01/09/2024

Binder secures seven points in Aragon thanks to P9

Darryn Binder from the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto2 team celebrated his next strong top 10 result at the Aragon Grand Prix and collected seven more world championship points thanks to his ninth place. Meanwhile, team-mate Senna Agius just missed out on the points in 16th place.

The race weekend at MotorLand Aragon posed a number of challenges for the entire Moto2 class, as the new asphalt dried slowly and unevenly after overnight rain, which demanded maximum concentration and a precise line choice.

South African rider Darryn Binder defied these difficulties on all three days of the event. And even though 19th place on the grid increased the pressure on the 26-year-old, he rose to the challenge thanks to a fantastic start, as Binder made up an incredible seven positions within the first few laps, hinting at a strong pace. As the race progressed, the veteran was involved in the battle for the top 10 together with Celestino Vietti and Ai Ogura. A crash by Joe Roberts one lap before the end of the race secured Binder ninth place and another top-10 finish, which earned him a further seven championship points. There has been a clear upward trend in the last three races, which Binder wants to continue in just one week's time at the Grand Prix in Misano.

Unfortunately, Moto2 rookie Senna Agius was denied his goal of finishing in the points on this sunny race Sunday, albeit only just. The 19-year-old also made up a few positions at the start of the 19-lap race and found himself in 20th place at the end of the first lap, from where he moved up even further. Unfortunately, the young Australian did not find his comfortable rhythm on the 5.08km track and had difficulties adapting to the asphalt conditions, which also led to some minor odd mistakes. Agius will now try to put his disappointment behind him so that he can attack with renewed vigour and strike back in Italy in just one week's time.

Results

Race
1. Jake DIXON/ GBR/ KALEX
2. Tony ARBOLINO/ ITA/ KALEX – (+1.779)
3. Deniz ÖNCÜ/ TUR/ KALEX – (+5.479)
9. Darryn BINDER/ RSA/ KALEX – (+19.757)
16. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – (+30.080)

World Championship
1. GARCIA Sergio/ SPA – 162
2. OGURA Ai/ JPN – 150
3. LOPEZ Alonso/ SPA – 133
15. AGIUS Senna/ AUS – 33
16. BINDER Darryn/ RSA – 32

Senna Agius

P16 - (+30.080)
Moto2 World Championship 2024 - P15 - 33 Points

"This weekend was not so easy for me. It started really well but then it became difficult for me to adapt to the track conditions to perform better. I’m disappointed in myself. I couldn’t find my rhythm and I made too many mistakes. We want more and deserve more. I feel a bit flat, so time to reset and look to Misano."

Darryn Binder

P9 - (+19.757)
Moto2 World Championship 2024 - P16 - 32 Points

"Definitely not an easy race because the track conditions were really difficult, and my starting position didn’t help. I had a good getaway though and a really good pace. I was making my way up the field but for two laps in a row, I made the same mistake and got a bit off the line, which cost me a bit of time. I could have been a bit further up the rankings, but this is my third top ten in a row and I feel things are coming together. I just need to work on my qualifying."

Jürgen Lingg

Team Manager

"During our test a few weeks ago, we saw that the asphalt is still very fresh. That is always a problem. But when rain is added to the mix, it becomes critical. Nevertheless, the situation was the same for everyone. Looking back, it was still a difficult weekend, especially in terms of tyre management. Ultimately, it was an unfortunate qualifying session for both of our riders due to the weather on Saturday morning. But we saw that Darryn has good speed, which was basically the case with Senna as well. Senna had his best Friday so far this year. But the rain changed the grip level so much that we had to start all over again. Although both had to start from far back on the grid, we were quite confident for Sunday.
Darryn had a great start and immediately established himself in the top ten. He also had some interesting battles and put in another great performance in the race overall. His third top-ten result in a row pleases us all and Darryn in particular. He has to continue at this level because it looks like he can repeat this performance at any time. Unfortunately, Senna didn't get away so well at the start and had difficult battles for position in his group. Each one cost him a lot of time and when he overtook an opponent, he was too inconsistent and also made a few mistakes. Unfortunately, that's why it wasn't enough for a point this time. Nevertheless, you could see that he tried everything. We will analyze this weekend carefully and continue in a few days."

Pictures Moto2 – Sunday Aragon Grand Prix 2024

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