The Tuscan weekend left a bitter taste in Brad Binder's mouth. The South African KTM factory rider finished the Italian Grand Prix in ninth place, a mixed result after a crash at the first corner during Saturday's sprint.
Le 2025 Italian Grand Prix Mugello was a real way of the cross for Brad Binder and the team Red Bull KTM Factory RacingThe South African, veteran of 29 years and used to playing the party pooper among the Ducati, had a Tuscan weekend to forget. Between a fall at the first bend of the Sprint and a 9th place snatched in pain during the main race, Binder did not mince his words: " Of course, I finished the race. But I'm not really here just to finish races! " he snapped, frustration oozing from every syllable.
The Saturday, Binder was the victim of a pile-up at the legendary San Donato bend, caught up in a chain reaction on the first lap of the Sprint, who also sent Johann zarco on the mat. I failed " he summed up, without embellishment, after this mishap. On Sunday, he hoped to redeem himself, but the long race turned into a 23-lap ordeal. It was a really long race. I expected a lot more from myself. But I had no grip at the front or the rear », lamented Binder.
Brad Binder: “ attacking was absolutely impossible »
With asphalt at 51°C, the tires Michelin have overheated, making the KTM RC16 capricious. I had problems with the front brake in particular. I had to brake very gently and control the accelerator with extreme caution. to avoid any risk of falling. Pushing was absolutely impossible »
Binder even lost his duel against his teammate Peter Acosta, 8th at the finish, but the two drivers KTM shared the same galley. As I followed Pedro, I noticed that he had the same problems as me.We tried everything. Different braking points, new line choices. Nothing worked. None of us made any progress. ", confessed the winner of 17 Grand Prix.
The new aerodynamic components, touted by Binder before the weekend as making the motorcycle " a little lighter » and offering « a little more margin ", were not enough to compensate for the shortcomings of the RC16 in the long curves of Mugello, where Ducati excels at putting power to the ground.
Worse, the team Tech3 KTM, with Maverick Vinales et Enea Bastianini, sank: the two drivers only completed 8 laps between them, far from their recent points. This collective fiasco places KTM in an uncomfortable position, while Binder, 13th in the championship with only 35 points, is overtaken by the rookie Ai Ogura that holds the top spot. " This season is a nightmare ", we could summarize, Binder having scored only three points in his last six races.
But the South African, a new father and still under contract until 2026, is not giving up. Despite this crisis, the worst of his MotoGP career, he is aiming for a rebound in Assen, where he had shone in the past (4th in 2021). "We must learn from this weekend and come back stronger " he promised. With his reputation as a rider capable of miracles – like his victory in the rain in Austria 2021 on slicks – Binder remains the asset of KTM to save honor in the face of domination DucatiIt remains to be seen whether the RC16 will follow.
Race classification MotoGP Mugello
