Marc Marquez after Bezzecchi’s crash: “Karma doesn’t exist!”

With pole position, a lap record and victory in the sprint race, Marc Marquez enjoyed a perfect Saturday at the Sachsenring. The Ducati factory rider dominated the 15-lap race and reduced the gap in the World Championship to 32 points.

Marquez was particularly proud of the lap record, which he took from Fabio di Giannantonio. Back in the paddock, he even joked with the VR46 rider about the record. “Last year, Fabio put in an incredible lap in practice. I was determined to set the lap record on this track,” explained Marquez. At the same time, he reckons that the record won’t last long anyway, given the introduction of the 850cc bikes next year. “I think that with the 850s here, we’ll see lap times in the 1:18 range.”

Marc: His brother Alex would be the championship leader had it not been for the Barcelona crash

In the sprint itself, Marquez had to hold his own against his brother Alex in particular. The Gresini rider made up ground once again in the final laps, but was unable to mount a challenge for victory. “Alex pushed very hard. I saw how close he got right at the end. I tried to maintain a consistent race pace. Even so, he managed to close the gap on the final lap,” Marc explained in the Parc Fermé. Looking ahead to the Grand Prix, he added: “I’m curious to see if we can pace ourselves better on the medium tyres. I’m hoping for the same result.”

Alex und Marc Marquez bestimmten den Sprint

Foto: Gold & Goose

For Marc Marquez, his brother’s second place was more than just another strong result. After missing the races at Mugello, Balaton Park and Brno following his heavy crash in Barcelona, Alex Marquez was already back in top form at Assen.

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“I’m very happy to see my brother riding the way he’s capable of again,” emphasised Marc. “I believe Alex would be leading the World Championship today if it hadn’t been for the incident in Catalonia – and that wasn’t his fault. He proved that again at Assen and today. He’s one of the fastest riders on the grid this year. I was just lucky that he missed three races.”

Marquez on Bezzecchi crash: “Karma doesn’t exist”

Qualifying was overshadowed by a heavy crash involving Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi, who sustained injuries in the gravel trap. In connection with the accident, Marquez was asked about the term ‘karma’, after it had once again been discussed on social media.

Highsider in Kurve 7: Marco Bezzecchi schlug hart auf

Foto: MotoGP

The Ducati star wasn’t convinced by this line of thinking. “I’ve been reading the word ‘karma’ constantly since 2015 – and since then I’ve gone on to win six more world championships. If that’s supposed to be karma, then bring it on,” he said with a smile. “Karma doesn’t exist. We riders take a huge risk every single time.”

For him, the discussion about the safety of the gravel traps is far more important. “I wish ‘Bezz’ a speedy recovery. But I also hope we can resolve this issue for the future. Bezzecchi today, Fermin Aldeguer at Assen, or myself back then in Indonesia – we’ve all been injured in the gravel trap at that kerb. We need to improve that for the future.”

Marquez predicts: Sunday will be a Ducati day

Marquez believes Ducati has the advantage for Sunday’s Grand Prix. After Aprilia set the benchmark at Assen, the six-time MotoGP World Champion now expects a response from Borgo Panigale. “It was Aprilia’s turn at Assen; tomorrow it has to be Ducati’s turn,” he clarified. Marquez attributes the differences primarily to the characteristics of the respective circuits. “Assen has lots of fast corners; the Sachsenring is more of a stop-and-go track.”

Ducati-Dreifacherfolg beim Sachsenring-Sprint

Foto: Gerhard Schiel

Marquez has no doubts about the Desmosedici’s competitiveness. “I’ve been saying since the first race: Ducati is the best bike across the entire calendar. I may not be able to get the most out of the package at every race, but the bike performs very well on all circuits.”

Physically, too, Marquez no longer seems to have any major limitations. “My shoulder is working well. My elbow still hurts a little, but I’m not restricted in any way,” the Spaniard clarified.