04/08/2024

Double top 10 for Binder (P6) & Agius (P10) after a fabulous catch-up

Fearful scenes for the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto2 team at Silverstone, which for some time harboured hopes of seeing the South African on the podium after a sensational catch-up by Darryn Binder. At the end of the 17-lap marathon, Binder finished in a strong sixth place, followed by team-mate Senna Agius in tenth place after an equally good performance.

On this cloudy and slightly cooler race Sunday, Moto2 not only provided the crowning finale to the tenth stop of the season at the Silverstone Circuit but also a successful start to the second half of 2024, as the British Grand Prix turned out to be Darryn Binder's most successful race weekend of the current season so far.
The 26-year-old had already demonstrated in the previous days of practice that he felt quite comfortable on the tyre- and energy-sapping track, which gave rise to hopes that the South African would be able to work his way up from eighteenth on the grid. And so it came to pass. On the very first lap, Binder made up a whopping five positions and continued to do so over the course of the race. He was able to close the gap to the Gresini duo of Manuel Gonzales and Albert Arenas and chase third place, the last remaining spot on the podium. While further danger threatened from behind, the former MotoGP rider rode his laps consistently but was caught by his rivals towards the end of the race as his tyres increasingly degraded. Darryn Binder ultimately salvaged a strong sixth place, which earned him a valuable ten championship points, giving him plenty of confidence for the Austrian Grand Prix in a fortnight's time.

Moto2 rookie Senna Agius also delivered another strong performance, starting the tenth round of the World Championship in twentieth place. The young Australian catapulted up six positions within the first 5.901km lap and took up the pursuit of the top 10. The 19-year-old gradually made his way into the points and on to a strong tenth place, where he fought bravely and left some well-known rivals behind. And he did so on a track on which he had never raced before. These six further world championship points underpin the contract extension announced this weekend between the talented youngster and the German LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto2 team beyond the 2024 season.

Results

Race
1. Jake DIXON/ GBR/ KALEX
2. Aron CANET/ SPA/ KALEX – (+0.177)
3. Celestino VIETTI/ ITA/ KALEX – (+7.054)
6. Darryn BINDER/ RSA/ KALEX – (+8.901)
10. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – (+13.935)

World Championship
1. GARCIA Sergio/ SPA – 160
2. OGURA Ai/ JPN – 142
3. ROBERTS Joe/ USA – 123
15. AGIUS Senna/ AUS – 32
20. BINDER Darryn/ RSA – 16

Senna Agius

P10 - (+13.935)
Moto2 World Championship 2024 - P15 - 32 Points

"It's certainly not a bad result today, but I'm a bit disappointed with myself because I didn't manage the race perfectly in the middle. I missed out on a better result there today, because the pace was there to be in the top six or seven, or let's say a few positions further up. But we know that we finished in the top 10. That's not too bad considering that we started a bit further back on the grid than normal. That made my life a bit more difficult for me. Nevertheless, I'm happy with the work we've done, and I'd like to thank the team for their help this weekend. We have been working hard since Friday because Silverstone is not the easiest of tasks for a rookie. But with 10th place on a tough weekend, we have scored important points and increased the gap in the rookie standings. I'm glad that we can start the second part of the season like this."

Darryn Binder

P6 - (+8.901)
Moto2 World Championship 2024 - P20 - 16 Points

"That was a good race today, I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, yesterday's qualifying cost me a better end to the race. I pushed really hard in the middle of the race to catch up with the groups and I think I used the rear tyre a bit too much. At one point, I tried to conserve the tyre as much as possible in order to still have reserves at the end. Nevertheless, I wasn't able to push as hard as I wanted in the final laps, while Garcia and Vietti had that little extra. Nevertheless, the result is a great relief after such a tough first half of the season. To start the second part like this makes me really happy. I want to keep building from here and fight for these positions every weekend. I'm also happy with how the weekend went and I want to try and keep this momentum going."

Jürgen Lingg

Team Manager

"Both of our riders rode a really strong race today, which was important for everyone in the team. We are really pleased with Darryn's performance today. He worked hard throughout the weekend and kept improving. Unfortunately, he lacked the final spark in qualifying 2, but he made up for that with a good start and a great chase in the race. Of course, it's a shame that he wasn't able to hold on to the podium in the end, but sixth place is also a very important step and a small breakthrough for him and us as a team after a turbulent first half of the season. He really deserves this today, just like his crew. We hope to be able to continue this positive development at the Red Bull Ring.

Today was also an incredibly good performance from Senna after the unfortunate Q1 yesterday. With his tenth place, he finished as the best rookie again, even though he had never ridden on this long, difficult track here at Silverstone before. This is a really positive performance, which we as a team are obviously all delighted about. The teamwork is really great, they are doing a good job and this is reflected in the results. We are on a very good path with him and I think that he will only be able to confirm this even more with the upcoming tracks that he is familiar with."

Moto2 Pictures Sunday – British GP

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