, the only rider to break the old lap record so far. But as rain came down ahead of qualifying, the Italian couldn’t quite find enough to move up off Row 3.
The fight for pole ultimately went down to the wire between Torres, Garzo and Granado, with Garzo crossing the line to complete his final effort first. That was enough for provisional pole but Torres still had time he managed to find, taking his first pole of the season by a tenth and a half as Granado slotted into P3.
Nicholas Spinelli (HP Pons Los40) also shone in the tougher conditions and starts P4, just ahead of fellow Q1 graduate Hikari Okubo (Tech3 E-Racing). Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40) completes Row 2, ahead of rookie Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) and Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing), the Italian and MotoE™ race winner into Q2 for the first time on his return to the electric competition in 2023. Ferrari rounds out the third row, ahead of Tito Rabat (Prettl Pramac MotoE™) also making a first appearance in Q2.
Check out the full qualifying bellow FREE on YouTube, and then make sure to tune in to our broadcast partners or VideoPass to enjoy the racing. Race 1 gets underway at 12:15 (GMT +2) before the second showdown fires up at 16:10!
Shane Narbonne (64). Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy NEMRR.
Shane Narbonne, the 10-time and defending Champion, unofficially led practice for the 100th Loudon Classic Presented by NEMRR, Friday morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Riding his Pirelli-shod 64 Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6, Narbonne lapped the 1.6-mile road course in 1:10.996 to lead Group 8 and Group 8A practices, the sessions in which most of the Loudon Classic competitors are in.
“Pre-Qualifying” sessions for Loudon Classic competitors will be held Friday evening, then the top 48 riders from Friday will advance to Qualifying sessions on Saturday morning.
The 25-lap 100th Loudon Classic is scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time, rain or shine, on Saturday, June 17.
Friday Morning Notes:
Multi-time Loudon Classic Champion Scott Greenwood is not competing in the 100th Loudon Classic due to a lingering shoulder injury suffered while playing hockey in 2022. Greenwood is, however, helping his son Samuel Greenwood this weekend.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC is fielding PJ Jacobsen on a Panigale V2 that the New Yorker never saw before he threw a leg over it Friday morning. Jacobsen rode a stock Panigale V2 on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks on Thursday, but before that the 29-year-old said the last time he rode at NHMS was on a 125cc GP bike when he was 11 years old.
Richie Escalante highsided his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 coming out Turn Six during practice, but the Mexican rider was not injured. According to his team, Escalante was on pace to do a 1:10 lap time.
Marco Bezzecchi (72), as seen at Mugello. Photo courtesy Mooney VR46 Racing Team.
Marco Bezzecchi led MotoGP Free Practice Two (FP2) and overall Friday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the young Italian lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) road course in 1:20.271 to top the field of 20 riders. Just 0.851 second covered the top 16 riders in FP2.
Bezzecchi heads Martin as drama unfolds for Marc Marquez on Day 1
Bezzecchi, Martin and Aleix lock out the top three, but some huge talking points come from a dramatic day for Marc Marquez as the 11-time Sachsenring winner faces Q1
Marco Bezzecchi (72). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Friday, 16 June 2023
Two red flags, a massive save, a dramatic Turn 1 crash and a late flurry of times – they’re just a few notes from Day 1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, and they don’t tell the whole story. Talking times it’s Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) who ends Friday fastest with a 1:20.271 as the Italian is chased close by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), but plenty of the headlines will go the way of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) after he was at the heart of the talking points.
The calm before the storm
Despite wet weather making its presence known in the Moto3™ and Moto2™ Practice 2 sessions, the premier class ventured straight out on slick tyres for their one-hour Friday afternoon stint. Some early time improvers were Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) as the Portuguese rider rose to P3, and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) as he moved forward.
There were just over 20 minutes left on the clock when we saw some fresh soft rear rubber laid on the Sachsenring, and the push for laptimes began in earnest. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) popped up to P2 to get the Practice 2 time attack ball rolling, and Aleix Espargaro then quickly returned to P3.
A whirlwind end to P2
he’d been close to the top in P1, but while pushing for an improvement in the afternoon, Marc Marquez had a huge moment at Turn 11. The eight-time World Champion did very well to stay on board – and in the aftermath, the #93 made his feelings towards the moment clear.
In the meantime, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) were chipping away at their personal best times, before Augusto Fernandez propelled himself to P4 with 11 minutes to go. But in the blink of an eye that was soon P9 as the rapid times started to be slung in, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) going P1 ahead of former teammate Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Then, huge drama unfolded at Turn 1. First, Viñales was down but ok. Then, moments later, Marc Marquez’s front end washed away at the start of a lap at Turn 1 as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was coming out the pitlane. Subsequently, Marquez’s stricken Honda clattered into Zarco’s Ducati in a crash that brought out the red flags. Riders ok and able to get back out on track once the session was restarted, but talking point most definitely made. Marquez wasn’t able to get out in time to complete a lap, however, and that saw him finish outside the top 10, facing Q1 in Germany.
Johann Zarco remains lying on the ground after Marc Marquez (running out of the gravel trap) crashed and collided with him in Turn One. Both escaped injury. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Back at the top, Aleix Espargaro went P1 near the end of the session, before Bezzecchi produced some late magic to pinch top spot away from the Spaniard, and Martin then pinched second from the Aprilia roo.
At the end of a breathless final 10 minutes, it’s Bagnaia who claims P4 behind the fastest trio, with Miller completing the top five. Quartararo will be into Q2 for the first time since the Americas GP, the Frenchman bagging P6, as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Zarco pocket automatic spots in Q2.
So…11-time Sachsenring winner Marc Marquez faces Q1 in Germany, not something we thought we’d be saying. Title-chasing Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is another big name missing out on the Q2 cut, too, so there’s everything to play for on Saturday.
SHOWTIME
With some huge names in Q1, the stage is set for Qualifying and then the Tissot Sprint. Here’s when it all gets underway in GMT+2:
MotoGP™ FP: 10:10
MotoGP™ Q1: 10:50
MotoGP™ Q2: 11:15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00
Pedro Acosta (37). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Acosta on top in dry P1, Arbolino heads damp P2
A wet afternoon at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland means the Moto2™ Friday classification is decided by the Practice 1 times, which sees Italian GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) end the day fastest with a 1:23.979. Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) – a late crasher in Practice 2 – is 0.237s off his compatriot in P2, while Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) heads into Saturday as the rider in P3.
On a damp but drying Sachsenring for Practice 2, however, World Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) set the pace but the afternoon outing didn’t count for much more than getting a feel for the tricky conditions – despite slick tyres making a brief appearance in the closing stages.
Behind the leading trio, Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) and Jake Dixon (Polarcube GASGAS Aspar Team) are inside the top five after the first two Practice sessions, while Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) is P6 ahead of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team). Eighth place is where we find Arbolino on the combined times, the Italian is one place ahead of teammate Sam Lowes. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) rounds out the top Friday top 10 in the intermediate class.
Moto2™ Practice 3 starts at 09:25 local time (GMT+2), before qualifying from 13:45!
Ayumu Sasaki (71). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sasaki top with new lap record as rain slows play in P2
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) will head into qualifying day as the rider to beat after heavy rain in the afternoon saw no riders improve on their times from P1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Japanese rider set a new lap record in P1 and was two and a half tenths clear of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) completing the overall top three.
It was Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) who led the way in the wet Practice 2 conditions after Scott Ogden’s (VisionTrack Racing Team) Turn 8 crash briefly brought out the red flags in the afternoon due to the Brit’s Honda damaging the air fence, rider ok. Then, heading into the closing stages, Öncü suffered a crash at the rapid Turn 11 right-hander. The Turkish star was declared fit after a check up, however, and will be back out on Saturday.
At the conclusion of the day then, it’s the dry times that count towards the provisional Q2 places. Behind Sasaki, Öncü and Masia, Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar M3) sit inside the top five. World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was sixth in Practice 1 ahead of Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Bertelle.
Make sure you tune into Moto3™ P3 at 08:40 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday morning to see who will head straight into Q2, and then it’s qualifying from 12:50!
Tony Arbolino (14). Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Tony Arbolino was quickest in damp-but-drying conditions during Moto2 Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Elf Marc VDS Racing Kalex, Arbolino turned a lap time of 1:26.859 to lead the field of 30 riders.
Americans Joe Roberts (1:28.800) and Sean Dylan Kelly (1:33.982), were seventh and 22nd, respectively, in the tricky session.
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ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
April 15, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
