Top four finish for Brad in the #AragonGP

The MotorLand circuit was a tricky stage for the Grand Prix of Aragon as thunderstorms created a wet and cool climate for the start of race day in Spain but sunshine soon dried the asphalt. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing slithered through the varying levels of grip to score 4th thanks to Brad Binder and the KTM RC16.

MotorLand Aragon continued to throw curveballs at the MotoGP field for a challenging twelfth round of the season. After hot and slick conditions on Saturday (due to Friday night rain) a thundery and stormy climate create wet and unpredictable grip on Sunday morning. Brad and teammate Jack Miller were able to use the brief 10-minute warm-up session to try settings for the damp (and Miller was 2nd fastest) but by the time Moto3 and Moto2 had warmed-up the crowd the track had dried and provided a narrow, clean principal racing line.

Brad had some wheelspin from 7th and a greasy section of the grid, but he made some moves and ended up behind Pecco Bagnaia and then Pedro Acosta. A collision between two riders ahead allowed the Spaniard and the South African to rise two spots in the ranking with five laps remaining and Brad nursed his tires to the flag.

The flat Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli will host the next two rounds of 2024 MotoGP. The Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini stages the thirteenth fixture next weekend and is immediately followed by the last one-day IRTA test of the season.

Brad Binder:

“A really tricky race. I needed a good start but I spun off the line again and all the way to Turn 1. I managed to pick my way through and pass a few guys. It was difficult not to make mistakes because the front tire was cooking until the end of the race. I tried my best to get Pedro but there was nothing left from the rear! We tried something different with the balance of the bike this weekend and it seemed to work over the distance. I think we have made a small step and we’ll try again next week.”