Let me start with a fun fact. In October 2023, I went to Australia to attend a MotoGP race at the iconic circuit of Phillip Island. I can’t stress it enough, but it had been on my bucket list for quite some time. Now, coming to the fun fact, while boarding my flight to Sydney last year, I received a call from a cousin. She told me about her plans to move to Germany in 2024 and suggested that I plan my next work vacation (that’s what they all think!) in Germany. Jokingly, I replied that I might plan my travel around the dates of the 2024 German GP.
Fast forward to May this year – my cousin’s plans to move to Germany were put on hold, and I had completely forgotten about my own plans to visit Germany. It might have been lurking somewhere in my subconscious, but I wasn’t actively thinking about it to make it a reality. Or so I thought.
A couple of weeks ago, we received an invitation for an event in Spain starting on 14th July. The first thing I did after getting the invite was quickly check the dates of the German GP – 5th to 7th July. The plan was now back ON!
Ringing it in
On the 4th of July, I landed in Munich and spent two days in the city. I spent a day sightseeing around town, and the following day I had the misfortune of witnessing Germany lose to Spain in the Euro Cup from close quarters. It's not that I was supporting Germany but because I nearly got trampled in a sea of angry Germans after they got eliminated from the Euros.
After two days in Munich, I started my ‘work commute’ towards Sachsenring on the day of the qualifying/sprint race (Saturday). I boarded a high-speed train from Munich to Leipzig early morning. Upon reaching Leipzig, which is around a four hour journey by train from Munich, I booked a rental VW Golf (#drivelocal) and began my journey to the track. Now, Leipzig to Sachsenring is around 100km, but thanks to the Autobahn, I made it there in just 50 minutes since I was able to cruise at 180-200km/h without a care in the world!
I reached the track bang on time for the Sprint race on Saturday. But thanks to my sense of direction and vague guidance by the locals (blame the language barrier), it took me around 30 minutes to find my way inside. By then, the Sprint was already over, but, thankfully, I was still in time for the media scrum with all the riders, including the pole-sitter and sprint winner, Jorge Martin along with other riders like Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez. The common consensus among the riders was that the main race was going to be challenging, owing to the cold and windy weather, and tyre consumption.
After the media session, I took a quick stroll around the paddock and brushed past a certain Hollywood A-lister, Keanu Reeves. Keanu, by the way, isn’t your typical celebrity. He’s a dyed-in-the-wool motorcycle fan and prefers a low profile, which was quite evident in the paddock – no brouhaha and no entourage.
Also read: MotoGP German GP: Francesco Bagnaia Wins in Sachsenring as Martin Crashes from Lead
Race Day Mania
Sachsenring is in the town of Hohenstein-Ernstthal in the Saxony region of Germany, and it has hosted motorcycle racing in various formats since the early 1920s. The circuit layout features extreme elevation changes, something that was notably evident from the paddock, especially the section between the last two corners – Turn 12 and Turn 13. Combined with tight and twisty corners, it makes for a tricky and challenging race. There are limited overtaking opportunities here, Turn 1 and Turn 13, to be precise, and even in these corners, things can get uncomfortably close for riders, especially when someone divebombs from the inside. The track pretty much forces riders into a single racing line, which means the race was expected to unfold as a procession, with one rider leading the pack and others following suit. But, thankfully, on this occasion, the racing action didn't follow the usual script.
The race day, as always, was tense with anticipation. There was the proverbial calm in the Sachsen air before the MotoGP storm erupted in full force. The atmosphere was electric, to say the least. Even though it’s a small circuit, it was jam-packed with nearly 100,000 spectators in the stands!
At precisely 2 pm local time, all 23 of the world’s fastest motorcycles and riders lined up on the grid, ready to charge down the main straight, side-by-side, into the tricky Turn 1. You see, regardless of the number of times you have watched a MotoGP race in person, the race start will always send a shiver down your spine. And that’s precisely what I felt – a rush of excitement as I was swept up in the raw energy of the moment. It’s the kind of visceral experience every motorsports enthusiast lives for.
After watching the race start from the main straight, I hurried down to the final corner – trust me, it is a steep walk down the service road – to catch the remaining laps from one of the only two overtaking spots. And suffice it to say I wasn’t disappointed. The race turned out to be a proper thriller, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jumping up and down witnessing the feisty overtakes in the last corner (Marquez on Miguel Oliveira/Franco Morbidelli, and Enea Bastianini on Morbidelli, and more). Watching the action trackside, you really can’t help but be in awe of these riders’ courage and skill as they out-brake their rivals going into corners at breakneck speeds. Superhuman stuff, really!
As for the race, it was a proper nail-biter. Martin binned it from the lead with just two laps to go, handing Bagnaia an easy win and championship lead as the season headed into the summer break. However, grabbing all the headlines were the Marquez brothers who finished in 2nd (Marc) and 3rd (Alex). History was created that day as they became the first pair of siblings to share a podium in the premier class since the Aoki brothers (Nobuatsu and Takuma) in 1997. Marc, Alex, and the entire Gresini Ducati team were understandably jubilant after the race. Marc was in such a good mood during the press conference that he signed almost 50 pictures for a journalist and jokingly remarked, ‘Usually, I don’t do this, but today I am very happy, so you are lucky.’ He also spent considerable time interacting with the journalists (including yours truly!) – a refreshing departure from the usual rush where riders tend to leave the media centre immediately after the press conference.
Danke!
This was my first time covering a race in Europe, and I must say that it didn’t disappoint. From the 200km/h+ work commute to Sachsenring on the Autobahn to the delightful stay in a quaint village of the German countryside to firsthand experiencing the actual race action and post-race interactions with the riders – everything was perfect. As someone who has been following MotoGP for over two decades, it was yet another living-the-dream moment for me. As a journalist, though, this was my fourth MotoGP venue, which means there are 16 more racetracks to cover. Guess I should start planning my next MotoGP assignment already!
Photo courtesy: Red Bull Content Pool
Write your Comment