Agius & Binder face Motegi challenge together from row 7
The sixteenth race weekend of the season at the Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan will demand everything from the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto2 riders. Senna Agius and Darryn Binder will start the race together from positions 20 and 21 on the seventh row of the grid.
Every year, the Motegi circuit is one of those where the conditions play a major and decisive role. This year was no exception, as the 4.8km long track, which is located just under 150 kilometers from the Japanese capital Tokyo, awaited with wet conditions on Friday.
Rookie Senna Agius, who is no stranger to the track after his substitute start in 2023, worked with his crew from Friday morning onwards to improve his feeling for the track. Unfortunately, a 20th place in P1 and a 21st place in P2 meant he had to start in Q1, which he ultimately did not make it past. The sixth place from Q1 means the 20th starting position on row seven for the 19-year-old Australian, who is expecting a lot from the 19-lap race despite the difficulties so far.
Darryn Binder will also start from the seventh row after the South African finished Q1 in 21st place, just one position behind his team-mate. This is certainly not the qualifying result that the 26-year-old expected from the Japanese Grand Prix, but the changeable conditions and a small crash in P1 made life even more difficult for him. For the start of the race at 05:15 (CEST), Binder hopes to get away from the starting grid as best he can by shooting straight to the front in order to be able to fight for points in the sixteenth race of the season.
Results
FP
1. Filip SALAC/ CZE/ KALEX – 1'50.287
2. Ai OGURA/ JPN/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'50.301 (+0.014)
3. Marcos RAMIREZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'50.306 (+0.019)
19. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – 1'51.471 (+1.184)
20. Darryn BINDER/ RSA/ KALEX – 1'51.614 (+1.327)
P1
1. Filip SALAC/ CZE/ KALEX – 1'49.716
2. Aron CANET/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'49.762 (+0.046)
3. Marcos RAMIREZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'49.811 (+0.095)
20. Darryn BINDER/ RSA/ KALEX – 1'50.649 (+0.933)
21. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – 1'50.874 (+1.158)
P2
1. Aron CANET/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'50.672
2. Albert ARENAS/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'50.942 (+0.270)
3. Sergio GARCIA/ SPA/ BOSCOSCURO – 1'51.180 (+0.508)
20. Darryn BINDER/ RSA/ KALEX – 1'53.992 (+3.320)
21. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – 1'54.040 (+3.368)
Q1
1. Manuel GONZALEZ/ SPA/ KALEX – 1'49.711
2. Zonta VD GOORBERGH/ NED/ KALEX – 1'49.742 (+0.031)
3. Barry BALTUS/ BEL/ KALEX 1'49.783 (+0.072)
6. Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX – 1'50.147 (+0.436)
7. Darryn BINDER/ RSA/ KALEX – 1'50.158 (+0.447)
