The first of two consecutive MotoGP dates at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli took place in changeable conditions for the San Marino Grand Prix and Red Bull KTM Racing captured three positions inside the top ten with Brad Binder rushed to 4th place, Jack Miller managed a decent 8th while Pol Espargaro completed his third and final wildcard of the 2024 season and crossed the finish line in 10th.
Race day at the flat and sweeping Misano layout provided freaky weather compared to the heat and intense sunshine on Friday and Saturday. After the 10 minute warm-up rush in the morning, Red Bull KTM focused on the 27-lap Grand Prix, held in front of a record 89,000 Sunday attendance.
Brad Binder jumped into the top five after reacting quickly to the lights and making headway from the second row. Jack Miller was also swift away as Pol Espargaro tried his best to win some ground from P15 on the grid. After seven laps rain began to fall on one side of the circuit. Six riders pulled into the pitlane to change bikes and Brad and Jack profited from the shake-up to surge further forward.
Binder battled for the top five and won 4th, obtaining enough points to move up to 5th in the championship standings. Miller had his hands full in a duel for the top eight and with deteriorating rear grip but rode strongly. Espargaro charted a course from mid-pack to the edge of the top ten and banked his best result of his wildcard stint this year.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will now prepare for the last official testing day of the season on Monday at Misano. After a week’s respite from action, MotoGP will then gather again at the coastal venue for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and the last event in Europe before the ‘flyaway’ stint of the calendar begins.
Brad Binder, 4th: “It was a bit of a stressful situation on the grid with rain dropping. A bit sketchy and we weren’t too sure what to do. However, I stuck with my gut feeling and it worked out well. The track was at its worst in the first sector but it quickly dried. It was a chaotic race because you were unsure how hard you could push and how much risk to take. I’m happy with 4th and to be in the top five again and we found a good compromise with the bike. I was comfortable. Now we have to work through the items we have in the test and make more progress.”
Jack Miller, 8th: “A long old race. I wanted a little bit more and I felt good but I couldn’t go any faster. About ten laps from the end the lefthand edge of the rear tire started to go and I did what I could to manage the situation. The right side was fine was hard to carry good corner speed. We improved the bike a lot from Friday and I felt comfortable. I wish the rain had hung around for a bit longer!”
Pol Espargaro, 10th: “We knew it would rain but we weren’t sure when and for how long. It was wetter in some corners than others. It was interesting! It was complicated because we’re here to make laps and in race conditions but in that situation it doesn’t help to set fast ones! Anyway, I had a good race and with a good position. We did our job today. Tenth was OK.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A nice race! A lot of contact at the beginning and the first laps were pretty wild. A few laps later the rain came down and provided some challenging moments. Our riders managed it really well. It was a key moment of the race. 4th, 8th and 10th and three top ten positions is something to be happy about and we recovered points in the manufacturers standings. Tomorrow will be an important test so we are hoping for dry conditions and a busy day and can then look towards another race at Misano.”
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