Brilliant Marquez is still ‘King of the Ring’

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, July 12, 2026

Marc Marquez won the German MotoGP Sprint at Sachsenring, holding off his brother Alex Marquez to secure his 19th Sprint victory and improve to fifth in the championship standings. The event was marred by a serious crash that injured title contender Marco Bezzecchi, who will miss the main race on Sunday as Marquez aims to continue his dominant run and challenge all-time records.

Marc Marquez secured victory in the German MotoGP Sprint at Sachsenring on Saturday, reinforcing his status as a dominant force at the circuit. The seven-time world champion, riding for Ducati, started from pole position and maintained his lead throughout the race, finishing ahead of his brother Alex Marquez, who placed second on a Ducati-Gresini machine.

The 33-year-old Spaniard, known as the “King of the Ring” for his strong performances at Sachsenring, praised his younger brother for the close competition in the final laps. “Alex pushed very hard, he was very close in the last few laps,” Marquez said, noting he tried to keep a consistent pace to stay ahead. He expressed hope to replicate the success in the main race scheduled for Sunday.

Italian rider Fabio Di Giannantonio finished third on a Ducati-VR46, followed by Aprilia-Trackhouse teammates Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez in fourth and fifth places. Championship leader Jorge Martin, riding for Aprilia, took sixth, extending his points lead despite the challenging race.

The day’s proceedings were overshadowed by a serious crash involving Marco Bezzecchi, also an Aprilia rider and title contender. During qualifying, Bezzecchi lost control of his bike at over 130 km/h, resulting in a heavy fall that left him with a broken left collarbone. The 27-year-old, who had been eighth fastest before the crash, will undergo surgery in Italy and is expected to miss the Sunday race. This injury comes just two weeks after Bezzecchi escaped harm in another high-speed incident in the Netherlands.

Following his Sprint victory, Marquez improved his standing to fifth overall in the championship, closing the gap to Martin to 32 points. Marquez’s 19th Sprint win marks a new all-time record in the series.

Sunday’s main event represents the 11th round of a 22-race season. Marquez aims to claim a 13th victory at Sachsenring and his 10th in the MotoGP premier class, which would tie records held by Italian legend Giacomo Agostini for most wins at a single event and most victories at the same circuit in the top category.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.