Moto2: Superb Binder takes win, Bagnaia extends title lead

Brad Binder converted his pole position at Aragon into a fine 25-points-scoring win for the Red Bull KTM team, fending off challenges all race long from early race leader Alex Marquez, series leader Francesco Bagnaia and a resurgent Lorenzo Baldassarri. Teammate and 2nd-placed rider in the championship Miguel Oliveira suffered due to his atrocious qualifying, recovering to 7th, handing more points to Bagnaia at the top of the series.

Brad Binder got the jump on the field and the South African soon got into his stride. However, it wasn’t to be enough to get the job done and dusted, as Alex Marquez showed signs of his old self and took the lead on lap two. Marquez then led the race until lap 15, when Binder took it back off of him. However, there was other significant changes further down the order.

Miguel Oliveira came from row six and by the end of lap one, was 14th, although he climbed into the top ten by lap four. The Red Bull KTM rider was fractionally faster than those directly ahead of him but wasn’t ever making big enough in-roads into the leaders. Marcel Schrotter had a good start but was dropping back through the order too, having been as high as 3rd before Pecco Bagnaia barged ahead on lap four, whilst Lorenzo Baldassarri was next up to pass the German – this time, on lap 6.

Baldassarri was a big mover and shaker, setting the faster lap times out of the leading four and closing the gap to the leading trio ahead of him. On lap 13, there was a collision between Bagnaia and Binder; the Italian rider cutting to the inside of turn 17, whilst Binder swept across meant that the two met and tangled, knocking off Binder’s rear-mounted camera. Baldassarri took full advantage and moved into 3rd place. Two laps later, Binder got ahead of Marquez for the lead, which would be how it stayed until the end of the race.

‘Pecco’ was now detached and looking fairly ragged, as Baldassarri and Marquez went head-to-head, side by side through much of the first two sectors. Marquez came out on top eventually and pulled clear of ‘Balda’, whilst all the scrapping had meant that Brad Binder was able to extend his lead at the front.

Bagnaia had now regather, passing Baldassarri and then Marquez, whilst the Spaniard then came under attack from Baldassarri again; this time, the Pons Racing Kalex rider made the pass stick and gave Marquez no option but to remain in 4th. Bagnaia tried his best to close down Binder in the last few laps but wasn’t able to catch the 2016 Moto3 champion.

Binder won, ahead of Bagnaia and Baldassarri, with Alex Marquez in 4th place and Marcel Schrotter holding off Joan Mir and a late charging Miguel Oliveira. Mattia Pasini took 8th place, whilst Fabio Quartararo and Jorge Navarro completed the top ten. Luca Marini, Simone Corsi, Augusto Fernandez, Iker Lecuona and Tetsuta Nagashima were the rest of the point scorers outside the top ten.

Bagnaia has a 19 point lead over Oliveira as the Moto2 field now heads to Thailand for the Chang International Circuit; the KTM rider must sort his qualifying pace out if he is to have any chance of the world title. Brad Binder is now 90 points back from Bagnaia, whilst Lorenzo Baldassarri is fourth, 102 points behind fellow countryman Bagnaia. Alex Marquez climbs to 5th in the championship and is 108 points back of Bagnaia.