Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto3 rider will start from the ninth row at the Red Bull Ring, missing out on a better position in the final minutes.

Darryn Binder was unable to round off the great job he had done throughout Saturday with a top position in qualifying. In mostly wet conditions at the Red Bull Ring, the South African was at his best throughout FP3 and QP. Only an unfortunate final few minutes in the afternoon session on a half-dry surface prevented the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider from placing higher than 27th.

The Moto3 riders ran wet tyres in FP3, and Binder was one of those who adapted best to the track conditions. In the early going he was inside the Top 10, and his feeling kept on improving until he was fastest with 13 minutes remaining. Making no pit stops, he held onto the spot until the final two minutes, in which his 1:44.428 situated him in third.

The battle to get the best position on the grid started with the track completely wet once again. Binder went out confident of being able to repeat the great performance he had shown in the morning. The South African demonstrated his potential, riding among the fastest riders at all times and placing in the Top 5 with 10 minutes to go -1:43.945, twenty-seventh. However, the track then dried out, favouring those riders who had gambled on slicks.

From this spot on the ninth row, Darryn Binder hopes to get a good result in the race tomorrow, whatever the conditions. The 23-lap Moto3 contest starts at 11am local time.

Results (Qualifying session)
1. Marco Bezzecchi (KTM) 1:38:617
2. Jorge Martin (Honda) 1:38.695 +0.078
3. Albert Arenas (KTM) 1:39.255 +0.638
4. Aron Canet (Honda) 1:39.500 +0.883
5. Tony Arbolino (Honda) 1:39.548 +0.931
27. Darryn Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:43.945 +5.328

40 DARRYN BINDER
“Today was going great for me in the wet, until the final minutes of the qualifying session. I felt really good right from when we set off in FP3 with wet tyres for the first time. I also felt good in qualifying, and was in a good spot throughout the session. It was only in the final minutes that we couldn’t finish the job. With 2 minutes remaining I was only 0.9 off the top, so it was not so far back, and I thought I would have been able to improve. However, the rest of the riders changed to slicks for their last lap and that made them go faster, losing us many positions. It’s a shame, but the race is tomorrow and I’m ready to do well, whatever the conditions.”