After occupying five of the first seven positions in yesterday’s Sprint, the Ducatis demonstrated once again that the Sachsenring has now become a friendly track, after having been for many years probably the most difficult track of the entire calendar for the Desmosedici GP machines.
In this morning’s Warm-Up, in fact, the Reds monopolized the first five positions in a session that confirmed the indication that they should go towards the medium tyre on the rear for today’s long race. It is more difficult to draw indications on the front, because the still rather low temperature forced them to choose between the soft and the medium, while in the race they should go with the hard.
The fastest in the end was Pecco Bagnaia, who showed excellent consistency of performance, thanks also to a change in settings that seems to have improved his feeling, as underlined by team manager Davide Tardozzi. Today, moreover, will be a special day for the reigning world champion, because it is his 200th GP across all classes.
Behind the Piedmontese are the other two GP24s branded Prima Pramac Racing, with Franco Morbidelli second at 80 thousandths who seems particularly at ease on the German ups and downs and this morning he managed to get the better of the world championship leader Jorge Martin, third at 164 thousandths.
Following are two GP23s and they are those of Gresini Racing. Marc Marquez confirmed that the pain in his side and the fractured finger do not represent an insurmountable obstacle, because he placed fourth at 207 thousandths, preceding the twin bike of his brother Alex by 35 thousandths.
The first of the “others” is Fabio Quartararo, who this morning seems to have taken a step forward with his Yamaha and at the end of the session he was also given a cake celebrating his 100th GP in the premier class. Seventh then is the other Ducati of Fabio Di Giannantonio, preceding the two Aprilias branded Trackhouse Racing of Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez, with the Portuguese who will surely want to be among the protagonists again today after yesterday’s podium in the Sprint.
Completing a top 10 all within the space of less than half a second is Marco Bezzecchi on the second Ducati of Pertamina Enduro VR46, followed by the best of the KTMs, that of Brad Binder, and the Aprilia of a Maverick Vinales who is still a little bruised after the bad highside he suffered in qualifying.
Only 13th Enea Bastianini, who usually never exaggerates in the Warm-Up and precedes the other two KTMs of Pedro Acosta and Jack Miller, who is the last rider to have cashed in a gap of less than a second. In 16th position then there is the best of the Hondas with the Japanese Takaaki Nakagami, even if Luca Marini was slightly slower, closing just 14 thousandths behind.
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