Another hot and demanding round of 2025 MotoGP with the visit to Japan. Enea Bastianini was highest ranked in 11th place with Brad Binder in 12th and Pedro Acosta had run in the podium positions for the first half of the 24-lap distance. The KTM GP Academy were protagonists again in Moto3™ with the KTM RC4 race bikes as Jose Antonio Rueda charged to runner-up.
Pedro Acosta, encouraged by his third Sprint podium medal of the season on Saturday but also curious to know if the medium tire compound would help or hinder his rally for more silverware, started with fierce intent and was into 2nd place in the opening exchanges. Brad Binder and Enea Bastiani had to be proactive in the first laps to make strides into points scoring positions. BB33 reached 13th and the Italian gave chase while Maverick Viñales was further back and trying to make inroads.
Acosta could not maintain his pace for the full 24-lap duration and a ‘moment’ while braking for Turn 1 put him off track and into the gravel. The Spaniard drifted down the race order and made it across the finish line in 17th. Bastianini forced his way up to 11th and was followed by Binder in 12th as the pair passed the checkered flag together. Viñales just missed out on Grand Prix points.
The Lombok island setting of the Mandalika Street Circuit will activate the Indonesian Grand Prix next weekend and another back-to-back fixture for 2025 MotoGP.
Enea Bastianini, 11th and 14th in the championship standings: “In general we can be happier than what we were yesterday, and we improved a bit the setup of the bike.From ten laps to go I improved my pace and I gave something more. This is a strange world. Sometimes, at some tracks, nothing works like what you want.I think we need to understand why and try to be competitive in every track. I hope to see us like 3-4 races in the past: competitive. I want to be back in the top five like a few races ago.”
Brad Binder, 12th and 11th in the championship standings: “A difficult weekend. I had a really good start but we had a lot of chatter from the beginning which made it difficult to ride the bike. The wheelspin when we were upright also finished the tire. Very tricky because I cannot take advantage of drive and corner entry is tough. If we can get to a circuit where we can lessen the chatter then we can do something; hopefully in Indonesia.”
