Luca Marini capped off his most consistent weekend of the year with a hard-fought German GP and his first score as a Repsol Honda Team rider.

It was a full house for the Round Nine of the MotoGP World Championship, fans flocking into the Sachsenring from early in the morning. The Repsol Honda Team were primed for an intense day of action, eager to collect the final bits of information before the summer break.

Having shown his pace throughout the weekend, Luca Marini was determined to once again lead the Honda charge. Heading into the longer 30-lap Grand Prix, Marini knew he’d need to revise his strategy compared to Saturday and went about steadily building his speed over the opening laps. As the race entered its final third, Marini attacked and moved ahead of Takaaki Nakagami to lead the group. The Honda pairing would battle right until the line, Nakagami just pipping Marini who finished 16th – 25.854 seconds behind the winner. A post-race penalty for Augusto Fernandez promoted Marini into 15th, scoring his first point of the season. A small reward for his diligent work.

Joan Mir meanwhile showed the determination of a champion as he continued to work tirelessly with his team to improve his fortunes. It would be a third and final complicated day for the #36 as he took 18th after post-race penalties, still searching for the next step in the setup of his Honda RC213V machine. Work to understand what happened started immediately as he sat down with his team and began to go over the data.

Both of the Repsol Honda Team riders have identified clear areas to work on for the remainder of the season and are hopeful of further progress when action resumes in Silverstone. The British GP will start the second half of the 2024 season in early August and feature a special historical livery for the Repsol Honda Team.

Luca Marini 10

“I am happy with what we have done in the first half of the year overall, this is the most important thing. Of course, I didn’t expect to struggle so much but we are starting to turn things around now. Our effort from the opening races is starting to pay off and now we have to see what’s going to come after the summer break. The gap to first today is good, the track plays a part, but we are making improvements. Everyone in Honda is working together in the same direction, let’s keep it up after a short break.”

Joan Mir 36

“We have to use this weekend to understand what happened and how to avoid it in the future. Again, I was unable to unlock my full potential and I was struggling more than the other Honda riders. A long race, a tough race and one to learn a lot from. The team and I have already been looking through the data and we have some ideas on what to change in the future. We don’t stop working, we don’t stop trying and aim to come back in Silverstone stronger.”

The Grand Prix of Germany took place in front of another enormous 98,000 raceday crowd at the compact and captivating Sachsenring circuit. The ninth ‘stage’ of the 2024 MotoGP season saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing trying to conquer the unique layout as Brad Binder endured 30 fast laps to classify 9th while teammate Jack Miller grabbed three points for 13th position.

Chilly winds then hot summer conditions and finally overcast and cool asphalt: the Sachsenring threw plenty of challenging circumstances at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and the rest of the MotoGP field across the three days of the ninth round of the current campaign. For the 30-lap Grand Prix on Sunday, Brad Binder and Jack Miller both tackled the 3.6km layout of never-ending corners, optimistic of preserving premium tire life and bettering their 8th and 11th scored in the sunny Saturday Sprint.

Binder made a better start but Miller was also sharp into the tight and technical first corner. Brad found himself circulating with Pedro Acosta and made his way up to the top seven but almost fell on the last lap into Turn 11, ran off track briefly and lost two spots, coming home 9th. Jack was limited by the possibilities of his rubber and made it to the flag in 13th.

MotoGP will pause for a three weekend break and then return to speed with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone during the first weekend of August, where KTM will commemorate the championship’s 75th anniversary with a special vintage livery.

Brad Binder, 9th: “We made some big changes for today’s race and everything was a bit easier to handle. It was better. The bike stopped a bit better but we clearly need to find more because the guys in front were in a league of their own. We got some valuable information to find a bit more speed and to keep the pace all the way through the race. On the last lap I lost the front down Turn 11 and lost two positions. Not ideal. I know what I am capable of and where we can be. We will keep fighting as hard as we can every session.”

MXGP
Team HRC’s Tim Gajser continued his high level of performance, by reeling off a pair of second-place finishes, giving him second overall at the MXGP of Lombok and increasing his lead at the top of the 2024 MXGP World Championship back to 34-points – the same margin as when he arrived on Indonesian shores before the previous round.

After his holeshot in the qualification race yesterday, the Honda CRF450R rider made it three holeshots out of three, with two more excellent starts today, giving him perfect track position for this reversed-circuit layout at the old Mataram airport.

In the first race, he was able to lead the majority of the race, but was never able to pull a convincing gap ahead of second place, and as a result, after a couple of small errors, he had to concede the lead with five laps remaining. It was still a good result as he gained more points in the all-important championship battle.

Like race one, he grabbed the holeshot in race two but this time wasn’t able to hold onto the advantage for too long and instead settled in behind the leader, watching and waiting to make his move. Keeping the gap under three seconds, and even closing right up to under a second, the #243 tried his best to make the pass, but on the tricky terrain, he eventually decided that it was better to come home safely in second than to perform a high-risk manoeuvre. That position was still six-points ahead of his nearest championship rival, moving the gap back to 34-points with eight rounds remaining.

Next up is the MXGP of Czech Republic, held at the historic Loket track which is known for it’s hard-pack surface on hilly terrain. It is a track that Gajser has never won on, but given the way he is performing this year, he will enter into the weekend looking to right that wrong.

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I felt much more comfortable this weekend and I think that showed in my riding. Getting three holeshots is a great accomplishment for me and for the team and I must thank all of them for all the work they do. I am very happy to be heading back to Europe with the red-plate and to be fit, healthy and still feeling like I’m riding well. Now we have Loket, which isn’t my best track but I always get a lot of support and I’m excited to see all my Slovenian fans. And also, a big thank you to the hospitality shown by all the Indonesian fans and supporters who really add so much to this race and I hope to see you all again next year.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing added more trophies to their 2024 MXGP haul to cap a positive stint of back-to-race events on Lombok and for the Indonesian leg of the current FIM World Championship. Jeffrey Herlings was perfect on Saturday and Sunday for a second consecutive weekend of action at the rough and temporary facility of Selaparang for the Grand Prix of Lombok.

The familiar flat setting of Selaparang welcome the MXGP paddock for the second time in a week but with a reversed layout to offer some diversity for the racers of the MXGP and MX2 divisions. The weather conditions remained sunny and hot and the fast track was sandy and loose in places and hard and slick in others.

Jeffrey Herlings rode to 1st (Pole) position in the Saturday RAM Qualification Heat; the Dutchman had earned P1 the previous weekend and repeated the feat with an effective stalk of Tim Gajser. He obtained a favorable gate position for the two motos on Sunday as well as 10 more points to his championship total. In MX2 it was Sacha Coenen who ranked highest with a 4th place result after another holeshot and brief stint as the leader. Liam Everts was 6th and Andrea Adamo took to the gate on Sunday in 10th after contact with another rider put him off the track.

Herlings was once more able to count on a decent getaway in the first GP moto and he began a successful pursuit of Tim Gajser that saw the #84 head the field with three laps to go. His winning margin was over seven seconds at the flag. Hunting his first 1-1 of the season Herlings blasted to the front of the pack inside the first two corners in the second moto and started to build his race rhythm, despite a small technical issue. The relentlessness was good enough for a worthy 1-1 scorecard and the former multi world champion’s first ‘perfect’ Sunday haul of points (as well as the Quali Heat win) since the 2023 Latvian Grand Prix.

Jeffrey now has seven Grand Prix podium finishes in a row and eight for the season. His work in Lombok means he is 3rd in the championship standings but has narrowed the gap to the red plate to 51 points.

Liam Everts headed Andrea Adamo and Sacha Coenen in the first MX2 moto as the teammates ran 5th, 6th and 7th. Mistakes by the Italian and the younger Belgian dropped the pair away from the top five. At the second attempt Coenen was again a livewire out of the gate but a slip put him to the rear of the field and he finished 13th for P9 overall. Liam rode to 4th despite a collision with Andrea when the lines of each rider came together. The Belgian made his way to the finish for 6th overall while the world champion picked up and flowed back to a creditable 2nd, giving him 4th on the day.

Now onto the hardpack of Loket. The Grand Prix of Czech Republic will bring MXGP up to speed again on July 20-21.

Jeffrey Herlings, 1st and 1st for 1st overall in MXGP: “Very happy. The KTM kept being so strong, so I have to give it up to the guys and the whole Red Bull KTM team; Pit, Roberts and the crew at home. 1-1-1 for the first time this year so I’m very pleased. Tim was pushing today. This is a good way to head back to Europe and I feel like we are getting better and better.”

Round eight of 2024 MotoGP world championship was the first of two Grand Prix fixtures in a row and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing closed their efforts at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands with a top six finish, courtesy of Brad Binder’s concerted push for maximum points. Jack Miller was able to complete the warm and bright 26-lap dispute with 11th position.

As is the custom in this part of the world, a large and dedicated crowd of MotoGP fans arrived to the flat and famous layout of the TT Circuit Assen for what was the 75th Grand Prix to have been held around the Dutch course. In contrast to Friday and Saturday, the weather was overcast and cool as MotoGP ignited into another ‘double header’.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing assumed 9th and 14th positions on the start grid and aimed to make their usual fiery getaways. The narrow but fast trajectory of the track demanded both stability and high agility for maximum speed and it was Binder who could find the most out of the KTM RC16 package. Choosing a soft tire option, he throttled his way into the mid-top ten and then had to maintain his pace through a long and strategic race. The South African secured nine points for 7th by the flag after a lonely outing and was elevated to 6th after Marc Marquez’s sanction. Miller, who gained some confidence through a busy scrap for top ten consideration on Saturday, had made a decent start from the fifth row and felt content with his classification of 11th.

Onto the Sachsenring, Germany next week and another Grand Prix that usually boasts a sellout attendance and with a deep legacy stretching back to the first decades of FIM World Championship history.

Brad Binder, 6th: “Quite a hectic race. I decided to go with the soft rear tire because I felt there might be more potential to go with the boys in front but the reality was that they could put down a super-fast pace with the medium and we just burnt the tire to go with them. It was tricky, for sure. I would have liked to have walked away with a better result but I left nothing on the table. We have some work to do. My feeling is not terrible. I understand the front limit and I didn’t crash at all this weekend. We just need to find more speed.”

After one and half days of testing at the Cremona Circuit on 19-20 June, Team HRC’s commitment to the development of their CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES continues, as the squad completes an additional test day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain.

The original plan was to test on Monday 1 July but with persistent rain in the area early in the day, the team swiftly changed its plans and postponed the sessions to Tuesday. Factory riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge were on track from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm and fortunately benefitted from ideal weather conditions.

With both riders encouraged by the small gains seen in recent weeks, the aim was to continue building on the work carried out during the latest Misano round and the Cremona test sessions.

Both Iker and Xavi completed their testing plan, making progress with the latest updates to the electronics, suspension, and bike setup. The team and riders also took the opportunity to ready themselves for the upcoming back-to-back WorldSBK events, with the British round at Donington Park on July 12-14 set to play out just one week before the Czech round at Most on July 19-21.

After a week of acclimatising to the Indonesian weather, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Ferruccio

Zanchi will be lining up for the second of the Lombok double-header, highly motivated to improve their results from last weekend which marked the start of the second half of this 2024 MXGP World Championship.

Gajser will be lining up for this 12th round, on what should be a changed circuit at the old Mataram airport, looking to get back onto the podium and hopefully extend his lead in the title race, with the gap currently at 22 points. Last time, the Honda CRF450R rider did manage to get another holeshot, so that is a positive step, but he wasn’t quite able to get into a solid rhythm throughout and in what were tricky conditions, he let a couple of mistakes creep in. Now though, he’s had a week to reflect upon that and will be looking to right those wrongs and put himself back into the mix for race wins and GP overalls.

Zanchi also had issues in the first moto, as a crash on the first lap left him a long way adrift of the field. But showing real grit and determination, he fought back to finish 14th, before rocketing out of the gate in race two and fighting it out with the best MX2 riders in the world for the first half of the race. It was a great bounce-back ride and it has given him more confidence that he truly belongs with those other riders and having now adjusted to the climate – this was the Italian’s first visit to Indonesia – he is looking forward to putting in a pair of strong performances and seeing what he can achieve.

Although details are scarce, it is believed the track layout will be in a different configuration for this second GP, which should give the riders something new to think about as they return to the circuit this weekend, for what will be an unchanged schedule.

After the sprint from the Netherlands to Germany, Joan Mir and Luca Marini will be back in the saddle of the Honda RC213V for round nine.

A quick dash of some 650 kilometres is all that separated the Dutch TT and the German GP weekends, the Repsol Honda Team arrive in Germany to immediately start preparing for the next race – the German GP. Sachsenring’s 3.67 kilometres are some of the most unique on the calendar, its tight and technical layout providing a very specific challenge for the MotoGP grid.

Joan Mir once again showed his speed in Assen, comfortably running as the top Honda rider during the race before an unfortunate fall. Focusing on improving his consistency and delivering on the undeniable potential he has will be the 2020 MotoGP World Champion’s main objective.

The weekend in Sachsenring will give Luca Marini another type of circuit to test the Honda RC213V. Fortunes are poised to be turned for the Italian who endured a potential-limiting weekend last time out. Sachsenring is a circuit which holds fond memories for Marini, scoring his first World Championship podium there in 2018 while in the Moto2 class.

MURRIETA, Calif. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Julien Beaumer has been sidelined ahead of this weekend's sixth round of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship while he continues to recover from his crash in the 250MX Class at Southwick last Saturday.

While the 18-year-old has been cleared of any additional injuries, Beaumer is currently following the MX Sports Pro Racing concussion protocol and will return to competition once he is back to 100 percent fitness.

It's been a promising first full outdoor campaign for Beaumer onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, achieving a career-best finish of P6 at High Point's fourth round. He has claimed three top-10 overall results in five rounds and is currently positioned 11th in the standings despite being unable to finish Moto 2 this past weekend.

Ian Harrison – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: "It was so unfortunate to see Julien crash in the opening lap of Moto 2 at Southwick, after showing strides at High Point with a sixth overall. Julien’s health is our first priority and it is a positive that he did not sustain further injury. After receiving further evaluations this week, he will sit out RedBud and will diligently follow concussion protocol until cleared to race. We eagerly anticipate his full recovery and return to racing at 100 percent."

Having injured his thumb in a small practice crash Tuesday, Team Honda HRC rider Jett Lawrence will undergo a procedure this week, which will result in him sitting out the remainder of the AMA Pro Motocross series.

The fall took place on Tuesday, July 2, at the “Dog Pound” (the Lawrence family’s private training facility in Florida). Later the same day, Jett underwent X-ray and MRI scans, and it was determined that he had a torn ulnar collateral ligament, or UCL. [Technical diagnosis: proximal thumb avulsion fracture at the insertion of the UCL, a sprain of that same ligament, and an avulsive ligamentous tear of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) volar plate from its metacarpal attachment.]

Jett is scheduled to undergo a procedure on Thursday, July 4, at the Steadman Clinic in Colorado, after which he will focus on making a return in time for the SuperMotocross opener on September 7 in Concord, North Carolina.

“It’s obviously a bummer, but it’s part of our sport,” Lawrence said. “It was honestly a pretty small crash, but it is what it is. I’ve been pretty lucky with injuries in my career so far, so I guess it’s just my turn. I was happy with the progress we’ve made in the championship since my setback at Hangtown, and I was excited to try and keep my championship. That obviously won’t happen now, but I have a good team around me and will focus on getting healthy again and coming back at 100 percent. I look forward to cheering on Hunter and doing whatever I can to help him the rest of the series.”

Earlier this year, Jett earned the AMA Supercross 450 Championship, which was the seventh professional AMA crown of his young career. Having scored four of five overall wins so far in his AMA Pro Motocross 450 title defense, he currently sits a close second in the points standings to brother and teammate Hunter Lawrence.

“We’re fully behind Jett and will support him through his recovery,” said Lars Lindstrom, Manager for Team Honda HRC. “It’s pretty crazy that three of the championship’s top riders have now been sidelined with the same injury, especially one that’s typically pretty rare. Of course it’s disappointing, but even though Jett has won the last seven championships he’s competed in, he’s still so young and has a lot of success ahead of him. Physically he’s a freak of nature and a specimen, so to keep it that way, allowing him to heal to 100 percent is the goal. With Hunter currently leading the points chase, I like our chances of keeping the AMA Pro Motocross 450 Championship with Honda, and we look forward to working on that this weekend at RedBud. In the meantime, everyone on the team and at Honda sends their love Jett’s way; we’ll miss having him on the line!”