Brad Binder promises to bring KTM ‘back to the top’ after losing out on home race win to Pecco Bagnaia

Brad Binder has made a promise to KTM that he will bring them back on top.

Brad Binder promises to bring KTM ‘back to the top’ after losing out on home race win to Pecco Bagnaia

Brad Binder

Brad Binder and KTM have proven to be a strong duo in the last few years. Recently, it was announced that the South African rider signed a mega deal with the Austrian manufacturer to race with them until the end of the 2026 MotoGP season. The signing took place during the 2023 Austrian GP race weekend which was KTM’s home race. Binder has become the only rider to be signed with a team beyond 2024. 

During the team’s home race at the Red Bull ring, Brad Binder went on to take two second place finishes in both the races. He ultimately lost out to Pecco Bagnaia who was on a different level of dominance that weekend. Nevertheless, Binder was the only rider to even get close to Pecco throughout the weekend, as no one was able to match his pace. Despite losing out on the win, Binder showcased the improvement that KTM has made.

YouTube video

While summing up the weekend, here is what Brad Binder had to say in an interview. “I tried so hard man! It was not quite enough. The braking on my bike was next level compared to yesterday. We’re close guys! If we can keep that grip…” he said. He also thanked KTM for the improvements. “Thank you for trusting in me for the next few seasons and I hope to bring you guys to the top step very soon,” the South African stated. 

FS Video

Related: Helmut Marko asks Sergio Perez to ‘forget the World Championship dream’ amidst uncertainty over the Mexican’s Red Bull future

Brad Binder had the pace to contend for the race victory 

Brad Binder
Brad Binder (Via KTM)

During both the races at the Red Bull Ring, Brad Binder was going extremely strong and was all over Pecco Bagnaia. It seemed like the KTM rider had the pace to win. Later on, front tyre pressures and rear grip became an issue for him and the pace started to slowly drop for him. This in turn led to him finishing in second place in both the races. 

Despite losing out on the win to Pecco Bagnaia, Brad Binder seemed to be in a good mood. After the race, he went on to thank his team for the improvement that they have made and promised that he’ll get them back at the top in MotoGP. While it is a bold claim, anything is possible and it will be interesting to see what happens in the future with a title fight in place between Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi. 

In case you missed it: