Marco Bezzecchi
MotoGP’s new safety features that have debuted over the last couple of race weekends may have just made Marc Marquez even more unbeatable at the German Grand Prix.
The reigning world champion absolutely adores the 2.281-mile-long Sachsenring circuit, having already won at the Saxony-based circuit for a record nine times in the premier class, as well as a further three times across the intermediate and lightweight classes.
Marc Marquez remains the man to beat at the German Grand Prix, but who was your rider of the Sprint race?
Marquez’s victory in Saturday’s Sprint race came after he claimed his third pole position of 2026 earlier in the day, which rewarded the Spaniard with a front-of-the-pack start for the debut of MotoGP’s new starting procedures.
Following the multitude of first corner incidents that the premier class has seen this season, officials chose the German Grand Prix to debut a more spaced-out grid; each rider was given an extra metre of space upon their approach to turn one.
The move certainly worked, with the grid behaving itself well in a race start that didn’t see a single incident unfold as each rider barreled into the first corner of the circuit.
- READ MORE: Fans all say the same thing after Marc Marquez sets new MotoGP record with German GP Sprint win
Neil Hodgson left ‘impressed’ with MotoGP’s extra spacing at race starts
Granted, the race did end up being one of the most lacklustre Sprints of the season, but fans will get another taste of racing action during Sunday’s Grand Prix. The main thing is that every rider who competed in the 15-lap race will be available for it!
Speaking via TNT Sports’ coverage of the German Grand Prix, Neil Hodgson was delighted with the clean start: “I’ll tell you what, I’m impressed with that extra spacing. It appears like it really worked at turn one. Normally, we see collisions there, and there was nothing.”
The removal of ride-height devices at race starts was debuted at the last round of racing at the Dutch Grand Prix, and also added to the cleaner nature of this weekend’s Sprint race. Saying that, Sylvain Guintoli thinks it has made Marquez even more dominant.
The Ducati ace looked to have suffered a poor start as the lights went out, but quickly gathered it together to keep his lead at the front of the pack until the very end.
“He had a little wobble at the start, but he still did the fastest start of everybody,” the Frenchman told TNT Sports after the chequered flag. “It was a 2.3-second 0-60, something like that, which is a very decent time.
“You could see that he had just a little wheelie, but he managed to correct it straight away. Marc Marquez, at the release of the clutch, is the king of that. Without the front ride-height devices at the start, it gives a little bit more control back to the riders.”
Pedro Acosta expresses satisfaction with extra spacing at race starts
During his post-race comments to the press, KTM’s Pedro Acosta was quick to express his satisfaction with the extra space that each rider is allowed as they depart from their grid slot.
Speaking via the Spanish edition of Motorsport.com, Acosta said: “Having more space on the grid is the first change that truly improves safety because you arrive at the first braking point and you’re not stuck in a bottleneck of bikes.
“More races mean more stress, and it’s easier to make a mistake,” the future Ducati rider concluded.
Rider-to-rider spacing was increased from three metres to four metres for each competitor, while row-to-row spacing was increased from nine metres to 12. Overall, the grid has seen an increase in length by 20 metres from the front to the last row of riders.
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