Jorge Lorenzo headed Ducati stablemate Danilo Petrucci to top MotoGP FP2 for the German Grand Prix, while Valentino Rossi was only 17th.
Second in this morning's first session, Marc Marquez came out of the blocks swinging at the start of FP2, going top with a 1:22.236s.
The Honda rider improved to a 1:21.349s on his next lap to go four tenths clear of the field, and edge just over a tenth clear of Andrea Iannone's FP1 best on the combined times.
Yamaha's Maverick Vinales cut Marquez's advantage in FP2 down to just under three tenths with a 1:21.648s with 23 minutes remaining.
Marquez – who spent much of the session evaluating the carbon fibre swingarm – opted against a time attack at the end as he focused on testing Michelin's various tyre options, and was fifth at the chequered flag.
The Honda was deposed from top spot with just under four minutes to go by Lorenzo, who dipped into the 1:20s bracket with a 1:21.885s.
Petrucci shadowed the factory Ducati man on his Pramac-run GP18 and lifted himself up to second, 0.257s down, while FP1 pacesetter Andrea Iannone leaped up to third having languished outside of the top 10 for much of the session.
Andrea Dovizioso joined his factory Ducati stablemates inside the top five in fourth spot with a late effort of 1:21.309s, with Yamaha's Maverick Vinales the only M1-mounted rider inside the top 10 in sixth.
Vinales' team-mate Valentino Rossi ran outside of the provisional Q2 progression places for most of FP2, and was unable to lift himself out of a distant 17th with his 1:21.784s, with Tech3's Johann Zarco just behind in 18th.
Takaaki Nakagami put his LCR Honda into seventh ahead of Jack Miller, while Nakagami's LCR team-mate Cal Crutchlow improved on his 19th-place from FP1 in ninth. Alvaro Bautista completed the top 10.
Stefan Bradl has been called into action at the Marc VDS team, after Franco Morbidelli withdrew following FP1 due to the hand injury he sustained at Assen.
The German, who hasn't raced at the Sachsenring since 2016, was 21st aboard the 2017 RC213V and just a tenth adrift of factory counterpart Dani Pedrosa in 20th.
KTM test rider Mika Kallio was taken to the medical centre following a big crash at Turn 8 10 minutes into the session. He was 24th as a result, three tenths faster than Xavier Simeon, who fell at the Omega corner not long after.
