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Red Bull KTM man has slipped to a lowly 14th place in the premier class world championship.
Brad Binder has twice stood on the top step at Aragon. Picture: Red Bull KTM
Despite returning to a happy hunting ground at the Aragon MotoGP this weekend, that is still no guarantee for Brad Binder to stop the rot he is currently experiencing on his Red Bull KTM RC16.
Binder only managed a solitary championship point in his last four starts and is languishing in 14th place on 34 points in the title race. He is already a mammoth 162 points behind leader Marc Marquez (196) after just seven out of 22 rounds.
The KTM man finished fourth twice in the premier class at the 5.08km layout in Spain, while he also took the chequered flag twice at Aragon in Moto2.
Brad Binder hopes to improve
“I need to regain my confidence and take advantage of the good feelings when they come,” Binder told the Paddock GP website after the last race at Silverstone.
After crashing out twice in France and then in the sprint race at Silverstone, Binder finished 15th in the main race, citing his struggles with the RC16.
“The last thing I want is to not finish four races in a row. And even when I’m driving at my limit, I’m asking myself, ‘What am I doing?'”
ALSO READ: Brad Binder apologises to Red Bull KTM after double French flop
‘A little tricky’
“This is certainly not ideal. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m not supposed to be riding in 15th position. But that’s how it is. That’s really my level right now,” he continued.
“It’s a little tricky. But I must regain confidence. And I’m sure we’ll get there.”
The situation in the KTM garage is so dire that it rumoured Binder’s team-mate Pedro Acosta, touted as a future premier class champ, has been in talks with various other manufacturers to jump ship. Binder is still contracted until the end of next year.
ALSO READ: Brad Binder: Brilliant on a bike, but ‘useless’ at braaiing
Darryn good to go
Gresini Moto2 confirmed that Brad Binder’s younger brother Darryn Binder will race in Spain. He missed the French and British Grands Prix with an arm injury and has undergone “three intense weeks of rehabilitation and physiotherapy”.
Teenager Ruché Moodley will eye another points finish in Aragon after making a low-key return at Silverstone. The BOE Motorsport rider was still recovering from a fractured radius in his right arm, which he suffered during practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, an incident for which he also had to serve two long-lap penalties at Silverstone.
The MotoGP sprint race starts at 3pm on Saturday and the main at 2pm on Sunday. The lights go out for the Moto3 race at 11am on Sunday, with Moto2 action getting underway at 12.15pm.
