Hollywood star watches Sachsenring race in front of record crowd
Will there be races at the Sachsenring after 2026? According to the fans, definitely. More than a quarter of a million fans attended the traditional race track, even though Germans only participated in the races.
Marcel Schröter sat disappointedly in his box after missing his personal goal by a hair's breadth. The Sachsenring point that the 31-year-old Moto2 stand-in driver from Bavaria wanted to take was just out of reach. He had been on course for a long time but had to settle for 17th place at his home race. "The others are all in form, and I'm supposed to get on the motorbike and finish in the top ten?", asked Schröter, who will be racing in the Supersport class at the British Donington next weekend. "It was all within the limits, but of course I'm also disappointed because I couldn't achieve the small highlight of scoring a point."
Despite the failure of the local heroes - Stefan Bradl also failed to score points - the spectators did not let their mood be dampened. A new attendance record of 252,826 motorcycle racing fans was set over the weekend. Even US actor Keanu Reeves couldn't resist accepting an invitation and lent Hollywood glamour to the event. The enthusiastic MotoGP fan was allowed to wave the black-and-white checkered flag at the end of the race in the premier class.
Schröter had already been in action earlier. During Fermín Aldeguer's victory, the representative of the injured Deniz Öncü fell back after contact in the final phase of the race, missing the World Championship point by just 0.6 seconds. "I was able to make up a few positions at the beginning, so overall I'm happy," he said. Schröter's future is still uncertain. He enjoyed himself at the forefront, but secretly hoped to present himself for 2025.
Bradl was also unlucky. The wildcard holder had a difficult weekend in the premier class due to a misunderstanding with eight-time world champion Marc Márquez the day before. He was pushed back to the last starting position due to the incident with the Spaniard, and after the race, a too low tire pressure was detected against the Honda test driver. The World Championship points were out of reach.
Francesco Bagnaia secured the victory in the MotoGP class, taking over the World Championship lead in the process. The Italian profited from a late fall of his rival Jorge Martín in a spectacular race.
The Motorcycle World Championship will still be a guest at the Sachsenring until at least 2026. According to the organizer ADAC, the contract is expected to be extended. "There's a great desire for it to continue," said ADAC Sachsen chief Klaus Kloetzner about the negotiations with the previous marketing agency and the new promoter Liberty Media, who also holds the rights to Formula 1. "I think we'll find a way to come together - just like in the past."
Keanu Reeves, the renowned US actor, added star power to the event, waving the black-and-white checkered flag at the end of the MotoGP race. Motorsport enthusiasts can look forward to the ADAC Motorsport - ORDNER at the Sachsenring even beyond 2026, as ADAC Sachsen chief Klaus Kloetzner mentioned a strong desire to continue hosting the Motorcycle World Championship at the venue.
