Marc Márquez tops practice at German MotoGP Sachsenring as Bagnaia struggles for Q2
Marc Márquez recorded the fastest lap in Friday free practice for the 2026 German MotoGP at the Sachsenring, a 1:19.394 lap that gave him direct entry to Q2 and reinforced his reputation as the circuit’s favourite, often dubbed the “Márquezring”. Raúl Fernández was second, 0.051 s behind, with Fabio Di Giannantonio third and a top‑ten that also featured Alex Márquez, Jack Miller and Marco Bezzecchi.
Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia reported a lack of rear‑wheel grip, saying the bike felt like “riding on ice”, and finished outside the top ten, meaning he must fight through Q1. Other notable moments included Márquez’s early crash in FP1 from which he recovered to finish second, and a strong FP1 performance by Raul Fernández who led the session. Leopard Racing riders and several Moto2 competitors, such as Manuel Gonzalez who topped Moto2 FP1, also struggled to reach Q2.
The German Grand Prix runs from 10‑12 July at Hohenstein‑Ernstthal, with practice sessions, a sprint race and the main race on Sunday. The weekend’s results shape the championship battle, with Márquez aiming for pole and the sprint win while Bagnaia seeks to overcome his grip issues.