Sachsenring MotoGP: Marquez dominates, Rossi beats Lorenzo

Marquez has won here for the past six seasons: twice before in MotoGP, twice in Moto2 and once in the now-defunct 125cc class.

The reigning champion led home Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa, while Valentino Rossi extended his championship lead over Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo by finishing third.

Story of the race

Although Marquez started on pole, and Pedrosa won the drag race to Turn 1, it was Lorenzo who swept around the outside of both in a quite brilliant move to hit the front.

Marquez had nipped past on the inside of Pedrosa at the apex of Turn 1, so Lorenzo led Marquez, Pedrosa, the Ducati of Andrea Iannone and Rossi.

Rossi passed Iannone at the end of the opening lap for fourth, and the leading quartet of works Yamahas and Hondas pulled away at the front of the field.

Rossi had a scare on lap two when he got right out of the seat at the crest of the hill but managed to save the moment. He recovered by setting fastest lap a tour later.

Rossi passed Pedrosa at Turn 12 on lap four, just before Marquez overtook Lorenzo for the lead at the final corner.

Marquez checked out at the front, setting new lap-record pace, as Lorenzo, Rossi and Pedrosa duelled in his wake.

Rossi and Lorenzo swapped places on lap six, before Rossi made the move stick a lap later. Marquez was 1.6s clear at this point, a lead that he extended at will.

Pedrosa passed Lorenzo for third on lap 10 at Turn 1, and then chased back to Rossi.

Pedrosa repassed Rossi for second just after half distance into Turn 12, but was unable to drop the Italian. Lorenzo, meanwhile, fell away in a distant fourth.

As Marquez romped to his 21^st MotoGP victory, Pedrosa made it a rare Honda 1-2, ahead of Rossi and Marquez.

Rossi now leads Lorenzo by 13 points, with Marquez 65 points in arrears at the halfway point of the championship.

Yonny Hernandez held sixth early on, ahead of Bradley Smith and Cal Crutchlow, but Smith was soon past him and chasing Iannone.

Iannone finished fifth from Smith, who struggled after he wore-out his knee slider, Crutchlow and Pol Espargaro.

Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso fell just before half distance.

Scott Redding crashed at the end of the opening lap at Turn 13.