03/11/2024

Double misfortune for Darryn Binder & Senna Agius in Sepang

The penultimate Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit also proved to be an unfortunate hunting ground for the German LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto2 team, because, despite high motivation, rookie Senna Agius and Darryn Binder were unable to finish the race under the scorching Malaysian sun.

In addition to the tropical conditions, the 5.54 km Sepang circuit is characterized by two long straights, which makes it an exciting venue for such a tight category as Moto2 due to the thrilling slipstream duels. Senna Agius, who started the 19th Grand Prix of the year from 18th on the grid, also wanted to take advantage of the slipstreams. For the 19-year-old, this race was already an important decision, as the title of "Rookie of the Year" is within reach for the Australian. Unfortunately, Agius was involved in a crash with two other riders on the first lap, which resulted in a very early retirement. Now the successful youngster's hopes are pinned on the grand final.

After the progress made over the course of the practice days, team-mate Darryn Binder started the 17-lap heat battle in Malaysia on a positive note. The South African did not make a satisfactory start from his 22nd grid position but had already gained three positions after the first lap. As the race progressed, Binder held on to 17th position for some time before a crash on the seventh lap brought an early end to his battle for points.

Results

Race
1. Celestino VIETTI/ ITA/ KALEX
2. Jorge NAVARRO/ SPA/ KALEX - (+1.486)
3. Izan GUEVARA/ SPA/ KALEX - (+3.265)
DNF
Senna AGIUS/ AUS/ KALEX
Darryn BINDER/ RSA/ KALEX

World Championship
1. OGURA Ai/ JPN - 261
2. CANET Aron/ SPA - 209
3. GARCIA Sergio/ SPA - 181
16. AGIUS Senna/ AUS - 63
19. BINDER Darryn/ RSA - 54

Senna Agius

DNF
Moto2 World Championship 2024 - P16 - 63 Points

"Unfortunately, I was involved in an incident in the scramble on the first lap in turn nine, which caused me to go down. Everything happened so fast but we were all trying to avoid each other. It's devastating. The last few races have been pretty hard to comprehend. There's not much more to say. Everyone is pushing incredibly hard and this isn’t where we should be. We just have to work towards the next race where I need some redemption."

Darryn Binder

DNF
Moto2 World Championship 2024 - P19 - 54 Points

"Sepang was a weekend to forget. I had big problems on Friday. Yesterday we made a step forward and I had hoped that we could continue this small progress in the race today. But the conditions on the track were really tricky because it was super-hot, so there was very little grip. Unfortunately, I got a pretty bad start, and a lot of guys went down in front of me. So, I was really trying to understand what I could do and trying to keep a consistent pace, but I was really struggling in every corner because the front was almost locking up everywhere. Unfortunately, when I turned into the last corner, I crashed without any warning. I'm really disappointed, but now it's back to Europe for the last race where hopefully we can end the season on a high."

Jürgen Lingg

Team Manager

"It was already a success for Senna to make it into Q2 as a rookie in Sepang. He got away well at the start, but unfortunately, another rider touched him, causing his crash. It was similar to a week ago in Thailand. That's very annoying and difficult to accept. It was also a setback for him because he really wants to win the rookie classification. But when you crash twice in a row through no fault of your own, it's doubly annoying. Nevertheless, nothing is lost yet, and we still have one more Grand Prix where we will pull out all the stops to finish the season well.”

“The weekend was difficult for Darryn right from the start, which continued in the race. Nevertheless, he left no stone unturned and fought hard. However, he never really got towards the front. Once he slightly over-braked, which resulted in the front folding. This also brought his race to a premature end. So, we will leave Sepang behind us and try to finish the last race of the season properly.”

Pictures Moto2 – Sunday Malaysian GP 2024

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