MOTOR RACING: Dominant Marquez seals landmark German GP win to complete Sachsenring double

Seven-times MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez completed a Sachsenring double with a commanding victory in Sunday’s German Grand Prix, adding to his sprint race win and strengthening his position in the championship battle.

The factory Ducati rider converted pole position into victory but was made to work early on by his younger brother Alex Marquez. The Gresini Racing rider stayed close to Marc in the opening stages before crashing out on lap 10, ending his challenge.

With Alex out of contention, Marquez controlled the race from the front, keeping Trackhouse Racing's Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura at bay to secure a record 10th premier-class victory at one of his favourite circuits. Ogura passed Fernandez late in the race to finish second and become the first Japanese rider since 2002 to secure three successive premier-class podiums, with Fernandez taking third.

Championship leader Jorge Martin finished fifth for Aprilia after crossing the line behind KTM's Pedro Acosta, who took fourth place. VR46 Racing's Fabio Di Giannantonio, regarded as Marquez's biggest challenger after qualifying third and finishing on the sprint podium, crashed out early and missed the opportunity to move to the top of the standings.

Former championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was ruled out after fracturing his left collarbone in a heavy qualifying crash, with Aprilia saying on Sunday that the Italian had undergone successful surgery but faced an uncertain recovery timeline.

-Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson/Reuters