MotoGP returned to the Sachsenring for the opening day of the German GP. Friday delivered plenty of storylines as riders battled for an early advantage. Raul Fernández topped the morning FP1 session, but it was championship leader Marc Márquez who stamped his authority on the afternoon Practice, finishing fastest to underline why the German circuit has long been one of his strongest venues.
With the fight for the automatic Q2 places going down to the final minutes and penalties handed out after the session, the stage is now set for an intriguing Saturday.
Fernández edges FP1 despite Márquez’s early crash
Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernández made an impressive start to the weekend by setting the fastest lap in FP1. The Spaniard put together a late flying lap to edge out Marc Márquez, while Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the top three for VR46 Racing.
The session wasn’t entirely straightforward for Márquez, who suffered a harmless crash at Turn 3 early on. The championship leader quickly returned to the circuit and immediately rediscovered his pace, ending the session just a fraction behind Fernández despite the setback.
Pedro Acosta also showed promising speed for KTM, while Jack Miller continued Yamaha’s encouraging form with another competitive outing on his Pramac. With several manufacturers represented near the front, the opening session hinted at a closely fought weekend.
Márquez strikes back in Friday Practice
As grip improved in the afternoon, riders pushed harder in the all-important Practice session, where the top ten would secure automatic progression to Q2.
Marc Márquez wasted little time reasserting himself, producing the fastest lap of the day to finish at the top of the timesheets. Raul Fernández continued his strong form in second, while Fabio Di Giannantonio and Álex Márquez completed the top four to round off an excellent Friday for the Márquez brothers.
The closing minutes were particularly tense as riders scrambled to improve on their final flying laps. Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini were among the notable names who missed out on automatic progression and will now have to battle through Q1 on Saturday morning.
Morbidelli and Moreira penalised
Friday’s action continued after the chequered flag. The FIM MotoGP Stewards announced three-place grid penalties for Franco Morbidelli and MotoGP rookie Diogo Moreira.
Both riders were found to have ridden unnecessarily slowly on the racing line during Practice, impeding other competitors in the closing stages of the session. Along with the three-place grid penalties for Sunday’s race, each rider was also fined €2,000.
At a circuit where overtaking can be difficult and incidents can be plentiful, those penalties could have a significant impact on their weekends.
Saturday set for another Sachsenring showdown
In the end, Friday belonged to Marc Márquez, who once again looked exceptionally strong around one of his most successful circuits. However, Fernández’s pace, Di Giannantonio’s consistency and impressive performances from others suggest there will be a strong battle at the front.
With qualifying, the Sprint and the newly issued grid penalties all set to shape the remainder of the weekend, Saturday promises another fascinating chapter in the 2026 German GP.
Feature image courtesy of MotoGP.com