Marquez maintains Sachsenring dominance

Another rapid start from Jorge Lorenzo was unable to prevent Marc Marquez from continuing his dominance of the German MotoGP on Sunday.

Lorenzo got off to a flyer after Marquez started on pole for a ninth consecutive year at the Sachsenring, heading into the opening turn at the front of the field, having started in third.

World champion Marquez had to bide his time as he hunted down his fellow Spaniard before nipping in front with 17 laps to go and went on to secure victory at a track he has made his own for a ninth year in a row.

Victory for Marquez stretched the Repsol Honda rider's lead to 46 points over Valentino Rossi as he eyes a fifth premier class title in the last six years.

Lorenzo had jumped from 10th to first on a sensational opening circuit at the Dutch TT last time out before finishing seventh in a race which was also won by Marquez and the Ducati dropped back to sixth in Hohenstein-Ernstthal following tyre trouble.

Movistar Yamaha's Rossi surged from sixth to take second, finishing 2.196 seconds behind the magnificent Marquez, who showed blistering pace after regaining the lead in his 99th MotoGP start.

A fast-finishing Maverick Vinales filled the podium after also taking third in Assen, with Danilo Petrucci having to settle for fourth after starting in second and Alvaro Bautista taking fifth.

The stewards will review a crash between Jack Miller, Pol Espargaro and Alex Rins on the opening lap, with only the former able to continue.

Cal Crutchlow also missed out on the points, coming off at Turn 12 with 20 laps to go, while Aleix Espargaro was ruled out following a highside in the morning warm-up.