Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Thomas Lüthi is geared up for a top 15 attack in the Sachsenring, while teammate Franco Morbidelli will courageously attempt to compete this weekend

Thomas Lüthi returns to the track where his World Championship career began back in 2002 for round nine of an exciting MotoGP campaign this weekend.

The Swiss rider made his Grand Prix debut at the historic Sachsenring track 16 years ago and his fondest memory of the tight and twisty layout came in 2005 when he finished on the podium in the 125cc race, which proved a pivotal result in helping him lift the title that season. Lüthi gained some much-needed front-end confidence from a positive one-day test in Brno last week. And he is keen to see if the improvements transfer to the unique configuration of the Sachsenring, which features 10 left-hand corners and the jaw-dropping plunge downhill through turn 11.

The daily intensive treatment undertaken by Franco Morbidelli to recover from the left-hand injury that ruled him out of the previous race in Assen has been progressing well. Although Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS wishes for Morbidelli to complete his recovery without taking unnecessary risks, the Italian will travel to Germany in advance of a medical check on Thursday with the full blessing of the team. If Morbidelli is not passed fit to ride, Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS will announce a replacement rider on Thursday.

The MotoGP action kicks off at 955am on Friday with FP1 and the premier class race is due to get underway at 2pm on Sunday afternoon.

Thomas Lüthi: 24th in the overall standings

“Sachsenring is a track I like a lot and it is a pleasure for me to ride there because I have always had great support and many people come from Switzerland to cheer me on as well. It is where I made my debut in the World Championship in 2002, so I have some great memories and that makes it special for me too. The track is tricky because of its tight layout and there are a lot of left-hand corners which make it quite unique. I am sure it will feel even shorter on a MotoGP bike but I am relishing the challenge and after the positive test in Brno I am hoping this weekend can finally be the one in which I break into the top 15.”

Franco Morbidelli: 16th in the overall standings with 19 points

“The injured left hand has recovered quite well and I decided to travel to Germany. Doctors will make some checks on Thursday in Sachsenring to find out about my condition and to decide if I’m ready to race or not. Last year I won in Germany my sixth race of the season and also became championship leader, so I keep very good memories from Sachsenring.”