Record-breaking: Francesco Bagnaia posts fastest time to open MotoGP spectacle at the Sachsenring

• Ducati rider Bagnaia sets new track record
• Brand team-mate Enea Bastianini reaches 302.5 km/h to smash the top-speed record
• Marcel Schrötter sparkles in the Moto2 class with seventh place

Hohenstein-Ernstthal. MotoGP has never gone so fast: in the second free practice session ahead of the LIQUI MOLY Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany 2022, Ducati works rider Francesco Bagnaia posted a new track record at the Sachsenring. The Italian world championship runner-up produced a new record lap of 1:20.018 minutes (an average speed of 165.2 km/h), faster than all 23 of his rivals and beating the record set by Marc Marquez in 2019.

The rider in second place on Friday afternoon also broke the old track record: Bagnaia’s compatriot and brand team-mate Luca Marini claimed second spot, just 0.115 seconds behind. The second Ducati works rider, Jack Miller from Australia, completed a top-three shut-out for “the Reds” after two free practice sessions. Miller posted the fastest time in the first morning session.

Local hero Stefan Bradl performed well against the top-level MotoGP competition on Friday. The Repsol-Honda rider finished 1.099 seconds behind Bagnaia to claim 20th position overall. This weekend, Bradl is taking over the works Honda of the former “King of the Ring” Marc Marquez.

Despite finishing towards the rear of the field, Bradl is satisfied with his performance: “I am happy today, as we made some good progress. The improvements to the motorbike were also good.” Nonetheless, the German rider still has a few things to work on: “The only downsides were that I still need to improve timing and confidence. My objective for tomorrow is to produce a 1:20 time.”

The top-speed record at the Sachsenring was also broken on day one: just last year, Johann Zarco from France, Spain’s Jorge Martin and Miller were the three Ducati riders to record a new best of 301.6 km/h. Their brand team-mate shattered this record on Friday morning. The Italian reached 302.5 km/h before turn 12 during the first free practice session.

Spanish rider Augusto Fernandez was the fastest in the Moto2 category. The Red Bull-KTM-Ajo driver completed a lap of the Sachsenring in 1:24.023 minutes. His compatriot and team-mate Pedro Acosta finished second, just 0.470 seconds away from top spot. Local hero Marcel Schrötter reached seventh position in the day’s standings. The LIQUI MOLY-IntactGP rider was 0.610 seconds behind Fernandez.

In the Moto3 class, Japan’s Tatsuki Suzuki posted the fastest time. He went round the Sachsenring on his Leopard Racing Honda in 1:26.363 minutes. The two Spanish riders for the German CFMOTO-PrüstelGP team, Xavi Artigas and Carlos Tatay, finished in 23rd and 24th places.

The remaining tickets for the LIQUI MOLY Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany 2022 are available in the online ticket shop under adac.de/motogp, by telephone on +49 3723/8099111 or via e-mail (info@sachsenring-event.de). Any tickets purchased for the Motorcycle Grand Prix 2020 and 2021 remain valid for the 2022 race weekend.