22/09/2024

Agius secures seventh place in Misano II with a strong pace

The second World Championship round in Misano Adriatico ended on a highly positive note for LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP rider Senna Agius with seventh place and a further nine World Championship points. Darryn Binder just missed out on the points in P16 in the 14th race of the season.

In late summer conditions, the Moto2 class lined up on time for the start of the 14th race of the season at 11:15 am (CEST) at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. When the lights went out, the duo from the German Intact GP racing team went into battle mode, which catapulted Senna Agius from eleventh to ninth place. After a hectic starting phase, the Australian's strong pace levelled out, which helped him up to seventh place, where he rode his laps on his own. A great performance from the youngster, who did not feel 100 percent fit this morning after a tough night. After 22 laps on the 4.23 km long track, the 19-year-old rookie was back in the top 10 and crossed the finish line in seventh place with nine more championship points in his pocket.

After four races in the top 10, South African rider Darryn Binder suffered his first zero-point finish since the Sachsenring Grand Prix, despite making a good start. From the twentieth spot on the grid, the 26-year-old shot straight up five positions into the points. In the course of the race, the rider with the number 15 even reached P13, but as the laps progressed, Binder had less and less to counter with due to diminishing grip on the rear, which ultimately led to the loss of three positions and thus also to the loss of further championship points. There is no time for the experienced rider to be disappointed about this, as the six-week overseas tour begins next week for the Moto2 squad, for which both Senna Agius and Darryn Binder are getting ready with maximum motivation.

Results

Race
1. Celestino VIETTI/ ITA/ KALEX
2. Aron CANET/ SPA/ KALEX – (+0.029)
3. Tony ARBOLINO/ ITA/ KALEX – (+1.921)
7. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – (+12.509)
16. Darryn BINDER/ RSA/ KALEX – (+23.441)

World Championship
1. OGURA Ai/ JPN – 188
2. GARCIA Sergio/ SPA – 166
3. ROBERTS Joe/ USA – 143
15. AGIUS Senna/ AUS – 47
17. BINDER Darryn/ RSA – 38

Senna Agius

P7 - (+12.509)
Moto2 World Championship 2024 - P15 - 47 Points

"To be honest, I had a tough night and came to the track this morning with a not-so-good feeling. So, at the start of the race, I struggled a bit to concentrate, but I was able to make some good overtaking manoeuvres and found my rhythm. I'm happy to be back in the top ten after being outside in a few races, which was a bit frustrating. But to come back today and score good points for the championship is super good. I thank my guys because they gave me a really good bike this weekend and I think the work we put in was rewarded today. So, thanks to everyone and let's go to Indonesia."

Darryn Binder

P16 - (+23.441)
Moto2 World Championship 2024 - P17 - 38 Points

"I'm really disappointed with how today's race went. I knew it wasn't going to be easy starting from P20 on the grid, but at the same time, I knew I had the rhythm and pace to get into the top ten. I had a good start, found my rhythm and by the middle of the race I felt comfortable. But then I struggled with the rear grip and went slightly backwards from then on. We need to analyze with the team, why we lost so much grip towards the end of the race, because two weeks ago I felt very good even in the final stages of the race, but this week it was completely different. So, I'm disappointed with the result, but we fly to Indonesia tomorrow and I'm really looking forward. I like the places we race there."

Jürgen Lingg

Team Manager

"Senna set an exclamation mark today with a strong race. We already saw in qualifying that he can set a very high rhythm. But you also have to be able to implement that in the race. What was particularly impressive was that he had no reference in front of him and two tough guys behind him, and he controlled everything confidently right to the end. That was a masterclass performance and deserves great respect. Of course, we are happy to take this motivational boost with us, and I think that if we continue like this with Senna, we can expect further strong results. It's not far from the top. Nevertheless, we have to remain patient.
On the other side in our garage, we were optimistic for Darryn, because two weeks ago his grid position was not what we had hoped for either. That's why we were hopeful that he could still finish well up in front in the race today. Up until the start of the second third of the race, it looked as if he might be able to scratch into the top ten again. But unfortunately, he was then unable to keep his pace. We first have to see what happened or whether tyre wear at the halfway point was too much. It's a shame that there were no points for Darryn this time after he had previously finished in the top ten four times in a row. That's why you can cope with a result like today, and next week we'll have the opportunity to turn things around."

Pictures Moto2 – Sunday Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

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