The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders improved on their times from yesterday and will start from the sixth – Martin – and seventh – Binder – rows of the grid.

The Moto2 grid for the Catalan Grand Prix was decided today at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders took a step forward by lowering their Friday times in FP3, although the pair still went into Q1. Jorge Martin then made it into Q2 and tomorrow he will start from 17th, with Brad Binder 19th.

In the morning session the South African rider worked his way towards the top, during the opening phase of the practice. After completing a total of 19 laps, Brad Binder finished 15th, with a best time of 1:44.776, just 0.012s off a Q2 spot. On the other side of the box, Jorge Martin put in 16 laps to solve some issues which he experienced yesterday. Eventually, he ended 22nd – 1:45.212.

Those FP3 results put Brad Binder and Jorge Martin into Q1, a session in which the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders had mixed fortunes. The Spaniard made it through with the second best time of the session – 1:44.668 – his best lap time of the weekend. In Q2, Jorge Martin then finished in 17th position, placing himself on the sixth row of the grid for tomorrow’s race. His teammate, Brad Binder, was just 0.064s from making it into Q2, ending up fifth in Q1 – 1:44.913 -, meaning he is 19th on the grid.

The lights will go out tomorrow at 12:20 pm local time for the 22-lap Moto2 race at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit.

Results (Qualifying session)
1. Augusto Fernandez (Kalex) 1:44.170
2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 1:44.191 +0.021
3. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 1:44.199 +0.029
4. Jorge Navarro (Speed Up) 1:44.211 +0.041
5. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Speed Up) 1:44.259 +0.089
17. Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:45.244 + 1.074
19. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1:44.913 (Q1 time)

41 BRAD BINDER

“It was a shame because we were so close to making it into Q2. Today we did some tests but we couldn’t find the solution to our issues just yet. Luckily, we still have tomorrow’s warm up to finish putting things in place. We have to stay focused and motivated, because both the team and I are trying our hardest to make things start improving soon. The Catalan Grand Prix is going to be a difficult race, but I hope it ends well for us.”

88 JORGE MARTIN

“Today we took a step forward compared to yesterday. We have been doing a few tests and I felt quite a bit more comfortable. I can turn better and I have more grip, which are our main issues, so I’m happy. I hope that tomorrow in the warm up we can continue improving to be able to fight for the points, which is our key objective. Making a good start will be very important on this track, where it is so crucial to have a consistent pace. We’re racing at home and the warmth of the fans always shows here. I want to do well so that they feel thrilled, also in order to reward their continuous support.”