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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1501730
ROUND 7 JUNE 16-18, 2023 SACHSENRING / HOHENSTEIN-ERNSTTHAL, GERMANY MOTOGP I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP P88 warmup. I was looking at the data and saw it was the same rider, so he improved a lot. I tried to do the same as yesterday and make this small gap. When he overtook me, I changed the strat - egy a little because I thought he was going to be with a little bit more tire. I wanted to fight back frustrating. But we've come back this season and I've been strong almost everywhere. Being on the podium so many times and missing that victory but today it came. Today was a tough race. Pecco improved a lot. He did an amazing step from yesterday to today—I saw it already in the Bagnaia wasn't about to throw the towel in and began to chip away at Martin's lead, and, with 10 laps to go, he made the move at the same corner Martin took the lead at the beginning of the race. Martin stuck to the back of the factory Ducati like glue, retaking the lead again at the same penultimate corner with seven laps remaining. Bagnaia did all he could to conjure up a move for the lead, even running into the back of Martin at the last corner with two laps to go, but the Spaniard would not be denied, beating Bagnaia to the line by just 0.064 of a second. Zarco was seven seconds back in third from Bezzecchi, Marini, Miller, Alex Marquez, Bastianini, Di Giannantonio and Miguel Oliveira completing the top 10. "It was so emotional today to win," Martin said." I struggled quite a lot last season to be competitive and it was really email. "The blue flag where the pit exit joins the track is waved for the rider in pit lane to indicate there are riders approaching on track. Riders must pay attention to the blue flag and check for oncoming bikes." MORBIDELLI'S FUTURE The future of Franco Morbidelli was the subject of much debate in the days following the Italian MotoGP after stating, 'Who says I want to stay with Yamaha?' when asked if current perfor- mances could help him maintain his seat. But on Friday, Morbidel- li's personal manager Gianluca Falcioni moved to qualm whis- pers he could be on his way out. "Our priority is to try to find a way to continue together, we think this is also what Yamaha thinks. We are both looking for a continuation, of course, there are elements to consider, but this is the goal for everybody. By As- sen we will definitely have more information." Briefly... Francesco Bagnaia tried all he knew but Martin (89) refused to crack.