MotoGP 2016: Marquez gambles on slicks, wins German Grand Prix

Repsol Honda rider takes early risk by switching to slicks in the wet, wins GermanGP for the seventh time in a row.

Marc Marquez has continued his winning streak at the Sachsenring circuit as he won the GermanGP for the seventh consecutive year, today. Amidst tricky and wet weather conditions at the track, the Repsol Honda rider gambled his way up to the top spot after switching early to slicks on a drying track. Cal Crutchlow of LCR Honda finished second ahead of Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati.

The GermanGP started in wet conditions like the DutchGP, unfolding similar kind of drama and ruckus like the race is Assen. Starting from pole, Marquez lost one too many positions at the start and was soon trailing Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi and Danillo Petrucci. Marquez struggled to keep up with the leading pack, which eventually forced him to make a mistake and run wide at Turn 8 in the middle part of the race. Luckily he stayed upright and joined the race back. Once the track started drying up, Marquez immediately switched to slicks. Post that, Marquez was lapping the track around 7-8 seconds quicker than the leading pack. By the time other riders’ swapped bikes, Marquez had pulled a gap of over 20 seconds from the rider in second spot. Winning the race from then on was only going to be a cakewalk.

Reigning champion, Jorge Lorenzo’s dreadful weekend continued as he finished in 15^th position. Rossi dropped back to 8^th spot, owing to his late pit stop. With the GermanGP in his bag, Marquez now has 170 points in the championship, 48 points more than Lorenzo (122) and 59 points over Rossi (111).