Sepang Moto3 Qualifying: Brad Binder got wet!

The rain will have marked this 2016 season and the Sepang meeting did not fail in this constant of the year. Before the qualifying series, it decided to water the new surface of the Malaysian track, pushing the Moto3 protagonists to take bets on the choice of tires. Some played it safe by riding rain, others chose to mix rain and slick and the most daring went straight for slick. The challenge: to make your time before another downpour. Result ?

 

Sepang Moto 3	2015	2016
FP1	2'13.715 Danny Kent	2'15.520 Brad Binder
FP2	2'13.906 Miguel Oliveira	2'26.490 Francesco Bagnaia
FP3	2'12.731 Danny Kent	2'14.690 Brad Binder
Qualification	2'12.653 Niccolo Antonelli
Warm Up	2'13.502 Efren Vazquez
Course	Oliveira, Binder, Navarro
All time lap record	2'12.450 Jack Miller 2014

 

However, most started on slicks except Danilo, Quarterly or even Antonelli. Dallas Port, led the first minutes in front of the last two cities, before the charge of NAVARRO. Danilo got on the ground at turn 11 and Ono imitated him at turn 9.

 

 

 

After a first salvo, the protagonists resigned themselves to choosing the rain to continue the adventure. Which required a new adjustment accordingly on motorcycles adjusted for a dry track. After the first twenty minutes, the dreaded downpour arrived, forcing the red flag to be raised.

 

 

NAVARRO returned at the head of the troops in front Dallas Port, Antonelli, Bendsneyder who did better than his teammate Brad Binder, Quarterly, Bulega, Mir Rodrigo and Bagnaia for the top 10. Pawi was fifteenth and Danilo still two places behind.

 

 

A ceasefire which will last around ten minutes before returning to the front on a wet track. Improving one's lot in these conditions was a challenge. A feat yet achieved by a supercharged bagnaia who first entered the front row before taking pole position less than five minutes from the checkered flag.

NAVARRO did not let himself be counted out by counter-attacking without waiting to better regain his possession in a final package which will see Rodrigo, Ono et Martin down. The Estrella driver thought he had done the essentials and saw his first leading position of the season ahead of the Aspar Mahindra driver who looks like a contender for victory tomorrow. But that was without counting on the last thrust of the World Champion Brad Binder which made everyone agree in its final loop. Great art.

This is the sixth pole position of the year for the South African, his second in a row after Australia last week. NAVARRO et bagnaia follow and ensure a first row made up of the three flagship brands in the category. On the French side, Quarterly is ninth and Danilo twenty-fourth.

Sepang Moto3 Qualifying: Ranking compilation crash.net

1. Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 2m 26.268s
2. Jorge Navarro SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) 2m 26.361s
3. Francis Bagnaia ITA Pull & Bear Aspar Mahindra Team (Mahindra) 2m 26.395s
4. Lorenzo Dalla Porta ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 2m 27.078s
5. gabriel rodrigo ARG RBA Racing Team (KTM) 2m 27.307s
6. Niccolo Antonelli ITA Ongetta-Rivacold (Honda) 2m 27.355s
7. Will Bendsneyder NED Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 2m 27.604s
8. George Martin SPA Pull & Bear Aspar Mahindra Team (Mahindra) 2m 27.642s
9. fabio quartararo FRA Leopard Racing (KTM) 2m 27.661s
10. Aron canet SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) 2m 27.924s
11. Andrea Locatelli ITA Leopard Racing (KTM) 2m 27.987s
12. Philipp Oettl GER Schedl GP Racing (KTM) 2m 28.062s
13. Nicholas Bulega ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 2m 28.069s
14. Joan mir SPA Leopard Racing (KTM) 2m 28.193s
15. Jakub Kornfeil CZE Drive M7 SIC Racing Team (Honda) 2m 28.215s
16. Tatsuki suzuki JPN CIP-Unicom Starker (Mahindra) 2m 28.553s
17. Juanfran Guevara SPA RBA Racing Team (KTM) 2m 28.718s
18. Adam Norrodin MAL Drive M7 SIC Racing Team (Honda) 2m 28.965s
19. Fabio DiGiannantonio ITA Gresini Racing Moto3 (Honda) 2m 28.982s
20. Khairul Idham Pawi MAL Honda Team Asia (Honda) 2m 28.989s
21. Ayumu Sasaki JPN Gresini Racing Moto3 (Honda) 2m 29.267s
22. Hafiq Azmi BAD Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot) 2m 29.334s
23. Livio Law BEL RW Racing GP BV (Honda) 2m 29.380s
24. Jules Danilo FRA Ongetta-Rivacold (Honda) 2m 29.595s
25. Hiroki Ono JPN Honda Team Asia (Honda) 2m 30.248s
26. Andrea Migno ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 2m 30.747s
27. Albert Arenas SPA Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot) 2m 30.872s
28. Marcos Ramirez SPA Platinum Bay Real Estate (Mahindra) 2m 30.961s
29. Lorenzo Petrarca ITA 3570 Team Italia (Mahindra) 2m 32.151s
30. Stefano Valtulini ITA 3570 Team Italia (Mahindra) 2m 32.346s
31. Darryn binder RSA Platinum Bay Real Estate (Mahindra) 2m 32.592s
Maria Herrera SPA MH6 Team (KTM) 2m 36.698s
Fabio Spiranelli ITA CIP-Unicom Starker (Mahindra) No Time