After one and a half months of preseason action, the Losail International Circuit hosted the final test of 2016 this weekend. The final day saw Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Brad Binder -with 37 laps- and Bo Bendsneyder -36 laps- finish fine-tuning the setups for their KTM bikes, improving their times for the third consecutive day and placing fifth and thirteenth for the night. In the overall standings for the three days, the South African was again fifth, whilst his rookie teammate was fourteenth. The opportunity to start the evening’s proceedings was not one taken by many of the Moto3 riders, as the conditions were not favourable in the first session and most elected to stay in the garage. That was the case for the Red Bull KTM Ajo pair, who did go out in the second session with the intention of making up for lost time. Binder headed the timesheet with his first 2:05 lap, and Bendsneyder went seventh by improving on his Saturday best time. However, all of these times were bested in the final hour of the test. With a 2:05.805 lap, Binder was just 3 tenths off the top lap of the night, whilst Bendsneyder placed thirteenth with a 2:06.400. After the Official Test in Qatar and previous trips to Valencia and Jerez, Red Bull KTM Ajo have concluded their preseason preparations for 2016. The duo are now ready to go in the season opener, which will be held next weekend at the Losail International Circuit.
Results – Combined Standings Day 3
1. Niccolo Antonelli (Honda) 2:05.444
2. Livio Loi (Honda) 2:05.661 +0.217
3. Fabio Quartararo (KTM) 2:05.717 +0.273
4. Jorge Navarro (Honda) 2:05.784 +0.340
5. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:05.805 +0.361
13. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:06.400 +0.956
Results – Combined Standings Day 1-2-3
1. Niccolo Antonelli (Honda) 2:05.444
2. Livio Loi (Honda) 2:05.661 +0.217
3. Fabio Quartararo (KTM) 2:05.717 +0.273
4. Jorge Navarro (Honda) 2:05.784 +0.340
5. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:05.805 +0.361
14. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 2:06.400 +0.956
Brad Binder,
“Today was a very good day. In the first session we decided not to go out due to the track conditions, as we would not have been able to go fast. After that, we made some changes between the second and third sessions that helped me feel very good with the bike. Tonight I improved my time from the initial run with race tyres, so that is an aspect for which we can be happy. Now we have to focus on the start of the World Championship.”
Bo Bendsneyder,
“These three days have gone very well. The first day was perfect to learn the circuit and the second day we were able to focus on playing around with the setup of the bike -thinking about race. Today, to end this test, we had a good day. We have improved our times and the pace was also faster than the previous days. We have to keep working because we have the potential to do even better, but I’m already looking forward to the race.”
Aki Ajo,
“These were three very positive days. We have achieved good results at the circuit where we have the first race. We are working very well and consistently. This is good preparation for the race. We are happy with the times that both riders have set, even though that is not the most important thing right now. We have not only been working on the lap time but also consistency. I am very happy with the improvement of Brad [Binder] from last year and his way of working. Last year he was not so strong in testing, but this year he is showing that he is more professional and he is calmer -which is important for the season. As I said before, I also like the attitude of Bo [Bendsneyder], who is a young rider with little experience but who stays calm all the time and tries to learn. These two aspects are very important for a young rider and he is doing well.”
source: ajo.fi
