Red Bull KTM Ajo rider uses first day of testing at the Andalusian circuit to ride in both the dry and the wet.

The Moto3 riders left Valencia last week hoping for good weather at their next testing outing, but at the start of the second official test of the year in Jerez the rain made an appearance at midday. This meant that Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider Darryn Binder encountered a first and third session in the dry, and the second in the wet. Continuously lowering his times, the South African finished the day in eighteenth place, reducing the gap to the fastest riders that had been present at the test in Valencia.

This Monday, Binder put in 61 more laps – 16 of them in the wet – as he continued to adapt to the KTM bike with which he will compete this season. In the dry, the South African improved from the morning to the afternoon by more than a second, with a fastest lap of 1:47.887. However, the most noteworthy occurence of the day was his first laps in the wet his preseason, completed at noon. His best time in those conditions was 1:58.238.

With the first of the three days of testing scheduled at the Circuito de Jerez over, Darryn Binder hopes to continue taking steps forward with his adaptation to the KTM tomorrow.

Combined Standings Day 1
1. Jorge Martin (Honda) 1:46.857
2. Tony Arbolino (Honda) 1:46.923 +0.066
3. Niccolo Antonelli (Honda) 1:46.963 +0.106
4. Albert Arenas (KTM) 1:46.976 +0.119
5. Aron Canet (Honda) 1:47.011 +0.154
18. Darryn Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:47.887 +1.030

40 DARRYN BINDER
“The first day here in Jerez has gone quite well, basically because this has been a real day of testing. We were able to put in a lot of laps, although unfortunately the midday rain did not help us with our work on the setup of the bike. In any case, it has helped us to continue looking for a riding position on the bike with which I am more comfortable. It was a good first day with a good feeling. We hope to continue in the same way tomorrow.”