The British driver of the LCR team was unable to compete in the Czech Republic due to a previously fractured scaphoid. He could not compensate for the absence of his leader Marc Marquez at Honda and, starting from the fourth row on the starting grid, he had to settle for thirteenth place under the checkered flag, more than 18 seconds behind the surprise winner. Brad Binder.
The best placed Honda, driven by Takaaki Nakagami, crossed the finish line in eighth position, 12.8 behind the triumphant South African. In the World Championship, rookie Brad Binder placed the first RC16 in fifth position, and Nakagami the best Honda eighth. In the manufacturer's classification, KTM second with 42 points, preceded Honda, third with 27 units. Who would have bet on this a month ago (including at KTM)?
“The KTM RC16 has long had the potential to win in MotoGP but has not had a rider of the caliber of Brad Binder to realize it” said the kid from Coventry to Valentin Khorounzhiy from The-Race.com.
Last weekend, Binder, fresh from Moto2, took KTM's first ever MotoGP victory in only his third race in the category, by a margin of 5.266 at the Czech Republic Grand Prix in Brno. Crutchlow felt that KTM could have won earlier in the regular season with a different lineup. “ Brad Binder was exceptional. He's a fantastic driver, I'm very, very happy with his result “, he said following the Brno race.
“He deserved it, he had a fantastic journey. It shows that the bike he's on is capable of winning every week – which we knew anyway, we probably knew last year. KTM was missing the rider to win. Now they have it”
“I think when they started, they were very close. Now it seems like they've taken a big step forward, probably since Dani's arrival (Pedrosa).
“We knew that Dani was a very special guy, but that he knew what he was doing. And when he rode with Honda, he was superb in giving his feedback. Maybe this bike didn't suit him.
“Now he tested the KTM for them, and he did very well. And I believe that influenced building their bike to win, which it is now.
“And KTM has a rider who is fantastic, and I think that’s why too. Let a beginner win straight away, Fabio [Quartararo] didn't do it last year, and Brad did it this year. Everyone says that this bike needs more development, more concessions, but this shows that this is absolutely not the case. They do a very, very good job and Brad did a very good job. »
It is noteworthy that the Briton broke a record that he would have done well without, when in 2017 Cal Crutchlow finished the Austrian Grand Prix in 15th place and crossed the finish line 28,096 seconds behind the winner of the race, Andrea Dovizioso. It was the closest top 15 ever in a MotoGP class Grand Prix at the time. During the first Austrian GP in 1971, Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) won the 500 cc race, finishing more than a lap ahead of the runner-up, New Zealander Keith Turner on a Suzuki.
Photos © KTM, LCR, Michelin
