The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is a motorcycling event that is part of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. The event is due to take place at the Sachsenring until at least 2031.
History
The first two Großer Preis von Deutschland races were held at Berlin's AVUS before moving to the new the purpose-built Nürburgring which was used in its full 28 km configuration. No GP was held in 1932, in 1933 the AVUS was given another try, and since 1934, public roads near and through Hohenstein-Ernstthal in Saxony were in use, initially without the name Sachsenring which had been used elsewhere. It was adopted in 1937.
After the war, in 1949, two German states were founded, and the FIM introduced a motorcycle World Championship in which neither Germans nor German race tracks could participate due to still being banned. In the (Western) Federal Republic of Germany, a strong motorcycle industry (NSU, DKW etc.) emerged in the early 1950s, as cars were not yet affordable. With the Sachsenring being now in the (Eastern) German Democratic Republic (GDR), a new venue had to be selected. The Nürburgring was damaged and due to its length not very suitable. The Solitudering near Stuttgart had a challenging layout and due to the proximity of a major city, the crowds were large, but the narrow roads had to be widened. In 1953, the Schottenring near Fulda was chosen, but due to lack of safety, it was partially boycotted, and only the small classes races had WC status. Attendance at the Nürburgring, which was by now used in its 22.8 km Nordschleife configuration, was disappointing. Former DKW and NSU factory rider and world record setter Wilhelm Herz promoted the Hockenheimring successfully. Thus, with Hockenheim (in odd-numbered years) and Solitude, two tracks in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg shared the German GP until the mid-1960s, when the Solitude was abandoned and replaced by the Nürburgring. There, the lesser known 7.7 km Südschleife was used twice, as in the Eifelrennen races which often attracted international entrants, but that part of the track was not rebuilt in 1970/71; thus in the even years from 1970 to 1980, the famous Nordschleife was used.
That time, also the "Grand Prix of the GDR", held on the Sachsenring, was part of the WC from 1961 to 1972. It is referred to as East German GP, EGER for short on the MotoGP website. During that period the German GP was also referred to as West German GP (WGER), even though its name never changed.
The popularity of motorcycles sharply fell in late 1950s Germany, as now everyone aspired to get an automobile. Only BMW survived, dominating side car racing. The East German brand MZ had made groundbreaking progress in two stroke technology, but due to defecting personnel and other problems, they fell behind in the late 1960s. After West German Dieter Braun won the East German race on the Sachsenring in 1971, the crowd sang the (West) German anthem, the "Deutschlandlied". To prevent further "demonstrations", the East German politicians, otherwise eager to gain international recognition, sacrificed the event's World Championship status, limiting the entry of riders from Western states from 1972 onwards. With mainly riders from other Eastern bloc socialist states taking part, it was still called Großer Preis der DDR until 1977, when it was renamed Großer Preis des ADMV der DDR after the motorsports governing body.
In 1974, the event on the improved Nürburgring Nordschleife was boycotted by championship contenders as the track had not been fitted with enough straw bales. Traditionally, the Eifelrennen hosted motorcycle and automobile racing on the same weekend. Safety demands became problematic, as drivers asked for armco and catch fences, while rider safety requires unobstructed surroundings, with walls of straw bales in front of obstacles. With Agostini and others holding out, German amateur riders took all wins; Edmund Czihak's win in the 500cc class remains the only race won by a German rider in the premier class (both in the 500cc era and the MotoGP era). The Eifelrennen in spring became an automobile event, and the GP became a separate event in August.
A few years later, in 1980, the last German GP was held on the Nordschleife, with the new GP track taking over in 1984.
The additional 1986 Baden-Württemberg Grand Prix (at Hockenheim) counted towards the WC only for 80cc and 125cc classes.
In 1998, after having become rather unpopular first at Hockenheim and then at Nürburgring due to the style of the promoters, the German motorcycle Grand Prix moved to new promoters, and to the shortened purpose-built Sachsenring where it became a sell-out event since.
The 2020 race was cancelled due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Official names and sponsors The names that are included are from both West and East Germany.
1952–1956, 1958, 1964–1988, 1990: Großer Preis von Deutschland (no official sponsor, West Germany) 1959: Intern. Rhein-Pokal (no official sponsor, West Germany) 1962–1972: Großer Preis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (no official sponsor, East Germany) 1989, 1991: Großer Preis von Deutschland für Motorräder (no official sponsor, West Germany until 1990) 1992: Großer Preis von Deutschland Motorräder (no official sponsor) 1993: Grand Prix von Deutschland (no official sponsor) 1994–1995: Grand Prix Deutschland (no official sponsor) 1996: Warsteiner Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 1997: ADAC Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 1998–1999: Polini Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2000–2003: Cinzano Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2004: Veltins Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2005, 2007–2009: Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2006: betandwin.com Grand Prix Deutschland 2010–2014: eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2015–2017: GoPro Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2018: Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2019: HJC Helmets Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2021–2024: Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland 2025–present: Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany
Spectator attendance 2025: 256,441
Track gallery
Winners of the German motorcycle Grand Prix
Multiple winners (riders) # Wins Rider Wins Category Years won 13 Giacomo Agostini 500cc 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976 350cc 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 Marc Márquez MotoGP 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025, 2026 Moto2 2011, 2012 125cc 2010 8 Carlo Ubbiali 250cc 1956, 1957, 1959 125cc 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959 Ángel Nieto 125cc 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984 50cc 1970, 1975, 1976 6 Valentino Rossi MotoGP 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009 250cc 1999 125cc 1997 Dani Pedrosa MotoGP 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 250cc 2004, 2005 5 John Surtees 500cc 1958, 1959, 1960 350cc 1958, 1959 Jim Redman 500cc 1966 350cc 1963, 1964 250cc 1962 125cc 1964 Mike Hailwood 500cc 1964, 1965 350cc 1966, 1967 250cc 1966 Phil Read 500cc 1973 250cc 1964, 1965, 1971 125cc 1968 Stefan Dörflinger 80cc 1984, 1985 50cc 1980, 1981, 1983 Anton Mang 350cc 1981 250cc 1981, 1982, 1987 125cc 1976 4 Mick Doohan 500cc 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998 3 Werner Haas 250cc 1953, 1954 125cc 1952 Reg Armstrong 500cc 1952, 1956 350cc 1952 Ernst Degner 125cc 1961, 1963 50cc 1962 Ralph Bryans 250cc 1967 50cc 1964, 1965 Hans-Georg Anscheidt 50cc 1966, 1967, 1968 Walter Villa 350cc 1976 250cc 1975, 1976 Kork Ballington 250cc 1978, 1979, 1980 Christian Sarron 500cc 1985 250cc 1977, 1984 Kevin Schwantz 500cc 1988, 1990, 1991 Luca Cadalora 500cc 1996 250cc 1988 125cc 1986 Marco Melandri 250cc 2001, 2002 125cc 1999 Max Biaggi MotoGP 2004 500cc 2001 250cc 1995 Héctor Garzó MotoE 2023 Race 2, 2024 Race 1, 2024 Race 2 2 Geoff Duke 350cc 1954, 1955 Bill Lomas 350cc 1955, 1956 Libero Liberati 500cc 1957 350cc 1957 Gary Hocking 500cc 1961 250cc 1960 Tarquinio Provini 250cc 1958, 1963 Hugh Anderson 125cc 1965 50cc 1963 Luigi Taveri 125cc 1962, 1966 Dave Simmonds 125cc 1969, 1971 Jan de Vries 50cc 1971, 1972 Jarno Saarinen 350cc 1972 250cc 1973 Kent Andersson 250cc 1969 125cc 1973 Helmut Kassner 350cc 1974 250cc 1974 Takazumi Katayama 350cc 1977, 1978 Jon Ekerold 350cc 1979, 1980 Kenny Roberts 500cc 1981, 1983 Carlos Lavado 250cc 1983, 1986 Gerhard Waibel 80cc 1987 50cc 1979 Eddie Lawson 500cc 1986, 1987 Doriano Romboni 250cc 1993 125cc 1990 Dirk Raudies 125cc 1993, 1994 Daryl Beattie 500cc 1993, 1995 Ralf Waldmann 250cc 1996 125cc 1991 Tetsuya Harada 250cc 1997, 1998 Marco Simoncelli 250cc 2008, 2009 Jordi Torres Moto2 2013 MotoE 2023 Race 1 Pedro Acosta Moto2 2023 Moto3 2021 Jorge Martín MotoGP 2023 Moto3 2018
Multiple winners (manufacturers)
# Wins Manufacturer Wins Category Years won 61 Honda MotoGP 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 500cc 1966, 1984, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 350cc 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967 250cc 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Moto3 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 125cc 1962, 1964, 1966, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999 50cc 1964, 1965 40 Yamaha MotoGP 2005, 2006, 2009, 2022 500cc 1974, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 2001 350cc 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982 250cc 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 2000 125cc 1968, 1973 31 MV Agusta 500cc 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976 350cc 1958, 1959, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 250cc 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 125cc 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959 18 Suzuki 500cc 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1999 125cc 1963, 1965, 1967 50cc 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968 Aprilia 250cc 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 125cc 1992, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 10 KTM Moto2 2018 250cc 2007 Moto3 2012, 2013, 2014, 2021, 2023, 2025, 2026 125cc 2005 9 Kreidler 50cc 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981 Ducati MotoGP 2008, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 MotoE 2023 Race 1, 2023 Race 2, 2024 Race 1, 2024 Race 2 8 Kawasaki 350cc 1981 250cc 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 125cc 1969, 1971 Gilera 500cc 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 350cc 1957 250cc 2008, 2009 125cc 1956 Kalex Moto2 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 6 Derbi 125cc 2000, 2008, 2010 80cc 1986, 1988 50cc 1970 5 NSU 250cc 1953, 1954, 1955 125cc 1952, 1954 Garelli 125cc 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 50cc 1982 4 Aermacchi 350cc 1976 250cc 1975, 1976 125cc 1970 Morbidelli 125cc 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977 Krauser 80cc 1985, 1987, 1989 50cc 1983 Suter Moto2 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 3 Norton 500cc 1952 350cc 1952, 1954 Minarelli 125cc 1978, 1979, 1981 2 Moto Guzzi 350cc 1955, 1956 Bultaco 50cc 1976, 1978 Boscoscuro Moto2 2024, 2026
By year A pink background indicates an event that was not part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship. Year Track Moto3 Moto2 MotoGP ReportRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturer Sachsenring Brian Uriarte KTM Iván Ortolá Boscoscuro Marc Márquez Ducati Report David Muñoz KTM Deniz Öncü Kalex Marc Márquez DucatiReport Year TrackMotoE Moto3 Moto2 MotoGP ReportRace 1Race 2RiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturer Sachsenring Héctor Garzó Ducati Héctor Garzó Ducati David Alonso CFMoto Fermín Aldeguer Boscoscuro Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Report Jordi Torres Ducati Héctor Garzó Ducati Deniz Öncü KTM Pedro Acosta Kalex Jorge Martín Ducati Report Year Track Moto3 Moto2 MotoGP ReportRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerSachsenring Izan GuevaraGasGas Augusto FernándezKalex Fabio QuartararoYamahaReport 2021 Pedro Acosta KTM Remy Gardner Kalex Marc Márquez Honda Report 2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns Year Track MotoE Moto3 Moto2 MotoGP ReportRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturerRiderManufacturer 2019 Sachsenring Niki TuuliEnergica Lorenzo Dalla Porta Honda Álex Márquez Kalex Marc Márquez Honda Report