'Remember COTA' - cautious Marquez seeks Sachsenring perfect 10
'This sport is unpredictable and everyone said the same in Austin and I crashed' - MotoGP champion Marc Marquez seeking a 10th consecutive race win at Sachsenring.
If you were asked to pick a track to try and beat Marc Marquez at, the Sachsenring would not be it.
The reigning MotoGP champion has taken pole position and race victory for the past nine years in Germany, stretching back to the 125cc event in 2010.
The Repsol Honda star will now try for a perfect ten having increased his title lead to 44-points over Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) after a runner-up finish to Maverick Vinales (Yamaha) last Sunday at Assen.
If Marquez can continue his perfect streak, the Spaniard could well take a two-race (50-point) championship lead into the summer break.
But at the back of Marquez's mind is what happened at COTA this season.
Marquez had a perfect record in Austin since the sport's debut in 2013, but his run was unexpectedly broken when he fell from a comfortable lead in this year's race, proving nothing can be taken for granted.
"The first back-to-back race of the season, I am excited. We had a good weekend in Assen and I am motivated as we now arrive at one of my favourites tracks," said Marquez, whose dirt-track training means he loves the left-hand turns that dominate the claustrophobic Sachsenring layout.
"Of course, past results don’t mean a lot once we start on Friday so we have to keep working hard with the Repsol Honda Team to stay in front.
"Everyone says I am the favourite because I won in the past few years, but this sport is unpredictable and everyone said the same in Austin and I crashed.
"We will start just thinking about the weekend, as at every race."
Marquez's team-mate Jorge Lorenzo will miss the Sachsenring due to back injuries at Assen and be replaced by HRC test rider Stefan Bradl.