01/10/2023

Binder secures second top ten result in a row in Japan

The Japanese Grand Prix was an up-and-down ride for the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Team's Moto2 squad, but the weekend ended on a positive note with Darryn Binder finishing tenth, and junior rider and substitute rider Senna Agius finishing 21st.

For Darryn Binder, the Japan Grand Prix marked only his second Grand Prix since returning from injury. He made his comeback last weekend in India with seventh place, his second best result of the season since sixth in Argentina. The South African made a good start to the 19-lap race from 18th position and found himself in a group fighting for seventh place. He had a couple of battles with Alonso Lopez and Van Den Goorbergh and in the end was able to enjoy a solid tenth place together with his team.

Darryn Binder was joined this weekend by Australian youngster Senna Agius, who had flown to Japan at short notice to replace the injured Lukas Tulovic a week before his next assault on the Moto2 European Championship title. Motegi was not an easy terrain for Senna, the start from 29th place did not make a catch-up in the race any easier. But the JuniorGP rider did do a good job, learned a lot and finally reached the chequered flag in 21st place.

In a fortnight Lukas Tulovic hopes to be back on the grid, at the latest when the Indonesian Grand Prix will be held on the Mandalika Street Circuit in Lombok from 13 to 15 October.

Results

Race
1. Somkiat CHANTRA / THA / KALEX
2. Ai OGURA / JPN / KALEX - (+1.353)
3. Pedro ACOSTA / SPA / KALEX - (+3.080)
10. Darryn BINDER / RSA / KALEX – (+19.405)
21. Senna AGIUS / AUS / KALEX - (+34.103)

Overall Standings
1. Pedro ACOSTA / SPA / 252
2. Tony ARBOLINO / ITA / 202 (-50)
3. Jake DIXON/ GBR/ 159 (-93)
18. Darryn BINDER / RSA / 28 (-224)
23. Lukas TULOVIC / GER / 12 (-240)

Darryn Binder

P10 - (+19.405)
Moto2 World Championship 2023 - P18 - 28 Points

“A pretty good race for me and I’m quite happy with the result. Starting from 18th isn’t the best but luckily I kept my pace throughout the whole race and could make some passes and reach the top ten. More mileage under my belt, and I’m starting to feel much more comfortable on the bike. Moving on to the next round I think I can push forward again and the most important thing is to work on my qualifying for a better grid position. It definitely makes the race a bit easier.”

Senna Agius

P21 - (+34.103)

“The race today is something to build on. I saw the chequered flag today with a semi-respectable rhythm. It’s been a mountain of a weekend! I was tense at the beginning of the race but loosened up over the laps, which was nice. A big thanks to the team for giving me this chance in Japan this weekend. I am absolutely not satisfied with the result…but I think it’s important to learn from this experience and attack the future in the best way possible.”

Jürgen Lingg

Teammanager

"Of course, we want more, but given the situation we have to be happy with today's results. It was a shame for Darryn that he struggled in Q2 after a strong Q1 and had to start from P18. His pace is not so high yet so that he can move forward from there. From that point of view, his performance was absolutely fine to achieve a top-10 result. Besides, it was the second one within a week. After his many injuries this year, he simply lacks kilometres. But it's good to see that thing getting better and better and Darryn is doing very well. We have to keep at it and keep doing what we're doing. There is still a gap, but we realize that step by step we are getting closer. From his point of view, he has to work hard and try to keep the margin of errors as low as possible, then we will see some more good races from him this year. I think it will be interesting to see in two weeks in Indonesia."

"For a young man like Senna, it was another big challenge to have to step in at such short notice. And this time on the other side of the pit. When you get right down to it, including the Moto2 EC crew, it's the third crew he's working with this year. Semma also had to get used to the situation, and the guys to him. But the main problem was that he could do just a number a laps on Friday. The crash in the morning was pretty severe. We're glad he escaped unhurt. So, Friday was a washout, and of course that wasn't good for his confidence. Yesterday he recovered well and improved significantly in the few laps he did in FP3 and Q1. For the race today, the motto was to finish and learning as much as possible. He certainly succeeded in that today, because in the 19 laps he was able to learn from the others. In the end, I think a bit more would have been possible in terms of the result. But we have to be satisfied with that, because he has to let the impressions from here sink in and digest first, and then he has to quickly adjust and focus on the next weekend, where he can put his European title in the dry."

Pictures Japan GP

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