SA’s Brad Binder chuffed with 2nd place at Qatar MotoGP: ‘Winning again is only a matter of time’
After two incredible performances at the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix over the weekend, Brad Binder believes that his next MotoGP victory is just around the corner.
The Red Bull KTM rider trailed world champion Pecco Bagnaia by just two points in the championship race after finishing second in both the sprint and main event in Doha. In the sprint race on Saturday, Bagnaia had the lead with 31 points, followed by Binder (29) and Jorge Martin (28), who defeated the South African by 0.548 seconds.
During Sunday’s main race, Binder advanced from fourth on the starting grid to second place behind Martin thanks to a strong start. Binder and Martin had to battle it out for second place when Bagnaia swept past them both and created a gap at the front. During an exciting struggle, the two exchanged positions multiple times until Binder took second place.
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Brad Binder confident
He attempted to catch up to Bagnaia, but the cunning Ducati rider always answered back, winning by a comfortable 1.329 seconds.
“I’m overjoyed to be taking second place once more. I believed I could have had some time to catch up and seize the lead, but each time I moved a bit closer, the distance widened once more, Binder stated on the KTM website.
“I believe it’s just a matter of time until we win again.”
Although Binder won two sprint races in the previous season, he has never won a main race since winning the second of his two MotoGP main race victories in Austria in 2021. Since then, he has finished in second place six times out of nine times on the main race podium.
KTM on song
The Austrian team will also be optimistic that Binder has a genuine opportunity to defeat the Ducatis this season in his quest to become the first KTM rider to win the world championship, based on KTM’s racing speed in Qatar.
Pedro Acosta of KTM Tech3 demonstrated what the RC16 is capable of by finishing eighth and ninth in his remarkable premier class debut, while Binder’s teammate Jack Miller crashed twice in Qatar.
“Being second twice gives us a lot of confidence for the future,” Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team manager Francesco Guidotti said. “This isn’t one of our best tracks—or hasn’t been.”
Darryn’s disappointment
Darryn, Brad’s brother, failed to gain any points in the Moto2 race in Doha, finishing 18th. The rider for Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP began the race in a very respectable 11th place, but he lost time due to significant tyre wear.
The next stop on the calendar is the Portugal Grand Prix from 22 March.
