Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is now a Grand Prix winner! The Turk has been close before but the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland finally saw him take to the top step and in some style after a last lap, last corner dive up the inside on race-long leader Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP).
Sasaki was forced to settle for second but put in another stellar podium for another podium, with a duel also deciding third as Dani Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) held off Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team).
Sasaki didn’t get the best launch as rookie teammate Collin Veijer shot off the line, but the number 71 was soon through into the lead despite the best efforts of an aggressive Öncü. As the first few laps ticked down, the Japanese rider, who was more than a second clear in qualifying, started to make a gap at the front too, leaving Öncü vs Holgado vs Ortola as the fight for the rest of the podium places.
Lap by lap, however, Öncü was able to pull away from the fight and start to home in on Sasaki. And so it became a duel, and a chess match to the finish. Massaging his cramping leg as Öncü tucked in behind the Husqvarna and then closing back in for the last lap, everyone – including Sasaki – knew it was coming. But when? It went right down to the final corner as the Turkish rider dived up the inside and somehow got it stopped, able to pin it to the line and take his first Grand Prix win after getting so, so close on a good few occasions.
Sasaki was forced to settle for second after a race-long stint at the front, with the duel for third also going to the wire. In the end, Holgado had just enough to hold off Ortola, the Championship leader increasing that lead once again after nearly the whole race spent looking in his metaphorical mirrors.
Behind the fight right at the front, it was a group battle to the line and rookie David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) came out on top. Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) took sixth ahead of Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), with Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) taking his first top ten in P10. Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) is classified P11 after a one-position penalty for exceeding track limits on the last lap.
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) sliced up to P12 despite his back of the grid and Long Lap penalty, finishing a little distance ahead of a group comprising Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Andrea Migno (CIP Green Power) as they completed the points.
There was early heartbreak for Veijer he crashed out early on despite that great start, and Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) also crashed out of top ten contention in the latter stages.
That’s it from the Sachsenring and we have a new Grand Prix winner! Come back for more Moto3™ in just a few days’ time as the iconic TT Circuit Assen welcomes us to the Netherlands next weekend.
Moto3 Top 4 – Race Result – German GP
1. Deniz ÖNCÜ – TUR – Red Bull KTM Ajo – 33:10.531
2. Ayumu SASAKI – JPN – Liqui Moly Husqvarna… – +0.095
3. Daniel HOLGADO – SPA – Red Bull KTM Tech3 – +12.074
4. Ivan ORTOLÁ – SPA – Angeluss MTA Team – +12.196
20. Scott OGDEN – GBR – VisionTrack Racing Team – +36.144
23. Joshua WHATLEY – GBR – VisionTrack Racing Team – +55.584
Moto3 Top 4 – Championship Points after – German GP
1. Daniel HOLGADO – SPA – Red Bull KTM Tech3 – 125pts
2. Jaume MASIA – SPA – Leopard Racing – 84pts
3. Ivan ORTOLÁ – SPA – Angeluss MTA Team – 81pts
4. Ayumu SASAKI – JPN – Liqui Moly Husqvarna… – 79pts
15. Scott OGDEN – GBR – VisionTrack Racing Team – 20pts
27. Joshua WHATLEY – GBR – VisionTrack Racing Team – 1pts
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