Binder and Kunii aim to better impressive Styrian GP results
Red Bull Ring - SpielbergHonda’s Moto3 riders have another chance to show their speed at Red Bull Ring this weekend after a complicated Styrian Grand Prix at the track last Sunday.
The tenth race of the 19-race season got underway on a wet track, with a dry line in some parts. The vast majority of riders chose rain tyres, but Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing Honda NSF250RW) gambled on slicks and his gamble very nearly paid off.
The track only dried slightly as the race progressed, so the 23-year-old South African’s slicks only gave him an advantage in the closing stages, when he set the fastest lap on the final lap. If the race had continued for another few laps Binder would surely have finished on the podium. Instead he had to be content with sixth place, his best result since June’s Catalan GP.
Like Binder, Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia Honda NSF250RW) will be hoping for even better this weekend. Kunii scored his first Grand Prix top ten last Sunday, taking an eighth-place finish, ten seconds behind Binder.
That result has given the 18-year-old from Setagaya a huge boost to his morale, which takes him into the Styrian GP with a clear aim to continue his forward progression.
On the other hand team-mate Andi Farid Izdihar (Honda Team Asia Honda NSF250RW) will be looking for a total reset this weekend after crashing out of last Sunday’s race. Like Binder, the 23-year-old Indonesian chose slicks and fell twice, because the asphalt was still wet in many parts of the track.
Honda’s top performer in the 2021 championship so far is Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing Honda NSF250RW), who scored two important victories in the recent Italian and Dutch rounds.
The 20-year-old qualified on the second row at Red Bull Ring last Sunday but struggled to find a good feeling in the race and finished 22nd, which dropped him from third to fourth in the title chase. This weekend Foggia is determined to return to the podium and continue his fight for a top-three championship result.
Honda’s next best-placed riders are Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3 Honda NSF250RW), Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3 Honda NSF250RW) and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team Honda NSF250RW) in ninth, tenth and eleventh.
These back-to-back Red Bull Ring races are followed by the British Grand Prix, which takes place at the historic Silverstone circuit on 29th August.
Last week were able to get my best result so far. This was good because it gives me some confidence in myself. This weekend it looks like the weather could be dry or rainy, but either way doesn’t make any difference to me. I will have my best focus on the job, work to improve my lap times, try to give my best in the race and see what happens.
Last week were able to get my best result so far. This was good because it gives me some confidence in myself. This weekend it looks like the weather could be dry or rainy, but either way doesn’t make any difference to me. I will have my best focus on the job, work to improve my lap times, try to give my best in the race and see what happens.
For this second race in Austria we will try to do better than last weekend. That weekend wasn’t easy for me at all. Then in the race we took the decision to use slick tyres and we weren’t lucky with the decision. So now the focus is to improve and to try my best to get a good result for the team.
For this second race in Austria we will try to do better than last weekend. That weekend wasn’t easy for me at all. Then in the race we took the decision to use slick tyres and we weren’t lucky with the decision. So now the focus is to improve and to try my best to get a good result for the team.