Jorge Martin and Brad Binder finished first and second, respectively, on the combined timesheets from FP1 and FP2.

On the opening day of the Australian Grand Prix the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders proved that they really like the Phillip Island Circuit, with Jorge Martin and Brad Binder respectively finishing first and second on Friday’s combined timesheets. The Spaniard led FP1, in wet conditions, and was also at the top in FP2, on a dry track. For his part, Brad Binder took a big step forward in the afternoon and was just three tenths of a second off his teammate’s.

In FP1, the Red Bull KTM Ajo pair worked in tricky conditions after some early morning rain. Jorge Martin rode cautiously at the start of the session, gradually improving his feeling. In the final part of the practice, the Spaniard took a big step forward, putting together two fast laps to finish first with a 1:45.823. Brad Binder produced competitive lap times during the FP1 and eventually improved his personal best to 1:48.142, to end in 15th place.

In the afternoon, under clearer skies the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 duo were able to take advantage of the dry conditions. Jorge Martin confirmed his good feelings from the morning session, leading the second practice from start to finish. The Spaniard put down six fast laps in succession, setting the best time of the day – 1:33.010 – on his last attempt. Just behind him his teammate, Brad Binder, ended second, having also been one of the top riders throughout the FP2. After putting in a total of 22 laps, the South African clocked a personal best of 1:33.353.

Courtesy of today’s results, both Red Bull KTM Ajo riders are provisionally positioned to go into Q2, with FP3 still to come tomorrow morning. The grid positions at the Australian GP will be contested on Saturday in Q1 (1:30 pm) and Q2 (1:55 pm).

Combined practice times (FP1 – FP2)
1. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:33.010
2. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:33.353 +0.343
3. Jorge Navarro (Speed Up) 1:33.405 +0.395
4. Iker Lecuona (KTM) 1:33.474 +0.464
5. Marco Bezzecchi (KTM) 1:33.481 +0.471

41 BRAD BINDER

“It was a pretty good day for us. This morning I wasn’t so comfortable riding in wet conditions but in the afternoon straight away things started to go much better. I was surprised how good I felt on the bike. There are a couple of things that we have to work on tomorrow, but if we improve on those points, we’ll take a big step forward. I’m very happy, as I can see that we are fast, so now we need to be very focused for the qualifying.”

88 JORGE MARTIN

“I’m very happy. It was a positive opening day, as we were first in the wet and in the dry. Leading in the afternoon session was even more important, as we were competitive on both the hard and soft tyres, setting the top times constantly. Let’s see tomorrow if the weather is good and qualifying is dry. The goal is to get a good grid position for the race.”