Binder keeps focused for MotoGP™ Sprint top eight finish in Germany

MotoGP 2024 - Round 09 of 20, Sachsenring – Qualification and Sprint


Top eight for Brad Binder as KTM tackle the counter-clockwise tight, 13-corner layout and German fans crowd the venue close to Chemnitz
Jack Miller scores 11th and a five-position gain after more buoyant speed and improving race potential
Celestino Vietti toasts a first Moto2™ Pole of 2024 while Jose Antonio Rueda continues to be a protagonist of the Moto3™ class for Red Bull KTM Ajo as the Spaniard qualifies 5th fastest with the KTM RC4

 
MotoGP moved from the flat, fast kinks of the TT Circuit Assen into the hilly relentless curves of the Sachsenring where premier class riders barely use full throttle of their fierce race machinery. The 3.6km course involves part of the historic trajectory but is otherwise a curio venue on the Grand Prix calendar with just three right hand corners compared to ten to the left and a low average speed. Hosting the German stop on the MotoGP slate since the end of the century, Sachsenring has also been a popular draw with vast 200k+ crowds gracing most editions of the event.
 
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing came to the region almost 300km south of Berlin and west of Chemnitz to negotiate changeable weather conditions and temperatures through the two days of practice, qualification and Sprint competition. Binder had recorded the 10th fastest lap on Friday to go into Q2 while Miller missed out by an amazing 1000th of a second. The wind and clouds of Friday had been replaced by hotter and brighter weather on Saturday. Miller was 6th in Q1 (16th for overall quali) while Brad hovered in the lower top ten in Q2 before making sure of 11th on the grid.


 
The Sachsenring Sprint meant 15 laps run in cagey close quarters and overtaking tricky to manage. Binder fought in a mini group of three riders for P8 and two championship points. Jack made progression through the pack and crossed the line less than four seconds behind Binder, confirming P11.
 
A longer and more strategic race distance lies ahead at 14.00 CEST tomorrow with preservation of the left side of the race tires among the priorities for the 30 laps.
 
Brad Binder, 11th in qualification, 8th in the Sprint: “We made some changes before the race to find a bit more feeling with the front end of the bike and some turning and they seemed to work quite well even though we had to look after the front tire. On braking and entry they worked pretty good. We made a small step there and hopefully tomorrow we can make another one. I could be consistent today but tomorrow is a long race and we need to focus. I’m confident we can do a better job.”
 
Jack Miller, 16th in qualification, 11th in the Sprint: “Quali did not quite go to plan. I felt I had a bit more from yesterday…but we made a decision with the bike that didn’t work. I had to wait until the tire dropped before I could do anything in the race and make some moves forward. Overall, it was a solid day and we’ve made steps this weekend. I think we have a solid direction for the race tomorrow. I felt good at the end of the Sprint.”
 
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Not where we want to be…but I think we have an area where we can recover and improve. We’ve lost the window here where our riders can really push for a time attack. It was a bit better during the Sprint after we’d changed a few things. We have to go ahead in this direction for tomorrow. We won’t solve all the issues…but we’ll try to make things better.”
 
German Grand Prix photographs can be found HERE
 
Results Qualifying MotoGP Grand Prix of the Germany
 
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati 1:19.423
2. Miguel Oliveira (POR) Aprilia +0.048
3. Raul Fernandez (ESP) Aprilia +0.220
10. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +0.925
11. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.023
15. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 1.20.419 (Q1)
16. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:20.515 (Q1)
 
Results MotoGP Sprint Grand Prix of the Germany
 
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati 20:18.904
2. Miguel Oliveira (POR) Aprilia +0.676
3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +1.311
8. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +9.061
11. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +13.815
16. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +15.493
22. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +26.715


 
KTM GP Academy
 
Red Bull KTM Ajo engaged their Moto3 and Moto2™ line-ups for Germany with a mix of experience. In Moto3 Jose Antonio Rueda was quick from the first laps with his KTM RC4 while rookie teammate Xabi Zurutuza quickly had to learn the characteristics of the Sachsenring spiral. Rueda went straight through to Q2 and then emerged from qualification just half a second away from Pole Position and the 5th slot on the grid. Zurutuza was located four rows back in 17th but with goals of latching onto the main group and troubling the top ten for the 23 laps on Sunday.
 
In Moto2 Celestino Vietti scorched to his first qualification P1 of the year. The Italian has a best result of 10th at the Sachsenring but this weekend represents his fourth attempt at the circuit in Moto2 and he showed positive signs of pace as he scored Pole Position on Saturday. Cele’s speed was more impressive as he had to focus and come though Q1 to be 0.047 of a second better than the rest. It was his first Pole of the season and the seventh of his career (the sixth in Moto2). Deniz Öncü was again substituted by local favorite Marcel Schrötter while the Turk recovers from left hand surgery and the German gathered more speed through just his second appearance for the team as he qualified 22nd.


 
Celestino Vietti: “For sure I was not expecting this today because this is a track where I normally struggle. So, I really want to thank the team for putting me in a good position to do the lap-time. I was also in a great position to have a reference on track. I hope I can be even faster tomorrow.”
 
Results Qualifying Moto3 Grand Prix of the Germany
 
1. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna 1:24.885
2. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO +0.336
3. Luca Lunetta (ITA) Honda +0.337
5. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.503
9. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna +0.769
13. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS +0.926
16. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS +1.544
17. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:26.757 (Q1)
23. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO 1:26.163 (penalty)
 
Results Qualifying Moto2 Grand Prix of the Germany
 
1. Celestino Vietti (ITA) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:22.778
2. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO +0.047
3. Fermin Aldeguer (ESP) +0.127
4. Senna Agius (AUS)Husqvarna +0.163
13. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO +0.439
16. Darryn Binder (RSA)Husqvarna +0.552
22. Marcel Schrötter (GER) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:23.506 (Q1)
 
PRESS CONTACT
 
Sarah Kinrade
PR Manager MotoGP
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E: Sarah.Kinrade@ktm.com