First test of 2019 for Brad Binder and Jorge Martin

20/02/2019

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders had a solid start in the first day of the Jerez Official Test.

 

After two favourable days of private testing at Jerez, today the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders took part in the first three IRTA practices. The time on track on Monday and Tuesday was helpful to warm up for the three days of timed action at the Andalusian track. Brad Binder and Jorge Martin finished fourth and eleventh, respectively, on the combined timesheets.

Amidst favourable weather conditions, Brad Binder showed great pace on Wednesday, and was a constant presence at the sharp end of the timing screens throughout the three sessions today. The South African focused on the setup of the bike, working on improving grip and electronic settings. After a total of 64 laps, he clocked the fourth best time on Wednesday: 1:41.368, almost a second and a half quicker than his top lap from November.

On the other side of the box, Jorge Martin used the day to continue adapting to the intermediate class and gaining confidence with the new KTM Moto2 bike. The Spaniard enjoyed a positive day, completing a total of 65 laps and setting a best time of 1:41.867, which placed him eleventh overall.

Tomorrow sees a second day of action at the Jerez Official Test, which will conclude on Friday.

 

Combined Standings Day 1
1. Luca Marini (Kalex) 1:41.146
2. Iker Lecuona (KTM) 1:41.227 +0.081
3. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 1:41.286 +0.140
4. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:41.368 +0.222
5. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 1:41.370 +0.224
11. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:41.867 +0.721

 

AKI AJO – TEAM MANAGER

“Today was a very important day because we started the first Official Test of 2019. In general the week has been very important for us. We have had two days of private testing, so for us it has been somewhat easier to start the Official Test. In the November test, things didn’t go as we had expected, but I have to say that after these three days we are already on the right track. Both Brad [Binder] and Jorge [Martin] have done a great job and -despite us not focusing on this aspect- the lap times have also been good.”

41 BRAD BINDER

“Today has been pretty positive. This was our third consecutive day in Jerez, so we have been able to complete many laps and have tried many options. We have found a good path to follow and I am very happy with how the team worked today. Things are going very well and my feeling on the bike improves every time I go out on track. In general, the more laps I do, the better I feel on my KTM. Tomorrow we will focus on doing some longer runs at some point. I’m looking forward to the next two days; there are still many points to work on and try out, but step by step we are finding a good way forward.”

88 JORGE MARTIN

“It’s been a very positive day, even though I’m not at my best physically. We’re very happy, because every time we go out on track we improve a little more. Today we were able to try many new ideas and we have drawn very positive conclusions from all of them. In addition, we set a good pace with used tyres. Although we still have to work a lot on that aspect, we have shown that we are competitive over a single lap. Tomorrow the objective will be to continue improving and gaining experience. We have to keep working in the same direction, because it’s the right way to go.”

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