- Fascinating statistics regarding the German motorsport highlight
- MotoGP impresses with a top speed of over 300 km/h
- New crowd record last year: 233,196 visitors to the Sachsenring over three days
Munich. The Liqui Moly Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany at the Sachsenring is the motorsport highlight of the year and one of Germany’s biggest sporting events. The only MotoGP race in Germany comes with some interesting facts and figures.
The shortest gap between the winner and the runner-up at the new Sachsenring was just
0.060 seconds. It was by this tiniest of margins that Honda rider Sete Gibernau defeated Valentino Rossi, himself a Honda racer at the time, in a legendary photo finish in 2003. Last year’s Grand Prix was almost as close: Jorge Martín from Spain crossed the finish line just
0.064 seconds ahead of world champion Francesco Bagnaia.
5 different manufacturers start the MotoGP race in 2024. As well as Japanese giants Honda and Yamaha, the world championship is contested by Italian brands Ducati and Aprilia, and Austrian manufacturer KTM.
The Sachsenring is the circuit with the “longest left-hander in the world”. The riders must tackle
seven left turns in a row before they finally swing right in turn 11.
Eight-time world champion Marc Marquez won the MotoGP race at the Sachsenring
eight times in a row. Seven of those wins came from pole position. The Spaniard actually has a remarkable eleven victories to his name across all classes.
In the past 26 years, German riders have featured on the podium on
nine occasions: Ralf Waldmann (3
rd in 1999), Steve Jenkner (3
rd in 2002), Stefan Bradl (2
nd in 2008 and 2011), Sandro Cortese (3
rd in 2010 and 1
st in 2012), Jonas Folger (2
nd in 2016 and 2017) and Marcel Schrötter (3
rd in 2019).
Ten kilometres of hoardings border the event site.
11 video screens ensure a great view all weekend.
A maximum uphill gradient of
ten percent and a maximum drop of
12.8 percent make the Sachsenring one of the most demanding circuits on the MotoGP calendar for the riders.
In 26 years of MotoGP at the new Sachsenring,
11 different riders have tasted victory. The names in the winners list are: Mick Doohan, Kenny Roberts jr., Alex Barros, Max Biaggi, Valentino Rossi, Sete Gibernau, Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner, Marc Marquez and Fabio Quartararo.
12 tons of paint ensure the Sachsenring is looking great for the Grand Prix and that the kerbs really gleam.
The circuit features
12 permanent gravel beds,
8,400 metres of crash barrier,
34 garages and a
22.55-metre start/finish tower.
The record for the most victories at the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany is still held by MotoGP legend Giacomo Agostini. The Italian won a total of
13 races in the 350cc and 500cc classes. Agostini won the Grand Prix of the GDR at the old Sachsenring eleven times.
14 LED panels are used as digital flags around the Sachsenring, increasing the safety of the riders.
The biggest margin of victory by a MotoGP winner in the last 26 years is
14.996 seconds. That was the gap between Dani Pedrosa and runner-up Jorge Lorenzo in 2012.
An additional
15 kilometres of electric cable and
20 generators ensure there is sufficient power across the entire event site.
With
17 wins, Honda is the most successful manufacturer at the Sachsenring since 1998. Honda riders have secured pole position in qualifying on 14 occasions during this period.
22 riders from 11 teams start in MotoGP in 2024. Ten of the racers are Spanish and six Italian.
25 kilometres of cable have been laid for telecommunications.
26 years ago, the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany was held at the new Sachsenring for the first time. Since then, it has found its home in Saxony. This year is the 26
th anniversary, as the race was cancelled in 2020 due to coronavirus.
30 construction vehicles, trucks, wheel loaders, forklifts and cranes are required for such tasks as recovery work.
The Sachsenring is located
30 kilometres from Chemnitz. It has ten left and just three right turns. At 3.671-kilometres, it is the shortest track on the 2024 calendar.
34-year-old Aprilia factory rider Aleix Espargaro is the oldest man in the MotoGP field. The youngest is Pedro Acosta from the Red Bull Gasgas Tech3 team at just 20.
If you include the Grand Prix races at the old Sachsenring, the motorcycle world championship is contesting its
41stGrand Prix in Hohenstein-Ernstthal this year. The Grand Prix of the GDR took place from 1958 to 1972. However, the races between 1958 and 1960 did not have world championship status.
50 cars ensure things run smoothly in various areas. They are used as fast intervention cars, media shuttles, safety cars and recovery vehicles.
80 air conditioning units keep the TV compound, media center and team tents cool in summery temperatures.
The 2024 Liqui Moly Motorcycle Grand Prix is the
85th Grand Prix on German soil.
135 containers house material stores, TV work areas and additional sanitary facilities, among other things.
150 Alpina Airfence modules around the Sachsenring significantly increase safety for the riders in MotoGP and the support series.
Last year, Johann Zarco set a new lap record in the race. The experienced Frenchman lapped the Sachsenring in 1:21.225 minutes, achieving an average speed of
162.7 km/h.
The track record still dates back to 2022, when MotoGP dipped below the 80-second mark for a lap of the Sachsenring for the first time. World champion Francesco Bagnaia took just 1:19.765 minutes to complete the 3.7 kilometres. That is an average speed of
165.6 km/h.
305,0 km/h is the top speed measured at the very technical Sachsenring. The record was set by Marco Bezzecchi on his Ducati in 2023. MotoGP broke the 300 km/h barrier for the first time in 2021.
450 volunteers help as marshals, technical scrutineers and starters. They also support race control and the paddock crew, and perform track work.
Almost
1,000 signposts are erected around the Sachsenring and on nearby roads and motorways, in order to guarantee that fans and officials have a smooth journey to and from the racetrack. The traffic concept at the Sachsenring is the benchmark for many major international events.
The only German to make it onto the MotoGP podium at the Sachsenring was Jonas Folger in
2017. Two years later, Marcel Schrötter took his place on the podium in the Moto2 class. The German completed the top three behind Alex Marquez and Brad Binder.
100,000 cable ties are ready to be used for a wide range of tasks.
Last year, the MotoGP round at the Sachsenring set a new crowd record:
233,196 fans flocked to the circuit over the course of the three days. This was only the third time the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany had attracted more than 230,000 spectators, having previously done so in 2011 and 2022.