Determined Red Bull KTM charge to 8th by Binder at Le Mans MotoGP™

MotoGP 2024 - Round 05 of 21, Le Mans, France – Race


A weekend of adversity for Brad Binder ends with tails-up in the South African’s pitbox after a typically resilient comeback to the top eight as both KTM RC16s start strongly once more
Jack Miller improves his competitiveness this weekend but slips out of the Grand Prix with ten laps to go
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda gets back in the Moto3™ groove with the KTM RC4 as the Spaniard launches from the first row, tussles in the leading group and obtains 8th at Le Mans

 
Le Mans was full to capacity and the hoards of public nosily cheered the MotoGP grid for the fifth Grand Prix of the current campaign but the bright summer weather of the first two days had vanished to be replaced by overcast skies and the threat of warm showers.
 
Friday and Saturday’s practice and qualification travails had seen Jack Miller and Brad Binder occupy 11th and 22nd positions on the grid and with keen objectives around the ‘stop-and-go’ 4.1km layout. The delicate climate complicated matters at 14.00 on Sunday but both riders made lively getaways on the KTM RC16 and the race remained dry.
 
Jack was making pace on the edge of the top ten until he was caught-out with a front-end crash ten laps until the checkered flag. By that point Brad had made a rasping flight from the last row and up to the fringe of the top eight. Binder had already passed nine riders on the first lap but then concentrated on grabbing as many points as possible and a last-gasp lunge on the final circulation gave him a well-deserved 8th.


 
In terms of the championship picture - as the MotoGP year lodges almost a quarter of the calendar to the archives – Brad has accumulated 67 points and sits 7th in the table. Jack is 13th with a total of 24. KTM are 2nd in the Constructors contest. A weekend of respite comes before a double header with Grands Prix in Catalunya and Italy at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Mugello next on the slate.
 
Brad Binder, 8th: “I got a really good start today but I wanted more from the race because I could see 6th place right in front of me. Anyway, we came from a long way back so I cannot complain. Also, we made a really big step from yesterday’s Sprint race to today: I felt a lot better, more confident and was able to ride. I think we’ve got some work to do still but considering where we were on the grid we cannot be too upset today.”
 
Jack Miller, DNF: “We are trying our maximum week-in, week-out and our pace over the weekend was good, especially on used tires but in the Sprint and main race I struggled with rear grip. The crash was really strange because I was only 1kmph faster than I’d been on the previous lap and certainly not the fastest I’d been there during the whole race. It’s a head-scratcher. A disappointing end to the weekend but we will not stop working.”
 
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We knew that starting from the back would not be easy for Brad but he did a great job and went from 22 to 8: I think that was the maximum we could do today so we have to somehow be happy with it after what happened the previous two days. We know qualifying is the key to the weekend but we missed it this time and paid the bill. Jack suddenly crashed out of 11th and he had not made a mistake. Maybe it was the increased wind this afternoon. We have a bit of time to rest and check the data now. We will go to Barcelona knowing we have much more potential.”


Grand Prix of France photographs can be found HERE
 
Results MotoGP Grand Prix of France
 
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati 41:23.709
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.446
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +0.585
8. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +10.353
13. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +27.426
DNF. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
DNF. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3
 
World Championship standings MotoGP
 
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati, 129 points
2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 91
3. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 89
6. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 73
7. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 67
13. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 24
17. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 13


 
KTM GP Academy
 
Jose Antonio Rueda was back to lead the Red Bull KTM Ajo team after health problems forced his absence in the races at COTA and Jerez in recent weeks. The Spaniard was fast and is building back to form. He qualified with the 3rd fastest lap as rookie teammate Xabi Zurutuza did well to make the Q2 cut for the first time in his career and in only his third Grand Prix. Moto3 lapped Le Mans 20 times on Sunday morning and with a dry and warm track state. Rueda pushed his KTM RC4 into the leading sect from the off with up to fifteen riders all eying a podium spot. Zurutuza made ground initially but then served a Long Lap penalty and was part of the second group. Jose Antonio finally made it to the flag in 8th and just a second away from the race winner. Xabi was 16th and missed the points by only one position.


 
Celestino Vietti’s left collarbone injury in the wake of the Jerez test meant he was on the sidelines in France for Moto2™ and the team relied on sole representation from Deniz Öncü. The Turk is adjusting to the category and the new Pirelli tires for 2024 and made further gains and improvements with his race pace. He finished 18th at Le Mans.
 
Maximo Quiles owned the first Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup checkered flag on Saturday. The young Spaniard was the third different winner in three races in 2024. For the second outing in France and the fourth dash of the season it was Brian Uriarte who stood out from the highly competitive ‘feeder’ contest to the world championship. The Spaniard beat Quiles to the line by a marginal difference of 0.048 of a second. Quiles currently heads the standings with the series next in action at Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix on the first weekend of June.
 
Results Moto3 Grand Prix of France
 
1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO 34:00.058
2. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS +0.105
3. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna +0.242
4. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO +0.476
8. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +1.035
9. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna +1.101
12. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS +6.903
16. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +13.275
 
World Championship standings Moto3
 
1. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS, 94 points
2. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO, 93
3. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna, 62
8. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO, 33
11. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna, 30
12. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 28 
13. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS, 27
22. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 3
 
Results Moto2 Grand Prix of France
 
1. Sergio Garcia (ESP) 35:20.709
2. Ai Ogura (JPN) +3.174
3. Alonso Lopez (ESP) +3.704
10. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO +14.215
13. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna IntactGP +18.191
14. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna IntactGP +18.349
17. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO +26.939
18. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo +30.633
 
World Championship standings Moto2
 
1. Sergio Garcia (ESP), 89 points
2. Joe Roberts (USA), 82
3. Fermin Aldeguer (ESP), 63
11. Celestino Vietti (ITA) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 29
16. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO, 10
19. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna IntactGP, 5
20. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna IntactGP, 3
21. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 3 
28. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO, 0
 
PRESS CONTACT
 
Sarah Kinrade
PR Manager MotoGP
M: +43 676 7654200
E: Sarah.Kinrade@ktm.com