Spain’s Marc Marquez won a wet and wild German MotoGP at the weekend, the ninth round of 18 in the world championship, the Repsol Honda rider running off track in the wet early stages but then rocketing through the field after his gamble to make an early switch to slick tyres on a drying track paid huge dividends.

The result allowed Marquez to cement himself more securely at the top of the standings with the series now at the halfway stage.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow (Honda) equalled his best ever MotoGP finish with second, while Italian Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) took third from Britain’s Scott Redding (Ducati) on the final lap.

Italian multi-time champion Valentino Rossi dropped back to eighth place after joining fellow leaders Dovizioso, Crutchlow and Hector Barbera in a late pit stop, but emerged on intermediates rather than slicks.

Rossi’s Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, second in the series standings, was never a contender in Germany and finished in 15th.

Home star Stefan Bradl was ruled out of the race after a concussion in warm-up.

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RESULTS & STANDINGS:

German MotoGP result:

1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 47m 3.239s
2. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 47m 13.096s
3. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP) 47m 14.852s
4. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) 47m 15.231s
5. Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP) 47m 25.994s
6. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 47m 29.159s
7. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 47m 29.282s
8. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 47m 29.688s
9. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 47m 29.853s
10. Alvaro Bautista ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 47m 34.513s
11. Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP14.2) 47m 44.447s
12. Maverick Viñales ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 47m 45.397s
13. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 48m 6.368s
14. Aleix Espargaro ESP Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 48m 9.330s
15. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 48m 20.933s
16. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* +1 lap
17. Loris Baz FRA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) +2 laps
18. Yonny Hernandez COL Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP14.2) +3 laps

Pol Espargaro      ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) DNF

Danilo Petrucci     ITA Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) DNF

Riders’ World Championship standings:

1. Marc Marquez SPA Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 170 points
2. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 122 points (-48)
3. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 111 points (-59)
4. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 96 points (-74)
5. Maverick Viñales SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 83 points (-87)
6. Pol Espargaro SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 72 points (-98)
7. Hector Barbera SPA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 65 points (-105)
8. Andrea Iannone ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP) 63 points (-107)
9. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici GP) 59 points (-111)
10. Eugene Laverty IRL Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP14.2) 53 points (-117)
11. Aleix Espargaro SPA Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 51 points (-119)
12. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) 45 points (-125)
13. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 42 points (-128)
14. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 40 points (-130)
15. Stefan Bradl GER Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 37 points (-133)
16. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 35 points (-135)
17. Alvaro Bautista SPA Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 35 points (-135)
18. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Yakhnich (Desmosedici GP15) 24 points (-146)
19. Michele Pirro ITA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 19 points (-151)
20. Tito Rabat SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 18 points (-152)
21. Loris Baz FRA Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP14.2) 8 points (-162)
22. Yonny Hernandez COL Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP14.2) 3 points (-167)