Marc Marquez began his push for a ninth German MotoGP victory by topping Friday’s opening practice session at Sachsenring. The Ducati rider, known for his dominance at the circuit, wasted no time setting the pace in uncertain weather conditions.
With rain threatening early on, Marquez hit the top of the timesheets within seven minutes and continued improving throughout the 45-minute session. He ended the session 0.371s clear of Jack Miller, despite staying on old tyres while others switched to fresh rubber late on.
Miller, along with Marco Bezzecchi, Johann Zarco, and Maverick Vinales, posted their best laps on new tyres. Among those who also stayed on older compounds, Fabio di Giannantonio and Fabio Quartararo came closest to matching Marquez, but still trailed by more than half a second.
Alex Marquez, second in the standings despite a recent hand fracture sustained at Assen, completed 19 laps and finished 14th. He will undergo further medical review after FP1. During the session, he appeared frustrated after seeing smoke from team-mate Fermin Aldeguer’s bike.
Johann Zarco and Pedro Acosta were the only riders to crash during the session, though both escaped injury.
Enea Bastianini was absent due to appendicitis, while Honda’s Luca Marini returned from a series of serious injuries sustained in a Superbike testing crash. However, Somkiat Chantra is sidelined with a knee injury and won’t be replaced this weekend, though Takaaki Nakagami will substitute for him at the Brno round.
Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori continues to stand in for the recovering Jorge Martin, who is expected to return next week in Brno.
Wet weather remains a constant threat throughout the weekend, with heavier rain expected on Saturday.
