2010 MotoGP - Sachsenring Photo Gallery

After taking third in the timesheets at Sachsenring, Nicky Hayden commented how impressed he was by Valentino Rossi's quick return to the MotoGP series.

Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa started off on the right foot in Germany by taking the quickest time in practice.

$Just 41 days after sustaining a compound fracture to his right leg Valentino Rossi returned to racing and took seventh-place in Fridays practice in Germany.$
Just 41 days after sustaining a compound fracture to his right leg, Valentino Rossi returned to racing and took seventh-place in Friday's practice in Germany.

Valentino Rossi: “I was able to do some laps in a row on Friday and I was quite fast so things seem okay. Now we will have to wait until tomorrow morning to see how the leg is and whether it has swelled overnight or developed any problems."

Valentino Rossi making his return for Round 8 of the 2010 MotoGP Championship at Sachsenring.

Valentino Rossi: “For tomorrow of course there is a question mark but I hope to be able to finish; I think the podium will be difficult for me but top five would be a very good result.”

Valentino Rossi: "I am really happy after this second day because I feel confident on the bike. I have suffered more today because we've had two sessions instead of one and I have some pain and I'm more tired than yesterday, but I feel good and my movement is okay. Also the shoulder feels fine so it's definitely a positive return for me."

Valentino Rossi: "Everything after the crash went okay with the surgery, the doctors did a great job, and I worked every day to regain my fitness as soon as possible… I worked on my leg and my shoulder. It was difficult period but I feel quite good and I’m very happy to be able to try the bike tomorrow.”

American Nicky Hayden took 15th during qualifying at the Sachsenring circuit on Saturday.

Fiat Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo captured his fourth straight pole victory of the '10 season at Sachsenring.

(l to r): Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner and Alex De Angelis

Fiat Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi voiced doubt on his ability to take a podium finish in Sunday's race at Sachsenring.

$Valentino Rossi: After this morning I had some pain in the fracture so for this afternoon I had to suffer a bit. I will be ready for the race and try to do 30 laps in a row without losing too much time.$
Valentino Rossi: 'After this morning I had some pain in the fracture so for this afternoon I had to suffer a bit. I will be ready for the race and try to do 30 laps in a row without losing too much time'.

Valentino Rossi: 'I don't think the front row was possible because Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa went under 1'22 and I don't think I could have done that today. For tomorrow of course there is a question mark but I hope to be able to finish.'

Marco Simoncelli: 'Eighth-place isn't bad and I'm happy even though to be honest I was hoping to improve at the end of the session and qualif on the second row. It wasn't to be and if we want to achieve our objective of running with the top-five tomorrow we have to take another step forward. I'm half pleased and half disappointed.'

Marco Simoncelli washing out during qualifying at the Sachsenring circuit in Germany.

Ben Spies: “It obviously wasn't a good session when you look where I ended up and everything that could go wrong pretty much went wrong. I really believe we have a good pace but now we're starting way back and we've got to try and get a good start and come through the field. But where we qualified today doesn't reflect where we should be."

American Ben Spies suffered a miserable qualifying round after slipping on Lorenzo's oil spill.

Ducati's Casey Stoner took second on Saturday and will start from the front row in his attempt to secure his first MotoGP victory of the 2010 season.

$Randy de Puniet had a crash on Lap 9 of the race which resulted in the contest being red flagged and after being examined at a nearby clinic it was determined that he sustained fractures to his tibia and fibula of his left leg.$
Randy de Puniet had a crash on Lap 9 of the race which resulted in the contest being red flagged, and after being examined at a nearby clinic it was determined that he sustained fractures to his tibia and fibula of his left leg.

Nicky Hayden (#69) and Andrea Dovizioso (#4) at the Sachsenring circuit in Germany during Round 8 of the 2010 MotoGP Championship.

Jorge Lorenzo (#99) and Dani Pedrosa (#26) battled for the lead in both the original race as well as the restart.

Dani Pedrosa: “This victory is even better than the one in Italy because at Mugello I just went away in front and there was no battle with anybody, but here I was battling with Lorenzo in the first and second race, and finally beat him, so this is even more important.”

Dani Pedrosa (#26): “It wasn’t easy today because when the race is stopped and restarted like that, sometimes you don’t have the same feeling on the machine in the second part. Also you get nervous again on the grid and it’s possible you won’t have the same pace after the restart. But it went very well for us in both races.”

Valentino Rossi: "I didn't expect this! I thought it was maybe possible to make fourth or fifth place but I thought it would be very difficult. In the end I was fourth but I had a great battle with Casey and I was so close to the podium, so this is a fantastic result after missing four races.”

Alvaro Bautista (#65) was unable to make the restart after having failed to return to the pits with his bike within five minutes of the red flag being waved.

German Grand Prix at Sachsenring crash sequence - 1

Casey Stoner (#27) became engaged in a battle with Valentino Rossi (#46) for third, a fight the Ducati man won thanks to an overtake on the final corner of the last lap.

German Grand Prix at Sachsenring crash sequence - 2

German Grand Prix at Sachsenring crash sequence - 3

German Grand Prix at Sachsenring crash sequence - 4

German Grand Prix at Sachsenring crash sequence - 5

German Grand Prix at Sachsenring crash sequence - 6

German Grand Prix at Sachsenring crash sequence - 7

German Grand Prix at Sachsenring crash sequence - 8

2010 MotoGP - Sachsenring Photo Gallery

See MotoGP photos of action in Germany in the 2010 MotoGP Sachsenring photo gallery.