Impressive 5th for Miller at Red Bull Ring as Austrian MotoGP™ Sprint whets the appetite

MotoGP 2024 - Round 11 of 20, Red Bull Ring – Qualification and Sprint


Miller shows competitive form across both days of the Austrian GP so far and notches a best ranking of 5th on the grid and the same result in the Sprint: equaling his best finish of 2024
Top seven for Binder and five positions gained after the South African sets off from 12th on the grid
Pol Espargaro makes his second wildcard appearance of the year and guides the latest version of the KTM RC16 to 9th in the Sprint after making Q2 and placing 10th in the qualification rush
Celestino Vietti seizes his second Moto2™ Pole Position of the season for Red Bull KTM Ajo as Jose Antonio Rueda steers the KTM RC4 to 5th position on the Moto3™ grid

 
The Red Bull Ring glistened in summer light and the presence of heat haze for a hot start to the Austrian Grand Prix. A special place and special memories. KTM returned to the scene of their MotoGP ‘birth’ with the official announcement of their MotoGP project in 2016 (the first MotoGP event at the Red Bull Ring) and then two victories since 2020 with two different riders. The second of those was Brad Binder, who started the meeting strongly. He set the 5th best time on his last attempt in Friday Practice to comfortably enter Q2 on Saturday. Jack Miller was a tenth of a second from making the top ten on Friday and instead had to set his sights on Q1 the following morning.
 
The Australian rasped to P1, a fraction of a second from the old lap record and then carried the momentum into Q2 where he was 5th quickest for the middle of the second row. Binder ended the session in 12th. In the pit box next door, Pol Espargaro wheeled out his KTM RC16 with a few internal modifications and experimental items for the future. The Spaniard was among the pacesetters in FP1 but had to go into Q1 for Saturday morning. #44 followed Miller through to Q2 and then implemented his notable pace once more and ranked 10th: only a slow-speed tip-off into Turn 3 ruined an even better slot.


 
14 laps. The MotoGP Sprint was a cagey affair but the Red Bull KTMs had the best of the action in the tussle for last place in the top four. Jack kept consistent to make sure of 5th (equaling his classification from the Portuguese Grand Prix) and Brad battled through in typical style for 7th. Pol was not far away and placed the third KTM RC16 into the top ten.
 
The Austrian Grand Prix feature event will last for 28 laps and from 14.00 local time on Sunday.
 
Jack Miller, 5th in qualification, 5th in the Sprint: “Happy to be back in the top five. We had to go the long way round in Q1 and Q2 but I’m feeling good this weekend and could put in a decent time. A good result in the Sprint and fingers crossed that will set us up well for tomorrow. I’ll give it all I can again and I hope our pace will be enough. I hope for a better start and it will be a long race.”
 
Brad Binder, 12th in qualification, 7th in the Sprint: “A little bit of a tricky morning for us but the team did a great job. It was only a 7th position but I caught the group in front of me and had a better feeling. We clearly still have room to improve, and it will be all about managing the tire tomorrow. I feel I am pretty good at that so hopefully we can put the race together for a strong result.”


 
Pol Espargaro, 10th in qualification, 9th in the Sprint: “I think we had the possibility for the second row but things don’t always go as you want until you cross the line! The Sprint went OK but, of course, the conditions are very different to testing! Judging the braking, slipstream and even the physical side: it took me some time to get it back. We made really good times at the test but I also had to manage the riding front tire temperature today. Anyway, we have good information for tomorrow and in general. Top ten was good. I am satisfied…even if we always want more.”
 
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A good start to the day with three riders in Q2 and Pol and Jack came through Q1 well and it was deserved. P5 for Jack in the Sprint and we cannot complain about that. Of course we want better but he lost the chance to go with the leading group from the start. Brad was doing well. His starting position was not the best, Points as well for Pol and to have all the guys coming away with something was a good outcome.”
 
Austrian Grand Prix photographs can be found HERE
 
Results Qualifying MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix 
 
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati 1:27.748
2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +0.141
3. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.544
5. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +0.798
10. Pol Espargaro (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.015
12. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.162
14. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 1:28.659 (Q1)
16. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 1:29.104 (Q1)
 
Results MotoGP Sprint British Grand Prix 
 
1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati 20:59.768
2. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati +4.673
3. Aleix Espargaro (ESP) Aprilia +7.584
5. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +10.421
7. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +10.941
9. Pol Espargaro (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +15.101
10. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +16.611
DNF. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3
 


KTM GP Academy
 
Jose Antonio Rueda gelled quickly with the characteristics of the Red Bull Ring and slotted his name near the front of the time sheets in each session: taking P1 in Practice 1. Saturday’s qualification was slightly cooler compared to the frying sunshine of Friday but the Spanish teenager was still hot in his pursuit of a front row grid position with his KTM RC4. In the final charge he made sure of the center of the second row and was a slender 0.2 of a second from Pole. Xabi Zurutuza was discovering the Austrian asphalt at Moto3 pace for the first time and the rookie managed a decent 11th on the grid for what will be 20 tight and entertaining laps on Sunday morning.


 
Red Bull KTM Ajo were back to full strength for Moto2 as Deniz Öncü re-joined Celestino Vietti in the pit box after recovering sufficiently from his left-hand injury. The Turk needed time to build back to speed and confidence but progressed swiftly and ended Saturday with the 14th quickest lap-time as less than one second separated the top 18 riders in Q2. Vietti suffered a crash on Friday but the Italian soldiered through Saturday to again produce quality when it mattered. The Italian was a marginal five hundreds of a second better than the rest of the field for his second Pole Position of the term and his second ‘P1’ on the grid from the last three races.
 
Red Bull Ring staged the ninth race of the 2024 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the checkered flag was claimed by Spaniard Alvaro Carpe. The tenth outing takes place Sunday afternoon.
 
Results Qualifying Moto3 Austrian Grand Prix
 
1. Ivan Ortola (ESP) KTM 1:40.057
2. Joel Kelso (AUS) KTM +0.143
3. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna +0.159
4. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS +0.202
5. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), KTM +0.230
6. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO +0.281
11. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM +0.724
13. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna +0.870
15. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS +0.905
18. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO +1.694
 
Results Qualifying Moto2 Austrian Grand Prix 
 
1. Celestino Vietti (ITA) Red Bull KTM Ajo 1:33.855
2. Aron Canet (ESP) +0.058
3. Sergio Garcia (ESP) +0.137
6. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO +0.300
10. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO +0.410
12. Darryn Binder (RSA)Husqvarna +0.468
14. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.483
18. Senna Agius (AUS)Husqvarna +0.835
 
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Sarah Kinrade
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