Krugersdorp MotoGP racer Brad Binder narrowly missed the top 10 at the Japanese Grand Prix on October 4.

The race weekend, from October 1 to 4, took place on the Mobility Resort Motegi track, where Binder finished 11th during the main race on Sunday. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team described the race as demanding and an endurance test, where 122 000 spectators took to the stands to see their favourite riders. The team said Binder’s 11th-place finish was a key highlight of the day.

Binder started 17th on the grid for the 24-lap race. The team added that the recently resurfaced track created tyre durability challenges due to its abrasiveness.

“He sliced his way towards the periphery of the top ten and was able to gain five points for his place,” the team reported.

Binder said the race was way better than the sprint on Saturday.

“The physio did a great job on me, and I felt more human! We did the warm-up on the hard tyre and straight out of the pits I thought ‘this thing is not bad …’ it was pretty good,” he said.

“We toned everything down to preserve the tyre but, in the end, I think we could have done more distance on it. The best I could do today was 11th. Not a great Japan, and we were expecting better, but I think I ruined it a bit when I threw myself down the road in Q1. It made the rest of the weekend more challenging. Onto the next one.”

Binder’s performance puts him 13th in the championship standings ahead of the Indonesian Grand Prix, which takes place from October 9 to 11.