Red Bull KTM Ajo rider places third in qualifying session, but will start British GP from eighth due to a penalty. Teammate Brad Binder will take off from fourth at Silverstone.

True to the weather forecasts, rain made an appearance on day two of the British Grand Prix during qualifying. Despite the challenging circumstances, the Red Bull KTM Ajo team took a step forward on Saturday, achieving good results at Silverstone. Bo Bendsneyder earned third place, his best result since his arrival in the Moto3 World Championship, but will start the race from eighth after incurring a penalty yesterday. Teammate Brad Binder, who placed fifth, will take off from fourth.

With conditions similar to those encountered yesterday morning, Binder and Bendsneyder were eager to lower their times from Day 1. The pair used a new rear tyre on their second stint in order to do so, and Binder concluded FP3 in second place with a 2:14.580 lap. Bendsneyder was fourteenth -2:15.613-..

The qualifying session began in the rain, and the Red Bull KTM Ajo pair made the most of their time to gain confidence with wet tyres. After a first run to adapt, both Bendsneyder -2:33.994- and Brad Binder -2:34.386- set their best times on their eighth lap. Bendsneyder had led the way quarter of an hour before the end, but dropped down to third on the timesheet.

Tomorrow’s race will be held at 12:30 local time. Last year the race was contested in the rain, and the last victory for Red Bull KTM Ajo at the track was in 2013.

Results (Qualifying session)
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Mahindra) 2:33.642
2. Enea Bastianini (Honda) 2:33.748 +0.106
3. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:33.994 +0.352
4. Niccolo Antonelli (Honda) 2:34.383 +0.741
5. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:34.386 +0.744

41 BRAD BINDER

“I went out on track in qualifying with the intention of riding without taking too many risks and seeing what I could do. It was a question of putting in laps and feeling confident in the rain. When it was raining I was missing something in order to set a good time. Then when I entered the pits to make some changes it started to rain harder. Fourth position for tomorrow is good, thinking about the race. I would prefer it to be dry, because I feel much better in those conditions. I am not bad in the rain, but this track is a bit strange: There is little grip and it is windy, which are two factors that are very dangerous. Neverhteless, no matter what I am feeling confident. I also want to congratulate Bo [Bendsneyder] for his great result.”

64 BO BENDSNEYDER

“Today has been a very good day; I even felt good in FP3, in which I was consistent with a good pace in the dry. It’s a strange feeling, because despite achieving third place we are going to start from eighth -but we must accept it. The key to a good qualifying session was putting in a lot of laps, improving the feeling every time, and that is important. It’s my best position in a qualifying session, so I want to thank the team. For the race it will be important to get a good start, and if we do that then I see myself being in position to fight for the Top 5 or Top 10. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”