Marc Marquez secured top spot in the overall standings for Repsol Honda during third practice for MotoGP’s German Grand Prix, while MotoGP superstar Jorge Lorenzo will have to contest the first phase of qualifying.
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As times improved, he was the first to lap below the 1m24s barrier with a 1m23.601s, then improved three times again before doing the same with the 1m23s, setting a 1m22.804s.
Marquez, who is undefeated at the Sachsenring in the premier class, finally displaced Maverick Vinales’ Friday benchmark at the top of the combined times with six minutes to go.
Vinales improved twice more in the closing stages, his 1m21.161s good enough to lead the session by 0.220s over Ducati’s Andrea Iannone. 412 seconds behind Marquez in Saturday’s qualifying for his second career front-row start – and his first as second.
Vinales was one of several riders to come off at the notorious turn 11, known as the “Waterfall” corner, at Sachsenring but the Suzuki rider picked himself up to clock the fastest lap of the day.
The Spaniard was quickly back out on his second bike, upping the pace, to set a best-lap time of 1m 22.161secs, which was just out of reach of Andrea Iannone who rode hard on his Ducati to close within 0.220secs.
Valentino Rossi of Movistar Yamaha made it four different manufacturers in the top four, thanks to his 1:21.880, only 0.060s away from Vinales’ time.
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Yonny Hernandez secured the final place in Q2 with 10th, denying LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow by 0.055s, the British rider having fallen at Turn 10 early in the session.
