Márquez Takes Eleventh Consecutive German GP Win

Calum Gill 13:49 20/06/2021

Marc Márquez has taken his eleventh straight MotoGP win at the Sachsenring, winning in Germany thanks to an outstanding ride.

The six-time premier class champion delivered a brilliant performance to take his first win since the 2019 Valencia Grand Prix, ahead of Red Bull KTM rider Miguel Oliveira. Championship leader Fabio Quartararo extended his lead at the top of the standings with third place, after closest rival and polesitter Johann Zarco could only manage 8th.

But 'King of the Ring' Márquez was the star of the show as he took his first win after breaking his arm in the 2020 season opener just under a year ago. At the start, Aprilia's Aleix Espargaró had made the most of his front row start, as he lead the pack into turn 1 followed by fifth-starting Márquez. Márquez did not waste any time in passing fellow Spaniard Espargaró - the Repsol Honda rider getting past at the final corner of the first lap to lead them over the line. Espargaró however retaliated a lap later at the penultimate corner, but Márquez got back ahead at the next corner.

Once Espargaró had dropped back off the tail of Marquez, the latter built up an advantage that would last to the end of the race, despite Miguel Oliveira on the Red Bull KTM applying some late pressure. Oliveira started to close the gap in the final quadrant of the race, but he effectively withdrew his interest in the win with three laps left as Márquez wasn't allowing Portugal's Oliveira to get any closer.

Oliveira had made steady progress from sixth place early on, and passed Ducati's Jack Miller for second at turn 12 on lap 10, Miller having only just taken second after passing Espargaró the lap before. After it became clear that he would not be able to win, Oliveira settled for second. Championship leader Quartararo rode a steady race to extend his lead in the standings after passing Miller with 12 laps to go.

Miller dropped back quite a bit in the latter stages, after being passed by the other Red Bull KTM bike of Brad Binder and Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap. Bagnaia had been as low as 16th at one stage, but recovered to take fifth. Espargaró finished seventh, ahead of Pramac rider Zarco in eighth, while Suzuki's Joan Mir and Marquez's teammate Pol Espargaró rounded out the top 10.

Álex Rins on the other Suzuki was 11th, ahead Pramac's Jorge Martín and Takaaki Nakagami on the LCR Honda. Valentino Rossi was 14th, with Luca Marini and Enea Bastianini in 15th and 16th respectively, with Tech3's Iker Lecuona crossing the line in 17th. Both Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Viñales failed to score, with Petronas Yamaha's Morbidelli 18th and factory team Yamaha's Viñales 19th.

Álex Márquez (LCR Honda) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM) exited the race after a fifth-lap collision that left their bikes tangled up and left both riders pointing a finger at the other. A lap later, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia) crashed out at the Turn 10 left-hander, becoming the third and final rider to retire.

2021 German motorcyle Grand Prix classification (30 Laps)