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Red Bull KTM rider much better than his recent run of form in premier class suggests.
Brad Binder boasts a solid record in the Netherlands. Picture: Red Bull KTM
Fresh off his first top 10 finish in four MotoGP starts, Brad Binder will be out to grab more points at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands this weekend.
The Red Bull KTM man’s ninth place finish in the main race of the Italian Grand Prix last Sunday relieved some pressure after scoring only three points in his previous seven starts. He moved up one place to 13th in the premier class championship lead by Marc Marquez.
Although Binder’s finish was commendable after starting from a lowly 15th place on the grid, he should be competing much higher up in the field by his own admission. The troublesome RC16 is also not helping his cause as he and his team-mate Pedro Acosta, who pipped him by three hundredths of a second at Mugello, finished almost 20 seconds off the winning time of Marquez’s Ducati.
Brad Binder wants more
“Of course I finished the race. But I’m not really here just to finish races,” he was quoted by paddock-gp.com after Mugello.
“It was a really long race. I expected a lot more from myself. But I had no grip at the front or the rear.
“I had problems with the front brake in particular. I had to brake very gently and control the accelerator with extreme caution to avoid any risk of falling. Pushing was absolutely impossible.”
Binder boasts a good record at the 5.24km TT Circuit Assen known as “The Cathedral of Speed”. He has not finished outside the top six is his last three main race starts in the Netherlands.
ALSO READ: Brad Binder turns his poor run of form around with solid ninth place
Pecco up against it
Pecco Bagnaia, who won the last three races at the TT Circuit Assen, will have his had full against the Marquez brothers. The two-time world champion is third in the title race on 160 points and miles behind his Ducati factory team-mate Marc (270) and Alex (230) on a Gresini Ducati.
Brad Binder’s brother Darryn Binder and Ruché Moodley will hope to make amends after both failed to scored points at Mugello.
Darryn Binder finished 21st in the intermediate class and is 20th in the Moto2 title race on 10 points.
Moodley retired on lap two of the Moto3 race in Italy. The teenager is 23rd in the championship on 11 points.
The sprint race at Assen start at 3pm on Saturday and the main at 2pm on Sunday. Before then, Moodley and Darryn Binder will be in action at 11am and 12.15pm respectively.
