Darryn shines in Indonesia with fifth place finish at Mandalika
For Darryn Binder of the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto2 Team, the 29th of September 2024 is a celebration day, as the South African recorded his best Moto2 result to date with his fifth place in the Indonesian Grand Prix.
For Darryn, things went like clockwork on the picturesque island of Lombok on raceday. Over the entire 22-lap race, the South African showed that he is a force to be reckoned with in the battle for the podium. Right from the start, Darryn shot up five positions, finishing the first lap in eighth place. At the front, Aron Canet pulled away from everyone with an outstanding pace, but an exciting battle for the remaining podium places developed in the chasing group.
Only Ai Ogura was able to put a gap between himself and the trio consisting of Alonso Lopez, Joe Roberts and Darryn. It was only on the penultimate lap that Fermin Aldeguer managed to get in between them, heating things up once again. The 26-year-old secured his best Moto2 result to date in tropical conditions and, in fifth position, not only takes eleven more world championship points to Japan but also plenty of self-confidence.
Darryn Binder
P5 – (+8.097)
Moto2 World Championship 2024 – P15 – 49 Points“I’m very happy with the weekend in general. The fact that I finished in 5th place makes the feeling even more exciting. That was definitely the cherry on the cake. We took a step forward. Unfortunately, I struggled a bit in Misano, but here in Lombok, we have continued the progress. Starting from P13 was definitely a help to get closer to the front. I’m still working on my qualifying, it’s super important to start as far forward as possible. Today I knew I had the pace, but I was missing a bit more to really fight with the guys in front of me and for the podium. But well, I was there, and I felt good. I’m looking forward to the next couple of races. If I can improve my qualifying and maybe find a bit more on the bike, I can fight for the podium for sure, because I want to finish the season as strong as possible. That is the goal.”