Johann Zarco frustrated before the break: ‘In Germany we had made some progress, but then regressed’

Johann Zarco frustrated before the break: ‘In Germany we had made some progress, but then regressed’

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Johann Zarco could not do better than 17th place in the German GP of MotoGP, which, aside from two DNFs, is his second-worst result of the year so far. Honda’s performance crisis shows no sign of ending, and at this point in the summer break, the rider occupies 19th place in the championship.
Quoted by Motosan.es, the Frenchman from LCR Honda commented that there seemed to have been progress… which eventually faded away: ‘On the German weekend, we had made some progress, but then regressed. On Saturday morning we lost time because we couldn’t find the balance, and so in the GP, I wasn’t able to at least get 15th place’.
Despite reiterating the confidence that exists in Honda, both from his side and from Lucio Cecchinello’s, Zarco emphasized that it is a complicated situation to face:
– For him [Cecchinello] it is also not easy, but he is quite professional. Like me, he expects something more and wants to give confidence to Honda because he knows what they are capable of. However, when he hears our comments and sees the sadness in our eyes, it’s difficult, just as it is to motivate sponsors to believe in the project.

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Rider ratings halfway through season, top 10 riders analysis, Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, Jack Miller, Fabio Quartararo

Rider ratings halfway through season, top 10 riders analysis, Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, Jack Miller, Fabio Quartararo

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There’s maths, and there’s MotoGP maths. Consider: the 20-race 2024 calendar – assuming it gets to 20 races after the cancellation of Argentina, the postponement of India until 2025, the pushing back of Kazakhstan from last year to June 2024, and again to September if it goes ahead at all – means MotoGP’s first nine events have happened in 17 weeks, with the final 11 taking place in just 16 weeks from August to November. With the recent races in the Netherlands and Germany on back-to-back weekends in a nine-week span, it’s time to take stock of 2024 and contemplate what we’ve learned after nine of 20 – maybe 19 – rounds this season.Every MotoGP qualifying, practice and race LIVE and ad-break free from lights out to the chequered flag. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >Has the madcap 2025 rider market overshadowed this season while shaping next? What are the prevailing – and emerging – narratives? And is the balance of 2024 set for a repeat of the Francesco Bagnaia vs. Jorge Martin battle from last year, one that raged all the way to the season finale in Valencia with plot twists nobody saw coming? They’re all pertinent questions with undetermined answers, but what’s more clear are the riders who have shone – and stumbled – from Qatar to Germany. So far, 27 riders have appeared in at least one race, but who are Fox Sports’ top 10? MORE MOTOGP NEWSGERMAN GP TALKING POINTS Champ’s patience pays, Marquez brothers make historyNEW TEAM, NEW HOPE? Miller’s left-field lifeline after Pramac dumps DucatiTo caveat what’s to come: it’s not simply a matter of listing the top 10 in the standings, as that removes context, expectations, perception and reputation, and doesn’t take into account what machine a rider is working with. So before we reveal who made the cut, there’s a short list of honourable (or dishonourable) mentions. Brad Binder was an outstanding fourth in last year’s championship, but the ceiling of the KTM has been raised by rookie sensation Pedro Acosta this year. Aside from a first-race podium in Qatar, Binder – for all of his experience – has been shown the way by a rider who began the season as a teenager, making you ponder whether his 2023 – strong as it was – extracted the absolute maximum out of the RC16.Ducati pair Franco Morbidelli and Marco Bezzecchi have each been handily beaten by their teammates (Jorge Martin and Fabio Di Giannantonio respectively). Morbidelli gets a pass of sorts after missing all of the pre-season and being nowhere near 100 per cent when he returned after a nasty off-season production bike crash in Portugal, while Bezzecchi – third in last year’s championship – has struggled with Michelin’s 2024-spec rear tyre this season, but parlayed his potential from 2023 to ink a factory Aprilia seat for next year. Aprilia teammates Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez have each shown flashes, but no more than that. Jack Miller’s 2024 – sacked by one KTM team and overlooked for another, jobless for 2025 and on track for his worst season since 2016 – makes him an easy omission.That’s who missed out – so here’s who didn’t. (Note: head-to-head with teammate statistics below only counts sprint races or Grands Prix where both teammates finished).10. FABIO QUARTARARO (YAMAHA)In the Yamaha vs. Honda fight at the back, Quartararo has been the one standout. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 44/15thBest Grand Prix result: 7th (Portugal)Best sprint race result: 5th (Spain)Best qualifying: 8th (France)Points compared to teammates: Quartararo 44, Alex Rins/Remy Gardner 8Head-to-head with teammates in qualifying: Quartararo 6, Rins/Gardner 3Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Quartararo 4, Rins/Gardner 2Head-to-head in sprint races: Quartararo 6, Rins/Gardner 0Summary: The 2021 world champion in 10th when he’s 15th in the standings? It’s all about context. In the unofficial ‘Japanese Cup’ between Yamaha and Honda in the sport’s basement, Quartararo’s 44 points are equal to the combined total of Joan Mir, Johann Zarco, Takaaki Nakagami, Yamaha teammate Alex Rins and Luca Marini; three of that five-rider group are MotoGP race-winners, so it’s not like Quartararo is clobbering a cadre of no-hopers. Getting a Yamaha into the top 10 anywhere with eight Ducatis on the grid is an achievement, and the Frenchman’s quality can still intermittently transcend his machinery. Re-signed for two more years earlier in 2024, Quartararo means Yamaha at least have a rider with proven ability on board to lead it out of the abyss ahead of the 2027 regulatory reset. In the interim, he’ll continue to swipe occasional results of note and get the best out of what he has. 9. ALEX MARQUEZ (DUCATI)Alex Marquez (right) shared the spotlight with his more famous sibling at the Sachsenring. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 79/10thBest Grand Prix result: 3rd (Germany)Best sprint race result: 7th (Qatar)Best qualifying: 4th (Netherlands)Points compared to teammate: Alex Marquez 79, Marc Marquez 166Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Alex Marquez 3, Marc Marquez 6Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Alex Marquez 1, Marc Marquez 6Head-to-head in sprint races: Alex Marquez 0, Marc Marquez 7Summary: Being considered one of 22 riders worthy of a MotoGP seat is quite the achievement, but being the second-best rider in your own team and family can’t be easy for Alex Marquez. It’s been his lot for a while now, of course, and he’s managed it well enough to already earn a two-year contract extension with Gresini for 2025-26. The younger Marquez is always there or thereabouts, never right at the front, but never underachieving on the machinery he’s riding. A German GP podium with his brother – the first siblings to finish together in the top three for 27 years – was a superb way to end a solid first half.8. ALEIX ESPARGARO (APRILIA)Espargaro revealed his retirement plans, then won the Catalunya sprint race. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 82/9thBest Grand Prix result: 4th (Catalunya)Best sprint race result: 1st (Catalunya)Best qualifying: Pole (Catalunya)Points compared to teammate: Espargaro 82, Maverick Vinales 125Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Espargaro 2, Vinales 6Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Espargaro 2, Vinales 3Head-to-head in sprint races: Espargaro 2, Vinales 4Summary: The grid’s oldest rider – Espargaro turns 35 later this month – announced at his beloved Catalunya that 2024 will be his final campaign before retirement, where he’ll take on Honda’s test rider role behind the scenes next season. Aprilia’s ‘Captain’ has had a curious career – his best season was 2022, the 12th of his 14-year tenure – and while the highs of two years ago aren’t as frequent, he’s still capable of occasional heroics, as the aforementioned Catalan round demonstrated. His 2024 stats took a hit after missing Assen and the Sachsenring after breaking a finger in the Netherlands, but it would surprise few if the high point of his farewell tour came at the fast and flowing Silverstone next time out, where he won last August.7. ENEA BASTIANINI (DUCATI)Qualifying performance remains elusive, but Bastianini’s race pace is formidable. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 155/4thBest Grand Prix result: 2nd (Portugal, Italy)Best sprint race result: 4th (France, Netherlands, Germany)Best qualifying: Pole (Portugal)Points compared to teammate: Bastianini 155, Francesco Bagnaia 212Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Bastianini 2, Bagnaia 7Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Bastianini 1, Bagnaia 7Head-to-head in sprint races: Bastianini 2, Bagnaia 4Summary: Sometimes, the eye test pre-empts the stats; in two seasons of MotoGP employing a half-distance sprint race on Saturdays, Bastianini – on the best bike in the field – is yet to even finish on the podium. It’s in keeping with “The Beast’s” reputation as being MotoGP’s foremost tyre whisperer, the diminutive Italian able to save grip on his Michelins to storm forward late in full-distance races and uncork lap times his opponents can’t live with on fading rubber. Qualifying remains a work in progress – he’s started three of nine Grands Prix outside of the first three rows – but you sense a first win of 2024 isn’t far away. 6. MAVERICK VINALES (APRILIA)Vinales ran rings around the rest on MotoGP’s annual visit to Texas. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 125/5thBest Grand Prix result: 1st (Americas)Best sprint race result: 1st (Americas)Best qualifying: Pole (Americas)Points compared to teammate: Vinales 125, Aleix Espargaro 82Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Vinales 6, Espargaro 2Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Vinales 3, Espargaro 2Head-to-head in sprint races: Vinales 4, Espargaro 2Summary: Take away Austin, and the mercurial Vinales has averaged just 11 points per event in 2024 – yet scored 37 in Texas when he took pole, won the sprint and Grand Prix (the latter after falling outside of the top 10 on lap one) and set the fastest lap of the race. It was a victory that made him the first rider ever to win in the premier class with three different manufacturers, a stat that summed the Spaniard up perfectly – he’s fast enough for multiple employers to want him, yet inconsistent enough that he regularly moves on; he’s not finished better than fifth in a race since round three’s dominance. Related: Vinales shifts again to KTM next season, and could just as easily sign off on a three-year Aprilia adventure with a win or a slew of 15th-place head-scratching finishes. 5. FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO (DUCATI)Di Giannantonio has rewritten his MotoGP story in the past nine months. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 92/8thBest Grand Prix result: 4th (Netherlands)Best sprint race result: 5th (Netherlands)Best qualifying: 4th (France)Points compared to teammate: Di Giannantonio 92, Marco Bezzecchi 53Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Di Giannantonio 7, Bezzecchi 2Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Di Giannantonio 4, Bezzecchi 2Head-to-head in sprint races: Di Giannantonio 3, Bezzecchi 1Summary: Five races from the end of 2023, you’d have got long odds on the Italian even being on this year’s grid, let alone as number five on this list. Too high? Arguably. But the 25-year-old has raised his game significantly since scoring his first podium at Phillip Island last October before beating Bagnaia for a famous win in Qatar, comprehensively outclassing Bezzecchi in his first season for the VR46 Ducati squad after Bezzecchi won three races and finished third in the championship last year. Only Marc Marquez has scored more of the riders on Ducati’s 2023 bike, and for results relative to expectation, ‘Diggia’ has no equal. Losing out on a factory Honda vacancy that eventually went to Luca Marini was the mother of all bullets to have dodged, too … 4. PEDRO ACOSTA (GASGAS)Acosta arrived with big wraps – and immediately showed the hype was real. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 110/6thBest Grand Prix result: 2nd (Americas)Best sprint race result: 2nd (Spain)Best qualifying: 2nd (Americas)Points compared to teammate: Acosta 110, Augusto Fernandez 15Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Acosta 9, Fernandez 0Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Acosta 4, Fernandez 0Head-to-head in sprint races: Acosta 7, Fernandez 1Summary: Exceeding expectations when the pre-season hype was as high as Acosta’s is no surprise for the most highly-touted rookie since Marc Marquez, but shouldn’t be underestimated either. In nine races, he’s ended the MotoGP career of teammate Augusto Fernandez – who beat him to the 2022 Moto2 crown – and saw KTM sign him to replace Jack Miller for next year with more than half of this season to go. While Acosta’s results have slowed somewhat since scoring two podiums in his first three Grands Prix, he – at 20 – is the rider most likely to challenge Ducati’s dominance in the next few seasons. With a style that makes other riders shake their heads in wonderment and a maturity that belies his age, Acosta’s ceiling – for this year and the next 10 – looks limitless. 3. JORGE MARTIN (DUCATI)Martin has been as volcanically fast as ever, but remains prone to profligacy. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 212/2ndBest Grand Prix result: 1st (Portugal, France)Best sprint race result: 1st (Qatar, Spain, France, Germany)Best qualifying: Pole (Qatar, France, Italy, Germany)Points compared to teammate: Martin 212, Franco Morbidelli 55Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Martin 9, Morbidelli 0Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Martin 5, Morbidelli 0Head-to-head in sprint races: Martin 8, Morbidelli 0Summary: Too low for the rider who has led the standings after seven of the nine rounds this year? Perhaps … but this is a ranking of the best riders of 2024, not the fastest. If it was the latter, it’s Martin first and daylight second; over one lap in qualifying, and in the short-form sprint races he’s owned (13 wins in 28 starts), nobody is quicker. But the old Martin traits remain from last year’s failed title tilt; he’s still prone to crashing out of the lead in races (Spain and Germany), still defiant afterwards, and still rides with a chip on his shoulder that propels him into championship contention, but could just as easily continue to be an anchor to his ultimate potential. Martin’s rollercoaster isn’t as steep this year it was last, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can reduce the gradient of his rises and falls while knowing, with an Aprilia move for 2025 imminent, this year’s championship chase might be his last chance for some time.2. MARC MARQUEZ (DUCATI)New colours, same Marquez: the six-time MotoGP champion has been rapid from day one on a Ducati. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 166/3rdBest Grand Prix result: 2nd (Spain, France, Germany)Best sprint race result: 2nd (Portugal, Americas, France, Catalunya, Italy)Best qualifying: Pole (Spain)Points compared to teammate: Marc Marquez 166, Alex Marquez 79Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Marc Marquez 6, Alex Marquez 3Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Marc Marquez 6, Alex Marquez 1Head-to-head in sprint races: Marc Marquez 7, Alex Marquez 0Summary: Like Martin, Marquez would be number one if this was another list; in a four-week period, the Spaniard rebooted the 2025 rider market, had a hand in Ducati losing three top-flight riders and two bikes for next year, and reminded anyone who may have forgotten that his power hasn’t faded with his results since his championship avalanche abated in 2019. On track, Marquez has been routinely brilliant, fighting with Bagnaia and Martin on a bike that’s a year older, not getting anywhere near the level of developmental upgrades, and with a team he barely knows. Podiums have been plentiful, but a win to end a drought that has stretched to nearly 1000 days hasn’t happened. Yet. 1. FRANCESCO BAGNAIA (DUCATI)For a third straight year, Bagnaia has asserted himself as the sport’s benchmark. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 222/1stBest Grand Prix result: 1st (Qatar, Spain, Catalunya, Italy, Netherlands, Germany)Best sprint race result: 1st (Italy, Netherlands)Best qualifying: Pole (Netherlands)Points compared to teammate: Bagnaia 222, Enea Bastianini 155Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Bagnaia 7, Bastianini 2Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Bagnaia 7, Bastianini 1Head-to-head in sprint races: Bagnaia 4, Bastianini 2Summary: Six victories from nine Grands Prix this season shows what Bagnaia has done and why he’s atop this list, but the numbers only tell part of the story. The 27-year-old is in his sweet spot, wielding his class-leading race management, tactical nous and pure pace to devastating effect, and largely eliminating the self-inflicted wounds of past campaigns that made his world championships harder (2022) and closer (2023) than his speed suggested they should have been. After France, where he trailed Martin by 38 points, Bagnaia won four Grands Prix on the spin, led every lap at Mugello and Assen in both races, and showed why he’s become MotoGP’s modern-day metronome – and number one on this list.

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Keanu Reeves, Alexandra Grant enjoy MotoGP adventure in Germany

Keanu Reeves, Alexandra Grant enjoy MotoGP adventure in Germany

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Keanu Reeves, Alexandra Grant enjoy MotoGP adventure in GermanyKeanu Reeves and his girlfriend Alexandra Grant enjoyed a fun filled outing at the 2024 German motorcycle Grand Prix on Sunday, July 7.The actor, known for his love of motorcycles, and Grant, 51, were spotted at the Sachsenring Circuit in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany, where they even got to wave the checkered flag together to signal the race’s winner.

The John Wick star, 59, and Grant seemed to have a blast at the MotoGP event, with Grant appearing delighted to join Reeves in his passion for motorcycles.Reeves and Grant’s friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship in 2019, after they had collaborated as business partners and close friends since 2011. Recent photos from the German MotoGP event show the couple is still thriving. This outing follows their previous public appearances together, including the 2024 MOCA Gala in Los Angeles in April, where they shared a sweet kiss, and the 2023 LACMA Art+Film Gala in November, where they were inseparable. Even Keanu’s Bill & Ted co-star, Alex Winter, has praised the couple as adorable, although he respectfully kept mum about Keanu’s personal life when interviewed by ET in 2023.”I’m not touching that,” Winter joked at the time.

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This out LGBTQ athlete will row for Germany at Paris Olympics

This out LGBTQ athlete will row for Germany at Paris Olympics

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Tabea Schendekehl has anticipated this moment for a while.

After being poised to represent Germany at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the woman who grew up in Dortmund had to wait.

Now the out LGBTQ athlete is representing her home country at the Paris Summer Olympics.

Schendekehl is used to success, and she hopes to bring that success — which she continued in the NCAA — to her German boat.

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“Making history with the University of Washington rowing team twice by not only winning, but sweeping the NCAAs, is definitely one of my favorite accomplishments,” she told Outsports.

Yet success hasn’t always come easy.

“Being someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, it means a lot to me and I couldn’t have made it this far without an incredible support system,” she said.

Now, being an out LGBTQ athlete is simply a part of who she is.

“It’s funny, because I’ve been asked if I was queer by friends and strangers way before I found it out for myself. I’ve always felt very comfortable in the LGBTQ community and earlier last year I realized that I definitely am interested in dating people other than straight cis men. I am incredibly grateful to have (queer) friends who are supporting me on my LGBTQ journey.

“It feels amazing to know that there are lots of women in rowing who are queer! Being able to show up as your true self on a big stage is extremely powerful and inspiring to others. Queer people are everywhere!”

You can follow Tabea Schendekehl on Instagram.

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Keanu Reeves, Alexandra Grant enjoy MotoGP adventure in Germany

Keanu Reeves, Alexandra Grant enjoy MotoGP adventure in Germany

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Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant recent outing proved they are still going strong

Keanu Reeves, Alexandra Grant enjoy MotoGP adventure in GermanyKeanu Reeves and his girlfriend Alexandra Grant enjoyed a fun filled outing at the 2024 German motorcycle Grand Prix on Sunday, July 7.The actor, known for his love of motorcycles, and Grant, 51, were spotted at the Sachsenring Circuit in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany, where they even got to wave the checkered flag together to signal the race’s winner.
The John Wick star, 59, and Grant seemed to have a blast at the MotoGP event, with Grant appearing delighted to join Reeves in his passion for motorcycles.Reeves and Grant’s friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship in 2019, after they had collaborated as business partners and close friends since 2011. Recent photos from the German MotoGP event show the couple is still thriving.This outing follows their previous public appearances together, including the 2024 MOCA Gala in Los Angeles in April, where they shared a sweet kiss, and the 2023 LACMA Art+Film Gala in November, where they were inseparable. Even Keanu’s Bill & Ted co-star, Alex Winter, has praised the couple as adorable, although he respectfully kept mum about Keanu’s personal life when interviewed by ET in 2023.”I’m not touching that,” Winter joked at the time.

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Bagnaia tops MotoGP standings after Martín crashes out in Germany | MotoGP

Bagnaia tops MotoGP standings after Martín crashes out in Germany | MotoGP

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Ducati’s reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia went top of the MotoGP championship after winning the German Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Marc Márquez after title rival Jorge Martín crashed while he was leading the race with two laps to go.Márquez’s brother Álex finished third to make it two brothers on a MotoGP podium for the first time since Japan’s Nobuatsu and Takuma Aoki finished second and third in Imola 27 years ago.Martín had smashed the lap record to clinch pole and then win the sprint on Saturday to take a 15-points lead in the championship but Bagnaia’s fourth consecutive victory moved him 10 points clear in the championship. Martín had looked well set for the sprint and race double before he slid off at turn one allowing Bagnaia to race clear for victory while the Pramac Racing rider held his head in his hands as he saw his championship lead evaporate in an instant.Martín had a slow start in Saturday’s sprint but this time he opted for a different line and dived into turn one in the lead to stay ahead of Trackhouse Racing’s Miguel Oliveira. Although Bagnaia overtook Oliveira and Martín early on, the Spaniard made a daring overtake on the inside of turn one stick. Bagnaia then saw Franco Morbidelli also go through to make it a Pramac one-two with 22 laps to go.Second-placed Marc Márquez (left) celebrates with the third-placed rider, and his brother, Alex. Photograph: Radek Miča/AFP/Getty ImagesMarc Márquez started 13th on the grid but he moved up several places at the start and settled into the race in sixth place with his brother Álex and Oliveira ahead of him. Marc Márquez was racing with painkillers following a brutal highside crash on Friday where he broke his finger and bruised his ribcage, and he eventually moved past Oliveira at the halfway stage to stay in the hunt for a spot on the podium. Bagnaia, meanwhile, conserved his tyres as he reclaimed second place while fellow Italian Morbidelli struggled to match his pace as Álex Márquez also moved up into third.Morbidelli and Marc Márquez collided with nine laps to go when the Pramac rider went wide and looked to shut the door, but the Spaniard managed to regain his balance and stay in fifth place even as Ducati’s Enea Bastianini looked to pounce.Marc Márquez finally overtook Morbidelli with five laps left and set his sights on his younger brother for the final podium spot, catching up at half a second a lap before he overtook him. Both brothers finished on the podium as Bagnaia’s pressure paid off with two laps to go when Martín crashed, allowing the Ducati rider to move into the lead and cruise to a race victory.“The Sachsenring was amazing. We had a lot of problems but the team never gave up,” said Marc Márquez, who remains third in the championship with 166 points. “I was coming back step-by-step. Then it clicked and it became full attack. To be with my brother on the podium is some feeling!”skip past newsletter promotionThe best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s actionPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotion“It wasn’t easy, I tried everything at the start but Jorge and Franco (Morbidelli) were quick and I thought they were pushing too much,” Bagnaia said. “In the last two-three laps I saw Jorge was making mistakes … Four wins in a row is fantastic.”

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German Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, Jack Miller, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Sachsenring

German Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, Jack Miller, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Sachsenring

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Francesco Bagnaia had seen this movie before, and knew how it could end.What’s more, he’d been in that movie, and as the laps ticked down at the German Grand Prix and Jorge Martin’s leading Ducati got larger in his sights, he had just one thought. Turn the screws, ramp up the pressure. You never know what might happen.Every MotoGP qualifying, practice and race LIVE and ad-break free from lights out to the chequered flag. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >With two laps left in Sunday’s 30-lap race at the Sachsenring, one Martin had largely dominated since lap seven when he reclaimed the lead, the Spaniard cracked, falling from a half-second lead into the first corner, and handing his chief title rival a gift.As Martin gestured to his broken bike in the gravel trap with a mixture of fury and disbelief, Bagnaia swept through to take his fourth Grand Prix victory in succession, the ownership of the series lead, and all of the momentum. But even in that euphoria, the Italian elicited a bit of sympathy, and tried to repress an error he’s never quite forgiven himself for. It was at the same corner at the Sachsenring in 2022 that Bagnaia reached his lowest MotoGP ebb. He’d been fast for the first half of that season, but kept throwing his Ducati at the scenery as Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo built a sizeable series lead. For the fourth time in the first 10 races, Bagnaia fell off and Quartararo won, the Italian’s deficit ballooning to what seemed an insurmountable 91 points. History showed that Bagnaia stopped squandering podiums, started banking the points his pace suggested and overhauled the Frenchman to win that year’s title, and backed it up with another in 2023. He’s well on the way to a hat-trick with Sunday’s victory, but couldn’t prevent his mind wandering back to 2022 in the aftermath. MORE MOTOGP NEWSNO.1 GOES TO NUMBER 1 Bagnaia the beneficiary after Martin’s howlerNEW TEAM, NEW HOPE? Miller’s left-field lifeline after Pramac dumps Ducati“Normally when I crash when I make mistakes, I understand why I did it,” he explained. “I’m always trying to be better. This is what I’m trying to do every time. The mistake I did two years ago here was huge, but also today was very easy to commit the same. Back then, I didn’t understand it but today, yes.”Bagnaia’s 2022 memories explained why, in Sunday’s race, he changed tack after relinquishing the early advantage he’d built over Martin and the rest. Seven laps in, Martin barged back past to take the lead, and Pramac Ducati teammate Franco Morbidelli – rarely seen at the front since finishing championship runner-up in 2020 – aggressively came through too. Bagnaia felt both riders were over the limit, and he could bide his time. “Jorge was doing a superb job and it was very difficult to close the gap to him,” Bagnaia said. “Maybe I lost a bit too much behind Franky [Morbidelli], but he was doing an incredible pace. I just decided to slow down a bit … I think they were a bit too much on the rear tyre so I slow down and was managing it. In the last 15 laps, I started to push back. I was closing it every lap, one-tenth [of a second], one-tenth … and then gaining again, three-tenths in a single lap.“I just think [Martin] tried to remain with five-tenths [of a second] of gap and maybe he brake a bit too much in corner one. As soon as I saw him crashing, I just give up and was one second slower, because I was too much on the limit already.”Bagnaia’s combination of speeds and smarts saw him reclaim the series lead for the first time in round one in Qatar in March, and Martin’s howler meant what could have been a 15-point lead in his favour became a 10-point deficit. It’s not game over yet for Martin in 2024, but if Bagnaia does join Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez as the only riders to take a hat-trick of titles in the past three decades come Valencia in November, Germany may go down as the day the worm turned. Martin, as is his custom, was an open book in his assessment of his blunder, while elsewhere at the Sachsenring, Marquez won even though his 11-race winning streak in Germany came to an end, while Jack Miller again went nowhere fast as his final season for KTM pottered along to another off-the-pace result.Bagnaia (1) kept the pressure on Martin (89), and the Spaniard squandered a sure-fire victory. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesMARTIN SLEEPLESS AFTER STUMBLEMartin won both the sprint and Grand Prix at the Sachsenring in Marquez’s absence last season, and looked set to do it again as the ‘King of the ‘Ring’ battled injury and a poor qualifying slot (13th) to effectively take himself out of contention before disaster struck.From pole, Martin was ambushed by Bagnaia at the final corner on lap two, but looked to easily have the reigning world champion’s pace under control before reclaiming the lead on lap seven and managing the gap thereafter. The crash, he said, was something he knew was possible at the first corner because of the Sachsenring’s atypical circuit layout – of its 13 corners, 10 are left-handers, seven of them coming in succession to make left-hand side of the tyres red-hot and the other side for the right-handers – like Turn 1 – stone cold. But it surprised him all the same. “Not at all, I didn’t have a warning that I was crashing,” he said. “It’s a tricky corner on the right side [of the tyre] always, but I didn’t expect it. I was quite strong on that corner, I even overtook Pecco [Bagnaia] there, so I didn’t expect to crash there. But it is what it is. It’s no excuse, I did a big mistake.”Bagnaia’s pace when he’s been in the groove – as he was when winning the sprint and Grand Prix in Italy and the Netherlands leading into Germany – means he’s close to impossible to beat when he’s at the front and confident. But on his ‘off’ days, you have to take full advantage; Martin has now crashed out of the lead in Spain and Germany this season, frittering away points he can’t afford to waste. “We need to analyse why we crashed from the lead, it’s the second time already … if we improve this it will be very difficult for the rest to beat us,” he said.“But we need to solve it. I think today is a really important day in my career. I will learn from this, and I will get back up. “For sure, after leading 27 laps it’s difficult to accept. It’s frustrating and it will be difficult to sleep tonight. “It’s still a really long season, and I have a lot of possibilities to win this title. Now Pecco is in the lead, and it’s more pressure for him.”Martin’s crash was his second from the lead of a Grand Prix this season. (Photo by Radek Mica/AFP)Source: AFPMARQUEZ: ‘I FEEL LIKE I WON’Marquez’s 11 straight wins at the same circuit coming into the weekend – he last lost a race at the Sachsenring in the now-defunct 125cc category in 2009 – is one of the most startling of his many statistical records. And while that run is now over after finishing second to 2025 teammate Bagnaia on Sunday, the 31-year-old couldn’t have been happier to be second-best. And no wonder. On his first visit to his most successful circuit on a Ducati, Marquez’s streak looked nearly impossible to extend when he had a massive crash in Friday practice, a 190km/h highside at the fearsome downhill ‘Waterfall’ corner at Turn 11. He broke his left index finger and badly bruised his ribs in the fall, and qualified just 13th on Saturday, advancing only as far as sixth in the 15-lap sprint race. Sunday, though, was another story. After waking up feeling less stiff and downing some painkillers, Marquez gritted his teeth and ripped the throttle harder. It wasn’t a race without incident – contact with Morbidelli on lap 22 broke the screen of his Ducati – but he fought his way to fourth behind Gresini teammate and younger brother Alex Marquez with four laps left, which became a battle for second two laps later when Martin crashed out.Marc showed as much mercy with Alex as he’d shown his other rivals – none – by bullying his way by at the final corner as the pair started their final laps, and 80-odd seconds later they became the first siblings to finish on the podium in the same race since Japanese brothers Nobuatsu and Takuma Aoki in Imola in 1997. It wasn’t another Sachsenring success, but he felt it was just as satisfying. MORE MOTOGP COVERAGEDUTCH TT TALKING POINTS Bagnaia joins Aussie legends, ‘big change’ bolsters Miller, Marquez bitten by penalty‘THANKS FOR TRUSTING ME’ Gardner’s chance to atone for bitter exit“I feel like I won the race, this is the real feeling,” Marquez said. “It’s a day I will never forget because it will be difficult to repeat in the future. Honestly speaking, this season I say it will be impossible. For me it’s difficult to be in the podium, for him it’s difficult to be in the podium, so to find the same Sunday to be both on the podium was something that was a bit unreal.”Marquez said fighting the pain barrier, knowing a four-week break awaited after the chequered flag, prompted him to tell his team he was capable of “riding in Marquez mode” on Sunday. “Today the ribs were much better, so I can breathe and I can move the bike,” he said. “The finger in the end is broken, it’s moving a bit but now we will fix. But that was not a big problem and didn’t affect my performance. Yesterday the ribs affect my performance but today, not.“Before the race I take one [painkilling] cocktail, tonight I will take another type of cocktail …”.Marc (left) and Alex Marquez (right) became the first brothers to finish together on the podium for 27 years. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesMILLER EXASPERATED AFTER LATEST LOWJack Miller’s post-race debriefs in 2024 have a familiar ring to them. So dire has the Australian’s first half of the season been – he has one top-five result in nine Grands Prix and has scored just 35 points – that his press meetings are either hastily arranged so he can leave the track as soon as possible, or skipped altogether. Sunday at the Sachsenring was the former, after the KTM rider finished 13th and 25.425secs behind race-winner Bagnaia to score three points, over 10secs behind the leading rider on the same RC16 bike, GasGas rookie Pedro Acosta (seventh). As has often been the case this season, Miller’s description of his malaise was direct in parts and evasive in others, brutal in its honesty and baffling for its absence of answers. “The right-hand side of the tyre, I couldn’t get it to come alive,” he explained.“I was losing a lot of time coming out of Turn 3 and down the hill, I was leaving myself pretty vulnerable. I was having to take some serious risk on the brakes down the bottom of the hill, spinning a lot, unable to find grip. “Down the hill was the biggest issue, searching for grip there, then when you hit the kerb there the thing was hooking right up and shaking like a s**ting duck. Many times I went down the bottom of the hill with no brakes, so not ideal …”. With KTM – last year’s primary challenger to Ducati – having fallen behind Aprilia this season, Miller feels he knows why as his time for the Austrian manufacturer has another 11 race weekends to run, and with the options to extend his career into an 11th season in 2025 remaining unclear.“We need to develop more, simple as that,” he said. “We’re on the same package, in terms of base stuff, as Misano [in September] last year. We need more grip, more turning. Speed we’re alright, the engine is strong and the aero package is strong. [But] we need to develop more, we need to work more.”After nine rounds of last year’s championship, Miller had 90 points (55 more than 2024), and was eighth in the standings compared to 16th after Sunday’s Sachsenring race.Miller has managed just 35 points in the opening nine rounds of the season. (Gold and Goose/Red Bull Content Pool)Source: Getty ImagesRIDER MARKET PUZZLE FIXES ANOTHER PIECEWith MotoGP set for its annual four-week summer break before reconvening at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix in early August, another piece of the rider market puzzle looks set to be announced as soon as this week, with the Italian press reporting Fabio Di Giannantonio is set to stay with the VR46 Ducati squad for another two seasons. The 25-year-old has been one of the under-the-radar stars of the 2024 season, comprehensively beating teammate and three-time 2023 race-winner Marco Bezzecchi to sit eighth in the standings after nine rounds. Di Giannantonio was almost lost to MotoGP at the end of last season after he was released from Gresini Ducati to make way for Marc Marquez, but took a maiden premier-class podium at Phillip Island when he finished third, then won the penultimate race of the season in Qatar to seal a deal to ride a 2023-spec Ducati for the Valentino Rossi-owned team this season.Di Giannantonio looks set for a two-year extension to his VR46 Ducati contract. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesDi Giannantonio had been in the frame to ride for the new collaboration between Pramac and Yamaha for next season, which will see the Japanese brand expand from two bikes to four for 2025, Pramac ending a 20-year partnership with Ducati and reducing Ducati’s stable to six machines next season. The Pramac/Yamaha alliance are thought to be keen to pair an experienced rider with a younger rider, perhaps a graduate from the Moto2 feeder series, with the likes of Miller and Aprilia rider Miguel Oliveira, who finished a season-best sixth in Germany on Sunday after qualifying second, among the available likely candidates.

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MotoGP: Results From the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland In Germany – Roadracing World Magazine

MotoGP: Results From the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland In Germany – Roadracing World Magazine

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What is a Press Release?
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A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.

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MotoGP: Championship Drama And More From Germany – Roadracing World Magazine

MotoGP: Championship Drama And More From Germany – Roadracing World Magazine

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© 2024, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. By Michael Gougis.

Two-time and defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia had a solid weekend going but looked like he would leave the Sachsenring further behind title rival Jorge Martin in the Championship points chase. Instead, when Martin crashed out of the lead, Bagnaia took the win and the points lead going into the summer break. After nine rounds, Bagnaia has 222 points, Martin 212 and Marc Marquez 166.
Francesco Bagnaia (1). Photo by Michael Gougis.

Gresini Racing suffered a brutal Friday and Saturday, with Marc Marquez suffering two crashes, one a massive highside, and Alex Marquez plowing into the inflatable barriers on Saturday. The team’s smiles couldn’t have been much bigger on Sunday, with the Marquez brothers on the podium, Marc ahead of Alex.
Marc Marquez (93) leads Alex Marquez (73). Photo by Michael Gougis.

American Joe Roberts fought through the pain of a broken collarbone and finished eighth in the Moto2 race. But it could have been worse from a Championship point of view. The only two riders in front of him, Sergio Garcia and Ai Ogura, finished seventh and third, respectively. Garcia now leads 147-140 over Ogura, with Roberts third with 123.
Joe Roberts (16). Photo by Michael Gougis.

David Alonso’s win in the Moto3 race was his sixth in nine races.
David Alonso (80). Photo by Michael Gougis.

 

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Keanu Reeves and longtime girlfriend Alexandra Grant look totally loved up as they enjoy race day at MotoGP Grand Prix in Germany

Keanu Reeves and longtime girlfriend Alexandra Grant look totally loved up as they enjoy race day at MotoGP Grand Prix in Germany

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Keanu Reeves and his girlfriend Alexandra Grant stole the spotlight at a motorcycle racing event on Sunday.The John Wick actor, 59, and the accomplished visual artist, 54 — who made their red carpet debut in 2019 — looked casually chic and totally loved up at the MotoGP Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix in Germany.Dressed in a dark jean jacket paired with a coordinating shirt, the star exuded charm as he kept close to his stunning girlfriend, who rocked a simple blue sweater and jeans.Keanu and Alexandra beamed as they navigated through the crowd, eventually getting the chance to wave the checkered flag. The MotoGP event was a perfect date choice for the couple, given that Keanu founded his own custom motorcycle company, ARCH Motorcycle, in 2011.  Keanu Reeves and his girlfriend Alexandra Grant stole the spotlight at a motorcycle racing event on Sunday The John Wick actor, 59, and the accomplished visual artist, 54, looked casually chic and totally loved up at the MotoGP Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix in Germany In May, the couple’s social calendar included a stylish outing at the Hammer Museum’s Gala in the Garden, where they dressed to impress. They were also spotted enjoying a dinner together at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, California, later that month.Keanu and Alexandra went public with their relationship in November 2019, when they graced the red carpet together at the LACMA Art + Film Gala.The revelation sparked significant interest, with the artist mentioning a flood of inquiries about the romance from all corners. ‘I think every single person I knew called me in the first week of November, and that’s fascinating,’ she told British Vogue a few months later.The couple, who run a publishing house called X Artists’ Books together, have been close friends for decades.Alexandra’s friend, actress Jennifer Tilly, revealed the couple have been dating ‘for years’ in February 2020.’I remember a couple years ago, about a year and a half ago, [Alexandra] said, ‘Keanu Reeves is my boyfriend’ and I’m like, ‘Wait. What? What? What?’” the Chucky star told Page Six.  Keanu and Alexandra beamed as they navigated through the crowd, eventually getting the chance to wave the checkered flag Dressed in a dark jean jacket paired with a coordinating shirt, the star exuded charmHe kept close to his stunning girlfriend, who rocked a simple blue sweater and jeans The MotoGP event was a perfect date choice for the couple, given that Keanu founded his own custom motorcycle company, ARCH Motorcycle, in 2011 While the exact moment of their meeting remains uncertain, the relationship traces back to at least 2011, coinciding with the publication of their book, Ode to Happiness.In September 2023, Alexandra told People Keanu helped take her art to a new level.’I had a studio visit a few years ago, and this very kind, very high-level person said, “I can see that your work has gotten happier,’”‘ she recalled.’That’s real. We’re all human beings. We’re animals. We’re expressing from where we are. I think the work is happier.’She went on to call Keanu her ‘inspiration.’In March of last year, Keanu offered some insight into his relationship with Alexandra. When he was asked to name his ‘last moment of bliss,’ he told People: ‘A couple of days ago with my honey. We were in bed. We were connected.’He added: ‘We were smiling and laughing and giggling. Feeling great. It was just really nice to be together.’Keanu and Alexandra Grant stole the spotlight at the MOCA Gala 2024 Keanu and Alexandra delighted the shutterbugs with their affectionate display before sharing a tender kiss in the museum’s lobby Keanu is set to star in the upcoming film Good Fortune, which marks the directorial debut of Aziz Ansari. Joining Ansari in the cast are Seth Rogen and Keke Palmer.Following a delay caused by last year’s writers’ strike, filming for Good Fortune commenced in January 2024, taking place in LA’s Koreatown neighborhood.Reeves has built a devoted following over his nearly four-decade career, notably for his memorable depiction of a hitman in the hugely popular John Wick franchise.Before John Wick, he achieved renown for his portrayal of Neo in the groundbreaking Matrix series, spanning releases in 1999, 2003, 2002, and a recent installment in 2021. 

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