How Did Marc Marquez Secure Wet-Weather Pole at the Grand Prix of Germany?

Chemnitz (Germany), July 12 (NationPress) Despite the challenging wet conditions, the former World Champion Marc Marquez (Ducati Team) excelled in the qualifying session, securing the pole position for the upcoming Grand Prix of Germany at the Sachsenring Race Circuit on Saturday.

The battle for pole was intense, as Johann Zarco (Honda LCR), who graduated from Q1, pushed the #93 to his limits in a thrilling morning session, ultimately finishing just 0.151 seconds behind Marquez. This result positions Ducati ahead of Honda on the front row, with Aprilia Racing also making a strong showing after Marco Bezzecchi's impressive performance in Q2.

Zarco Leads Q1 in Rain

As anticipated, the rain played a significant role during MotoGP Q1. Following a dry period in FP2, the weather shifted, creating a captivating atmosphere during the initial 15-minute qualifying session.

The French GP winner, Zarco, took the lead with just over five minutes remaining, clocking a time of 1:28.370, which was more than half a second faster than second-placed Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Initially, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) held P2, but Viñales soon overtook him before Zarco reclaimed the top spot. Both Zarco and Viñales advanced to Q2, while Miguel Oliveira (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) fell short by a few tenths, finishing P3.

Pole Position Battle Intensifies

Drama unfolded immediately in Q2. Viñales crashed at Turn 4 while on his out-lap but quickly recovered. Unfortunately, Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) faced a similar fate at the same corner.

Both riders were back on their feet, but the conditions were clearly more treacherous than in Q1. The first reference lap was set by Brad Binder (Red Bull KT Factory Racing) with a time of 1:31.419, before he dipped into the 1:29s for the first time. However, it was Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) who briefly took P1 with a time of 1:29.776.

As the clock ticked down, Marc Marquez assumed the lead in Q2 for the first time, clocking a 1:28.730. Despite a moment at the Waterfall on his next lap, Marquez improved his time by another 0.4 seconds.

At this point, he was 1.3 seconds ahead in the pole position chase, extending it to 1.5 seconds after another strong lap. Zarco closed the gap back to under a second shortly after, with Bezzecchi in provisional P3 with five minutes remaining.

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) continued to improve, reaching P6. Meanwhile, both Zarco and Bezzecchi were now 0.8 seconds off Marquez’s time, which was then reduced to 0.5 seconds for Bezzecchi and Morbidelli.

Zarco finished just 0.002 seconds behind Marquez’s time, and as they crossed the line, the gap was a mere 0.065 seconds. However, Marquez remained unfazed, improving through sector three, while Zarco's final effort fell short by a tenth and a half. Morbidelli’s attempt for pole ended in a crash at Turn 8.

With this, Marc Marquez secured his 73rd MotoGP pole position, with Zarco and Bezzecchi representing three different manufacturers on the front row.

Morbidelli leads the second row, followed by Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and the remarkable Alex Marquez, who is working to mitigate potential championship setbacks while dealing with a fractured left hand.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) secured P7 on the grid. He will share Row 3 with Friday's fastest qualifier Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Miller, while Binder, a disappointed Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), and Viñales rounded out the top 12.