AXO rider Bradley Smith placed fifth at a slippery Sachsenring circuit, scene of the German Gran Prix and eighth round of the series.

The Briton made the most of the dangerous and slippery conditions of the track, even managed to lead the race for a short time in the opening laps, but a lack of grip in his rear tyre meant that he slipped down the order as the laps racked up. Sticking with the chasing group, Smith took it easy to pick up eleven points and a top five finish. The strategy of consistent point scoring keeps him in fourth place overall in the provisional chart.

Bradley Smith: "The start was pretty good, but after three laps I started to have some problems with the back. I didn't feel comfortable at all, meaning that a lot of riders passed me. When Márquez and Espargaró got away it was time to maintain the pace of the chasing pack, although even then I could see that something wasn't quite right. For the majority of the race I was fighting against a lack of grip in the rear end, with the left side of the tyre sliding out a lot. With the condition of the track I suppose that fifth is alright, but even with the eleven points it doesn't leave a great taste in my mouth. I can be fairly satisfied, as I pushed to the limit and took the best result that I could. I was losing grip every time I let off the throttle at the end of the race."

Bad luck for AXO riders in Moto2, as victory contenders Julian Simon and Alex Debon crashed after a few laps.

Simon started from the front row at Sachsenring, and was in the fight for the victory at the end of the first lap. He was riding in third place later, but his race came to an early end when he hit a bump on the corner and fell to the ground.

Julian Simon: "Despite the crash, I still believe that the championship is not gone yet. We have to learn that you have to take few risks when conditions don't permit riding all-out. I was going for the win, because I felt comfortable and I like the circuit. I maybe dipped into corner too much and hit a bump mid-corner, which meant that the bars crossed and I hit the deck. The most positive thing that I can take from this situation is that I was fighting for the victory. I am going to continue working hard with the team, in order to cut the most amount of points between myself and the riders in front. Over the summer break I will take a rest and continue training."