18.06.2022

Oliveira & Binder on the fifth row after German MotoGP™ qualifying at Sachsenring

MotoGP 2022 - Round 10 of 20, Sachsenring (Germany) - Qualification

Miguel Oliveira MotoGP 2022 Germany Qualification © KTM Images/Polarity Photo

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MotoGP arrived at the halfway stage of the 2022 season with the trip to the distinctive Sachsenring circuit and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira was the fastest qualifier on the KTM RC16 with 14th position – in front of Brad Binder in 15th - on the grid for tomorrow’s Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.

Oliveira has strong race pace after running top six in FP4 and misses Q2 by just 0.3 of a second during qualification
Binder sits 15th and was less than half a second from Q2
Holgado takes front row berth with 3rd best Moto3™ lap
Augusto Fernandez to begin Moto2™ Grand Prix from 3rd
Jose Rueda races to victory in the seventh race of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and Rossi Moor triumphs in the Northern Talent Cup

MotoGP regathered at the swirling Sachsenring circuit close to the city of Chemnitz for the latest ‘double’ of action this season (the German event and round ten of twenty will be followed by the Motul TT Assen in Holland the following weekend). The weather conditions were almost ideal: sunny, warm and with a strong breeze. The 3.7km German course tested the technical precision of the riders with a hefty emphasis through ten left hand corners of the thirteen. The track also mixes slow sections with faster segments towards the end of the lap for harder braking and passing opportunities.

The KTM quartet used Friday’s Free Practice sessions to work on the base setup for maximum turning potential and increased downforce. All four Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Tech3 KTM Factory Racing riders had to enter Q1 on Saturday afternoon, although Miguel Oliveira recorded a ‘race pace’ during the FP4 session that placed him inside the top six. The 15-minute session was an authentic time attack and it was the Portuguese who came closest to ‘escaping’ Q1. Oliveira was just three hundredths of a second away from P1 and was then held-up on his final flying lap meant he run out of time to try for a better ranking.

Brad Binder was just behind his teammate. The South African was just 0.1 of a second slower and classified 15th. Remy Gardner fronted Raul Fernandez as the rookies placed 21st and 22nd respectively, again with only fractions of a second marking the difference.

The usual MotoGP time schedule applies with Moto3 opening race day at 11.00, Moto2 at 12.20 and MotoGP at 14.00 CET.

Miguel Oliveira: “Good sessions overall. I felt like I got decent pace in every practice and also this morning the time attacks were OK. I missed out on Q2 because I had a good first run but then lost another chance when I ran into traffic. Despite all this I think I can have a good race tomorrow and be there for more points than in the last few races. We improved the times from last year, the pace is not too bad and the conditions are a bit more tough. A step forward.”

Brad Binder: “I felt quite OK in qualifying and FP4 was not so bad either but we had to put in some used tires for qualifying and it was the smallest margin to go through. It is unfortunate to be starting so far back again but I’m confident our race pace is much better than what our positions have been so far. We will be better-off tomorrow. We’ll need to stay calm, make a good start and pick people off from there.”

Remy Gardner:“The first session of qualifying was a bit messy today because everyone was a out of trajectories or waiting for each other. I feel like I had the capacity to get a better position but it is like this. I feel strong on the bike and on the track, so we will see what we can do tomorrow for the race.”

Raul Fernandez: “I had a good pace today but I struggled to do a fast lap during qualifying so I will start from the back. Our tire strategy will be very important for tomorrow’s race, so we will need to study this carefully in the warm up on Sunday morning in order to make the best decision possible. I look forward to racing here in Sachsenring.”

Moto3 & Moto2 & Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

First place on the Moto3 grid was taken by Izan Guevara as the Spaniard defeated Dennis Foggia by more than two tenths of a second in Q2. In 3rd place was Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Daniel Holgado; the rookie capturing his second front row qualifying slot of the season. His teammate, Jaume Masia, was down in 18th while Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Adrian Fernandez fared well – his best qualification of 2022 in fact - to take 14th. Deniz Öncü, set the fastest effort in Q1 but was penalized for exceeding track limits and missed Q2 progression. He will start the race from 24th.

Moto2 Pole Position was owned by Sam Lowes but the Red Bull KTM Ajo pairing of Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta were a consistent presence near the top of Free Practice throughout Friday and Saturday morning. In the crucial Q2 dash it was Fernandez who was further forward. He ended the chrono in 3rd for his fourth front row so far. Acosta was just four tenths of a second slower in 11th.

For the fourth time in 2022 the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup gathered together for two races; one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. The series has so far visited Italy, Spain and Portugal and now attempted Sachsenring. Saturday’s sprint was claimed in dominant fashion by Jose Rueda who built a five-second margin over the rest of the pack. The contest was followed by the latest episode of the 2022 Northern Talent Cup and Rossi Moor was the victor from round three of the KTM development championship thanks to a bold overtaking move into Turn 11.

Results Qualifying MotoGP Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati 1:19.931

2. Fabio Quartararo (FRA) Yamaha +0.076

3. Johann Zarco (FRA) Ducati +0.099

4. Aleix Espargaro (ESP) Aprilia +0.189

5. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) Ducati +0.197

14. Miguel Oliveira (POR) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (Q1) 1:20.656

15. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (Q1) 1:20.757

21. Remy Gardner (AUS) Tech3 KTM Factory Racing (Q1) 1:21.089

22. Raul Fernandez (ESP) Tech3 KTM Factory Racing (Q1) 1:21.322

Results Qualifying Moto2 Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

1. Sam Lowes (GBR) 1:23.493