Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider finishes runner-up at Red Bull Ring in a race decided on the final corner. Brad Binder takes another sixth place.

The Red Bull Ring hosted more than 90,000 fans this Sunday, and the gathered crowd enjoyed a breathtaking Moto2 race. For the second consecutive weekend, Miguel Oliveira was one of the stars of the show, leading for almost the entirety of the contest. He only missed out on victory when he was passed on the final lap by rival Pecco Bagnaia. As he did in the Czech Republic, Brad Binder finished in sixth place.

Starting from second -his best grid position of the year so far- Miguel Oliveira got off the line well, claiming the holeshot and breaking clear by more than half a second early on. He continued to lead the way, until the frenetic duel began with Bagnaia. Both riders amazed fans with a riding masterclass, but it was the Italian who would cross the line just 2 tenth ahead of Oliveira.

Brad Binder had another great first lap, entering the Top 5 after gaining 3 positions. The South African was in the second group, fighting for third position. The key moment of the race for the South African came with 4 laps remaining, when he was penalised for exceeding the track limits, had to give up a place, and lost valuable seconds. A final push allowed him to go up to sixth place by the time the chequered flag fell.

With these excellent results at their home Grand Prix, Red Bull KTM Ajo continue on top of the team standings with a total of 297 points. In the rider standings, Miguel Oliveira is second, just 3 points from the top spot, and Brad Binder gains a position to move into fourth.

The next Moto2 round takes place on August 26th at Silverstone in the UK.

Results (Race)
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 37:45.914
2. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.264
3. Luca Marini (Kalex) +5.953
4. Mattia Passini (Kalex) +6.114
5. Jorge Navarro (Kalex) +8.554
6. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +8.944

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2018 – Riders
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Kalex) 189 points
2. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 186 points
3. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 113 points
4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 111 points
5. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 106 points

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2018 – Teams
1. Red Bull KTM Ajo 297 points
2. Sky Racing Team VR46 268 points
3. EG 0,0 MARC VDS 216 points
4. Dynavolt Intact GP 181 points
5. Pons HP40 127 points

Aki Ajo – Team Manager
“We have to be very happy with the second position for Miguel [Oliveira]. In the last few races we have taken a step forward thanks to the great developmental work from KTM, WP and the entire team; We improved a lot in Free Practice and our pace was very good throughout the race. In the end, especially at this circuit, anything can happen in the last sector, so I don’t think today goes down as a loss. We have taken many points here and we continue with our plan to go race-by-race. For Brad [Binder] it was also a tough race, but sixth position is good after a tough fight. There were some incidents during the race and that made him drop a little further back. But considering that this morning Brad didn’t feel at his best during the warmup, it was a good race for him. We are increasingly improving our race pace and also our practice pace. We have to be happy.”

44 MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“I am satisfied with this second place at the Red Bull Ring, although its slightly bittersweet because I didn’t win the race. Overall, it was a great race for me; I didn’t make mistakes and led every lap, but just lost one place on the last lap. I had to try to guess where Bagnaia would try his move and close the door. The last lap was almost a carbon copy of what happened last year in MotoGP. The World Championship standings are very tight and the races are very exciting. We are on the limit. This year there have been no mistakes from the top riders either, and both Bagnaia and I have always kept adding points to our tally. I’m very happy because things are going well and I’m sure we’ll get the win at another race.”

41 BRAD BINDER
“Once again we finished in sixth place. The truth is that we were unlucky today. The key moment in the race was when I was penalised with losing a position. Additionally, that made me lose time with only four laps remaining and ended my chances of fighting for something more. Before that, I felt I could fight for the podium. The important thing is that in the end we have taken further points and that we are getting increasingly stronger.”