Maverick Venares is set to return to the Saxenring circuit this weekend with a clear focus on one primary goal: securing a spot within the first two rows on the starting grid. Coming off a strong fifth-place finish at the Dutch MotoGP last Sunday—their best Sunday result since Le Mans—Venares, riding for Tech3 KTM, recognizes that improving qualifying performance is essential for mounting a serious podium challenge.
“We enjoyed another solid weekend at Assen, so our aim is to maintain that momentum, keep improving, and get stronger,” Venares commented. “However, the main priority is to enhance our qualifying pace and start within the top two rows. Saxenring is a very technical track with many tight corners, making it easy to get stuck mid-pack if you don’t qualify well.”
The Spanish rider, who previously stood on the Saxenring podium with Yamaha in 2018 and 2019, has experienced fluctuating grid positions this season, ranging from fifth to 20th. Venares added, “This circuit is completely different from others, so I’m confident I will learn a lot this week.” Team manager Nicholas Goyong also expressed optimism: “If Maverick nails the qualifier, we can expect him to have a strong weekend. Our bike showed progress at Assen in two crucial technical areas—turning and stability—which are key for the German race.”
Meanwhile, teammate Enea Bastianini arrives in Germany motivated after a resilient performance at Assen, where he impressively moved up to ninth place from 20th on the grid, matching some of his best KTM results. “The bike felt much better than in the previous round, and I hope to keep improving,” Bastianini said. “Improving grid position remains a top focus.”
Though Bastianini and the Italian squad have yet to reach the second quarter of the grid this season, he currently holds the team’s best qualifying spot in 16th place. Goyong acknowledged the team’s progress: “Enea has been improving lately, especially in the last two rounds. With four KTMs finishing in the top 11 at Assen, our bikes have clearly advanced. We expect Enea to capitalize on this and enhance his results.”
In Assen, Pedro Acosta led the KTM riders with a fourth-place finish, followed by Vinales in 10th, Brad Binder in 13th, and Bastianini in 15th.
Fan Take: This update highlights how KTM and their riders are closing the gap in a fiercely competitive field by focusing on qualifying performance and technical upgrades. For racing fans, Venares and Bastianini’s progress at challenging tracks like Saxenring could signal a coming shakeup in the usual leaderboard order, making the sport even more exciting to watch.
