Great QP for Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team in Australia
21/10/2017Miguel Oliveira will start tomorrow’s Australian GP from the front row, in third, while Brad Binder took his best position on a Moto2 starting grid with fourth place.
The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders enjoyed a great qualifying session this Saturday at the spectacular Phillip Island circuit. Miguel Oliveira, thanks to his taking the third best time of the session, earned his fourth front row of the season, and was also the fastest rider in FP3. Making the most of an excellent team strategy, Brad Binder took an important step forward to get fourth position, placing on the second row with his best qualifying result of his rookie season in Moto2.
After the rain that affected the previous MotoGP session, there was uncertainty amongst the Moto2 field about their approach to FP3. Finally, Oliveira and Binder went out with slicks and continued working on the setup of their KTM bikes. The Portuguese was the most successful in the 45 minute session, being one of just four riders to improve their times from yesterday and also going fastest in FP3 with a 1:33.919 lap. Binder also completed a positive session, virtually matching his best time from Friday and entering the Top 5 with a 1:34.744.
The same script was followed in qualifying, with a few drops of rain falling at the beginning of the session. However, the riders did not have to wait long to go out and fight for pole position. The Red Bull KTM Ajo duo set their best times on their respective third stints. Oliveira and Binder went out on track together, in an excellent strategy, and lowered their times on two consecutive laps, placing in third -1:33.422- and fourth -1:33.453- position, respectively. Both clocked their best times of the weekend in the session.
Tomorrow sees the sixteenth race of the year take place, starting at 2.20pm local time (5.20am CET). Both Oliveira and Binder hold previous wins at Phillip Island as Red Bull KTM Ajo riders in Moto3, in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Results (Qualifying Practice)
1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1:33.300
2. Marcel Schrotter (Suter) 1:33.308 +0.008
3. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:33.422 +0.122
4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:33.453 +0.153
5. Franco Morbidelli (Kalex) 1:33.495 +0.195
41 BRAD BINDER
“I definitely could not have asked for a better qualifying session. I was planning to improve my 20th position and being able to go up to fourth is a big step. I am very happy and I’ve felt very good all weekend so far. I want to thank the team, as the bike is working incredibly well. I have felt very comfortable, right from the first lap, all around the track. I can’t wait to race tomorrow, I think I have a great opportunity to fight with the riders at the front.
It’s a very good feeling to know that our hard work is bearing fruit, little by little. Tomorrow in the race I will give it my all once again. I have nothing to lose, so if on the last few laps I see the possibility of going forward by taking risks, I can afford to take them.”
44 MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“It was a bit of a strange qualifying session. It immediately started to rain when we went out on track for the first time, and we had to begin a little later than we had planned. In the end everything went well, I feel good on the bike and am comfortable. It was a little disappointing because I felt I had something more in reserve and could have done a little better, but I encountered a lot of riders ahead of me who prevented me from going for a better position. It’s a shame not to have been able to set a higher pace, but for tomorrow I’m confident we’ll get a good result.”