2024 MotoGP World Championship
Round Nine – Sachsenring
Jorge Martin
How much confidence do you have heading into this weekend after a double win here last year?
“I think I’m a better rider than last season and I think the level of this season is better than the year before. In Assen, I saw and felt that I was riding perfectly and I think it will be interesting here and it will be a big challenge to battle against Pecco and Marc, who I think will be really strong. But I feel confident and strong as last season was great here because I won both the Sprint and on Sunday, and I feel that I can repeat it so let’s see.”
How much are you looking forward to battling with Marc this weekend?
“I’m looking forward to the challenge and I remember last season before the race I watched his (Marc Marquez) onboard videos from the years before, so I think he helped me win last season but I don’t think he will do it this season.”
Francesco Bagnaia
Is it possible to be as dominant here at the Sachsenring?
“We’ll try for sure but last year was a very good race on Sunday, but we didn’t have the chance to win against Jorge because in the last couple of laps, he was very defensive and it was difficult for me to overtake him, so it was fun. I was not at my 100% last year and had a little bit of pain after a crash in Le Mans but I remember the potential was high and I think our bike suits this track perfectly and that we can have a good battle again.”
What chances do you think Marc has?
“I think he has the potential to fight for victory as we know how good he is on left-handed circuits, so I think the competition will be high and it will be important to understand it as quickly as possible by maybe following him at some part of the weekend and see what we can do.”
Marc Marquez
Is this the best chance you have to take your first win with Gresini?
“We will see, our predictions are better than what they were last Thursday in Assen but I predict if I can have a perfect weekend with a step in the right direction then maybe I will have the chance to fight at the front with these two guys, who have been one step in front and in Pecco’s case two steps in front of the others. So we will try and do our 100% and let’s see. The fact we are at the Sachsenring will help me have the chance to fight with these two guys.”
Do you think you would need to pull off your best Sachsenring performance to beat these two guys?
“Yes of course, I mean as I said if I want to have a chance then I need to ride perfectly as I have done in the past. But in the past when we arrived here we were competitive at all tracks and then I made the difference, but now they are faster at all tracks so let’s see if I have enough speed to fight with them as it will not be an easy weekend as some people have said.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio
After 15 top 10s in a row, do you think you can be in the battle at the front?
“For sure we have a good momentum and we are really fast and have grown a lot this season and our goal is to be close to them. We’ve shown in Assen that our speed is really good but for sure there is still a difference between the 24 and the 23 bikes but I think we’re doing a really good job and I think if we can make another step in the right direction and then we can be in the fight for the podium and be close to them.”
Can you tell us what your situation is right now, what are your options?
“I’m in a different situation to last year which I am grateful for as it means we have done a really good job in winter and this season. I know what I want for next year and I’m still deciding what is the best solution for my career. I’m looking for a project that I can be the head of, so I will talk this weekend and during some days next week I’ll make my decision because it’s difficult to make a decision for the future during a race weekend, but we are really close to closing a deal.”
Is it just a choice between VR46 or is there an option for Pramac Yamaha?
“I have a clear plan A, then there is a plan B, but we also have a plan C, so I am quite open and I think this weekend will make everything more clear but we are going for it.”
Alex Marquez
You have a new two-year contract with Gresini, how delighted are you with that news?
“I’m so happy to renew my contract for two years as I had this plan only in my head as they saved my career in MotoGP™ two years ago and I feel really comfortable in this team and really appreciated. Nadia and I have a really good relationship, so it was clear to me that my main goal was to continue here. We know where we need to be and we are struggling a little bit this year but I think with some small changes the results will arrive that we need to achieve.”
Do you think you can consistently battle inside the top six?
“I’m happy because we have shown our speed many times we just need to find a bit more to do it consistently because in some situations I struggle with this bike more than normal so we need to find a small step to be always there. When I have a new tyre and need to go for a fast lap time we can do that but late in the race we struggle, so with some small changes we will try and hopefully find something.”
Fabio Quartararo
What do you think the potential of the package is this weekend and will you use the new engine again?
“Yes we will use the new engine, but like I said this layout is not the best for us considering the problems we are having. But the goal is to give it our best and to try and claim the best result possible.”
Was Pramac Yamaha an influence in getting you to stay for another two years?
“There were many things that we spoke about during negotiations such as having a full factory satellite team that I think will help us a lot and improve our test team and many other things that will come during the year. But this was something that was super important to us.”
Who would you like to see at Pramac Yamaha?
“This guy to my right (Di Giannantonio). I think Fabio can be the one that can do a good job for Yamaha and I think that for the last 10 months, he has been doing a good job. I think we need a rider like him to improve our project and I think a rookie could be a good idea.”
Do you have a rookie in mind?
“I think Garcia and Lopez are names that are really fast in Moto2 and they can earn their place in a team like Pramac that is not really a satellite team, and more like an extension of a factory team.”
MotoGP Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | J Martin | 200 |
| 2 | F Bagnaia | 190 |
| 3 | M Marquez | 142 |
| 4 | E Bastianini | 136 |
| 5 | M Viñales | 118 |
| 6 | P Acosta | 101 |
| 7 | B Binder | 99 |
| 8 | F Di Giannantonio | 92 |
| 9 | A Espargaro | 82 |
| 10 | A Marquez | 62 |
| 11 | M Bezzecchi | 45 |
| 12 | R Fernandez | 40 |
| 13 | F Quartararo | 39 |
| 14 | F Morbidelli | 39 |
| 15 | J Miller | 32 |
| 16 | M Oliveira | 32 |
| 17 | A Fernandez | 15 |
| 18 | J Mir | 13 |
| 19 | J Zarco | 12 |
| 20 | A Rins | 8 |
| 21 | T Nakagami | 8 |
| 22 | D Pedrosa | 7 |
| 23 | L Marini | 0 |
| 24 | S Bradl | 0 |
2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship calendar (Updated)
| Rnd | Date | Location |
| 9 | 07 Jul | Germany Sachsenring |
| 10 | 04 Aug | Great Britain Silverstone Circuit |
| 11 | 18 Aug | Austria Red Bull Ring-Spielberg |
| 12 | 01 Sep | Aragon MotorLand Aragón |
| 13 | 08 Sep | San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini Misano |
| 14 | 22 Sep | Kazakhstan Sokol International Racetrack |
| 15 | 29 Sep | Indonesia Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit |
| 16 | 06 Oct | Japan Mobility Resort Motegi |
| 17 | 20 Oct | Australia Phillip Island |
| 18 | 27 Oct | Thailand Chang International Circuit |
| 19 | 03 Nov | Malaysia Sepang International Circuit |
| 20 | 17 Nov | Comunitat Valenciana Circuit Ricardo Tormo |
