Despite the challenging conditions, Jack Miller of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team managed to secure an strong 6th place finish in the final classification for round 14 of the MotoGP season.
The 4.8km circuit, known for its twists and turns, became a test of skill and endurance as the weather paid no favours to any of the riders on the starting grid. What started as warm and cloudy conditions quickly transformed into torrential rainfall, just in time for the lights to go out in the latest installment of MotoGP in 2023.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing had shown promising form leading up to the race, with Brad Binder breaking the circuit lap record on Friday and securing a strong 2nd position during the 12-lap Sprint on Saturday. With both Binder and Miller positioned 3rd and 5th on the starting grid, the team was poised for a podium challenge.
However, as the field assembled on race day, rain began to fall, and the race was declared a ‘flag to flag’ event. This prompted both Binder and Miller, along with most of the field, to pit and switch to wet tires after the first lap. Sadly, Binder’s hopes of closing in on the top five ended prematurely as he lost control in Turn 3 after five laps.
Jack Miller, displaying his resilience and skill, continued to battle through the rain-soaked track and kept hold of 6th position. But as the track conditions deteriorated further, the race was eventually red-flagged. Although there were initial plans to restart the Grand Prix, the track remained treacherous with fading light adding to the challenges. Ultimately, the race marshals had to make a call which lead to the final results being declared as the order when the red flag came out.
In terms of the championship standings, Brad Binder finds himself in 4th place, with a 64-point gap to the top three, while Jack Miller holds 9th position. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing maintains its status as the 4th best team in the current rankings. In the Constructors’ table, KTM retains 2nd position.
Jack Miller reflected on his race, stating, “Not the best day but also not the worst and I’m happy we finished. It took some time for the tires to get going in the first part and I managed to save the rubber while gaining some time on the guys as the rain started to fall harder.
“We made a couple of tweaks to the bike to try and challenge those boys for the restart but it wasn’t meant to be today. 6th place today but I wanted more.”
Despite a disappointing result in Sunday’s race, Brad Binder said, “Overall I think we had a positive weekend here in Japan. We were fast in all sessions and to bring home a podium in the Sprint yesterday was fantastic but unfortunately today it was tricky with the weather conditions.
“I started to feel good in the rain and with good pace but I had a small lock going into Turn 3 and that was it. Thank you to my team for their hard work. We’ll try and make up for it next time around.”
Francesco Guidotti, the Red Bull KTM Team Manager, summed up the day’s events, calling it “a strange Sunday.” The lack of wet practice sessions during the weekend meant the team had to adopt a cautious approach to settings and electronics, leading to a challenging race day. Despite the unexpected turn of events, he praised the riders for giving their best in difficult conditions.
MotoGP continues with upcoming races in Indonesia, Australia, and Thailand. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is sure to regroup to bring their A-game to the next challenge.