OBAKENG MELETSE
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Brad Binder dug deep down under to finish seventh at the Australian MotoGP, maintaining his fifth position in the championship standings amid a challenging season.
After experiencing a setback during Saturday's sprint race, which saw him crash out, Binder made a significant recovery on Sunday. Starting from the 11th position, he battled fiercely to secure his seventh-place finish, though he continued to struggle with finding the ideal setup for his bike, preventing him from keeping pace with the frontrunners.
During the main race, the South African rider reached as high as fourth place but ultimately had to contend with tyre wear that hindered his ability to maintain that position, as Ducati riders sped away ahead. Nevertheless, Binder expressed satisfaction with the adjustments made to his bike prior to the main event, even if he could not challenge for the lead as the race drew to a close.
“I tried my best from the beginning until the end,” Binder remarked on the KTM website.
“This morning we put in a different aero package for the dry conditions, and the bike was turning a bit better. That was good and positive for the race, and we could try to carry a bit more speed.”
Reflecting on the race's latter stages, he added, “I managed to stick with the boys for a while, but when they dropped the pace at the end, I couldn’t quite go with them.
“We learned a lot this weekend, and we made another small step, but obviously we need more to get closer.”
At 29, Binder also continues to lead his future teammate, Pedro Acosta, by nine points in their ongoing quest for fifth place overall. Outgoing KTM Racing team manager Francesco Guidotti is optimistic about the team's trajectory, despite some challenges in performance.
“It was a step better than yesterday’s sprint race. Brad was just off the leading group and lost a bit of confidence with the rear tire in the last two laps, which stopped him from fighting for that fourth place, but it was a good race with a lot of overtaking and strong pace overall,” Guidotti stated.