Marc Marquez Tops MotoGP German GP Friday Practice at Sachsenring, Bagnaia Faces Q1

Sachsenring, Germany, July 10, 2026: Marc Marquez continued his remarkable love affair with the Sachsenring by setting the fastest time in Friday Practice for the 2026 MotoGP German Grand Prix, strengthening his bid for a record-extending 10th premier-class victory at the iconic German circuit.

The Ducati Lenovo Team rider clocked a blistering 1:19.394, comfortably topping the timesheets after finishing fastest in the opening practice session earlier in the day. Marquez led Raul Fernandez of the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, while Fabio Di Giannantonio secured third for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team.

The opening stages of Practice saw Marco Bezzecchi set the early benchmark ahead of Marquez and Alex Marquez, before drama unfolded involving Franco Morbidelli and Pedro Acosta. Morbidelli was judged to have impeded Acosta on the racing line at Turn 7 and was handed a three-place grid penalty, his second such offence of the season.

As the session entered its second half, the battle for the coveted automatic Q2 places intensified. Fabio Quartararo briefly moved into the top 10, while Cal Crutchlow produced an impressive lap to enter the provisional Q2 spots before being displaced by Brad Binder. Strong late improvements from Di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini and Joan Mir pushed several big names, including Francesco Bagnaia, outside the top 10.

With less than 15 minutes remaining, lap times tumbled rapidly. Marquez became the first rider to dip into the 1:19 bracket, only for Jack Miller to match his lap time exactly. Di Giannantonio then briefly stole the spotlight with a 1:19.674 before Alex Marquez slotted into contention as the fight for the top positions intensified.

Marquez, however, responded in champion’s fashion during the closing minutes, reclaiming the top spot with his session-best lap of 1:19.394. Fernandez held on to second, while Di Giannantonio completed the top three. Alex Marquez finished fourth, with Miller delivering an impressive fifth-place result for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP to secure direct entry into Q2.

Ai Ogura continued his strong form by finishing sixth, ahead of Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, while Acosta and Morbidelli rounded out the top 10 despite the latter’s penalty.

One of the biggest surprises of Friday was the elimination of Francesco Bagnaia from the automatic Q2 places. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider could only finish outside the top 10 and will now have to battle through Saturday’s Q1 session. Bastianini, Quartararo, Marini and Mir also failed to secure direct qualification, setting up a fiercely competitive Q1 with only two promotion spots available.

With Marquez once again looking untouchable at his favourite circuit, all eyes will be on whether the six-time MotoGP World Champion can convert his dominant Friday pace into another Sachsenring victory.

Friday Practice Top 10 – MotoGP German Grand Prix 2026