Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales smashed the MotoGP Sachsenring lap record during the second practice session of this weekend’s German Grand Prix, finishing 0.0340s quicker than championship leader Jorge Martin.
Vinales dominated proceedings with a strong lap time of 1.19.622s, with Martin and Trackhouse Aprilia rider Miguel Oliveira completing the top three.
In the opening 10 minutes, Ducati satellite riders Marc Marquez (Gresini) and Marco Bezzecchi (VR46) crashed brutally at the fast Turn 11. Fortunately, both riders were announced as race-fit later in the session.
A temporary red flag was pulled out after 23 minutes as Bezzecchi’s VR46 team-mate Fabio Di Giannantonio looked to have sustained a collarbone pain injury losing the front end of his Ducati GP23 heading into Turn 1. His bike ended up on top of the air fence, which led to the session being temporarily stopped. Following a checkup, he was given the all-clear.
Following the red flag interval, Marquez set the fastest lap before choosing to stop riding for the rest of the session amid fears of injury or dizziness.
GasGas Tech3’s rookie Pedro Acosta crashed for the second time of the day, this time at Turn 1, just before his team-mate Augusto Fernandez also crashed, with his tumble coming at Turn 3.
In the latter stages, Turn 11 took another victim, this time factory Ducati ride Enea Bastianini.
Remy Gardner, who is standing in for Alex Rins at Yamaha this weekend, crashed in the final corner after making big strides.
Alex Marquez elevated himself up to fourth ahead of the factory Ducati duo of Francesco Bagnaia and Bastainini, with Pramac Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli finishing behind in a much improved seventh.
Despite the tumble from Acosta, he was able to finish in eighth, with Di Giannantonio ending up in ninth.
KTM’s Brad Binder edged out his team-mate Jack Miller by 0.001s to put himself into Q2 over the Australian, who finished ahead of Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez.
Marquez’s lap time that saw him top was bettered by twelve riders which put him down to 13th, ahead of 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo and GasGas’ Fernandez who occupied 14th and 15th.
LCR’s Johann Zarco finished a second adrift of Vinales’ stunning lap but finished as the leading classified Honda, ahead of Repsol Honda’s Luca Marini and his own team-mate Taakaki Nakagami.
Bezzecchi wasn’t able to set an improved lap time following his crash but was able to finish clear of Gardner in 20th.
Honda test rider Stefan Bradl finished clear of Joan Mir, who endured a disappointing session as he struggled to get to grips with his Repsol Honda around Sachsenring’s complex turns.
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