The Repsol Honda Team rider continues an amazing 11-race run of German GP victories. Pol Espargaró finishes tenth.
Some 336 days after suffering an injury at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto Circuit, nearly a year ago, Marc Márquez returned to winning ways in MotoGP. The Repsol Honda Team rider took his 11 consecutive victory at the Sachsenring: One in 125cc, 2 in Moto2 and 8 in the premier class.
Márquez started the German Grand Prix race from fifth on the grid and, after getting a great start, took the lead on the first lap. On Lap 4, rain began to fall, and the Spaniard was able to take advantage of the uncertainty to pull further away from the chasing pack. Márquez maintained a very consistent pace, and stayed a second ahead of eventual runner-up Miguel Oliveira every step of the way.
His teammate, Pol Espargaró, was eighth on the grid. After a difficult start, he moved into twelfth position and kept up his pace for a series of laps to try to get closer to the front group.
In the end, the Repsol Honda Team rider would come home in tenth position, claiming valuable points in the overall standings.
Márquez is tenth in the MotoGP World Championship with 41 points, whilst Espargaró is twelfth with 35. The Repsol Honda Team duo now move on to the Dutch TT, which takes place this coming weekend at Assen.
MARC MÁRQUEZ – 1st
“This is one of the most important, and hardest, moments of my career. Today I knew there was a great opportunity to do something. When I crossed the line I just enjoyed it and then arriving with my whole team there, emotional, it helps a lot after such a difficult situation. It’s impossible to come back alone, you need people, you need a good team, a good team of doctors, a physio, Honda, Honda respect me a lot. Alberto Puig, Emilio Alzamora, my family, they helped me a lot. Now it’s time to enjoy this weekend, we were looking for a Repsol petrol station but now we found one and the fuel tank is full again. It’s extra motivation for me, for Honda, for the engineers, for the team and let’s see what the future brings. When I saw some drops of rain on lap four of five, I said; it’s my race. I started pushing at this point and then when it started to rain harder, I pushed even more and then the second race with Oliveira began. He pushed so hard and was very fast, it was hard to keep concentrated because all the memories, everything I have lived over the last year, came into my mind. But we did it. We will do it again.”
POL ESPARGARÓ – 10th
“Honestly, today was not good. I did not get a good start and we struggled a lot, I got overtaken a lot and here is not the easiest place to pass. Then when the rain came, I was stuck behind too many people and I couldn’t get past them fast enough. If you can’t overtake quickly at the Sachsenring this is what happens. My race isn’t what I wanted, it’s not what I expected. But we have seen what Marc has done, I am really happy for him and the whole Repsol Honda Team. It shows that the bike is working well here but also highlights that we could have done more since I have been close to Marc all weekend. It’s a boost to improve, to work harder and better.”
