MotoGP turned-up the heat again for the final stage of the penultimate triple-header in 2023 and the fourth Thai Grand Prix that brought the world championship into the suffocating climes of the Chang International Circuit. Around the fast 4.5km course, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing sprinted to the podium in the Saturday chase with Brad Binder registering his sixth Sprint top three of the year with the KTM RC16.
- Brad Binder qualifies 5th and just two tenths from Pole Position. He blasts to his sixth Sprint podium appearance of the season with P2 and less than one second from the winner
- Jack Miller classifies 10th after going into Q1 and starting from 15th on the grid
- Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Pedro Acosta has his first opportunity to win the 2023 Moto2™ world title on Sunday and the Spaniard starts from 2nd on the grid. Moto3™ teammate Deniz Öncü breaks the lap record with his KTM RC4 for Pole
Red Bull KTM came to Thailand with positive memories of a wet weather victory last year and were encouraged after the improved performance experienced by the team in the wind-hit Australian round the previous weekend. Buriram promised vastly different circumstances for the third Grand Prix in a row with 30+degrees temperatures, roasting asphalt and hard braking and acceleration on the menu compared to the free-flowing layout in Phillip Island.
On a sunny Friday both Binder and Miller found lap-times to head into direct Q2 contention during the Practice session during the afternoon. In the final minutes the flying attempts hit the screens and the pair classified 9th and 13th respectively. Just half a second divided the first 18 riders! While Miller was fractionally distant from the mark in Q1 (meaning 15th on the start grid) Binder was vying for a front row slot until the final minute and the last barrage of flying attempts. He finished Q2 in 5th.
Saturday dawned hot but with more clouds and the possibility of a brief shower. The MotoGP Sprint lasted for 13 laps. Binder, who qualified on the fourth row in 2022 for what was his first time here in the MotoGP class, had a view of the track from the second line on this occasion. He seared into the top four and then had to fight for most of the race distance to pass Luca Marini for 2nd place. Once through he tried to close the gap to Jorge Martin and narrowed the margin to just under a second at the finish line. The result marked the fourth time that Brad as taken P2 in MotoGP Sprints this season and he is the third most successful rider on Grand Prix Saturdays thus far.
Miller formed part of some hectic battles further down the field and managed to defeat Fabio Quartararo to make the top ten, while being the only rider to experiment with the harder front tire compound. European fans will have to set the alarm clocks (aware of the daylight saving time!) for 09.00 CEST to catch the full 26 laps on Sunday.
