The ninth round of the MotoGP World Championship, scheduled for this weekend at the Sachsenring circuit, marks the midway point in the 2016 season, with Marc Marquez leading the Championship classification and teammate Dani Pedrosa lying in fourth place.

The Sachsenring is one of the slower tracks on the calendar, and also the shortest at just 3.67km (2.28 miles), but it has often played host to hard-fought, close races. The actual circuit, a mix of 10 left turns and just three rights, has hosted the German GP since 1998, and it has proven to be one of the most successful rounds for the Repsol Honda Team and its riders.

Marc has won the last six consecutive years in Germany (2015, 2014 and 2013 in MotoGP, 2012 and 2011 in Moto2, and 2010 in125cc), meaning that every time he has made the podium at the Sachsenring, he finished first. Dani can also claim six victories (four in MotoGP in 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2007, and two in 250cc in 2005 and 2004), among a total of nine podium visits.



Marc Marquez - Championship Standing: 1st – 145 points

“We’re going to the German GP aiming for a podium position and of course possibly to fight for the win. The Sachsenring is normally a very good track for me that I like very much, maybe because it has so many left-hand corners, a bit like a dirt track! On the other hand, it’s another one on the calendar where the weather has sometimes played a crucial role in the past, so we’ll see how it goes there. We’ve learned from the past and we’re approaching this season race by race, trying to be ready and make the most of what we have and what the situation requires. In any case I’m happy we’ll be back in action shortly and I’ll do my best to get another positive result before the summer break.”

Dani Pedrosa - Championship Standing: 4th – 86 points

“I like the Sachsenring very much; it’s definitely one of my favourite tracks on the calendar. I have very good memories there, and together with my team, we’ll try to make the best use of what we’ve learned from the last races. It was a pity that we didn’t get a better result in Assen, where our strategy was perfect for the first part of the race, but the positive is that we know we’ve worked well in demanding conditions. We’ll try to do the same in Germany.”

Location: Sachsenring

Car and bike races have been held on closed public roads in the area around the town of Chemnitz, Germany since the 1920s and were still taking place until as recently as 1990. It was decided, however, that the five mile course through such a densely populated area was no longer suitable and a new circuit was built five miles west of Chemnitz in 1996. Although mainly used as a driver training centre and road transport safety station, Sachsenring first hosted MotoGP in 1998 and many improvements have taken place since then, including a drastic layout enhancement in 2001. Numerous tight corners make it one of the slower tracks on the calendar but there is never any shortage of close racing action.