KTM spearhead Brad Binder scrapes for victory at the MotoGP season opener in Qatar: But things get dicey for Binder again shortly before the end of the race
Ducati lived up to its role as favorites at the MotoGP season opener in Qatar. In the main race (see race report), six Ducatis finished in the top 7, with only KTM factory rider Brad Binder holding his own at the front and finishing in second place, as in the sprint. The strong performance at the season opener gives Binder confidence that he can take on the Ducatis this year
“I’m really happy with today’s result,” said a delighted Binder. “I knew that it would be difficult to manage the tires until the end. I’m surprised that I managed it so well. I got close to ‘Pecco’, but he did an incredible job. He didn’t make a single mistake during the entire race. Hats off to his performance,” said Binder, praising the performance of world champion Francesco Bagnaia.
“We really can’t complain,” said Binder, summing up: “Two second places at the start of the season is fantastic. I’m much happier with second place today than I was yesterday. This is mainly due to the awareness of our tire consumption yesterday in the sprint.”
“I shaved the tire down completely halfway through the race yesterday. I knew that I would have to drive very cleverly today to make it to the end. Two laps before the end of the race, the tire degraded a lot, but I made it,” said Binder, who finished just ahead of Jorge Martin on the last lap.
Brad Binder leaves Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez behind him
Brad Binder had Bagnaia’s Ducati in front of him for almost the entire race. “I rode as smoothly as possible. But I saw ‘Pecco’ in front of me the whole time. It was like chasing a carrot. I could have attacked harder, but that would have cost me a few seconds towards the end of the race,” Binder was aware.
“I wanted to be clever. I had a lot of fun fighting with Jorge,” said the KTM rider, who praised his crew: “My team really impresses me. I have an incredible team behind me. They are doing a fantastic job. They worked late into the night yesterday to get everything ready. “
Can KTM shake Ducati’s supremacy?
“They made small changes in all areas and they were all better. With such a group of people behind me, it’s only a matter of time,” says Binder, looking forward to the rest of the season and optimistic about being able to fight for victories again.
But what did KTM modify on the RC16 after the sprint? “They changed the set-up of the electronics,” reveals Binder. “As a result, I had everything much better under control. I no longer had the pumping that I felt in the sprint race. But I felt vibrations, especially when the tires degraded. I didn’t have that the whole weekend. It surprised me a bit. “
While Aprilia fell short of expectations in Qatar, KTM was clearly able to assert itself as the second strongest force. How much is still missing to Ducati?
“Like last year, we are very close,” said Binder. “But I have the feeling that I have to push 100 percent all the time, while they still have a little bit left in reserve and then use it when they need to. I’m waiting for that last little bit and then we can give it a go. “
