Round eight of 2024 MotoGP world championship was the first of two Grand Prix fixtures in a row and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing closed their efforts at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands with a top six finish, courtesy of Brad Binder’s concerted push for maximum points. Jack Miller was able to complete the warm and bright 26-lap dispute with 11th position.
- 6th for Brad Binder after improved speed and competitiveness compared to his run to 6th in the Saturday Sprint. The South African holds the same spot in the championship standings
- Jack Miller chases for the top ten and crosses the line 11th
- Red Bull KTM Ajo watch Jose Antonio Rueda capture their best result of the Grand Prix with 4th in Moto3™
As is the custom in this part of the world, a large and dedicated crowd of MotoGP fans arrived to the flat and famous layout of the TT Circuit Assen for what was the 75th Grand Prix to have been held around the Dutch course. In contrast to Friday and Saturday, the weather was overcast and cool as MotoGP ignited into another ‘double header’.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing assumed 9th and 14th positions on the start grid and aimed to make their usual fiery getaways. The narrow but fast trajectory of the track demanded both stability and high agility for maximum speed and it was Binder who could find the most out of the KTM RC16 package. Choosing a soft tire option, he throttled his way into the mid-top ten and then had to maintain his pace through a long and strategic race. The South African secured nine points for 7th by the flag after a lonely outing and was elevated to 6th after Marc Marquez’s sanction. Miller, who gained some confidence through a busy scrap for top ten consideration on Saturday, had made a decent start from the fifth row and felt content with his classification of 11th.
Onto the Sachsenring, Germany next week and another Grand Prix that usually boasts a sellout attendance and with a deep legacy stretching back to the first decades of FIM World Championship history.
Brad Binder, 6th: “Quite a hectic race. I decided to go with the soft rear tire because I felt there might be more potential to go with the boys in front but the reality was that they could put down a super-fast pace with the medium and we just burnt the tire to go with them. It was tricky, for sure. I would have liked to have walked away with a better result but I left nothing on the table. We have some work to do. My feeling is not terrible. I understand the front limit and I didn’t crash at all this weekend. We just need to find more speed.”
Jack Miller, 11th: “Better. We made an improvement last night and was able to run a bit better pace and I had a nice fight and could gain confidence. The change we made gave me more feeling with the front end of the bike and I was happy with that. It’s a base level we can restart with, and fingers crossed we can still look to make some improvements.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We have some homework to do. Overall, the weekend was not too bad. Brad had a direct Q2 on Friday and a decent Sprint considering the front tire pressure. Our expectation was a bit higher for today but he struggled to run the pace of the front group. We have some useful information and we have to work very hard in the next days. For Jack, despite the position, he has the feeling that he is ‘back’. We made a strong change from yesterday and he was growing with the new set-up. Another little point where we can start again. Let’s try for more in Germany next weekend.”
Results MotoGP Grand Prix of the Netherlands
1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati 40:07.214
2. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati +3.676
3. Enea Bastianini (ITA) Ducati +7.073
6. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +16.005
11. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +24.004
14. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +42.871
DNF. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3
World Championship standings MotoGP
1. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati, 200 points
2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 190
3. Marc Marquez (ESP) Ducati, 1??
6. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 101
7. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 99
15. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 32
17. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 15
KTM Factory Racing
