Cancelled main race meant KTM man didn't get the chance to capitalise on sprint race form.
Brad Binder waves to the fans at Phillip Island. Picture: Red Bull KTM
Brad Binder was left to ponder what could have been after what would have been his fifth last MotoGP race in Australia got cancelled on Sunday.
The Red Bull KTM man was confident heading into the main race after storming from 13th on the grid to a sixth-place finish in the sprint race on Saturday, but the weather had other ideas. Relentless rain and low visibility at Phillip Island forced the eventual cancellation of the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 races.
The two KTM teams made a brief parade appearance for the soaked fans that remained at the track, who bravely weathered the conditions for what would have been the last MotoGP race at Phillip Island. The Australian Grand Prix shifts to a new city-based layout in Adelaide for 2027.
Brad Binder disappointed
“It was quite sad doing my last laps here at Phillip Island behind a safety car but to be honest the conditions were not looking too good and there was a lot of water on track,” Binder told the KTM website.
Binder himself will still see more action at the iconic 4.45km layout in Victoria. The track hosts the first round of the World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) next season where Binder will compete on a factory BMW.
“It would have been a sketchy, long 27-laps. A pity, and I feel sorry for the people that sat in the rain from 8am. I hope I can see them again in February!”
Binder’s sixth place, his best sprint race finish in 14 rounds, helped him move up to 108 points in the title race. He is still in 13th place, but now tied on points with 12th-placed Luca Marini.
Marquez overtakes Martin
At the top of the pile, Marc Marquez (365 points) won the sprint race Down Under to move ahead of Jorge Martin (355). Martin crashed out on Saturday and suffered an arm injury which ruled him out of the main race. The Spaniard is also in a race against time to partake in this weekend’s race in Malaysia.
