Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2™ riders Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira were back on track together this week at the Circuito de Jerez, putting in three positive days of testing and debuting the new livery of their 2017 bikes following the recent team presentation in Austria. Binder made his return to action for the first time since injuring his left arm in November in Valencia, with recovery having taken longer than expected and the South African forced to sit out some earlier private test sessions in 2017.
Oliveira put in 209 laps of the Andalucian venue, with Binder racking up 156 as he gets back into the Moto2™ groove. The next test is the first Official preseason Moto2™ and Moto3™ test from March 8th – also at the southern Spanish track.
Oliveira and Binder will have more track time at Jerez in the first official preseason tests on March 8th, 9th and 10th, along with the rest of the Moto2 grid and all of the Moto3 riders.
Brad Binder: "These three days of testing at Jerez have gone surprisingly well. I've had a good time on the bike again after a time away that has dragged on. The Moto2 bike is completely new for me, so every time I ride in it I learn something. I like it and it helps me to improve more. I look forward to seeing what happens this season, because I think we are going in the right direction. My arm still hurts a little, so we made shorter runs, because there were moments in which it hurt a little. Even so, my recovery is progressing and for the next test I will definitely take a step forward and be much fitter; at least I will have more strength, for sure."
Miguel Oliveira: "This test has been very positive. From the first day we found a very good setup, which means that we are working in the right way. During these three days we have tried many things and this has helped us. We decided to continue with short runs in order to try as many things as possible. The weather in Jerez has been quite good and allowed us to complete many laps. Today it was very hot and that wasn't helpful, and there was also a lot more rubber laid down than on the first day and it was a bit slippery, but we were able to work well. We've taken another step forward, so I'm looking forward to seeing where we are next week, with all the other bikes on track."