On Sunday in Barcelona, Brad Binder hoped to capitalize on the strong pace displayed by the KTMs all weekend. But the South African's race came to an abrupt end after a crash in the first third of the Grand Prix while he was riding in the top 10. This error left him in 11th place in the general classification, but he still took some positives from his Spanish weekend.
Positioned in 11th position on the grid, Binder had a complicated start: "For some reason, I didn't get off to a good start," he explained. "I got boxed in at the first corner, then I gave it my all to get back on track." Despite this difficult start, the KTM rider managed to get back into the leading group. “Everything worked incredibly well. The bike was amazing…” he adds, satisfied with his team's work over the weekend.
While trying to reduce the gap to the leaders, the South African made a mistake in the seventh corner of the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit: "When I was braking for Turn 7, as I was going down the inside, I must have touched the white line. It was enough to take the front off me." This technical but decisive detail puts an end to his attempt to progress. A real setback, especially since he felt capable of aiming for big points: “It’s a shame, because I felt really good.”
Despite the disappointment, No. 33 refuses to sink into pessimism: "We have to take the positive aspects of the weekend and I think that with a 'normal' Sunday we can be really strong again." His determination intact, Pedro Acosta's teammate hopes to bounce back at the next meeting in Misano.
He won't have to wait long for that, as MotoGP will be heading to Italy to hold the San Marino Grand Prix next week.
Brad Binder at the MotoGP Catalan GP © KTM Press
