Red Bull KTM rider Brad Binder finished the Malaysian MotoGP in eighth place. Picture: Getty Images
Brad Binder took a disappointing result at the Malaysian MotoGP on the chin on Sunday by vowing “it is only a matter of time” before his Red Bull KTM team gets its house in order.
Binder finished in eighth place to move up to 168 points and consolidate his sixth place in the MotoGP world title race. He now looks likely to record his second consecutive sixth place after Jack Miller in fifth place stretched the gap between the two to 21 points. A maximum of 25 points is available in the season finale in Valencia on 6 November.
If Binder, who has finished second twice this season, do not stand on the top step in Spain it will be the first time since 2017 the KTM man finishes a season without a win. He has won 17 races across Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP.
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“We learned a lot these last six weeks and had some ‘ups’ as well as some challenging weekends. I need to say thank you to my team because they did an unbelievable job and gave everything every session for me,” Binder told the KTM website after the race in Sepang.
Binder started the weekend in Malaysia like a house on fire recording the fastest time in the first free practice. However, he failed to make it through to Qualifying 2 and had to start from 13th on the grid.
“Unfortunately, the result wasn’t there today and we still need to work to get where we want to be on Sunday afternoons. It is only a matter of time though.”
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Brad Binder’s younger brother Darryn Binder made an excellent start to move up from 24th place to as high as 11th before his pace dropped off and he crashed out on lap 11.
“I managed to get a really good start and was feeling good in the first six laps, and then started to struggle a little bit and I didn’t have the same pace as the group that I was in. At the same time I was just trying to keep my rhythm and keep myself inside the points,” Binder told his Yamaha team’s website.
“Unfortunately in lap 11, I took the front going into turn five. A really disappointing end to the weekend. But anyway, we go to the last race and we will do our best.”