Is Fabio Quartararo on his way to another MotoGP title? Marcel Schrötter from Vilgertshofen impresses with strong Moto2 results. Moto3 class dominated by the Aspar Team.
The 2022 LIQUI MOLY Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany is just around the corner. From 17th June, Saxony plays host to three days of full-throttle action: The stars of MotoGP, including world champion Fabio Quartararo and local favourite Stefan Bradl, will put on a spectacular show for fans at the Sachsenring. The riders in Moto2, Moto3, the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the Northern Talent Cup will add to the feast of action at the only German round of motorcycle racing’s top series.
Approaching the halfway point of the season, after nine of the 20 rounds, reigning champion Quartararo is on course to successfully defend his title: The Frenchman travels to the iconic circuit in Hohenstein-Ernstthal as the championship leader. Last time out, in Barcelona, he not only celebrated his second win of the season, but also the extension of his contract with Yamaha. The success at the Grand Prix of Catalunya could prove pivotal for the 23-year-old: While he picked up a maximum haul, his closest rivals all dropped valuable points.
Second-placed Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) threw away a possible second place at his home race in Barcelona and eventually had to settle for fifth place. The Italian Ducati pair of Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia failed to finish the Grand Prix of Catalunya, while fellow Ducati man Johann Zarco also lost ground on Quartararo in third place. The Frenchman lies fourth in the world championship.
In the Moto2 class, young Italian Celestino Vietti, who stepped up from Moto3 this year, has caught the eye: The protégé of motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi tops the table with 133 points and already has three victories and two second places to his name. His biggest rivals in the title race are Honda-supported Japanese rider Ai Ogura and Aron Canet from Spain. Ogura claimed his first victory on the world championship stage at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez.
Marcel Schrötter: Four top-five finishes already
For German Moto2 driver Marcel Schrötter, the current season has started well. The LIQUI MOLY IntactGP rider has finished in the top five in four of the nine races so far. Schrötter was fourth in Austin (USA) and Portimão (Portugal), and fifth in Jerez and Barcelona. After nine races, he has amassed 75 points and lies seventh in the world championship.
The Moto3 class is firmly in the hands of Jorge Martinez’s “Aspar” team in 2022. The Spanish outfit lies first and second in the riders’ world championship with Sergio Garcia and Izan Guevara. The two Spaniards have won five of the nine races so far.
The German PrüstelGP team from Oberlungwitz near the Sachsenring, which is this year responsible for the Moto3 presence of Chinese manufacturer CFMoto, has already featured on the podium this season: Spaniard Carlos Tatay came home third at the Grand Prix of Indonesia in Mandalika. He and his compatriot Xavi Artigas have picked up ten points or more on seven occasions already in 2022.
German youngsters in the Northern Talent Cup
The title battle in this year’s Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is developing into a two-horse race: After six of twelve races, just five points separate championship leader José Rueda from Spain and Dutchman Collin Veijer. The duo has already opened a considerable gap ahead of the chasing pack: Third-placed Maximo Quites from Spain already trails Veijer by 25 points.
In the Northern Talent Cup, Hungary’s Rossi Moor is the man of the hour. Moor, who finished third overall and won the race at the Sachsenring last year, holds a 28-point lead over Holland’s Loris Veneman. The best-placed of the young German riders is Dustin Schneider in fourth. In Rocco Caspar, Germany has another young rider in the top ten of the overall standings.
Tickets for MotoGP at the Sachsenring are still available from the online ticket shop at adac.de/motogp, as well as by phone on 03723/8099111 and E-mail (info@sachsenring-event.de). Tickets purchased for the 2020 and 2021 Motorcycle Grands Prix remain valid for the 2022 race weekend.
