Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Brad Binder clinched his second victory for the 2019 Moto2 season at MotorLand Aragon, in Spain on Sunday 22 September. It was the South African’s fifth podium in seven races, as he completely outperformed his rivals at the Spanish track.
Binder made a strong start from third place on the grid, taking the lead on the first corner and holding on to that position right to the checkered flag. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider set a rapid pace right the initial stages, increasing his advantage over his rivals and reaching the halfway point of the race with a lead of more than a second.
“The key to this race was making a strong start which allowed me to lead right from the first lap. I decided it was better not to check the board and just do my best. I was riding as hard as I could and it wouldn’t have helped me to see if my advantage had increased or decreased,” Binder said after the race.
Although he had built up that gap to more than two seconds with ten laps to go, the rival in second place applied the pressure in the last part of the contest, but some strong race craft from Binder over the last part of the contest secured him the win.
“I tried to be as smooth as possible. In the end we crossed the finish line first, and that’s what matters most. It’s a great day for me and my team and I want to thank them. I’m really happy,” he said.
Binder has a great history at Aragon, having won the Moto3 World Championship there in 2016, as well as winning the Moto2 there in 2018.
“It’s a track I really enjoy,” he commented. “It’s quite fast and flowing, especially the first sector. It does not necessarily have the fastest high speed on it, but it’s not a hard braking circuit, just high speed. There are quite a few corners where there’s a lot of spinning on the exits, which I enjoy a lot. They also have their little corkscrew thing, which is quite famous,” he added.
Following this brilliant result at Aragon, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team now head East, for the next round of the World Championship at the Buriram Circuit, where the Thailand Grand Prix will take place from 4th to 6th October.
“The second half of the year is always best for me because we go to the circuits where I’m stronger and I enjoy riding the most. There are still a few rounds left before the end of the season and I hope to get back on the podium again.”
