Visitor boom at the Sachsenring: The icing on the cake is missing

German team celebrates home win

The importance of the event for two-wheel racing in this country was made clear by TV expert Lukas Tulovic. "We need lighthouse events like this - especially for young people," said the last German regular rider, who now races in the International German Motorcycle Championship. His former racing team, Intact GP from Memmingen, celebrated a home win in the Moto3 class.

For the second time in a row, however, a local rider was absent from the crash spectacle on the shortest circuit on the racing calendar. Previously, there had always been at least one German rider on the World Championship grid between 1950 and 2023.

Kratochwil causes a sensation

The dry spell could soon be over, however, according to Dirk Heidolf. The 48-year-old has high hopes for his protégé Fynn Kratochwil, who is currently causing a sensation in the Northern Talent Cup. "I am firmly convinced that something could happen with him again. We urgently need that. Everyone is panting for a German rider," said the former rider about the 14-year-old from Thuringia, whom he trains and advises.

Kratochwil dominates the junior series sponsored by ADAC, Honda and MotoGP rights holder Dorna almost at will. He was also unbeatable in the first race at the Sachsenring, finishing third on Sunday. "He is one of the greatest talents we have," said Heidolf confidently.

However, it will be some time before Kratochwil is allowed to compete in the World Championship. For safety reasons, the entry age has been raised to 18. Earlier entry is only possible in exceptional cases.

The desired contract extension for his home race would certainly be an additional motivation. After all, the Mühlhausen native has a clear goal, as he confirmed: the premier class. "That's where I want to be," he said.

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