Previously struggling RC16 shows huge improvement at the Hungary Grand Prix.
Brad Binder is confident of going all in for the MotoGP season after yet another solid showing at the Hungary Grand Prix at the weekend.
The Red Bull KTM rider worked his way from 13th on the grid to record his second consecutive seventh place despite a technical issue at Balaton Park. He finished Saturday’s sprint race a lap down after swapping bikes due to damage to the RC16’s aerodynamics.
“The overall package was working incredibly well and I think we could have done much better today. Still, seventh was a strong result. The last three races have probably been the best of the season so far,” Binder told the KTM website after the main race.
Brad Binder upbeat
“I didn’t have the best of starts and had a small issue with the rear end locking, which stayed with me for the whole way. It was really difficult to manage that in the braking zones,” he added.
“Despite that things have started to roll and feel like normal. I think we are in for a good second half of the year.”
Even more pleasing for the Red Bull KTM team is the performance of Binder’s team-mate Pedro Acosta. The Spaniard finished second on Sunday, 4.3 seconds behind Marc Marquez’s Ducati and over three seconds ahead of Marco Bezzecchi’s Aprilia. This shows that the RC16 has made huge strides this season.
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“We’re happy with the work we’re doing and now looking ahead to Barcelona and Misano; tracks that we feel will suit our package very well,” said Aki Ajo, Red Bull KTM team boss.
Marc Marquez out of sight
Binder is still 11th in the championship on 91 points, with Acosta moving up to fifth on 164 points. After yet another double in Hungary, Marc Marquez (455) now leads his brother Alex by 175 points.
Brad Binder was the only South African rider to score points at Balaton Park on Sunday after his brother Darryn Binder and Ruché Moodley, missed out earlier. Darryn Binder crashed out on lap seven of the Moto2 race, while Moodley finished the Moto3 race in 16th, just one place outside the points.
MotoGP takes a breather this weekend before back-to-back races in Catalunya and San Marino. After that, they head east to race in Japan, Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia.
