Miguel Oliveira, Brad Binder and Karel Hanika arrive at Catalan GP eager to keep with leading group and take team’s second consecutive win.

Oliveira, Moto3 race, Italian MotoGP 2015

The Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit hosts the seventh round of the Moto3 World Championship this weekend’s. The Red Bull KTM Ajo riders are eager for the race to come around, as it represents a good opportunity to continue their upward trend and they are optimistic about a good outcome at the Catalan track. After taking their first victory of the season thanks to Miguel Oliveira, the three-time World Championship-winning team in the lower cylinder category hope to be protagonists on the podium on Sunday.

Miguel Oliveira arrives with his confidence bolstered by the first Grand Prix win of his career, taken at the most recent round at Mugello. The Portuguese also has fond memories of Barcelona, as in 2012 he finished the Moto3 race in third place to claim a first World Championship podium. This season he has already taken second place at Jerez and the victory in Italy –and will look to continue closing the gap to the riders currently occupying the top three positions in the overall standings.

Ninth in the standings is Brad Binder, who finished the Italian GP in tenth position but wants to improve his feeling on the bike this weekend. The South African wants to try different setups in order to take another step forward, and last year he fought for the podium in Catalonia –placing sixth. Also aiming for a spot on the rostrum is teammate Karel Hanika, who after leading the race at several points in Mugello, will look to round off the great work done at the last Grand Prix.

The Catalan GP keeps the regular schedule for European events, running from Friday to Sunday with the Moto3 race at 11:00am local time. The last victory for Red Bull KTM Ajo at the circuit was by Luis Salom in 2013.

Circuit information – Barcelona-Catalunya
Length: 4.727 m / 2.937 miles
Width: 12 metres
Left corners: 5
Right corners: 8
Longest straight: 1.047 m / 0.651 miles
Constructed: 1991
Modified: 1995

Miguel Oliveira,
“The Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit is a special track, as it is where I took my first podium in the World Championship. I hope to enjoy myself on the bike, just as I did at Mugello, and go on the attack right from the first practice session. Although it is a track where I’ve always been very fast, it’s not one of those that I like the most.

Anything can happen at Barcelona and one mistake can prove costly, because it’s hard to recover ground lost when you make an error. I do not think that at the end of the race there will be a large group at the front. That’s why we must be consistent during the race and avoid mistakes if we are to have a chance to be up there. We’ve taken the pressure of ourselves after our first win, so I hope this helps us to achieve the best possible result.”

Brad Binder,
“This weekend I want to make a few tweaks to the bike and try different setups. This will be the first objective of the GP, to find out with what setup I feel most comfortable and can stay at the front. It will not be easy, but the results could be very positive. It’s sure to be very useful.
I like the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit and last year I was very close to getting on the podium. I can’t wait to give it some gas.”

Karel Hanika,
“At the last Grand Prix we were working very well and I think we can get a good result at Barcelona. If we can find the ideal setup for this track, I’m sure we can at least be as strong as at Mugello.

It is a circuit that I like, basically because it’s like my second home race. Throughout the year I spend many weeks training in Catalonia. Last year we had some good sessions, but we must not relax and should keep improving. I hope to be in the fight to be on the podium again.”