Brad Binder had a particularly difficult season with KTM but remains confident for 2026 after the test carried out in Valencia.
Brad Binder He finished the final Grand Prix of the season in eighth place in Valencia and 11th in the World Championship. The South African rider had an extremely difficult year, during which he was unable to fully master the KTM, which he had ridden for several years.
His season is all the more difficult to understand given that he has been KTM's strongman since 2021. Delivering victories and podiums to the brand, he had also finished in the top 6 of the championship every year, with a fourth place finish as his best result in 2023. Nothing, therefore, foreshadowed the fall from grace he has experienced this year, including numerous qualifying sessions at the back of the grid.
Binder However, he has always been able to rely on his very good starts and his ability to come back in the race to score points in the top 10, but his difficulties in practice and qualifying have remained unexplained, especially since on the other side of the box, Pedro Acosta has established himself at the front, finishing fourth in the championship.
So, after finishing eighth in the Valencia Grand Prix, Binder He drew up a necessarily negative assessment of his season, but with the hope of seeing things return to normal in 2026. The test carried out on Tuesday gave him a glimpse of good things, and it will now be necessary to wait for the next test, at the beginning of the year, to get a better idea.
“I would have liked to do better today. I got a good start again, even if it wasn't as good as yesterday. I would have liked to overtake more drivers, but I lacked a bit of pace and I couldn't do better than eighth.”he said Sunday evening. "It's been a difficult year. I feel I can do much better than I have. Things haven't worked out this season, even though we made some small improvements towards the end."
“The test was a good first day of work for 2026. Everything went well and I felt solid progress with the bike. I’m happy with the direction we’ve taken and to finish the season on a positive note. Now it’s time to go home for some rest before getting back to training.” he concluded.
Results Grand Prix Valencia MotoGP 2025 :
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
