Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi in action this weekend at Sachsenring.

This weekend will see PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team head to another circuit that was unable to host a race last year due to the pandemic: Sachsenring. Following a constructive test in Catalunya, Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi are looking forward to the GermanGP.

After another top-ten finish at the CatalanGP, Morbidelli is looking forward to returning to a circuit where he has enjoyed previous success. In 2017 the Italian stood on the top step of the Moto2 podium at Sachsenring, after starting from pole position, while his first race there in the intermediate class saw him able to be within the podium fight. Franco will be heading to the GermanGP having completed a productive half day of running in the one day test at Catalunya and will be looking to build on the progress made, to finish this weekend’s race in a more representative position of his pace. Morbidelli currently sits tenth in the championship standings with 40 points.

Team-mate Rossi also enjoyed a positive day of testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and demonstrated good pace, something he will be looking to replicate at Sachsenring this weekend. The Italian will also be hoping to make it directly through to Q2 again and enjoy a race that reflects his true speed. The German circuit is another one that holds good memories for Rossi with four wins, ten podiums and some intense battles during the races. With 15 points to his name in the championship standings, another target for Valentino this weekend will be to move himself higher up the order.

The Grand Prix Deutschland will get underway for Morbidelli and Rossi at 9.55am local time (3.55pm MYT) on Friday with Free Practice 1, and conclude on Sunday with the 30-lap MotoGP race at 2pm local time (8pm MYT).


Franco Morbidelli

"We have the positives from Friday and Saturday at Catalunya, and also from the test there, to take with us to Germany this weekend. I hope that we can use these and be stronger at Sachsenring, but of course we will have to see what happens when we get there. It’s a nice track, very tight in places, and I’m looking forward to being back there this weekend. In fact, I remember the first time that I rode here in Moto2. I didn’t know the circuit and I was fighting for the podium in the race! I’m looking to face these next two races before the summer break in the best way possible."

Valentino Rossi

"We had a good test at Catalunya; we tried some settings that we wanted to look at and my pace was good. I was in the top-ten and the feeling was positive. I hope we can continue this in Germany and have a good weekend, where our race goes like we expect. It’s a very different track to the others, with a lot of the corners on the left and this makes it quite a tricky circuit, it can be very difficult sometimes – but I have had some great battles in the past there, especially in 2009! I’m looking forward to returning there after we could not race there last year."