Source: Supplied.

It was all or nothing for a ninth consecutive pole at the Sachsenring for reigning champion and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – but the number 93 seriously had to work for it.

By the end of Q2 at the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, it’s just 0.025s between Marquez on pole and top independent team rider Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) in second – with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) only another 0.032s off to complete the front row.

After the first runs in the session it was Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) on provisional pole as the Spaniard was the first to break Marquez’ previous pole lap record from 2015, before the first charge on the second exit saw Lorenzo threaten that – with Petrucci in close pursuit.

Over the line the two took over at the top, with Petrucci just ahead, as Marquez began his third run – later crediting the two-stop strategy as a key to his ninth pole at the venue.

On that last dash with the clock counting down, the number 93 was just off in the first sector, put in a personal best second sector and then a red third one – meaning he was up on the previous best overall.

But it was mere hundredths and it went right down to the wire, with a solid final sector seeing Marquez just maintain the advantage and pip Petrucci by the tiniest of margins. That means it’s exactly the top two from last season, except then it was over a tenth and a half – and this year it’s half a tenth covering the front row.

Viñales wasn’t able to improve and stayed fourth, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) moved up to fifth after coming from Q1 and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) found some more pace on Saturday to complete the superstar-studded second row – with every one of them keen to get the launch of their lives and move forward at lights out.

With Lorenzo ahead of them on the front row, that could be a task. The front row share 11 titles between them – but so do the second. On the third row, former podium finisher at the venue Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) took P7, ahead of practice pacesetter Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and the on-form Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team), with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) rounding out the top 10.

The number 26 has an impeccable record at the track – it’s the venue at which he’s had most success, along with Valencia – and could be one to watch when the lights go out.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) starts P11 and Q1 graduate Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) starts P12, with Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) hot on their heels in 13th. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) complete the top 15 on the grid after Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who just missed out on a place in Q2, received a six-place grid penalty for the race following ‘irresponsible riding’ in FP3 – now starting P19.

Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) grabbed his second pole of the season at the Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland to finish 0.181s ahead of fellow Italian Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46), with his teammate, Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46), rounding out the front row to make it an all-Italian front three for the first time ever in Moto2.

Fourth and the leading KTM was Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) as he launches from the front of the second row, with 0.001 splitting the British rider from Bagnaia. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) recovered from a crash in FP3 to qualify fifth on the grid, as Australian Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) will start from P20.

Moto3 championship leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) secured his sixth pole of 2018 thanks to his 1m28.434s lap, beating Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai), who claimed a podium finish at the Sachsenring last season, by 0.060s as the Spaniard earned his first front row start in the lightweight class, with Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) rounding out the front row in third.

After a nasty crash at turn three in FP3, Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) bounced back to secure his best ever grand prix qualifying result in fourth – a fantastic end to the session for the rookie. Behind the Spaniard was compatriot Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0)

Detailed results