Michelin : MotoGP™ 2017 - Germany - MICHELIN takes Marquez to another win at the ‘Ring’

Starting from pole, Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) got to the first corner ahead of the field and stayed there for the first lap. Using a pairing of medium compound MICHELIN Power Slick tires, the reigning World Champion led for the first five-laps and was then passed by Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3). The German rider was making his first premier class appearance in a MotoGP™ race and the home crowd got behind him as he produced a string of quick laps, including a new lap-record on the fourth circulation. Folger also had the medium front and rear slick tire combination and the German put theseto good use to lead the race until lap-11, before Marquez regained the lead. A position that the Honda rider then held until the end of the race, despite Folger pressurising him for the remaining laps. Victory for Marquez-with a new race duration time-saw him move to the top of the World Championship standings and Folger's second place was also good enough to earn him the position of First Independent Rider.

MICHELIN had brought a range of tires to Sachsenring that it believed were best suited to the new asphalt that had been laid earlier this year and that due to test restrictions the French tire firm had not had a chance to evaluate. The selection of tires proved ideally matched to the 3,671m anti-clockwise circuit in all conditions, as the riders produced very fast lap-times with both wet and dry tires in the practice sessions and it was further emphasised with today's new race duration and lapre cords for Marquez and Folger respectively. Most of the slick and wet tires were used at some point during the weekend-in-fact the only tire not used was the medium front wet. Choice for the riders was again a main aspect with different pairings being used throughout the field in today's race, again underlining MICHELIN's ability to supply tires for all manufacturers and riders to give them the opportunity for optimum performance.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) was the next across the line to claim third place after what proved to be a solitary race as he was unable to chase down the leaders, but pulled well clear of the pursuing pack. The encounter behind the first three was the most intriguing of the day, as Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP™) came from eleventh on the grid to take fourth aftera spirited battle with his team-mate Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP™) who finished fifth. Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) also made a significant move through the field, as he took sixth from twelfth on the grid. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was seventh, a position that saw him surrender his championship lead, as the battle for the title sees Marquez, Viñales, Dovizioso and Rossi separated by just ten points. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took ninth to keep his lead in the Rookie and Independent Rider championships -both from team-mate Folger. Cal Crutchlow rounded out the top-ten.

MICHELIN and the whole MotoGP™ field now heads to a mid-season break before the championship regroups for the 10thround of the season at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday 6thAugust, a race that signals the start of what promises to be an exciting climax to the 2017 title chase.