Red Bull KTM Factory Racing posted a 6th place thanks to Brad Binder at a sun-kissed and packed Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto and the fourth round of 2024 MotoGP. Jack Miller and Dani Pedrosa could not reach the finish line but Binder was the first KTM RC16 rider to the flag.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing entered the 25-lap Spanish Grand Prix fresh with the aroma of podium Prosecco courtesy of Dani Pedrosa’s 3rd position in the Sprint on Saturday at Jerez and with the vibrant atmosphere of a new circuit attendance hitting almost 300,000 people for the weekend.
As the race started Brad Binder powered into the leading sect from the first corners while Pedrosa and Jake Miller, who was 2nd fastest in morning Warm-Up, had more work to do from the second half of the grid. Dani fell after three laps entering Turn 8 while Jack powered into the top ten after decent early work. The Australian’s race ended with eight laps to go when he was hit by another rider into Turn 5. Brad engaged in a three-way tussle for 4th that was decided by half a second between the trio at the flag and the South African rested 6th.
Brad is 7th in the world championship standings and ahead of Jack in 14th. The Grand Prix de France means another busy and prominent date on the MotoGP calendar. Round five will dip into the speed and curves of Le Mans in a fortnight.
Brad Binder, 6th: “Today’s race was a little bit tricky. I did not get the same start as yesterday and just didn’t have the same pace as the boys upfront. I tried my best but it wasn’t quite our day. I had a lot of chatter from the first lap and it made it difficult to carry corner speed. We need to sit down and work out what was going on because that was the first time we had the issue this weekend.”
Jack Miller, DNF: “I had some pace and was trying to go with Pedro when I copped a bike to the side in Turn 5. There was nothing I could do about it. Not ideal. When it rains it pours! We are struggling to turn the luck in our direction…but we’ll keep plugging away and the test tomorrow will be important to iron out a few things and understand what’s going on.”
Dani Pedrosa, DNF: “I made a good start and recovered some positions. I was hopeful of a good race and a good rhythm. For some reason I lost the front wheel in Turn 8. I was not pushing to the maximum there. Maybe it was because if you don’t take the perfect line then you hit a slippery spot. My aim was to make the top ten. Anyway we took some experience with the new bike, what it is capable of doing and ideas for the future direction of the development. We will also take away the atmosphere and the Sprint podium from yesterday!”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Where to start?! A very strange weekend. Brad had some tricky vibration today through the left corners and that didn’t allow him to ride as he could. He took some good points but this is not his potential, for sure. Jack was also building up some points but his race finished in the gravel. Tomorrow we have the test and some interesting things to try; things that Daniel used here this weekend. It was a shame he did not finish the race but he hit one of the damp patches that was still there. Luckily, he is uninjured but a pity to close the weekend that way. We’ll work tomorrow, and also at the factory and look ahead to the next races.”
Results MotoGP Grand Prix of Spain
1. Francesco Bagnaia (ESP) Ducati 40:58.053
2. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati +0.372
3. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Ducati +3.903
6. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +7.801
10. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +20.762
DNF. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
DNF. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3
DNF. Dani Pedrosa (ESP) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
World Championship standings MotoGP
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati, 92 points
2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 75
3. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Ducati, 70
4. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 69
7. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 59
14. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 22
17. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 10
KTM GP Academy
Red Bull KTM Ajo had to call Vicente Perez into action with the KTM RC4 to substitute for the stricken Jose Antonio Rueda, who had recovered from his sudden appendicitis but was taken ill on the eve of the Grand Prix in Jerez. Perez managed to ride to 16th position through the 19-laps on Sunday morning and in bright sunshine as rookie teammate Xabi Zurutuza completed his second Moto3 appearance in 22nd. In Moto2 Celestino Vietti throttled away from 7th place on the grid as he aimed for his first podium position of the season at Jerez. Although the top three remain distant by the end of the 21-laps in Spain Vietti was able to acquire points for a consistent 9th and reach the flag when many were crashing around him. Rookie teammate Deniz Öncü rode to more Moto2 points with a creditable 14th.
After Marco Morelli took the first checkered flag of the 2024 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup on Saturday, the Argentine was again in the mix during the second race at Jerez Sunday morning. The latest feverish dispute between the next generation of Grand Prix stars went down to the wire once more and it was Alvaro Carpe who used the potency of the KTM race machinery in the most effective way to grab P1 by just six thousandths of a second. The series wades into round two of seven at Le Mans in two weeks.
Results Moto3 Grand Prix of Spain
1. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna IntactGP 33:29.725
2. David Muñoz (ESP) KTM +0.045
3. Ivan Ortola (ESP) KTM +0.871
7. Daniel Holgado (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +10.400
11. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO +19.152
12. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +19.921
16. Vicente Perez (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +22.382
22. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo +45.326
25. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna IntactGP +1 lap
DNF. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO
World Championship standings Moto3
1. Daniel Holgado (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 74 points
2. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO, 68
3. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna IntactGP, 46
10. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 23
11. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna IntactGP, 22
13. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), Red Bull KTM Ajo, 20
14. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO, 20
21. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 3
Results Moto2 Grand Prix of Spain
1. Fermin Aldeguer (ESP) 35:36.316
2. Joe Roberts (USA) +1.287
3. Manuel Gonzalvez (ESP) +1.568
9. Celestino Vietti (ITA) Red Bull KTM Ajo +14.508
12. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO +21.779
14. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo +32.146
19. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna IntactGP +1 lap
NC. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO
DNF. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna IntactGP
World Championship standings Moto2
1. Joe Roberts (USA), 69 points
2. Sergio Garcia (ESP), 64
3. Fermin Aldeguer (ESP), 54
9. Celestino Vietti (ITA) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 29
18. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO, 4
19. Deniz Öncü (TUR) Red Bull KTM Ajo, 3
21. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna IntactGP, 2
23. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna IntactGP, 1
30. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO, 0