​Marc Marquez led a front-row lockout for Ducati at the German Grand Prix, while Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia suffered another setback to his MotoGP title bid after an early qualifying crash. Marquez snatched the all-time Sachsenring circuit record on his final run, claiming his third pole position of the 2026 season, with his brother Alex Marquez not far behind in second place, finishing less than a tenth off the pace.
Fabio di Giannantonio claimed P3 after spending much of the session challenging for pole, as Ducati asserted dominance over Aprilia in the decisive grid run. During the second segment of qualifying, reigning champion Marquez set the initial pace aboard the factory Ducati, but di Giannantonio quickly eclipsed him to rise to the summit of the timesheets. Aprilia faced drama in the opening minutes when Bezzecchi crashed, being flung from his bike and rolling through the gravel trap at Turn 7 after setting the session’s third-fastest time, just behind the leading Ducatis. He managed to rise and reach the service lane unaided, though he was clearly in pain as he limped away.
Raul Fernandez interrupted the early action by avoiding the yellow flags that followed Bezzecchi’s crash to take provisional quickest time, posting a 1m19.262s on the Trackhouse Aprilia. The Marquez brothers chipped away at Fernandez’s advantage on their next flying laps, but it wasn’t until the final six minutes that Fernandez was displaced from the top by di Giannantonio’s 1m19.188s effort.
Alex Marquez, riding for Gresini, then improved on his time, but Marc had one more weapon in reserve for his final attempt. The factory Ducati rider set a sensational 1m19.041s flying lap with three minutes remaining, shattering the circuit record and reclaiming the pole position he would hold heading into the end of Q2. The clock then expired with Marc Marquez still on top, while Alex Marquez wrapped up a late improvement on the sole Gresini bike to push di Giannantonio down to third.
Ferrari-like precision from Fernandez saw him lead Aprilia in fourth, with Trackhouse teammate Ai Ogura just behind in fifth. Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo came through from Q1 to secure a solid sixth, surpassing the Ducati of VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli, who qualified seventh but will start Sunday’s race from tenth on the grid after receiving a penalty for impeding Pedro Acosta during qualifying.
Bezzecchi’s tough session continued as he did not return to the track after his crash, while Jorge Martin struggled to improve his time in the second run. The two finished eighth and ninth respectively, ahead of KTM’s Acosta, though both Bezzecchi and Martin are set to move up a place following Morbidelli’s penalty.
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia could only manage the 11th fastest time in Q2 after topping the opening leg of qualifying, with Jack Miller in 12th for Pramac Yamaha. The session proved challenging for Honda, though the brand’s performance details at the German GP will be watched closely as fans seek more competitive action.
Overall, the session underscored Ducati’s strong form in Q2, the late surge from Marc Marquez delivering an emphatic pole position on home soil for Sachsenring, while Aprilia faced disappointment as Bezzecchi and Bezzecchi’s teammates strive to rebound in the race. The result promises an action-packed Sunday race with Marquez leading a Ducati front row and a tight pack behind him, including Alex Marquez, di Giannantonio, and Fernandez, all within striking distance as riders contend for valuable championship points.