Brad Binder South African star Brad Binder is hoping for a stronger finish in the third MotoGP race in Austin, Texas at the end of March after a tough time in the first two events in Thailand and Argentina. | Red Bull
Image: Red Bull
Brad Binder will be hoping to get back to the top of the pack during the last weekend in March in the third race of the MotoGP season in Austin, Texas, which he says is “one of his favourites”.
Binder had a shaky start to the season in Thailand and Argentina, suffering a fall during the latter.
The fall was not entirely his fault, though, as Franco Morbidelli played his hand in the South Africans dismount.
The South African said he struggled to keep the pace, losing time in crucial sectors.
“One of those days. Made a move up the inside at T7, had a little slide on the rear and clipped another rider. Just unlucky really. Lost the front as soon as we touched, and that was game over. Thankfully nothing serious, but definitely not how I wanted to go today,” Binder said.
“Qualy (qualifying) wasn’t perfect either. Left a few tenths on the table and made a couple of mistakes, so that’s on me.
“Biggest issue right now is keeping the grip through the race. Time to sit down with the team and figure out how to fix it.”
Binder finished the Argentinian MotoGP in seventh place, and is currently seventh overall on the Driver Standings after two races into the championship.
He finished P8 in Thailand during the opening race.
Fellow KTM Red Bull Factory Racing rider Pedro Acosta finished eighth in Argentina, and is 10th on the driver standings.
“P7 today. I’ll take the points after a tricky weekend,” he said.
If Binder is to move up the ranks and take another title this year, he must defeat what seems to be an unbeatable pair of Marquez brothers in Alex and Marc at the Grand Prix of the Americas on the weekend of March 28-30.
The Spaniard brothers finished P1 and P2, with Marc in front, at both the Thai and Argentine Grand Prix.
Both Binder and Marc Marquez are the only rookies to ever win a race, but the Ducati rider seems lengths ahead of the South African at this point.
His team will have to deliver a much faster bike, with better tyres, if he is to watch Marquez again.
Related Topics: