Ducati’s Marc Marquez overcame a nightmare start to snatch a dramatic last-lap victory in treacherous, wet conditions to claim a record-breaking 10th sprint win of the MotoGP season at the German Grand Prix on Saturday.
The Ducati rider had plummeted to fourth after going wide at turn one despite securing a seventh pole position of the season, but he mounted a masterful comeback before overtaking Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi on the final lap.
Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo finished third to complete the podium while VR46 Racing’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller rounded out the top five.
The victory saw Marquez become the first rider to win 10 sprints in a season as he extended his championship lead to 78 points over his brother Alex, who finished eighth.
“In the beginning of the race, I was struggling. I did a mistake on turn one, the exit on the start. And then I lost some positions,” Marquez said.
“But then, step-by-step I got the rhythm, like in the practice… I’m happy because we take 12 points again in the sprint. But if tomorrow is wet (during the race), we need to brake a bit more before overtaking somebody.”
Marquez shot off the line with what seemed like a dream getaway, only to surrender the lead immediately as he went wide on turn one and fell to fourth while Bezzecchi seized control.
As Marquez looked to move up the pack, he had Di Giannantonio to contend with as the VR46 Racing rider overtook him twice in a dogged battle for fourth place.
Di Giannantonio’s teammate Franco Morbidelli had moved up to second but he crashed heavily on lap four and the Italian rider was thrown off his bike and sent tumbling across the gravel.
Morbidelli was diagnosed with a severe contusion to the left collarbone and was taken to hospital for further checks.
As Marquez picked up the pace, he battled past Di Giannantonio and then set his sights on Quartararo, who had made a brilliant start despite being seventh on the grid.
But Marquez was soon setting fastest laps and he quickly found his way past Quartararo on lap nine, nearly losing control of his rear tyre before recovering his balance to stay in second.
Bezzecchi still held a lead of more than a second to Marquez but the Ducati rider was determined to reel in the Aprilia as he piled the pressure on the Italian sprint leader.
Like a hunter stalking his prey, Marquez closed in and waited for the right moment to pounce – on the start-finish straight on the final lap.
He used the Aprilia’s slipstream to surge ahead before retaining his lead on the following turns to take the chequered flag.
“Very happy to lead the race after such a long time,” Bezzecchi said.
“Of course, it’s always difficult to lose the battle at the end but I have to say that was a very positive day for me.”
