MotoGP moved from Asia to the Middle East and from Malaysia to Qatar for the second pre-season test of the 2024 campaign. Brad Binder logged the 9th fastest effort through the two seven-hour sessions across two days as Red Bull KTM registered almost 220 laps in their chase of the best set-up to enter the new calendar.
KTM swapped heat, humidity and a sticky Sepang International Circuit for the evening lights, strong breeze and sandy, abrasive asphalt of the Lusail International Circuit as Qatar hosted the second and final pre-season test of 2024 MotoGP. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing joined their peers for a two-day run at the 5.4km course north of Doha, and the last chance to try parts and ideas and homologate configurations of the KTM RC16 for the campaign ahead.
Brad and teammate Jack Miller took profit of a track that gradually became cleaner throughout use on Monday to re-try technical directions with aerodynamics and other mods discovered in Malaysia two weeks previously. The second day provided a final bout of confirmation before work also addressed set-up for the forthcoming Grand Prix (with a view towards the 11-lap Sprint and 22-lap full distance event). A time attack ‘blast’ resulted with Brad in 9th and Miller a slither of a second behind in 11th.
Only 17 days separate the last laps of the test in Lusail until the first circulations of the Grand Prix of Qatar and the opening round of 21 in the 2024 MotoGP season. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will get fast again when it counts on Friday March 8th to launch their eighth term on the premier class grid.
Brad Binder, 9th:
“Today was pretty cool. We managed to squash everything in and tried a few settings as well as a full race simulation. I was unlucky to have two yellow flags on my time attack lap but other than that I was happy! I think our bike is working really well and we made a step from last season: we’ll see where we really are when we go again in two weeks.”
Published by: https://bradbinder33.com
MSA Publishes media releases from a host of different sources on our website as a service to the sport. It is not practically possible to vet/approve every release that is published. Some news items and articles are written by correspondents and do not necessarily represent MSA’s views.