MotoGP Preview: German Grand Prix
- Silvia Cojocaru
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
With a new race winner in Ai Ogura and a new championship leader for the first time this season in Jorge Martín, MotoGP moves to Germany with numerous exciting unknowns.
With everything to fight for, here is what you need to know before tuning in to the German Grand Prix this week!
This week’s track: Sachsenring
Situated in the beautiful region of Southwest Saxony, this track has a unique motorsport history which reflects resilience, tradition and passion. The first motorcycle race held in the area took place in 1927, on the closed public roads of the town of Chemnitz. Back then the event was called the Badberg Square Race and it attracted over 140,000 spectators in its first year.
The following year multiple fatal accidents deemed the event too dangerous and caused it to take a break until 1934. Its comeback was a reigning success and just three years later, “Sachsenring” received its iconic name.
The upcoming world war would be devastating for the area, but the locals’ love for racing would not allow the competition to be missing for long. As early as 1949 people were rushing to the track to witness the excitement, with a record-breaking 480,000 spectators on race day alone in 1950.
The 90s brought more problems to the circuit, as holding the event became too dangerous and it began to affect traffic in the area. A massive effort to build a permanent track went underway in 1996, and in 1998 the first MotoGP race was held at the new track.
All the work paid off, with the German Grand Prix maintaining its status as one of the most beloved races on the calendar. Being one of the slowest tracks means there’s often close racing action across its 2.28 miles (3.67 km) and 14 corners.
The current layout actually maintains parts of the original street circuit, with both fast sweeping sections and slower more technically challenging segments. The main straight goes into a sharp, 90 degrees turn that forces heavy braking and represents a great overtaking spot.
Another spot you should keep an eye on this weekend is Turn 12. After a fast descent at Turn 11 (also known as “the waterfall”) that will see them reaching speeds of nearly 300 km/h (186 mph), the riders will have to abruptly slow down for the tight Turn 12 (also named “the bottom of the waterfall”).
Nailing this section demands the highest braking force of the entire circuit.
Past results
The last visit at the Sachsenring was nothing short of chaotic. The race started with just 18 riders off the line, and by the end only 10 of them crossed the finish line. The main reason for this unusual result was Turn 1, which saw multiple riders making race-ending mistakes.
Marc Márquez cemented his title as the “King of the Ring”, comfortably winning the race with a six-second lead over his brother, Álex Márquez. The two also celebrated 200 and 100 race starts respectively. Francesco Bagnaia completed the podium while Fabio Quartararo managed an impressive fourth place.
The current championship contenders had troubles at last year’s visit to Germany, with Pedro Acosta, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio all falling victims to the treacherous Turn 1. Martín was not able to race due to injury and was replaced by Lorenzo Salvadori who also crashed out of the race.
Going further down memory lane, Sachsenring saw plenty of thrilling battles, like the 2010 duels between Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo following a race restart and the 2019 show of dominance from the “King of the Ring”.
Key talking points
Last week proved a dream come true for the Trackhouse team, which saw their first 1-2 finishes in both the sprint and the race. Raúl Fernández reigned victorious in the Saturday sprint, while Ogura won the Grand Prix. This result marked the first time a Japanese rider won a Grand Prix since 2004.
Bezzecchi suffered a rough crash on Lap 3 that had him taken to the hospital. It has now been confirmed that he experienced no serious injuries and he will be able to compete this weekend. However, his crash and Martín’s podium finish in the Dutch Grand Prix mean that the Italian has given up the championship lead for the first time this season.
Can Martín hold on to the lead, or will someone else come out victorious after this week’s visit to the Sachsenring? The competition seems to be gearing up as we approach the half-way mark of the season.
Being one of the most prolific riders along the German track, Marc Márquez has a real opportunity of recovering points in Germany after failing to do so in the Netherlands. Additionally, never discount Ogura as a potential contender, with only 25 points between him and Martín.
Acosta is now only seventh in the standings, after he was forced to retire from the Dutch Grand Prix due to pain in his right wrist. He underwent minor surgery and he is expected to return this week.
Johann Zarco will continue to be replaced by Cal Crutchlow as he continues his recovery.
Make sure to keep an eye for more team announcements this week as well, as KTM Factory Racing has just announced their new line up for 2027. Read more about it here: MotoGP 2027 line-up update: KTM Factory Racing
Tune in to the German Grand Prix on 12th July 2026 from 14:00 track time (13.00 BST) to witness what the Sachsenring has in store next!
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