Ducati festival on record-breaking weekend at the Sachsenring

• Top-five lockout for Ducati at the 85th Grand Prix on German soil
• Márquez brothers on the MotoGP podium together for the first time
• Fermín Aldeguer wins in Moto2, David Alonso in Moto3

Hohenstein-Ernstthal. The 2024 Liqui Moly Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany, which played out in front of an incredible record crowd of 252,826 spectators over the three days, was a success across the board for Ducati. World champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) led home a top five lockout for the manufacturer from Borgo Panigale at the 85th Grand Prix on German soil. The Italian benefitted when championship leader coming into the race, Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing), crashed out of the lead on the penultimate lap of the race. Up to that point, Martín had led for much of the Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. Bagnaia’s fourth Grand Prix victory in a row sees him leapfrog ahead of Martín at the top of the world championship. The top of the table now reads as follows: 222 points for Bagnaia, 212 for Martín.

Runner-up after an impressive fightback from 13th on the grid was the long-term “King of the Ring” Marc Márquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP). The eight-time world champion from Spain came out on top after a battle with team-mate Álex Márquez in the closing stages. For the first time in the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, the two Márquez brothers both took part in the podium ceremony. It is also the first time two brothers have stepped onto the podium together in MotoGP since the Imola Grand Prix in 1997. Fourth place went to Bagnaia’s team-mate and compatriot Enea Bastianini, ahead of Martín’s Italian team-mate Franco Morbidelli.

“It was not easy. At the start, I tried everything to stay out in front. However, Jorge and Franco then passed me. I thought they were pushing too hard. Just as they attacked at the start, I pushed hard at the end. I managed to catch them, applied some pressure and then, in the final few laps, noticed that Jorge was making mistakes. After his crash, I slowed down a lot, as it was very tricky. The front tyre kept skidding. I am overjoyed. It is my fourth win in a row and my first here at the Sachsenring,” said a delighted Bagnaia.

Local favourite Stefan Bradl, a wildcard entry at the Sachsenring, crossed the finish line in 18th place after 30 laps of racing.

Marcel Schrötter narrowly misses out on the points
Fermín Aldeguer (SpeedUp Racing) took victory for the second time this year in the Moto2 class. After 25 laps, the Spaniard took the chequered lap with a lead of 2.159 seconds. The race was wide open for a long time: only when the race entered its final quarter did Aldeguer take advantage of a mistake by his pursuers and open a decisive gap. A comfortable second place went to Britain’s Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Aspar Team). The final place on the podium was taken by Japanese rider Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) after an exciting three-way battle. Ogura’s team-mate Sergio García from Spain finished seventh today, but continues to lead the championship. Marcel Schrötter (Red Bull KTM Ajo) gained a number of places in the fiercely-competitive midfield. The local favourite eventually came home in 17th place.

“I felt very good at the start of the race. However, it was not easy to ride at the front, as I had nobody to orient myself on. So I waited and looked after my tyres,” said Aldeguer. “It was an unbelievable race, very clever. That is an important win. I cannot say any more than that, except a big thank you to my team, my family, above all my father, and all Fermíns.”

Has the decisive blow been struck in the Moto3 World Championship?
David Alonso (CFMOTO Aspar Team) won the Moto3 race at the Sachsenring. After 23 laps and an exciting finish, the world championship leader from Columbia took the chequered flag just 0.187 seconds ahead of Japan’s Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia). Third place went to Spaniard Iván Ortolá (MT Helmets - MSI). This was Alonso’s sixth win in nine races this season, and possibly a very important step towards winning the title. His closest rival in the world championship, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), crashed out of the lead at the start of the race. The Dutchman did rejoin the race, but missed out on the points in 18th place.

“I am very happy. The feel was not yet there at the start of the weekend. However, we managed to turn the page. This victory is for the team, as we really worked well together this weekend,” said Alonso. “I had a crash on Friday, but the guys did a really good job of rebuilding the bike and my team-mate Joel Esteban helped me in qualifying. We worked as one unit and this is the result. Thank you to the Aspar team, we are one big family.”

Advance ticket sales for the 2025 German Motorcycle Grand Prix began at 16:00 on Sunday. Tickets for the biggest individual sporting event in Germany are available through all the usual channels: in the online ticket shop at adac.de/motogp, by phone on 03723/8099111, and by E-mail to info@sachsenring-event.de. The exact dates will be announced at a later date.