Red Bull KTM Ajo rider takes eighth podium of the year, with teammate Bo Bendsneyder claiming best result of 2016 with seventh.

Brad Binder and Bo Bendsneyder both placed in the Top 10 in a thrilling Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring, with the Moto3 World Championship leader earning a hard-fought second place. Binder was on the podium for the eighth time this season, holding a record of three victories, three second and two third places. Teammate Bo Bendsneyder achieved his best result of the 2016 season with a seventh position finish.

Binder made a spectacular start and had moved into the lead by the end of the opening lap, but was unable to escape from the lead group. The South African controlled the tempo of the race and fended off attacks from his rivals throughout, until passes on the final laps saw him relegated to fifth. He managed to climb to second before the chequered flag with a late charge.

Bendsneyder had started from tenth place and was immediately caught up in a large group of riders. As the race progressed, the Dutchman was able to find his pace and began to gain positions. Riding in the second group, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie performed well in the final stretch of the race and a last lap attack was sufficient to move up to seventh position -another positive finish for him in his first season in Moto3.

With 179 points to his name and a 67 point advantage over nearest rival, Binder leads the way in the Moto3 World Championship standings. Bendsneyder moves up two positions and is twentieth with 27 points. The Moto3 season continues next weekend at Brno.

Aki Ajo – Team Manager “This was a very special weekend for us, because it was a home race for Red Bull as well as KTM, and there is an incredible atmosphere in Austria. The whole weekend was very good and the race was another thriller. I’m very happy with how Brad [Binder] managed to get another podium. He has taken another new step forward in the title situation and has been able to increase his advantage. We have to stay as focused as we have been up to now, working session after session with the races in mind. 

It has also been very nice to see Bo [Bendsneyder] have a great weekend. He rode at a high level throughout practice. The Moto3 World Championship is very tight and he is still a rookie, so I’m very pleased with his consistency -making no mistakes and finishing races.”

Results (Race)
1. Joan Mir (KTM) 37:23.325
2. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.279
3. Enea Bastianini (Honda) +0.431
4. Fabio Quartararo (KTM) +0.439
5. Philipp Oettl (KTM) +0.600
7. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +4.161

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2016
1. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 179 points
2. Jorge Navarro (Honda), 112 points
3. Romano Fenati (KTM) 93 points
4. Francesco Bagnaia (Mahindra) 90 points
5. Nicolo Bulega (KTM) 82 points
20. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 27 points

41 BRAD BINDER  “I’m very happy with how things went today. I was close to throwing everything away, because I went wide a couple of times on the final laps, but I was able to regain contact with the group quickly. Today I had a strange feeling with the bike and it did not let me go as fast as during the rest of the weekend. On the last lap I felt strong and I tried to overtake Mir, but I went a little wide and I had to pass Bastianini as well. I’m sorry, because it was a bit of a hard move, but I wanted to try and win. To finish second here is amazing. Regardless of what others do, I always try to win as if it were the first race. I think I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

64 BO BENDSNEYDER “I am very happy to have achieved my best result in the Moto3 World Championship. I think we have done a great job all weekend, the bike has worked great and in the race everything went perfectly. I am also happy for Red Bull and KTM, as it was a special Grand Prix for them. I didn’t have much feeling in my left hand after ten laps, so it was very difficult to pull the clutch in. I stayed with the group, conserving my energy until the last lap, and then I pushed hard at the end because I felt strong. I overtook many riders who tried to brake very late but went wide, so I was able to pass them up the inside. Overall, I’m very happy with the result and how the race went.”