Positive start for Red Bull KTM Ajo at Qatar Test

01/03/2019

Brad Binder sets the early pace at Losail, whilst Jorge Martin also ends the opening night of the test with good feelings.

 

The final test of the 2019 preseason got underway for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team on Friday, and they made a promising start on the first of three days of action. Riders Brad Binder and Jorge Martin carried over the same form with which they ended the Jerez test last week, as they continue their preparations for the upcoming campaign.

Binder topped the timesheets in the first and third sessions, and it was in the latter that he achieved his best time of 1:59.776. The South African was the only rider to go round in under 2:00, and completed a total of 68 laps in search of an optimal setup for his new KTM bike.

Moto2 newcomer Jorge Martín bettered his lap times consistently, and focused his attention on putting further kilometres under his belt. He also improved his feeling with the bike when running used tyres and a full fuel tank. After a total of 50 laps, the Spaniard placed fourteenth overall -2:00.713.

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders will take on a second day of testing on Saturday, with the Qatar Official Test concluding on Sunday.

 

Combined standings Moto2 – Qatar Test Day 1
1. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:59.776
2. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 2:00.178 +0.402
3. Iker Lecuona (KTM) 2:00.201 +0.425
4. Jorge Navarro (Speed Up) 2:00.269 +0.493
5. Alex Marquez (Kalex) 2:00.429 +0.653
14. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:00.713 +0.937

 

41 BRAD BINDER

“I’m satisfied with the work we did today. From the start through to the end I felt very comfortable on the bike. The whole team did a great job, although we still have to focus on my rhythm tomorrow. We set a great time, yet we need to make sure we are consistent ahead of next week’s race. My feeling on the bike is getting better and better, and I think that we have the chance go even further during this test.”

88 JORGE MARTIN

“I am very happy with the work that we did today. We had some issues at the beginning, but as soon as we managed to solve them, it all went better. The wind made everything a little bit harder, as it was difficult to get braking references, but nevertheless we had a positive dynamic and I felt very good with a full tank and used tyres. We are on the right track and we are closer to where we want to be than we were at Jerez. We have to keep pushing but we still have two more days to continue testing.”

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